THE value of an education is measured not only by the knowledge one gains, but also by how it is applied.
For four Malaysians who studied in the United Kingdom, it lies in using that knowledge to drive meaningful change.
Their innovative work across industries and society – enabled by the skills, perspectives and leadership their studies provided – recently earned them recognition at the British Council’s Study UK Alumni Awards Malaysia 2026 (see table).
The biennial awards programme, in its seventh edition in Malaysia, recognises outstanding individuals who exemplify the global impact of a UK education.
It features four award categories: Business and Innovation, honouring those driving economic growth through forward-thinking ideas and enterprises; Culture, Creativity and Sport, a newly introduced category celebrating artistic and athletic excellence; Science and Sustainability, recognising alumni championing solutions that protect our future; and Social Action, acknowledging individuals empowering communities and creating positive societal impact.
British Council Malaysia director Jazreel Goh noted that each of this year’s winners shows what is possible when talent, purpose and opportunity intersect.
“Their achievements reflect not only personal excellence, but also the wider impact UK alumni continue to make wherever they go.
“At the British Council, we are proud to celebrate these changemakers – global citizens whose dedication to innovation and service is leaving a lasting, positive mark on the people and communities they touch,” she said in a Feb 4 press release.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia Ajay Sharma said the awards celebrate outstanding Malaysians who create meaningful impact at home and beyond with their UK education.
“Apart from being a key foundation of the enduring people-to-people ties between our two countries, the success of UK alumni is testament to how UK education helps shape leaders, innovators and changemakers for the future,” he said.
The 2026 edition of the awards drew over 1,000 applications, which were whittled down to 200 for the judges’ selection before the final 20 were shortlisted across the four categories.
The award ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 27.
Winner highlights
Dr Rebecca Tay Sook Hui
University of Nottingham graduate
Winner of the Business and Innovation category
Having lost her mother at a young age, Tay is set on making clinically accredited pharmacogenomics and precision medicine accessible to all.
She has contributed to a national roadmap for pharmacogenomics implementation with the Health Ministry, helping to shape policies that advance tomorrow’s cures today.
She said the award, recognising her as a pioneer of entrepreneurship in precision medicine, affirms her commitment to making life-saving genetic testing and precision medicine available to more people – delivered to world-class standards of credibility and clinical accuracy while remaining affordable.
“This win gives me a platform to champion life-saving genetic testing because every family deserves a fighting chance, and no one should be left behind. It isn’t about personal recognition,” she said.
Dr Hor Chee Peng
University of Edinburgh graduate
Winner of the Science and Sustainability category
Dr Hor was recognised for his impact in leading Covid-19 pandemic preparedness and response in a hospital setting.
He attributed his ability to manage the evolving needs of the hospital during that period to the evidence-based approach, systems thinking and collaborative leadership he learnt during his time in the UK.
“I’m extremely honoured that my work during the pandemic has been recognised on a platform of this magnitude. It also has extra meaning for me as it’s the first time that a degree conducted wholly online has been recognised at the Study UK Alumni Awards.
“I’m also the first Health Ministry representative to take home an award over the seven times the award has been organised in Malaysia, and the first Commonwealth scholar to win the Science and Sustainability award,” he shared.
Matthew Tan Yi Jian
University of Oxford graduate
Winner of the Culture, Creativity and Sport category
Yi Jian was recognised for his role in shaping the next generation of Malaysian storytellers as a film educator, maker and scholar.
His ethnographic documentary Partition, on South-East Asian migrant women in the United Arab Emirates, was officially selected for the Oscar-qualifying Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2024 and the Oxford University Short Film Festival 2024, and was nominated for Best Documentary Film at the British Film Institute’s Future Film Festival 2025.
He shared that he intends to use the award as motivation to continue contributing to film discourse in Malaysia, with a particular interest in inspiring his students and young filmmakers to embrace research as a cornerstone of their creative storytelling process.
He also aims to amplify Malaysian achievements in film on the global stage and bridge creative practice and research.
Tan Shi Min
University College London and Plymouth Marjon University graduate
Winner of the Social Action category
Shi Min, recognised for her effort to make education equitable, has benefited the community with her innovative product, the Wheel of Learning, which has impacted over 1,000 teachers and students and improved the English aptitude of her students in rural Malaysia.
Her innovation began as a way to help students improve their language capability.
She hopes to reach more rural youth and young children in the future through the Projek Anak Malaysia initiative, which she started in collaboration with Charisma Movement and the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu in 2012.
