Curtin Malaysia team joins national initiative to embed planetary health in university curricula

Miri, Sarawak – 8 November 2025 – Six academics from Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) have taken a major step forward in strengthening sustainability and planetary health education after completing the prestigious Planetary Health Integration Short Course, held from 22–24 October 2025 at the EPF Learning Campus, Bangi, Selangor.

Organised by the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH) in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), the course brought together educators, researchers, and policymakers nationwide to explore how planetary health – the vital interconnection between human well-being and the planet’s natural systems – can be woven into higher education.

The event was officiated by Minister of Higher Education Dato’ Seri Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, underscoring Malaysia’s commitment to embedding planetary health principles across academic institutions and national policy frameworks.

Participants benefited from in-depth sessions led by Dr. Carlos Alberto Faerron Guzmán and Dr. Jelena Malogajski of the Planetary Health Alliance, Johns Hopkins University (USA), alongside Malaysia’s own planetary health leaders Professor Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of SCPH, and Dr. Fatimah Ahamad, SCPH Chief Scientist. The Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Seri Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, officiated the event, reinforcing Malaysia’s commitment to embedding these principles into academia.

Over three days, the course immersed the attendees in systems thinking, curriculum redesign, and institutional governance strategies to integrate planetary health into teaching, research, and campus operations.

Representing Curtin Malaysia were Ir. Associate Professor Lau Shiew Wei, Associate Professor Fidella Tiew Nga Huong, Dr. Lee Yih Nin, Dr. Voltisa Thartori, Dr. Hana Chen Wei Jun, and Dr. Ivy Hii Siaw Hung – a multidisciplinary team reflecting the university’s deep commitment to sustainability-driven education.

“The course expanded our understanding of the intricate connections between human activity, environmental change, and health in the Anthropocene era,” said Associate Professor Lau, who chairs Curtin Malaysia’s Sustainability Education Working Group. “It created valuable opportunities to collaborate with national peers and global experts to co-develop strategies for systemic, long-term adoption.”

Associate Professor Tiew, Dean of the School of Pre-U and Continuing Education (SPACE), emphasised the alignment between the course and Curtin’s global sustainability vision, saying, “Curtin’s educational programmes are purpose-built to support planetary health education. We aim to empower students to drive meaningful change, shaping environmentally responsible behaviours and solutions that benefit both people and the planet.”

Dr. Lee, Assistant Director, Curtin Aquaculture Research Lab, meanwhile, highlighted that sustaining planetary health through systems thinking was one of the key lessons, reminding educators that addressing health and environmental issues requires a holistic, interconnected approach.

Curtin Malaysia already embeds sustainability across its curricula, notably through the Balance of the Planet online Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) co-curricular modules, co-developed for Malaysia’s context with Curtin University in Australia. Building on the short course, the participating team plans to expand planetary health learning across all faculties, further strengthening Curtin Malaysia’s contributions to national and global sustainability goals.

“This initiative perfectly embodies Curtin’s mission to make a difference for People and our Planet,” added Dr. Tiew. “Our next step is ensuring that planetary health becomes an integral part of every learning experience at Curtin Malaysia.”

Planetary health is an emerging, transdisciplinary field that explores how human health and the well-being of all life on Earth depend on the stability of the planet’s natural systems. Introduced by the Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission in 2015, the field seeks collaborative solutions to global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, all of which threaten both planetary and human health. Further information on planetary health is available at the Planetary Health Alliance website: www.planetaryhealthalliance.org.

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit curtin.edu.my or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

From left, second) Dr. Tiew, Ir. Dr. Lau, Dato’ Seri Dr. Zambry, Dr. Lee, Dr. Thartori, Dr. Chen, and Dr. Hii in a group photo with other participants.

Group photo of educators, researchers, policy leaders, and international experts at the course closing session.