Resident Coordinator's speech: Consolidating the Sustainability Agenda (SDG-ESG) among Public and Private Higher Education Institutions

Distinguished guests, esteemed academics, students, and partners,

It is an honour to join today’s event, a joint initiative of the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies (UAC), University Malaya in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) as well as the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM-SDG).

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say a few words at the opening of this promising day of engagement, reflection and ambition to strengthen the bridges of partnership between public and private higher education institutions around the sustainability agenda. 

The topic of this conference carries profound importance. 

Despite multiple crises and disruptive events around the world—including the COVID-19 pandemic, financing shortfalls, rising debt burdens, and growing inequalities—the SDGs remain our guiding framework to drive global efforts toward an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future for people and the planet.

They are universal, indivisible, and transformative, providing a blueprint for prosperity, equity, and environmental stewardship. 

However, with just over five years left to the agreed deadline of 2030 , we must act with greater urgency and commitment.

Over the past decade, the SDGs have served as a unifying framework, providing immense opportunities for transforming economies and societies and preserving the environment and natural resources. 

Yet, progress has been too slow and too patchy. 

The 2024 UN Secretary-General Report on SDG progress draws a sobering picture as only 17 percent of the targets appear to be on track, with most stagnating and a significant proportion regressing. 

Last week, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) launched its annual report and the findings are a stark reminder of the challenges ahead. 

The 2025 SDG Progress Report for the Asia-Pacific region underscores both progress and setbacks:

1. Encouraging progress has been made on industry, innovation, and infrastructure (Goal 9), as well as good health and well-being (Goal 3). These achievements demonstrate the region’s ability to advance in areas where investment, policy focus, and collaboration have been prioritized.
2. However, climate action (Goal 13) remains a critical concern. Alarmingly, the region continues to regress on this front, posing a severe risk to overall SDG progress. Without urgent and comprehensive efforts to address climate change and environmental sustainability, gains in other areas may be undermined.
3. Data availability for the SDGs has improved, reaching 54% coverage in the region. However, significant gaps persist in critical areas such as gender equality (Goal 5) and peace, justice, and strong institutions (Goal 16). Furthermore, the lack of disaggregated data—by migratory status, disability, sex, and location—limits our ability to fully understand and address inequalities.
4. Partnerships are essential in bridging these gaps. Governments, development partners, academic institutions, and local communities must work together to ensure data-driven policymaking and targeted interventions that leave no one behind.

Against this backdrop, the role of universities—both public and private—has never been more crucial. Academic institutions are more than centers of learning; they are incubators of ideas, hubs of research and innovation, and powerful engines for sustainable transformation. 

Their role was explicitly recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Resolution A/70/1 of 2015 titled transforming our world), highlighting research and development as critical drivers of SDG progress.

Universities provide the knowledge, evidence, and expertise that shape policies and programs at national and global levels. They train the next generation of leaders, professionals, and changemakers who will take forward the sustainability agenda. 

In Malaysia, where the sustainability discourse is evolving rapidly, higher education institutions have a responsibility to anchor sustainability in their curricula, research, and institutional culture.

Yet, achieving these ambitious goals requires stronger collaboration—not only between academia and government but also within the academic sector itself. Public and private universities have unique strengths, and their partnership can enhance knowledge-sharing, resource mobilization, and research capabilities. These partnerships can support:

• Joint research initiatives that address national and global sustainability challenges, leveraging Malaysia’s expertise in green technology, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable urban planning.
• Capacity-building programs that equip students and faculty with the skills to contribute effectively to the SDGs, including areas such as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
• Stronger engagement with policymakers to translate research into actionable policies that drive sustainable development.
• Incubation of social enterprises and sustainability-driven startups, encouraging young innovators to develop solutions for pressing environmental and social challenges.

SDG 17—Partnerships for the Goals—reminds us that progress cannot happen in silos. Public and private universities, through collaborative networks, can serve as a bridge between scientific knowledge and policy action. 

Together, they can ensure that sustainability is not just an academic concept but a lived reality, embedded in Malaysia’s development trajectory.

Education is at the heart of sustainable development. Beyond equipping students with knowledge, universities have a profound responsibility to shape the values, attitudes, and mindsets of future generations. In an era marked by the triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—education systems must instill a deep sense of environmental stewardship. 

Sustainability must be a fundamental principle that guides how institutions operate, how curricula are designed, and how students are prepared for leadership roles.

Moreover, higher education institutions play a crucial role in promoting human rights, inclusion, and equality. They are spaces where young minds are nurtured, where diversity is celebrated, and where critical thinking flourishes. 

By integrating these principles into their academic culture, universities can contribute to shaping societies that are just, equitable, and resilient.

In closing, I would like to reaffirm our collective commitment to leveraging the power of education for sustainable development. 

The path to 2030 is narrowing, but through strategic partnerships, innovative thinking, and an unwavering commitment to the SDGs, we can accelerate progress. 

Public and private universities must come together—not as competitors but as partners—to drive a sustainability agenda that is informed by science, grounded in evidence, and inclusive of all.

Compared to the global situation and other ASEAN countries, Malaysia’s progress toward the SDGs is notable. Around half of the targets are on track, data coverage exceeds 80 percent, and all hands are on deck—from the government and civil society to parliamentarians, universities, local governments, and communities. 

Yet, Malaysia has the potential to go even further, charting a path of inclusive growth while strengthening its climate action. 

The UN remains a steadfast partner in this journey, supporting Malaysia in ensuring that no one is left behind and that the 13th Malaysia Plan translates the Madani vision into policies, investments, and SDG-driven solutions that meet the ambitions of 2030 and beyond.

I look forward to today’s deliberations as a catalyst for action, fostering deeper collaboration, bold ideas, and tangible solutions.