Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Curriculum

Embedding Sustainability Across All Faculties

UMS promotes lifelong learning through a wide range of formal, non-formal, and informal education opportunities. Short courses, micro-credentials, professional certifications, upskilling programmes, and public lectures are offered across faculties, institutes, and centres of excellence. These programmes empower working adults, rural communities, industry partners, and youth to acquire new competencies in sustainability, digital technology, environmental protection, community resilience, entrepreneurship, health, and leadership. UMS integrates sustainability education across all faculties by embedding environmental literacy, social responsibility, ethical leadership, and global citizenship into academic programmes. Every faculty—from business, engineering, computing, food science, social sciences, and medicine to arts, Islamic studies, psychology, and tropical forestry—incorporates sustainability concepts relevant to their field. This ensures that all students graduate with the knowledge and skills needed to address complex global challenges. UMS also amplifies sustainability education through its Centres of Excellence, including the Biotechnology Research Institute, Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Borneo Marine Research Institute, and Borneo Institute for Indigenous Studies. Together, these academic units cultivate interdisciplinary knowledge, field-based experiential learning, and research that advance sustainable development across Sabah and Borneo.

Inclusive Education & Financial Empowerment

Ensuring No Student is Left Behind (SDG 1, SDG 4, SDG 10)

UMS champions equitable access to education through an extensive financial empowerment ecosystem designed to support B40 households, rural communities, and vulnerable students. The university’s comprehensive support structure includes government-subsidised tuition, internal financial aid mechanisms, second-chance admission programmes, food security initiatives, transportation assistance, and emergency welfare schemes. Programmes such as MENITI Kasih, Siswa Sulung UMS, Bantuan Sara Hidup, MyCare, and the UMS Food Assistance Programme provide vital financial cushioning that allows students to focus on learning without the burden of economic hardship. These measures significantly reduce inequality, improve student retention, and reinforce UMS’s role in advancing upward social mobility throughout Sabah. The long-term impact of these initiatives is reflected in graduate outcomes. For students who graduated in 2024, based on 12-month graduate tracer data, 97.6% of UMS graduates are employed, with a median monthly salary of USD 619.38. These outcomes demonstrate that access to quality education, combined with financial and academic support, enables graduates to secure sustainable employment, improve household income, and contribute to poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth.

Metric	Result	Remarks
Total Graduates	4,493	Graduating cohort
Total Respondents	4,493	Graduate tracer participation
Employed Graduates	3,801	Employed or self-employed
Unemployed Graduates	92	Actively seeking employment
Employment Rate	97.6%	Based on employed vs (employed + unemployed)
Unemployment Rate	2.4%	Complement of employment rate

Living Labs & Experiential Sustainability Learning

Turning the campus into a sustainability classroom

UMS transforms its campus and natural surroundings into real-world sustainability laboratories where students learn through hands-on exploration, research, and community engagement. Its diverse living labs—ranging from the Mesilou Highlands, coral nursery sites, and marine conservation zones to renewable-energy and nuclear science initiatives—offer immersive learning experiences that foster environmental stewardship and scientific curiosity. These living labs provide practical training in biodiversity conservation, blue economy development, climate change adaptation, and sustainable agriculture, equipping students with critical knowledge and skills to address environmental challenges at both local and global levels.

Advancing Indigenous Knowledge & Cultural Sustainability

Championing Borneo’s cultural heritage (SDG 11)

UMS plays a vital role in preserving and celebrating Borneo’s rich indigenous heritage by integrating cultural sustainability into its teaching, research, and community-engagement activities. The university documents and revitalises endangered languages, oral traditions, folklore, crafts, and traditional ecological knowledge through the efforts of BorIIS, FKSW, and the Borneo Heritage Research Unit. These initiatives ensure that indigenous knowledge remains alive for future generations while strengthening cultural resilience among Sabah’s diverse ethnic communities. By bridging academia and local communities, UMS safeguards intangible heritage that forms the cultural identity of Borneo.

Education-Linked Entrepreneurship & Economic Empowerment

Building future-ready graduates and community resilience

UMS nurtures entrepreneurial mindsets and livelihood opportunities through education-linked entrepreneurship programmes that strengthen economic resilience among students and communities. The Aquapreneur Student Incubator Programme is a leading example, equipping youth—especially from B40 families—with skills in aquaculture, IoT-based farming technology, and small-enterprise development. This initiative empowers students to become job creators, fostering long-term economic independence and supporting sustainable community development. By bridging innovation, education, and entrepreneurship, UMS ensures that youth have the capacity to drive inclusive economic growth.

Community Engagement & Lifelong Learning

Education that extends beyond campus walls

UMS extends the impact of education through community-focused programmes that build knowledge, skills, and resilience across Sabah’s rural and coastal regions. Through STEM outreach, sustainable agriculture training, eco-tourism development, public health education, and socio-economic empowerment activities, UMS strengthens community capacities and supports lifelong learning. These outreach efforts enhance local livelihoods, promote environmental stewardship, and elevate community awareness on sustainability issues, ensuring that education benefits not only students but society at large.

Global Partnerships for Education Sustainability

Building global networks for local impact

UMS’s sustainability education initiatives are strengthened through global partnerships with leading universities, research networks, and international organisations such as WWF-Malaysia, CTI-CFF, UNEP, UNICEF, SEARRP, and WorldFish. These collaborations expand research opportunities, foster knowledge exchange, elevate UMS’s global profile, and ensure alignment with international sustainability standards. By engaging in cross-border cooperation, UMS enhances its capacity to develop solutions that address both local and global sustainability challenges.

UMS: EDUCATION AS A FORCE FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE

Building global networks for local impact

Through these diverse and integrated initiatives, Universiti Malaysia Sabah demonstrates steadfast commitment to advancing sustainability through education. By prioritising inclusive access, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, scientific innovation, and community empowerment, UMS strengthens its role as a catalyst for positive change across Borneo. These initiatives collectively uphold SDG 1, SDG 4, SDG 10, SDG 11, SDG 13, SDG 14, and SDG 15—ensuring that UMS continues to nurture responsible citizens, resilient communities, and sustainable futures for generations to come.