Enhancing climate change education in Egyptian higher education institutions: barriers, opportunities, and student awareness levels

Climate change education plays an essential role in strengthening adaptation, mitigation, and public engagement, particularly in higher education institutions that prepare future professionals and decision-makers. This study examines climate change education in Egyptian higher education institutions by investigating students’ awareness, perceptions, information sources, and willingness to engage in climate-related action. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 349 university students across three geographical regions in Egypt. The findings indicate that students generally demonstrate awareness of climate change and concern about its impacts, but gaps remain in deeper scientific understanding, familiarity with local and national initiatives, and active participation in climate-related activities. The results also suggest that students rely heavily on informal information channels, especially social media, while formal curricular exposure remains uneven. The study highlights both barriers and opportunities for strengthening climate change education in Egyptian higher education institutions, including the need for more structured curricular integration, critical thinking development, and action-oriented learning. By providing context-specific evidence from Egypt, the paper contributes to current discussions on how higher education can better support student preparedness for climate action.