Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD), in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law of the National University of Singapore (APCEL NUS) will host an international symposium on Tuesday, October 14th at its campus on Al Reem Island.
Titled ‘Ocean Futures: Advancing Decarbonisation and Innovation in Shipping and Marine Biodiversity through Law, Policy, and AI’, the symposium is held in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the MENA Oceans Initiative by Goumbook.
Part of SUAD’s Year of Ocean, the event reflects the university’s broader commitment to advancing marine research through SUAD’s Ocean Institute, launched at COP28. It will bring together global experts to explore how policy, law, and innovation can secure a more sustainable future for the world’s oceans.
Shipping carries over 80 per cent of global trade and contributes around 3 per cent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Global Maritime Forum. At the same time, maritime activity places increasing pressure on biodiversity, from noise pollution and habitat disruption to the spread of invasive species.
Against this backdrop, the symposium will focus on three interconnected themes: decarbonisation in the shipping industry, the protection of marine biodiversity, and the use of AI, robotics, and nature-based climate solutions to strengthen ocean governance.
The programme will feature keynote addresses from leaders in sustainability, with panels examining the International Maritime Organisation’s revised greenhouse gas reduction strategy, legal and policy measures to address the ecological impacts of shipping, and the role of AI and robotics in marine biodiversity preservation.
Discussions will also explore biodiversity monitoring across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, including the deployment of autonomous technologies for conservation and research. The day will feature a live demonstration of Blue AI, an innovative citizen science platform designed to tackle plastic pollution in Gulf marine environments.
Professor Nathalie Martial-Braz, Chancellor of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, said: “As part of our Year of Ocean initiative, this symposium reflects our mission to convene knowledge, policy, and innovation to address the urgent challenges facing our shared seas. By bringing together diverse voices, we aim to advance dialogue and generate practical recommendations, based on scientific knowledge that can influence policy and inspire collective action across the region and beyond.”
Dr. Jolene Lin, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Director of APCEL highlighted: “The collaboration between APCEL NUS and SUAD continues to strengthen each year, reflecting our shared commitment to safeguarding a sustainable marine environment. Together, we strive to generate regional benefits that link Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, fostering cooperation across our oceans.”
“Decarbonising the maritime sector is not an end in itself — it is a pathway to safeguarding ocean health,” said Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder and Managing Director of Goumbook and Chair of the MENA Oceans Initiative. As Regional Engagement and Delivery Partner for the UN Climate High-Level Champions Team’s Maritime Breakthrough, Goumbook’s MENA Oceans Initiative recognises the importance of cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder collaborations towards embedding biodiversity and ecosystem protection into maritime transition plans for lasting benefits to climate, nature, and communities.
Expected outcomes of the symposium include the publication of a policy brief on the three key topics explored during the event, a peer-reviewed academic article, and the establishment of future research initiatives and collaborations between legal scholars, UAE policymakers, and industry leaders.
The event is open to all, with participation encouraged from policymakers, academics, NGOs, industry leaders, students, and the wider community. To register and learn more, please visit https://sorbonne.ae/events/ocean-futures
About Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD)
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, established in May 2006 as the first French university in the UAE and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is a branch campus of the Sorbonne University in Paris, licensed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). SUAD brings 768 years of academic excellence from the prestigious Sorbonne University and Université Paris-Cité in Paris to a 93,000 sqm state-of-the-art campus on Al Reem Island.
The multidisciplinary research university offers over 20 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across three specialised schools: Arts and Humanities; Law, Economics, Business; and Data, Science and Engineering as well as on-demand PhD programmes from the doctoral schools in France All degrees are awarded by Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité and are evaluated by France’s Higher Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) and accredited by the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de l’Innovation (MESR), as well as the UAE’s Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA).
SUAD’s programmes blend academic rigour, critical thinking, with practical experience through industry partnerships. Home to the Gulf’s largest French language academic library, the university advances research, innovation, and cross-cultural dialogue between French and Emirati communities. Its motto “Choose Excellence, choose SUAD” reveals its commitment to Excellence, one of its 5 strategic pillars – Research, Education, Excellence, Visibility and Sustainability. SAFIR, its multidisciplinary research institute powers the wider knowledge production with 7 centers working on critical domains (such as AI, Humanities and Marine Science), access to 17,000 researchers in France and UAE and strong industry research partnerships.
Since 2022, SUAD welcomes the community to its cultural center offering a year-round program of exhibitions, theater plays, concerts, cinema and cultural talks. SUAD is engaged in advancing the UN SDGs through its sustainability pillar. With over 3,000 graduates from more than 90 nationalities, SUAD contributes significantly to Abu Dhabi’s multicultural academic ecosystem. Sorbonne Université is ranked 43rd globally in 2024 and 11th in mathematics in the Shanghai Ranking, and it is also ranked 8th in the Young University Rankings by Times Higher Education.
Université Paris Cité is ranked 60th globally in the 2024 Shanghai Ranking of World Universities. SUAD’s School of Arts and Humanities was named the 1st Humanities Education University by the Forbes Middle East Higher Education Awards in 2019. In 2025, SUAD ranked second in the UAE for Responsible Consumption and Production in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
For more information about Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi: https://www.sorbonne.ae/
About the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL)
The Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL) is a research centre at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore. APCEL is committed to promoting research-based capacity building and advancing innovative scholarship in a spirit of partnership. APCEL was established in 1996, in cooperation with the World Conservation Union-Commission on Environmental Law (IUCN-CEL) and UNEP, in response to the call in Agenda 21 to build capacity in environmental law and promote environmental consciousness.
Since its inception, APCEL has pioneered a wide-ranging programme of teaching, research and outreach to galvanise the use of legal mechanisms to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastics pollution. Recent projects include research on the Paris Rulebook, sustainability standards, and environmental courts and tribunals. APCEL also brings internationally renowned scholars together, alongside industry and other civil society stakeholders, to share the latest thinking on environmental law and policy at seminars and conferences.
For more information about APCEL: https://law.nus.edu.sg/apcel/about-us/
About Goumbook
Goumbook is a social enterprise dedicated to accelerating Sustainability and Climate Action in the UAE and beyond since 2009.
Goumbook shapes the global sustainability landscape by offering local solutions to corporates, youth, civil society, and the public sector. Through its programmes and initiatives, Goumbook mobilises cross-sectoral stakeholders to drive action. By addressing the unique challenges faced by the MENA region, we ensure that our region’s priorities are at the forefront of global sustainability efforts. Goumbook raises awareness, develops and runs initiatives, advises and consults to change mindsets and create impact on the current and future living experience of the people in our region.
The MENA Oceans Initiative by Goumbook was established in 2023, in Strategic Partnership with the UN Climate Change High Level Champions Team and the United Nations, UAE to forge cross-sectoral, multistakeholder efforts that will accelerate the pace of ocean action in the region. The Initiative brings regional ocean, coastal, and freshwater priorities to the forefront of climate and sustainability agendas through its four key pillars: an annual Summit, a Network, its Global Programmes, and Knowledge Hubs.
For more information about Goumbook: https://goumbook.com
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