Veolia, the benchmark company for ecological transformation offering game-changing solutions for water, waste and energy management, hosted six students from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman at the 2021 Veolia Summer School in July. The digital one-week summer program invited students to take on environmental challenges by applying professional methods to solve various problems, supported by Veolia experts.
The six students joined from Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai, UAE; King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Ibra College of Technology in Ibra, Oman.
Recognizing the importance of educating and engaging young people in the environmental issues that will impact their future, Veolia brought together 64 students in total from the best universities in the world for a week of group work, meetings with experts and learning about Veolia’s businesses and solutions, in international teams while building a network.
The students, who come from 27 countries and five continents, were divided into three time zones and 12 working groups. The 12 student teams, assisted by Veolia experts, explored multiple topics in their business cases including air quality, digital waste management, cooperation culture, oil recovery, hydrogen and electric vehicles, the Green Deal, carbon capture and storage, battery recycling, decarbonization, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), sustainable agriculture, and health and micropollutants.
Shaima Muez, a mechanical engineering student from Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai, UAE, commented on her time at the 2021 Veolia Summer School: “It was an enlightening experience listening to so many professionals from the field talk about the ecological issues in our world today. In addition, it was interesting and exciting to tackle the challenge of industrial decarbonization with Veolia’s diverse team that come from so many different backgrounds.
“It was a blast to be part of the Summer School and virtually meet so many people from around the world. Thank you to the dream team that organized it!”
Abdulaziz Alghamdi, an engineering graduate from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said the Summer School was an invaluable experience. “I am glad to have learned so much about the crucial environmental problems and questions facing the world. I especially enjoyed working on my team’s business case, where I was able to put this knowledge to practice, implementing design thinking to come up with an innovative solution that answers the customer’s needs. The Veolia team were very friendly, helpful and hands-on, providing us with their advice and insights every step of the way.”
The Summer School brought the entire Veolia Group’s commitment to training and educating young generations to the highest level. Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Operating Officer, and Antoine Frérot, Group CEO, personally addressed messages to the students. Participants also had the opportunity to meet and chat with Swiss and South African explorer Mike Horn, who gave an inspiring talk about climate change.
Veolia was the first company in the environmental services sector to launch its Summer School in 2010. The objectives of the school include bringing together talented young people from around the world who bring their diverse cultures; to build participants’ awareness of environmental issues; and to establish and strengthen relationships between Veolia and the students’ universities.