OBJECTIVE:

From 21 to 22 September 2026, UCSI University hosted SUSTAINED 2026 and Beyond, a symposium centred on innovative approaches to teaching and assessment for sustainable development. Held at UCSI University Kuala Lumpur under the theme “Global Goals, Local Action: Transforming Higher Education,” the symposium brought together university leaders, educators, policymakers and industry experts to exchange ideas on advancing sustainability through higher education.

The programme was sponsored by the UNESCO Malaysian National Commission, organised by the UCSI’s Academic Management Office and co-organised with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and RCE Greater Kuala Lumpur. Day 1 featured keynote sessions by Dato’ Ts Ir Dr Badrulhisham Abdul Aziz, Board Member of the Malaysia Board of Technologists; Prof Dr Amir Akramin Shafie, Principal Director at the Office of the Deputy Rector, Academic and Internationalisation, International Islamic University Malaysia; Prof Ts Dr Shanti Faridah Salleh, Director of the Institute of Sustainable and Renewable Energy, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak; Prof Dr Manuel Vong, Director of the Doctor of Business Administration Programme, Dili Institute of Technology, Timor-Leste; Academician Prof Dato’ Dr Ahmad Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Tan Sri Omar Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, UCSI University; and Prof Dr Walter Leal Filho, Director of the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management Research and Transfer Centre, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences.

The keynote sessions explored a range of topics including future skills and sustainable human capital, value-based education, ESG and ESD in higher education, regional action for the SDGs, the economic impact of Education for Sustainable Development, and the future of the SDGs beyond 2030. Day 2 continued the conversation through parallel workshop sessions, with three tracks focusing on operationalising ESG in higher education, curriculum redesign through ESD and Value-Based Education (VBE), and designing authentic learning experiences for sustainability competencies.

Across two days, SUSTAINED 2026 and Beyond created opportunities for participants to learn from diverse perspectives, share experiences and explore practical ways to embed sustainability into teaching, curriculum and campus practices. The symposium reinforced the role of higher education in connecting global sustainability goals with local action and supporting meaningful transformation towards a more sustainable future.

ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) has been enshrined in the MQF2024 to make it compulsory to embed sustainability in all our curriculum. Nevertheless, UCSI has been championing sustainability and supporting SDGs since 2018 and producing graduates with the acumen and support for these has been our ongoing objective and aspirations.