The Administrative and Financial Division at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies DI has organized a lecture on social responsibility and sustainability in collaboration with the Seashore Group on Sunday, 9 April 2023. The lecture was presented by Ms. Lolwa Mohamed Ali, sustainability coordinator in the Seashore Group, and was moderated by Dr. Rania Mansour, assistant professor in the Social Work Program at the DI. 

Dr. Rania Mansour introduced the lecture by emphasizing that social responsibility is a commitment that affects every individual or institution, as it ensures a balance between the economy and the environmental systems and it contributes to addressing some issues affecting societies. She added that the relationship of social responsibility with sustainability is strong, as it enhances the ability to preserve the quality of life that people live in the long run and guarantees it for future generations through the optimal and responsible use of the surrounding environmental resources.

Ms. Lolwa Mohamed Ali started the lecture by talking about the history of recycling, noting that it dates back thousands of years ago. And though it may seem like one of the modern concepts associated with the environmental movements in the seventies of the twentieth century, it was actually used by some individuals somehow thousands of years ago, but it emerged in the thirties and forties of the twentieth century as one of the important concepts that would help to achieve a sustainable future.

She talked about the concept of corporate social responsibility, which in its simplest sense, refers to a type of self-regulation for organizations with the aim of social accountability and making a positive impact on society, adding that organizations can implement social responsibility initiatives and programs through several steps, the most important of which are: the use of clean technologies and means of production, promoting equality and diversity in the workplace, as well as respecting employees and others.

She explained the areas of recycling that the Seashore Group is interested in, including "battery recycling, medical and industrial waste recycling, used cooking oil recycling, metal recycling such as iron, copper and aluminum, plastic recycling and paper recycling". As for the Seashore Group's initiatives, Lolwa said that a number of initiatives have been organized with a number of partner institutions such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Ooredoo, Qatar Museums, among others. 

She concluded that a good institutional organization based on planning, development and innovation has a positive impact on society, helps raise awareness of recycling, and thus establishes institutional values related to sustainability in its various manifestations.

The door was open at the end of the lecture for questions where the attendees asked about the concepts of social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and the role of institutions and organizations in achieving sustainability.