(From fourth left) Tengku Zatashah and Hiew launching the climate week carnival in Shah Alam. — Photos: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
University of Wollongong (UOW) Malaysia students and academics gathered to showcase innovative projects at the Global Climate Action Carnival 2025 at the campus in Shah Alam, Selangor.
Held as part of the week-long Global Climate Action 2025 event, it featured exchange of ideas on sustainability projects, innovation and social responsibility.
It served as a platform for meaningful engagement among students, researchers, industry leaders, non-governmental organisations and community advocates in exploring practical pathways to a resilient future.
Students showcasing their work at UOW Malaysia – Global Climate Action Carnival 2025.
Guest of honour Selangor princess Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah commended UOW Malaysia students for their continued support of her annual beach clean-up initiatives, which she has led for more than a decade.
“Over the years, I have seen UOW students join my beach clean-ups without fail. Action speaks louder than words.
“Thank you to all the volunteers who came for the clean-up. I am truly grateful.
“The UOW student group has been constant and consistent, and I look forward to meeting everyone again,” she said.
UOW Malaysia vice-chancellor Dr Hiew Pang Leang said the event was part of Global Climate Change Week, an international initiative launched in 2015 at UOW, Australia by a group of academics and students dedicated to inspiring global conversations and driving real climate action.
“UOW Malaysia carries the same spirit forward as part of the global UOW family, hosting this meaningful event here at our Glenmarie campus.
“This year’s theme, ‘Empowering Change: From Awareness to Action’ captures the heart of what we stand for.
“It reminds us that understanding the climate crisis is just the beginning.
“Real change happens when we work together, turn awareness into action and make sustainability a part of everything we do,” he said in his opening speech.
Under the broader sustainability umbrella, Hiew said the event reinforced UOW Malaysia’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 13: Climate Action, which called for urgent efforts to combat climate change and its impacts.
The carnival featured forums and talks, hands-on workshops on upcycling, creative sustainability and eco-design, as well as exhibitions and innovation booths showcasing sustainable technologies and student projects.
A key highlight was the Climate Action Forum titled “Co-Creating Climate Hope: Where Science, Society and Solutions Meet,” which saw Tengku Zatashah joining a panel of leaders from academia and industry in a dialogue on fostering collective climate action.
