Universities and climate resilience
The writer is a Professor and Director of Pakistan Study Centre, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. He can be reached at shuja.mahesar@usindh.edu.pk
Climate transformation presents shared challenges and opportunities for the academic world. The climate crisis we are currently facing cannot be addressed without collaboration between research organisations. Cooperation between academia and industry has become crucial to effectively tackle human-induced climate change. Therefore, it is important to share the vision for improving the climate through educational platforms that aim to educate people in various regions of Pakistan. This can bring about a remarkable change in people’s attitudes towards climate-related issues such as water crisis, food insecurity, deforestation, soil degradation and environmental pollution through academic debates and public engagement.
Universities can play a leading role in facilitating the collaboration and knowledge exchange among academics and environmental experts. By fostering strong connections, universities can harness collective wisdom and promote the reduction of environmental risks, while also encouraging sustainability and innovation in the use of water and land resources. Higher education leadership, faculty and planning experts should strengthen cooperation in arts, science and technology to address the technological, social, political, legal and human rights aspects of climate change.
Universities should take the lead in addressing the challenges posed by climate catastrophe by articulating the issues, generating new knowledge and fostering youth leadership. It is important for institutions of higher education to broaden their climate vision by increasing exposure of their learners to global opportunities. Universities need to connect students with global networks to explore collective actions for mitigating climate disasters.
There should be a deliberate promotion of climate-related intellectual discourse by faculties focused on the environment. Traditional teaching methods and outdated curricula should be reformed to incorporate content on the impacts of climate change on food and water resources. This will ensure that students are equipped with the necessary skills to tackle these challenges.
Universities are recognised worldwide for their innovative teaching approaches and their ability to nurture young minds by imparting wisdom and developing critical thinking. Therefore, climate-related departments within universities must design new courses to meet the demands of a global industry driven by climate-friendly productivity and align with the ambitions of students seeking to expand their skills in this field. Further encouraging impactful research on ecology and climate issues and cultivating a research culture on campuses will enable universities to develop innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
Universities must contribute to the overall advancement of Pakistan’s technological adaptation and innovation by establishing in-person research exchange programmes with universities around the world to develop research activities and allow climate researchers to understand community resilience and disaster-management strategies of different countries. Deep understanding of climate management and exposure to various regions will enable research scholars to benefit from knowledge sharing in science, technology and AI, to contribute new ideas for managing climate effects and developing local resilience to mitigate the impacts of climate breakdown.
Universities should take a leading role in becoming climate-friendly institutions, serving as models for other organisations. Campuses should promote green thinking, organise tree-planting initiatives, adopt climate-related technologies and create awareness through academic activities. It is crucial for universities to strive to be carbon-neutral and discourage printing of documents, instead opting for online communication, e-filing and official correspondence. To perform this new role, academic and administrative restructuring is important to rationalise expenditure. Universities should be empowered to enhance their academic and research outcomes and contribute to addressing national challenges rather than being solely focused on bridging their financial gaps through the production of degrees of questionable value.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2023.
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