Ibn Haldun University Brings Its Academic Expertise to COP31 in Antalya

Ibn Haldun University is bringing its research and sustainability initiatives to the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), hosted by Türkiye in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026. The University’s programme examines how finance, education, law and technology can contribute to climate action.

On 13 November, IHU held “Transparency and Trust in Climate Claims: AI-Assisted Detection of Greenwashing and Greenhushing” at the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Pavilion. The session was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Alper Özpınar, with Prof. Rana Atabay Kuşçu of Medipol University and Assoc. Prof. Şaha Burcu Baygül Özpınar of IHU’s Faculty of Communication, participating as panellists.

The University also held “Islamic Finance for Climate Action: Financing a Just and Resilient Energy Transition” on the same day. Asst. Prof. Fatih Al, Director of IHU’s Center for Applied Research in Islamic Economics and Finance (CIEF), moderated the session. During the panel, IHU and the Global Islamic Climate Finance Alliance (GICFA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The panel brought together H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, Founding Chair-designate of GICFA; Prof. Mehmet Asutay of Durham University; and Farrukh Raza, Chairman of Islamic Finance Advisory & Assurance Services (IFAAS). Dr. Omar Shaikh, Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI), and Astrid Fionna Harningtyas, Senior Economist at Bank Indonesia and a doctoral researcher at Durham University Business School, also joined the discussion.

On 13 November, alongside the panel sessions, poster presentations on “SUSTAIN-ED / Sustainability in Education Beyond Borders,” “Right to Repair: Private Legal Infrastructure of the Circular Economy and Legislation Proposals for Türkiye,” and “Green Campus Centre of Excellence” were held at the exhibition space allocated to our university, showcasing the university’s projects to conference participants.

IHU’s COP31 programme will continue on 14 November with sessions focusing on education, artificial intelligence and the transformation of university campuses. The panel “From Green Campus to Intelligent Campus: AI and the Next Generation of Humanity” will bring together Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Alper Özpınar of Ibn Haldun University and Prof. Jennifer O’Brien of the University of Manchester. On the same day, our President, Prof. Atilla Arkan, will speak at the panel “Lifelong Green Transformation: Education and the Future Workforce.” 

Our university’s participation in COP31 is expected to make a significant contribution to embedding sustainability across the university and integrating it into institutional processes.