With COP29 taking place now, CONNECTED spoke to two alumni who are using their experiences from both Reading and COP to implement climate action in Malaysia.
COP (Conference of Parties) is the annual series of formal meetings where governments and world leaders come together to assess, measure progress and negotiate the best ways to address climate change.
To gain an insight into the importance and impact of COP, CONNECTED spoke to children’s literature graduate Gurpreet Kaur, who participated in the 2024 COP29 Climate Change Summer Camp in Azerbaijan; and to renewable energy: technology and sustainability graduate, Saifuddin Abdul Karim, who attended the 2023 COP28 in Dubai.
Gurpreet and Saifuddin shared how they have both taken learnings and connections made at COP back to Malaysia to make significant strides on sustainability.
Gurpreet Kaur
Gurpreet believes it is important to educate yourself on climate change, in order to educate the next generation. She has long held a passion for education – before beginning her master’s in children’s literature at Reading, she was a teacher in Malaysia. But it was during her studies in the UK that Gurpreet believes she realised her passion and really discovered herself.
She said: “The beauty of the University of Reading is that it offers many different opportunities for students. I wish I could have stayed for longer as there was so much more I wanted to experience – from discovering my love for picture books, to gaining knowledge in areas I could never have imagined I would.”
After graduating in 2019, Gurpreet returned to Malaysia where she taught English at a Government School to 10-12 year olds and was soon promoted to Head of the English Department and Project Coordinator for their Eco-School Programme.
She explained: “The project is an international programme where they educate and empower students on climate change. It was through this project that I learnt about the COP29 Climate Change Summer Camp. The Camp invited young educators, along with climate leaders, to share relevant knowledge and skills so that leaders can best integrate climate change awareness with education and empower the next generation.
“I was already invested in making a change and was hungry for more knowledge on climate action.
“So when I saw the advertisement I jumped at the chance to apply and was honoured to be selected as one of four people representing South East Asia.”
Watch Gurpreet’s application video:
Gurpreet shared: “Besides learning about experiments, new knowledge and eye-opening statistics relating to climate change, I also met educators, activists and like-minded people from all over the world. It was empowering to meet others facing the same climate challenges as myself.”
Today, she remains connected with fellow attendees, collaborating on youth programmes, sharing success stories, and continuing her advocacy efforts.
She also organised a trip to a Youth Climate Summit in Penang, Malaysia for her students, to help encourage them to become youth climate advocates themselves.
Her message to those considering climate action is to start, no matter how small: “Climate change is now, not just a distant threat. It’s about empowering and educating people on ways to make a difference.”
Saifuddin Abdul Karim
Saifuddin, President of the Alor Gajah Municipal Council in Melaka, Malaysia, took a different path to climate advocacy. After completing a master’s in renewable energy: technology and sustainability at Reading and graduating in 2013, he returned home equipped with the knowledge to integrate sustainability initiatives into his town planning role – leading him to participate in COP28.
Saifuddin shared: “My studies at Reading were funded by the Malaysian Public Service Department’s Scholarship to support citizens to explore ways in which the country could better tackle climate change and to improve their use of renewable technology.
“In the eleven years since I graduated I have been able to use my knowledge and the experience my studies provided to gain promotions within my local government and to implement initiatives to tackle climate change.
“For example, retrofitting houses so that people can benefit from greener technologies and ensuring that all contracts for the installation of street lighting use energy efficient LED bulbs.”
Saifuddin was invited to COP28 by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a global network with more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development.
He shared: “Local governments in Malaysia are already focused on implementing climate action – we are on the frontline of the climate crisis and are witnessing it firsthand, so we are not delaying action. It was beneficial to share our experiences with other local authorities at COP28. I also attended panel discussions and sessions, and particularly found hearing experiences from third and developing countries, such as Brazil and Columbia, insightful.
“I had previously attended COP25 in Paris and I found that this time there were a lot more participants and more awareness of the scale of the problem, which is positive. I also felt that there was a greater acknowledgement that local governments have a significant role within countries to play in tackling climate change which I believe to be important.”
Saifuddin was also pleased to have the opportunity to reunite with some fellow members of the University of Reading community while at COP.
He said: “I was also able to reconnect with fellow Reading graduate, Abdul Matiin Kasim who was also representing his country, Brunei, and with my University of Reading professor, Dr Emmanuel Essah.
“My time studying overseas really changed how I perceived things and how I look at the world now.
“It’s been a wonderful journey since graduating and it was lovely to be able to share my experience with them and learn more about the University’s own sustainability successes.”
Are you taking action on climate action? Share your story with us by emailing us at: alumni@reading.ac.uk
