Overall Rating Bronze
Overall Score 40.37
Liaison Raafat Kabbara
Submission Date Nov. 15, 2022

STARS v2.2

Higher Colleges of Technology
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 2.00 Raafat Kabbara
Assistant Manager - Facilities Management
General Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student groups 

Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Yes

Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
HCT has formed more than 60 sustainability-related student clubs on 13 of its 14 campuses. the total number of active students participating in these clubs exceeds 10,000 students. The aim and purpose of these clubs are to:
1. Educate students on the importance of sports and having a healthy lifestyle.
2. Promote tolerance to the college youth and community.
3. Motivate to promote happiness and create friendship.
4. Make a distinctive contribution to the sustainability of the Arabic language and Emirati heritage.
5. Create a healthy volunteering culture physically and mentally to build the HCT community.
6. Spread environmental awareness among the HCT Community.
7. Enable students from different programs to interact and work together on recycling projects where students are exposed to an environment similar to the real-life work environment.
8. Innovate in the area of agriculture, food, and sustainability.

The main activities related to these clubs include the following:
1. Online art competitions
2. Green Campaigns (recycling, planting trees, desert and Beach cleanup, Green Monday)
3. Green visits (Green Planet Visits, etc)
4. Proposals ( future sustainable business, sustainable campus, green call, etc.)
5. Attending sustainability-related webinars
6. Participating in Evacuation drills, peer tutoring, etc.

Gardens and farms 

Does the institution have a garden, farm, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or an urban agriculture project where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:
No

A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
---

Student-run enterprises 

Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
No

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
---

Sustainable investment and finance 

Does the institution have a sustainable investment fund, green revolving fund, or sustainable microfinance initiative through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
Under the sustainable development stratic initiatives, various projects have been initiated to support students in their journey to developing their sustainability experience on campus. Student envolvement in considered as a prime part of the objectives of executing these projects. Some of the projects are:
1. HCT Sustainability Development Generate Greenhouse gas emissions inventory and Generate Air pollutant emissions inventory ( value: AED 1,000,000).
2. Supply, install, commission, and service of Renewable Resources (Photovoltaic) Generating Plant (RRGP) at Dubai men's Campus ( value: AED 1,500,000).
3. Supply, Installation & Commissioning of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Solution System-Wide ( value AED 1,350,000).
4. Building Energy Management Information System system-wide * value: 6,000,000).
5. Solar parking shades at Dubai Women's Campus ( value AED 400,000)
6. Design, supply, installation, operation, and training Service for hydroponic systems in the Greenhouses at Dubai campuses ( value AED 500,000).

Events 

Has the institution hosted a conference, speaker series, symposium, or similar event focused on sustainability during the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
HCT Showcases Sustainability-centered Initiatives & Student Projects at WETEX-Dubai Solar Show 2022.
The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) showcased students’ innovative, environmental sustainability-oriented projects, as part of its participation as an exhibitor at the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition 2022 (WETEX) & Dubai Solar Show, organized by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
For more information please go to:

https://hct.ac.ae/en/news/hct-showcases-sustainability-centered-initiatives-student-projects-at-wetex-dubai-solar-show-2022/

Also, HCT has organized the advances in Science and Engineering Technology under the title "Sustainable Environment and Urban Infrastructure" with the theme of "Bridging the Gap for Future Sustainable Development: Research, Practice, Policies, and Education".

https://hct.ac.ae/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/09_ASET_UrbanInfrastructure_CallforPaper-1.pdf

In addition, The College has organized an international conference on Sustainable Environment and Urban Infrastructure with the theme of "Bridging the Gap for Future Sustainable Development: Research, Practice, Policies, and Education."

https://hct.ac.ae/en/events/sustainable-environment-and-urban-infrastructure-international-conference-seuic2022/

Cultural arts 

Has the institution hosted a cultural arts event, installation, or performance focused on sustainability with the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
No

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
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Wilderness and outdoors programs 

Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The student clubs on various campuses have organized plenty of outdoor programs in 2021 and 2022 that follow "leave no Trace" principles. some of these activities include:
1. Charity Marathon Sports
2. Trach to cash volunteering activity
3. Planting seeds
4. Cleanup campaigns
5. recycling campaigns
6. Run for the Union activity
7. Sports day

Please refer to the below link for more information.

https://hctuae-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/nalnuaimi1_hct_ac_ae/Eq4hxCISl6BClYbVijf0ZMEB09Y1XwWZX6Gx7uQLug_eKg?e=bUwNtt

Sustainability-focused themes 

Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
---

Sustainable life skills 

Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
No

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
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Student employment opportunities 

Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
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Graduation pledge

Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
No

A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
---

Optional Fields

A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.