USM PENANG, 1 July 2020 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is on the right track in its commitment towards realising the sustainable Green Campus agenda.

That was said by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Water, Senator Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad, who was suitably impressed and satisfied with the various initiatives implemented by USM in mobilising the campus community to collectively uphold the responsibility to realise the sustainable environment agenda.

“One example would be the initiative by USM in establishing the University Sustainability Council to clearly and precisely outline the steps towards achieving the objective of becoming a Green Campus, a move that is praiseworthy and should be emulated.

“In addition, it is hoped that other higher learning institutions (IPT) would follow in the steps of USM by making it compulsory for all the graduates to enrol in the course on sustainable development,” he said when attending the Green Synergy Environmental Sustainability and Green Campus Programme at the USM main campus here recently.    

He added that, the Ministry has selected USM as the first IPT for his visit in the series of ‘Green Campus Tour’ to promote the challenge of having a low-carbon campus by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC) to all IPTs in the country.

“I will be going to universities around the country to raise the awareness among the students on the importance of reducing the carbon footprint and on sustainable development.

"The students are our catalysts, enablers and spokespeople to the outside world, and there is no better place than the universities to reinforce this concept, more so in a university like USM which is currently in the top position (#65) among the IPTs in Malaysia in the University Impact Rankings of Times Higher Education (THE) 2020, which is assessed based on achievements relating to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said.

In addition, he also announced that the Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) will introduce a programme known as 'Jana Graduan Hijau' (JAGUH) or 'Green Graduates Initiative' to provide the opportunity to 10,000 new graduates to venture into the field of green and sustainable entrepreneurship.

“The JAGUH initiative is expected to be introduced in the third quarter of this year, and which will focus on graduates who face difficulties in securing jobs due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said to reporters.

Prior to that, Ahmad Masrizal visited the USM ECO Hub, where he planted a sapling to symbolise the launch of the Green Synergy Programme at the USM campus.

He also visited the USM bee farm where he was briefed on the more systematic method of 'kelulut' (stingless bee) rearing to produce high-quality honey by a senior lecturer from the Department of Neuroscience, USM School of Medical Sciences, Dr. Mohd Zulkifli Mustafa.

Among the senior officials accompanying the Deputy Minister were KASA Deputy Secretary-General of Environment, Dr. K. Nagulendran; Chief Executive Officer of MGTC, Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor; USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Sustainability and Institutional Development, Professor Dr. Md Roslan Hashim; Director of USM Engineering Campus and River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC), Professor Dr. Nor Azazi Zakaria; and Director of USM Community Network (BJIM), Syed Yusof Syed Kechik.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa