Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Learning

Accessible, Inclusive, and Future-Ready

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. Driven by the UMS Flexible Education Centre (UMSFLEC), Centre for e-Learning and supported by faculties across the university, UMS incorporates flexible delivery modes — hybrid learning, online platforms, community-based workshops, and open educational resources — ensuring that learning remains available to all, regardless of background or geographic location.

Promoting Sustainability Education through Open Learning

Open Resources, Open Access, Open Opportunities

As a national leader in Inclusive Open Educational Resources (iOER), UMS provides free, high-quality learning materials that support inclusive and equitable education. Through close collaboration with UNESCO, MOHE, and the Hewlett Foundation, UMS developed Malaysia’s national iOER repository, enabling educators, students, and the public to access openly licensed resources grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). These initiatives help remove barriers to education for learners from disadvantaged groups, rural communities, persons with disabilities, and lifelong learners seeking flexible pathways to knowledge. UMS’s commitment to open learning aligns strongly with SDG 4.7 and promotes sustainable development through accessible, affordable, and inclusive digital education.

Community-Based Lifelong Learning for Borneo

Knowledge That Strengthens Communities

UMS extends lifelong learning into the community through programmes that address local needs, cultural heritage, environmental stewardship, and social resilience. Through institutes such as the Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI), Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC), and the Borneo Institute for Indigenous Studies (BorIIS), UMS conducts field-based education, citizen science, outreach workshops, and community empowerment initiatives. These engagements include training on sustainable fisheries, biodiversity monitoring, disaster preparedness, indigenous knowledge preservation, sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and coastal conservation. By involving local leaders, youth groups, school communities, and indigenous populations, UMS strengthens knowledge sharing that enhances livelihoods and reinforces cultural and ecological resilience across Sabah.

Upskilling for Industry, Government & Professionals

Developing Competent, Sustainable, and Future-Ready Talent

UMS collaborates with industry partners, government agencies, and NGOs to deliver specialised training that supports Sabah’s economic and environmental priorities. Programmes include professional development in financial literacy, digital transformation, environmental impact assessment, public health, sustainable farming, renewable energy, forest management, sports science, social work, and leadership development (including AKEPT’s SDGU4S programme). These initiatives build capacity within institutions, strengthen workforce competencies, and create pathways for sustainable innovation — preparing Sabah’s industries and public sector for the challenges of the green economy.

Sustainability in Education & Sports

Faculty of Education and Sports Studies

Education programmes (TESL, Early Childhood Education, Education with History) integrate sustainability pedagogy, ethics, community engagement, and inclusive learning through Values-Based Education and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Sports Science incorporates physical wellbeing, sustainable sports management, and community health promotion—supporting holistic sustainability in mind, body, and environment.

Learning for Life, Learning for Sustainability

Education as a Lifelong Journey

UMS embraces the belief that learning is a lifelong process essential for personal growth, community wellbeing, and societal progress. By integrating sustainability into every stage of learning — from undergraduate programmes to community workshops — UMS ensures that every learner becomes an active contributor to a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future. Through its commitment to lifelong learning, UMS continues to shape a knowledgeable, resilient, and forward-looking society capable of protecting Borneo’s natural heritage while driving sustainable development across Malaysia and the region.