Curtin Malaysia students lead climate action at Youth Climate Summit Southeast Asia 2024

Miri, Sarawak – 25 October 2024 – Five Curtin University Malaysia students recently gained invaluable experience at the inaugural Youth Climate Summit-Southeast Asia 2024 in Penang, joining hundreds of young leaders from across the region to tackle climate change head-on.

The team, representing Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, Faculty of Business, and School of Pre-U and Continuing Education (SPACE), was accompanied by Dr. Lee Yih Nin, Assistant Director of the Curtin Aquaculture Research Laboratories (CARL) at Curtin Malaysia.

The summit was the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, and over five days, participants engaged in hands-on workshops, expert panels, and climate action planning sessions aimed at empowering them to drive sustainability initiatives in their communities.

One of the summit’s highlights was the session on ‘Youth Activism: Catalysing Change for a Sustainable Future,’ where seasoned activists like Youthopia co-founder Lily Lim inspired the attendees with stories of grassroots movements and hands-on roadmap creation for youth-led climate actions.

Deanna Sharuddin, a second-year Business Administration student from the Faculty of Business, was particularly inspired by Lim, who emphasised that youth should not be limited by their age in making changes or initiating impactful movements.

The Curtin Malaysia team actively contributed to the summit’s Climate Action Planning (CAP) initiative, which encourages youth to recognise their potential to create actionable projects in their local communities. The team proposed a comprehensive recycling system to be implemented on their campus.

Expressing satisfaction in the opportunity to participate in the summit, Kenneth Lim Zheng Yuan, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student, emphasised the importance of translating slogans into action, while foundation student Owen Yang Fu Shen described the event as an eye-opening experience.

The students also joined other participants visited Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), WorldFish, Penang Hill Habitat, and Entopia. Dr Lee said the excursions were designed to cater to wide-ranging interests, such as nature, sustainability, habitat conservation, biosphere reserves, and aquatic food systems.

Final-year Electrical Engineering student, Yap Zhi Xuan was particularly moved by the impact of small actions after visiting Entopia, while second-year Finance and Management student Mavis Yong Xiao Yee was inspired by the community efforts to preserve the Penang Hill Biosphere ecosystem.

The summit concluded with an exchange of ideas and a commitment to action, leaving a lasting impression on the participants and motivating them to implement sustainability solutions in their home communities.

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit curtin.edu.my, or connect with Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

Dr Lee (third left) with the students at the opening ceremony of Youth Climate Summit 2024

The Curtin Malaysia team presenting their Climate Action Plan (CAP)

Jen Krestser (3rd right), Director of Climate Initiatives, Wild Center with Curtin Malaysia’s students after presenting them certificates of participation