USM PENANG, 6 July 2026 – The School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), strengthened its role in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) innovation by winning 13 innovation awards at the 1st International Innovation Competition on Education for Sustainable Development (IIC-ESD 2026), held at Yala Rajabhat University (YRU), Thailand, from 1 to 3 July 2026.

USM won 1 Platinum Award, 11 Gold Awards and 1 Silver Award.

The competition brought together participants from Thailand, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Carrying the theme “Innovative Education for a Sustainable Future”, IIC-ESD 2026 served as an international platform for pre-service teachers to design and showcase AI-supported educational innovations across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The achievement reflects the strength of the School of Educational Studies, USM, in preparing future teachers to become innovative and future-ready educators, while advancing ESD and the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI).

This also demonstrates a strong commitment to SDG 4: Quality Education, particularly in preparing future educators to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development in the AI era.

In line with the competition theme, Associate Professor Dr. Melissa Ng Lee Yen Abdullah was invited as the keynote speaker and delivered an address titled “Teaching in the AI Era: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Classrooms.”

The keynote highlighted how future educators can leverage AI in designing educational innovations that promote ESD, with the 17 SDGs serving as key topics for innovation.

It also emphasised that IIC-ESD serves as an international platform for future teachers from different countries to share ideas, showcase innovations, and learn from one another.

The participation of USM students was made possible through the support of the School of Educational Studies and the USM Student Development Affairs and Alumni Division (BHEPA).

The USM contingent was led by Professor Dr. Hairul Nizam Ismail, together with Associate Professor Dr. Melissa Ng Lee Yen Abdullah, Associate Professor Dr. Shahabuddin Hashim, and Associate Professor Dr. Aswati Hamzah, who served as mentors to the participating students throughout the competition.

Building on this achievement, USM has also been nominated to host the 2nd IIC-ESD in 2027, marking another important step in strengthening its leadership in pre-service teacher education, ESD innovation, sustainability, and international collaboration.

Text & Photo: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Melissa Ng Lee Yen Abdullah, Psychology and Psychometric Cluster, School of Educational Studies, USM/Editing: Tan Ewe Hoe