SDSN Malaysia Representatives at SDSN Asia Launch
The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) launched its newest secretariat office in Asia, hosted at Sunway University, on 17 November 2022.
SDSN Malaysia Focal Points attended the launch. SDSN Member Focal Points play a pivotal role in identifying expertise within their institution to advance SDSN projects.
SDSN Malaysia is the country chapter for the Global SDSN, a network of universities and other knowledge-generating bodies. Collectively, SDSN has 1,700 members, as of December 2022. Each SDSN Chapter comprises members. In SDSN Malaysia there are 22 Member Institutions, as of December 2022. Within each Member Institution, a Focal Point serves as the link between the Member Institution and the Chapter’s Secretariat.
A Secretariat convenes this group of institutions and leads its members’ participation in SDSN initiatives. The Secretariat links members with opportunities for greater cross-institutional exchange, knowledge transfer, and relationship building.
SDSN Members are the backbone of the Malaysia Chapter, and globally SDSN Members are the ones mobilising knowledge to develop solutions practice for sustainable development.
Present physically were Focal Points from Universiti Malaya (Prof Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman, Assoc Prof Zeeda Fatimah Mohamad, Mohd Fadhli Rahmat Fakri); University of Nottingham (Dr Matthew Ashfold); Penang Institute (Dato’ Dr Ooi Kee Beng); Sunway University (Karen Chand, Kong Phui Yi). Representatives from Universiti Utara Malaysia (Dr Masnita Misiran, Dr Saadi Ahmad Kamaruddin) & Universiti Sains Malaysia (Dr Mohd Abd Muin Md Akil) attended online.
In addition, representatives from SDSN Malaysia members attended the networking photo session: Daniel Lee Lih Wei, Sunway University; Dr Aldrie Amir, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Dr Fong Chng Saun, Universiti Malaya.
The office in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur will serve as SDSN’s Asia Headquarters, one of only three such global centres, ranking it alongside Paris (overseeing Europe and Africa) and New York City (overseeing The Americas).
Launch speakers included Professor Jeffrey Sachs, President of SDSN and world-renowned economist; Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah AO, SDSN Global Leadership Council member and Chair of SDSN Malaysia; Professor Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary-General of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); and former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.
