The implementation of a 100 percent paperless and digital learning model has earned a senior lecturer and Chartered Marketer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur Business School (UniKL BIS), Dr Arman Ahmad, the Global Green Excellence Award 2025, where he emerged as the Winner of the Global Green Championship.
The recognition was conferred by the Global Learners Academy of Development (GLAD) in collaboration with the International Federation for Scientific Development (IFSD), based in Chennai, India.
According to Dr Arman, he transformed his marketing courses such as EDB30103 Pricing Strategies and Tactics and ECB20503 Sales Management, into a fully paperless and digital learning environment.
All lectures, learning activities, assessments, student submissions, and feedback are conducted digitally through immersive learning tools and virtual classrooms, he explained.
Prior to receiving the global recognition, Dr Arman was also honoured by UniKL as the recipient of the Award for Uplifting Remarkable Academics (AURA) 2025 under the Best Immersive Virtual Teaching Award category.
Building on this achievement, he was subsequently selected to represent UniKL at the national level for Anugerah Khas YB Menteri Pendidikan Tinggi: Reka Bentuk Kurikulum dan Penyampaian Inovatif (AKRI) 2025.
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr Arman’s efforts extend beyond the classroom.
He actively promotes sustainability through student clubs and environmental engagement programmes, including tree-planting initiatives, conservation awareness activities, and outdoor learning experiences that connect academic learning with real-world environmental action.
Reflecting on the recognition, Dr Arman noted that the journey was not without challenges, particularly in transitioning from traditional, paper-based teaching to a fully digital and paperless learning environment.
“This transition required redesigning lesson delivery, assessments, and feedback mechanisms while ensuring that academic quality and learning outcomes were not compromised. There were also challenges related to student readiness, varying levels of digital literacy, and the need to maintain engagement in a fully virtual setting,” he said.
He added that the achievement is significant as it demonstrates how sustainability can be embedded into daily teaching practices, not merely as a concept, but as a real and measurable solution to environmental challenges in higher education.
“Through the implementation of a 100 percent paperless and digital learning model, the initiative directly addresses real-world issues such as excessive paper usage, resource waste, and the carbon footprint associated with traditional academic practices,” he explained.
