Lecturer Dr Farooq Hussein Muhammed from the College of Administration and Economics at the University of Human Development (UHD) and Dr Omar Hama Ahmed from the University of Sulaimani held a joint panel on the subject of green schools and the social responsibility of educational institutions, in the Seminar Hall at UHD on 11th May 2025.

The panel aimed to introduce the concept of green schools and the responsibilities of construction companies, as well as the administration and management staff of schools. It also addressed the overall responsibility of all government institutions in charge of education toward planning and designing greener and more eco-friendly study programmes at schools while creating a greener, nature-oriented environment for learners.

The world is struggling to cope with the increasing challenges of climate change, such as water shortages in many regions, rising floods and other natural disasters in others, global temperature increases, desertification, deforestation, and pollution of oceans, seas, soil, air, and water in numerous locations worldwide. All these problems need to be addressed; hence, schools must be designed both physically and in terms of their curricula to educate children on protecting the environment and leading a more ecofriendly life, thereby supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These topics were discussed during the panel.