UNIVERSITY is not merely a time to devote oneself to studies.
It is also a launch pad for making positive changes in society through one’s field of interest.
Their academic achievements and leadership contributions within their universities and communities have now propelled them onto the global stage.
Selected as 2027 Morehead-Cain Global Fellows, Ying Shan Chan (Chloe), Sidney Chong and Jun Feng Ng (Jeff) have joined a cohort of 12 student leaders from Brazil, India, Nigeria and Turkey at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) in the United States.
The fully funded one-year fellowship, which commenced in August, will see the student leaders engage in academic study, leadership development and cross-cultural exchange. They will also participate in research and receive personal coaching, as well as funding for travel within the US, to broaden their perspectives and strengthen their leadership capabilities to create greater impact when they return to their communities.
The cohort was drawn from 50 candidates shortlisted globally and invited to take part in a rigorous selection programme.
Chan, Chong and Ng were among the young Malaysians nominated by YTAR, the Malaysian nominating partner for the Morehead-Cain Global Fellows Program, who made the global shortlist.
Chan, a Towards Inclusion and Equity (TIE) Fund-Tunku scholar and a law major at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, serves as vice president of academic activities at the Asian Law Students’ Association, where she coordinates academic programmes across 18 national chapters and organises international student gatherings.
She has also represented her university at legal and policy forums while working to strengthen cross-border collaboration among future legal leaders. She aspires to begin her career in corporate law before contributing to international policy and governance.
Chong, also a TIE Fund-Tunku scholar, is a biotechnology major at Universiti Malaya (UM) and chief strategy officer of Insective Lab, a student-led social enterprise that converts food waste into sustainable livestock feed to support underserved communities.
She also runs Data Wizard, which provides digital efficiency solutions to organisations in the third sector. Her research portfolio includes work on biodiesel and sustainable biopolymers.
She hopes to eventually combine her expertise in biological research and bio-entrepreneurship to develop affordable and accessible healthcare solutions in Malaysia.
Ng, an Amalan Setar-Tunku scholar and a finance major at UM, is president of the Association of Malaysian Economics Undergraduates and portfolio manager at Next Generation Investment Office.
A winner of multiple national investment and finance competitions, he spearheaded a nationwide initiative that reached more than 500 students across all 14 Malaysian states, with a focus on underprivileged youth.
Driven by the same mission for educational equity, he aims to establish impact investment funds that identify and empower high-potential, under-resourced talent in the long term.
As Tunku scholars, the trio have been undergoing a leadership development programme aimed at equipping them to drive change in communities and Malaysia.
Their selection as Morehead-Cain Global Fellows comes as YTAR marks its 60th anniversary under the theme “60 Years of Building Leaders for Malaysia”, and represents the foundation’s commitment to investing in young Malaysians and forging partnerships that unlock opportunities for them to realise their full potential, YTAR said in an Aug 21 press release.
Since its establishment in 1966, it added, YTAR has empowered more than 12,000 Malaysian youths through RM96.6mil in scholarships, financial assistance and leadership development programmes.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 If you could improve ONE thing in your school or community, what would it be? Why is it important, and how would you go about making the change? For example, you could focus on the environment, mental well-being, or opportunities for young people. Discuss your ideas in groups of five.
2 What qualities do you think a student must have to be a strong candidate for a fellowship? List the qualities using both nouns and adjectives. Compare your list with a partner. Do you have any of the same ideas?
The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes English language learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
