Higher Education Secretay-General participates in UNEP's digital transformation conference

Manama, Sept. 25 (BNA): Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council (HEC) and Deputy Chairperson of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa, has stated that the kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, attaches great importance to protecting the environment and preserving natural resources, adding that the government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has achieved remarkable progress in all these fields, as it has integrated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 in its action plan and the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. While participating as a high-level member in the “Digital Transformation Conference for Environmental Sustainability - Perspective from West Asia”, organised by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Dr. Shaikha Rana added that Bahrain has implemented a number of initiatives to support efforts to protect and preserve the environment, citing the launch of the Bahrain National Environment Strategy, the establishment of the Supreme Council for the Environment, the hosting of the UN Environment Programme's Regional Office for West Asia, and holding conferences in this field. She pointed out that the higher education sector in the kingdom and various counties has benefited from digital transformation, noting that the online education technology has paved the way for the continuity of education despite the spread of the novel Coronavirus pandemic. She stressed that increasing the digitalisation of higher education would support efforts to confront the pandemic and the accompanying additional environmental challenges, stressing the need to educate the future generations and equip them with the necessary knowledge in order to become responsible for the sustainability of this planet, by integrating a mindset directed towards better sustainability in academia and higher education.