Ahmed Ibrahim (Albert)｜作者介紹
Ahmed 是一位夢想家、科學愛好者，也是一位雄心壯志的青年。他出生並成長於埃及開羅，並取得Suez大學之石油與天然氣工程學位；目前正在台灣攻讀化工碩士學位，主要的研究領域為生質能與綠色能源。
Ahmed is a dreamer, a lover of science and an ambitious young man. He was born and raised in Egypt in Cairo. He got his bachelor’s in oil and gas engineering from Suez University. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in chemical engineering in Taiwan. His research is about generating green bio-energy from biomass.
Lying on the grass in a national park in Egypt, with my eyes on the stars and my mind wandering, is our planet dying? Is there a way out of this, or is it too late? At that point, I had no knowledge of the SDGs or what I could do to contribute. I was just a young man questioning the future of our planet and humanity. During my first year in Taiwan, I have heard about an event taking place in Okinawa, Japan, where multiple students from around the world would represent their countries, share their thoughts about the problems our world is facing, and shed light on their countries. I was excited and proud to be a part of this event and represent my country, Egypt, and talk to like-minded young people coming from different backgrounds. Unlike what I was expecting, the event was much bigger and better organized, from the largest to the finest detail. In that event, we were guided to think freely, come up with creative ideas, and share these ideas and thoughts with each other. I learned a lot not only about Sustainable Development Goals but also about the cultural differences among different nations and how these differences can impact the way we view things and the way we think. However, the most important lesson that I learned on those days is that when we come up with something, we have to be realistic, and that we have to expect objections from different parties, such as governments, the private sectors, or even a country against another. For instance, one idea can seem wonderful, but the applicability is very limited or would cause more damage than the benefits it would bring. Another incredible life lesson I learned from that event was the multiplying influence, or the ripple effect, in which no matter how small you think your action is or how tiny its effect is, it will always find a way to multiply and create a greater impact. This also applies to the participants in the event; they learn something, they share it with their circles, and out of nowhere, the organizers indirectly reach a large audience base.
This event was extended and repeated, but this time in Thailand, and it was organized on a larger scale and in collaboration with multiple entities. The events and sessions of the Thailand workshop and boot camp were focused on practicality and openness to the world. We started with a cultural Thai dance, followed by a welcome ceremony and an introduction to the activities we will have. In Thailand, we had the opportunity to work in groups, with each group focusing on specific topics. Despite the condensed schedule, the productivity of delegates was high, from presentations to community visit to the UN headquarters visit. Personally, the most remarkable event was the hackathon, where we brainstormed ideas to find a practical product or idea to solve a problem. During the hackathon, I thought of a product targeting a specific group of people. I was so excited about the idea and I shared it with others. Nevertheless, my excitement was not met with the same level of enthusiasm I was hoping for. This was until I was guided by a great professor that my idea was indeed wonderful; however, the way I presented my ideas needed modifications. He then went on to explain more about how I can introduce my product in a more captivating way. I truly learned from this experience, and I loved my idea even more, despite our team ending up choosing a different idea to present in the final stages.
Another distinctive activity for me was the community visit. Within the community visit, we interviewed the leaders of that community and explored their journey from humble beginnings to their current states. I was truly inspired by the struggle they went through and how they utilized every means they had access to in that time to promote their community. Although they have many hardships, they decided to maintain sustainability and care for their area and environment by increasing the green areas to waste management. The whole event ended up perfectly with a visit to the United Nations headquarters in Thailand, where I stood where the world leaders stand. In that special moment, I had a feeling that I might one day be here in a formal meeting, sharing my ideas with other world leaders.
All in all, the Thai boot camp was a great experience where the organizers helped us grow, be prepared, and dream big. This gave us the opportunity to walk in the shoes and live the experience of world leaders to realize that it is not impossible and one can go much further than one thinks they could. Therefore, I am so grateful to the organizers and sponsors of such events for making this happen and allowing young minds to think and prepare for the future of our planet and of humanity.
