12 July 2025 | Multipurpose Hall, CETaL, UTP | 289 participants
Reported by Samuel Ling How Zhuon, James Ling Lee Sheng, Michelle Lau Ling Ling
Key takeaways
- Official Launch of the AJYELN 2025 Campaign: The event marked the formal introduction of the AJYELN 2025 Malaysia Fellows to the university community. Through the opening ceremony, the Fellows officially kicked off their year-long environmental campaign, setting the tone for a year of youth-driven sustainability action.
- Raising Awareness on Plastic Pollution: Interactive sessions and showcases deepened students’ understanding of the plastic waste crisis, its devastating impact on marine life, and the role of circular economy solutions. The campaign successfully translated AJYELN’s core mission into an accessible, on-campus learning experience.
- Building a Volunteer Movement: “EquiLife Insights” doubled as a recruitment hub, connecting the Fellows with enthusiastic students ready to volunteer in upcoming initiatives such as recycling drives, community clean-ups, and awareness campaigns—ensuring the project’s reach extends well beyond the event.
- Strengthening Partnerships for Impact: The launch fostered collaboration between the AJYELN Malaysia Fellows, UTP students, and partner NGOs. These alliances form a strong foundation for sustained environmental advocacy and the long-term success of AJYELN’s mission in Malaysia.
Main highlights
“EquiLife Insights: Bridging Paths to Environmental Impact” marked the official commencement of the 2025 ASEAN-Japan Young Environmental Leaders Network (AJYELN) Malaysia Fellows’ campaign. Held on 12 July 2025, the event was officially launched by Project Director and AJYELN Malaysia Fellow Samuel Ling How Zhuon, whose opening address set an inspiring tone for the year ahead.
As AJYELN is grounded in leadership and volunteerism, EquiLife Insights was strategically designed as the kick-off project to build the human foundation for the Fellows’ year-long mission. By inspiring and mobilizing a strong volunteer base, the event channeled the student community’s enthusiasm toward AJYELN’s core goal of tackling plastic pollution. Through insightful talks by environmental NGOs and interactive breakout sessions, the program moved beyond awareness-raising—cultivating a committed community ready to take part in upcoming, hands-on environmental initiatives.
- Date: 12 July 2025
- Venue or location: Multipurpose Hall, CETaL, Universiti Teknologi Petronas
- Organizer or co-organizers: AJYELN Malaysia Fellows in collaboration with Student Representative Council (SRC), Volunteerism and Entrepreneurship Cluster
- Participants: UTP students, including foundation, first-year, second-year and third-year students, along with NGO representatives.
- No. of participants: 289
Activities implemented
Opening Ceremony
The event started with a welcoming remarks from Project Director, Mr. Samuel Ling How Zhuon, who officially launched the AJYELN 2025 initiative in his address. He introduced the objectives of the event and set an inspiring tone by underscoring the importance of youth leadership, volunteerism, and social impact in driving environmental change. Following his speech, Guest of Honour, Madam Nor Adela Bt Dinyati, Director of Student Affairs, delivered an inspiring message highlighting how initiatives like EquiLife play a vital role in nurturing future changemakers and fostering a culture of community service among university students.
Sharing Session
Continuing the session, participants were deeply engaged in a series of inspiring talks delivered by representatives from leading NGOs, who shared their real-life experiences in volunteerism and environmental advocacy. These sessions offered students a glimpse into the challenges, rewards, and real-world impact of protecting the environment—encouraging them to discover how their own actions can contribute to positive change.
- Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA)
MRA played a key role in supporting our aim to create a volunteer recruitment pipeline. Through stories from their hands-on community projects, they demonstrated how youth can take small but meaningful actions to make a real difference. Their session bridged AJYELN’s mission with practical examples of community involvement.
- National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM)
NCSM highlighted how volunteerism strengthens community well-being and health awareness. Their initiatives inspired participants to take part in service-oriented projects that bring social impact while supporting those in need.
- MyHarapan
MyHarapan’s session showcased how young people can collaborate to develop sustainable solutions and achieve long-term impact. They also introduced participants to the concept of social entrepreneurship, illustrating how meaningful initiatives can generate both social value and personal growth.
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Malaysia)
WWF-Malaysia reinforced AJYELN’s core goal of raising targeted awareness on plastic pollution. Their talk shed light on how plastic pollution affects wildlife and ecosystems, explaining the broader life cycle of plastic use and waste. The session concluded with practical advice, urging students to adopt simple daily habits to reduce plastic consumption and champion sustainability in their communities.
Token of Appreciation Presentation
As a gesture of appreciation, tokens of gratitude were presented to the invited speakers, acknowledging their valuable time, insights, and contributions in empowering students and advancing the mission of fostering volunteerism and environmental stewardship within the university community.
Breakout Sessions, Networking and Q&A
Participants joined interactive breakout sessions where they engaged in focused group discussions on key environmental themes. Guided by facilitators and joined by NGO representatives, they brainstormed practical solutions, exchanged ideas, and explored actionable ways to launch or support community projects. The open dialogue allowed students to ask questions, seek guidance, and build meaningful connections, fostering collaboration and partnerships for future environmental initiatives.
Breakout sessions with the speakers and discussions for future collaboration
Outcome
- Establishment of an Active Volunteer Network
The event successfully built a database of student volunteers eager to take part in upcoming AJYELN-led environmental projects, forming the foundation for continuous engagement and community outreach.
- Increased Environmental Literacy on Campus
Participants gained a deeper understanding of the plastic life cycle, local waste management systems, and everyday practices that can help reduce their plastic footprint.
- Formation of Sustainable NGO Partnerships
Meaningful connections were established and strengthened with key environmental NGOs, paving the way for ongoing mentorship, collaboration, and knowledge exchange between AJYELN Fellows and the student volunteer community.
- Successful Launch of the AJYELN Malaysia Chapter
The event officially marked the presence of the AJYELN Malaysia Fellows at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), setting strong momentum for a year of impactful, youth-driven environmental action.
Feedback
Participants shared overwhelmingly positive feedback, emphasizing how the event deepened their awareness and inspired action. Many reflected on the valuable insights shared by the speakers:
“The session today really opened my eyes to the impact we can have as students in our community.”
“I feel inspired to take action and get involved with local NGOs. This event was a great first step!”
Overall, EquiLife Insights proved to be a resounding success—fostering a strong culture of volunteerism, environmental awareness, and youth leadership among UTP students, in full alignment with AJYELN’s mission to drive innovative actions for sustainable progress.
