16th Conference of Rectors from the Black Sea Region – BSUN 2024 Congress

Professor Phoebe Koundouri has a speech at the BSUN 2024 Congress and the 16th Conference of Rectors from the Black Sea Region, which took place on July 11 and 12, in the panel discussion on “Promoting Science-Based Decision Making in Society and the Role of Universities.”

The theme of the BSUN Congress 2024, “Summit of the Future for the Black Sea Region,” was chosen to align the overarching commitments of the UN with the emerging themes and trends in global higher education systems. This theme is of significant interest to the Rectors of BSUN, stakeholders, decision-makers, and key actors in higher education.

Prof. Koundouri gave a speech on SDSN Global Climate Hub: Science-based Solutions Pathways for Climate Neutrality and Climate Resilience. During her presentation, she emphasized the crucial role of education as the primary driver of change.
She highlighted the mission of the Global Climate Hub’s Unit “Education, Training, Upskilling, and Reskilling,” which aims to support the green transition by educating and training people and building skills ecosystems aligned with national, regional, local, and sectoral green strategies. The educational programs will be delivered under six themes corresponding to the six SDGs transformations. In addition, she referred to the SDSN Global Climate Hub report (launched at COP28) “Modeling Net-Zero Pathways” which provides net-zero strategies for each country in the EU27, the UK, and the Balkans and it will now extend to decarbonization pathways in the energy sector for selected countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region (to be launched at UN Summit of the Future and COP29).

The event was part of the global efforts contributing to the UN General Assembly’s work, which will take place in September in New York for the adoption of a Pact for the Future. Learn more