Students at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) recently attended an online lecture about sustainability hosted by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) Community Engagement Division.

With contributions from the SC’s Orjan Lundberg, Sustainability and Environmental Subject Matter Expert, the lecture focused on the importance of sustainability in relation to mega-events and included key details about the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Sustainability Strategy.

Students from the Special Studies in Sport and Entertainment course tuned in to hear Lundberg outline the planning, implementation and management of sustainability during mega-events such as the FIFA World Cup™ and Olympic Games.

Lundberg said: “This is the fourth sustainability lecture we’ve delivered to a local university. Engaging with students and sharing our knowledge is essential, as everyone working or studying in Qatar will play a role in supporting our sustainability commitments, both in the lead-up to the World Cup and beyond.”

Lundberg continued: “It is interesting to see how sustainability has become an integral part of hosting a mega-event. It is no longer a 'nice to have' but now part of the requirements for hosting huge sporting events like the World Cup or Olympic Games.”

Student Mohamed Aziz, part of the Masters in Sport and Event Management programme, which is jointly delivered by HBKU and the University of South Carolina, found the lecture very interesting.

He said: “The sports industry is the fastest growing industry in the region – and Qatar is leading the way in many areas. Orjan Lundberg gave a very interesting insight into the importance of sustainability and I would like to thank him and his SC colleagues for sharing such valuable knowledge.”

Dr. Kamilla Swart-Arries, Associate Professor at HBKU, was involved in organising the lecture. She said it was a golden opportunity for students to apply learned theory and concepts to real-world experiences.

She said: “It is important for students to be exposed to locally, relevant cases. In this instance, students are exposed to a global event within a local context. Exposure to these kinds of discussions and presentations help shape their abilities to develop and explain workable solutions to various industry problems related to sports and entertainment.”

Commenting on the Qatar 2022 Sustainability Strategy, she said: “I think it’s very comprehensive. Having worked on the 2010 World Cup, including on the Green Volunteer Programme and having being exposed to FIFA’s Green Goal project, sustainability initiatives at World Cups have come a long way. The approach taken by the SC and its partners to develop an integrated and coordinated strategy is commendable.”

Commenting on the lecture, Ali Al Mahmoud, the SC’s Head of Sport & Culture, said: “These sessions show our commitment to engage as many people as possible on our journey towards the first tournament in the Middle East and Arab world – even during the current global pandemic. We are helping students to become leaders in the sports and entertainment industries in the future.”