A new platform designed to facilitate educational resources on sustainability has been launched in the UAE titled “Open-source Hub: Sustainability as a Second Language”

‘The Open-source Hub’ platform was launched under the umbrella of the Arab Youth Council for Climate Change (AYCCC), a program by the Arab Youth Center.

The ‘Open-source Hub’ is a platform designed for professors in higher education institutions in the Arab world, hosting a variety of materials that could facilitate the integration of the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) into their classrooms.

The Arab Youth Council for Climate Change launched this project as a flagship deliverable of its partnership with HSBC and Posterity Institute to provide easily accessible and curated open educational resources focused on sustainability.

Dr. Yasar Jarrar, Managing Director of Posterity Institute highlighted: “The launch of the Open-source Hub marks a significant milestone in our efforts to catalyse the sustainability movement among Arab youth. This platform will support in equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change in the Arab World and beyond.”

This resource has been made available free of charge, with materials accessible in both Arabic and English. It comprises eight comprehensive modules covering all 17 SDGs and a wide range of topics within sustainability and climate change.

The course modules include; introduction to sustainability, global response to global challenges, the role of the private sector, energy, circular economies,  food and water security, net-positive and leveraging technology for good.

The free-to-access course is endorsed by regional university professors and lecturers in the sustainability space.

The content was designed to encourage the integration of the SDGS and sustainability in the general curriculum of students in the region.

The Council, in collaboration with its partners, has been working on the platform for the past two years and hosted its soft- launch at the 2024 World Future Energy Summit at the National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi (ADNEC).