{"id":183931,"date":"2025-05-27T21:36:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T21:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=183931"},"modified":"2025-05-27T21:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T21:37:18","slug":"how-malaysian-universities-are-leading-the-sdg-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=183931","title":{"rendered":"How are Malaysian Universities Leading the SDG\u00a0Revolution?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By, Ahmad Hakim Hassanuddin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOMBAK, 23 May 2025:\u00a0Situated\u00a0in the heart of Gombak\u00a0is\u00a0a university\u00a0which\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0just\u00a0shaping minds but\u00a0shaping a sustainable future. The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is emerging as one of the\u00a0key\u00a0movers\u00a0in the country\u00a0to\u00a0lead\u00a0initiatives addressing the United Nations’\u00a0Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by integrating environmental consciousness and social responsibility with campus\u00a0culture, education, and\u00a0leadership.

With its\u00a0lead\u00a0mission\u00a0statement,\u00a0“Garden of Knowledge and Virtue,” IIUM has committed to\u00a0making\u00a0that metaphor\u00a0a\u00a0reality\u00a0in\u00a0environmental action\u00a0in the real world. The university\u00a0has\u00a0been\u00a0awarded the Green Gown Award in 2022 for sustainability leadership in higher education\u00a0and\u00a0is\u00a0the first Malaysian university to\u00a0have\u00a0been awarded\u00a0this\u00a0global\u00a0honor. From green buildings and solar\u00a0buildings\u00a0to community-driven\u00a0projects such as zero-waste bazaars and\u00a0green\u00a0mosques, IIUM is demonstrating that sustainability can be\u00a0firmly\u00a0rooted in both Islamic\u00a0heritage\u00a0and modern environmental science.

One of\u00a0the\u00a0IIUM’s most impactful initiatives is the Sejahtera Centre for Sustainability and Humanity, which\u00a0is\u00a0leading\u00a0campus-wide\u00a0efforts\u00a0for\u00a0the SDGs, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). The Centre\u00a0collaborates\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0local\u00a0government\u00a0and NGOs to implement urban\u00a0agriculture, water-saving\u00a0technologies, and environmental education programs.\u00a0Besides\u00a0infrastructure, IIUM integrates sustainability into\u00a0the\u00a0curriculum\u00a0as well, with\u00a0student\u00a0projects\u00a0and\u00a0courses\u00a0examining\u00a0environmental ethics, Islamic perspectives on sustainability, and sustainable development in the Global South.

But IIUM is not alone. Across Malaysia, a growing number of universities are rising to the challenge of embedding SDGs into higher education.\u00a0Universiti\u00a0Malaya (UM), the nation\u2019s oldest university, ranks among the top in Asia for sustainability efforts. Its UM Eco-Campus Blueprint outlines a comprehensive plan to achieve carbon neutrality through strategies such as green transportation (electric buses and bicycle lanes), rainwater harvesting, and energy-efficient infrastructure. UM\u2019s Green Office and Zero Waste Campaign have also contributed to a significant reduction in single-use plastics on campus.

Meanwhile,\u00a0Universiti\u00a0Teknologi\u00a0Malaysia (UTM) in\u00a0Skudaihas\u00a0has taken\u00a0the lead in\u00a0green technology research\u00a0through\u00a0its Sustainable Campus Program, which includes solar panel deployment, green building certifications, and a\u00a0recycling system\u00a0on campus. UTM’s collaboration with the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA)\u00a0places\u00a0its students\u00a0at the forefront of climate policy and energy innovation.

Universiti\u00a0Sains Malaysia (USM),\u00a0or\u00a0the country’s APEX (Accelerated Programme for Excellence) university, has fully\u00a0linked\u00a0its mission\u00a0to\u00a0the SDGs. USM’s Campus Sejahtera\u00a0effort\u00a0focuses on\u00a0building\u00a0an\u00a0eco-equilibrium\u00a0system\u00a0that promotes environmental, economic, and social\u00a0well-being. From\u00a0student-led\u00a0mangrove\u00a0conservation\u00a0initiatives\u00a0to\u00a0innovations\u00a0like\u00a0biodegradable packaging, USM\u00a0student\u00a0activities\u00a0embody SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

These universities are also driving change beyond their campuses. Through public lectures, youth movements, and\u00a0community\u00a0partnerships, they’re\u00a0teaching\u00a0students\u00a0as\u00a0sustainability ambassadors. IIUM, for example,\u00a0conducts\u00a0weekly\u00a0Sejahtera Leadership Training and SDG hackathon\u00a0sessions,\u00a0which\u00a0allow\u00a0students to\u00a0develop\u00a0solutions to real\u00a0problems\u00a0from waste management in urban\u00a0apartments\u00a0to solar\u00a0lamps\u00a0for\u00a0Orang Asli villages.

Despite the positive\u00a0trend,\u00a0there are still\u00a0challenges.\u00a0Constraints in\u00a0funding,\u00a0uneven\u00a0implementation\u00a0of policies, and\u00a0environmental\u00a0ignorance\u00a0among\u00a0certain\u00a0student\u00a0groups\u00a0continue to slow progress. However, the growing\u00a0number\u00a0of Green Campus Coalitions,\u00a0aided\u00a0by the Ministry of Higher Education, is helping institutions\u00a0to\u00a0disseminate\u00a0best practices and\u00a0create\u00a0a culture of accountability and ambition.

As Malaysia\u00a0makes\u00a0its\u00a0way to\u00a0its own sustainability targets\u2014net-zero\u00a0carbon\u00a0by 2050\u2014universities like IIUM, UM, UTM, and USM are proving that campuses can be\u00a0more\u00a0than\u00a0just\u00a0seats\u00a0of learning, but\u00a0workshops\u00a0of\u00a0eco-friendliness. They show that the journey\u00a0to\u00a0a\u00a0cleaner\u00a0future must start with the\u00a0younger\u00a0set\u2014and that journey\u00a0starts\u00a0at\u00a0school.***<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By, Ahmad Hakim Hassanuddin GOMBAK, 23 May 2025:\u00a0Situated\u00a0in the heart of Gombak\u00a0is\u00a0a university\u00a0which\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0just\u00a0shaping minds but\u00a0shaping a sustainable future. The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":239,"featured_media":183940,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4,6,3],"tags":[],"nelio_content":{"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"followers":[257,239],"suggestedReferences":[],"efiUrl":"","efiAlt":"","highlights":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_1753.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183931"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/239"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=183931"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":184030,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183931\/revisions\/184030"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/183940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=183931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=183931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=183931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}