Four Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) students took their skills beyond the classroom and across borders, contributing to community development, climate resilience and education initiatives during the YSS International Volunteer Mission 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Held from 18 July to 21 August 2026, the international volunteer programme brought Malaysian youth together with local communities through projects addressing sustainability, education, health, digital transformation and social empowerment.
Representing three UniKL institutes were Muhammad Anas Ishak from UniKL Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET), Muhammad Muhairies Zafrie Sukariyadi from UniKL British Malaysian Institute (UniKL BMI), as well as Nurul Ain Nasuha Norrezam and Nursaadah Shafudin from UniKL Malaysian Institute of Industrial Technology (UniKL MITEC).
Organised in collaboration with Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS), the mission adopted an immersive volunteering approach that placed participants directly within communities, schools and local organisations in Ho Chi Minh City.
Projects were implemented across YSS’ six core pillars: Unity and Community Empowerment; Education Enhancement and Capacity Building; Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability; Health and Well-being; Digital Transformation; and Social Impact Mobilisation.
The mission also brought notable recognition for the UniKL contingent.
Muhammad Anas received the Best Volunteer Award and the Best Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability Pillar Award, recognising his contribution to environmental and community-based initiatives during the programme.
Muhammad Muhairies, meanwhile, received the Best Education Enhancement and Capacity Building Pillar Award, highlighting his contribution towards initiatives aimed at strengthening learning and community capacity.
Beyond the awards, the mission offered the students practical experience in international community engagement, cross-cultural communication, teamwork and youth leadership.
Working in a different cultural and communication environment required the volunteers to adapt quickly while ensuring that activities remained relevant to the needs of the communities they served.
Malaysian Youth Development Leader Dr. Wan Ahmad Hazman Wan Daud encouraged the volunteers to recognise the value of every contribution.
“Never stop doing good. No matter how small the contribution may seem, every sincere act has the potential to create a meaningful impact on others,” he said.
The YSS International Volunteer Mission 2026 supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education, through education enhancement and capacity-building initiatives; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, through community empowerment; and SDG 13: Climate Action, through climate resilience and environmental sustainability activities.
It also contributes to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by bringing together UniKL, YSS, local communities, educational institutions and other stakeholders through cross-border collaboration.
