UNIVERSITI MALAYA
“ WE ARE OPERATING IN A VERY DISRUPTIVE ENVIRONMENT , WHERE STRATEGIES HAVE TO BE CONTINUOUSLY REVIEWED ”
ASIAH ABU SAMAH DIRECTOR OF ICT , UNIVERSITY MALAYA
Malaysia ’ s commitment towards a more sustainable , resilient and inclusive development future framework started in 2015 . The implementation of SDGs in Malaysia are aligned with the national development plan , which utilises the government ’ s development budget . “ Since that time , our development budget application has been reshaped to meet SDG requirements ,” says Abu Samah . “ ESGs gradually came into the picture later , and we noticed that ESG requirements are part of the criteria for applying for grants from international bodies . Sustainability activities have been there on Campus all along as there are research groups working on SDG related activities . Since COVID took hold and began disrupting all of our key processes at UM , sustainability considerations have been gaining momentum . Things such as electricity savings , general energy efficiency and waste reduction increasingly became part of our sustainability considerations .”
Even before COVID , UM itself had been participating in the UI Green Metric World University Rankings for sustainability and is doing really well , ranking 32nd in the world .
Abu Samah says : “ We are going for better waste and water management , more renewable electricity and greater carbon credits . More sustainable practices are coming into the picture for UM .”
The greatest sustainability challenges at UM are also subject to budget availability , or ‘ funding constraints ’. Abu Samah says : “ We are , and have to be creative in terms of getting things done . You don ’ t necessarily always need major capital to start off and explore the initial scope of a sustainable project , and sometimes it ' s really just about awareness and the willingness to cooperate . From my perspective , a multilevel approach is the most effective approach to help reap success .”
Asked about her ideal vision for UM , she says : “ If I had free rein in what I do , I ’ d like to change two fundamental aspects that I think would greatly benefit us . Firstly , I ’ d like the organisation to be more agile and adaptive ( lean management ). Agility helps an organisation to respond faster to the continuously changing environment , as is happening now . Secondly , it would be to create an environment with a greater ethos of empathy . Empathy is not just about reshaping yourself to others ' expectations , but it ' s actually about trying to make them understand what you are trying to convey to them . People are more receptive if you are able to present your position , in terms of ROI ( Return On Investment ), and ROI is not just about monetary gain , but needs to be translated into long-term potentials . To do this , we need a good mix of people from multiple backgrounds who can see things from different perspectives , to lead and appreciate the value of what ’ s being done and what we are trying to do next .”
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