Conserving the environment in concert with community stakeholders is integral to our educational mission at Quest International University (QIU). We’re very proud of our academics, students, and staff for their steadfast commitment to preserving the planet!
QIU is abuzz all year with projects aimed at protecting our diverse ecosystems. These initiatives range from awareness-and-action campaigns augmenting global and local efforts towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to expert talks and hands-on workshops on ‘green living’ that share strategies for reducing, reusing, and recycling everyday items at home and on campus.
We most recently expressed our commitment to the environment with the Trees and Rivers for Life project held at Taman Rekreasi Kolam Sungai Pinji in Ipoh to mark World Rivers Day 2024. This event was organised by the Centre for General Studies and Community Service students in partnership with the Global Environment Centre (GEC), Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh (MBI), and Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran Perak (JPS).
The organisers were ably supported by the University’s SDG Steering Committee, Student Life Division, and Faculty of Integrated Life Sciences (FILS). We were also pleased to host students from the Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim/Miskin Dahikmah and Yayasan Amanah An-Nur Maisarah NGO centres as special guests. Vice-Chancellor Professor Zita Mohd Fahmi officiated the event and flagged off the race around the park.
This time we built on last year’s World Rivers Day celebrations by going beyond landscaping and planting trees to painting murals on the public lavatory walls and ‘plogging’ – the act of picking up trash while jogging. Participants were also treated to brief demonstrations on solid waste management and recycling by academics from FILS and our event partners. The event concluded with student project leaders presenting donation checks to the beneficiary NGOs.
The objectives of this event were threefold. First, allowing students to gain entrepreneurial skills through a variety of fundraising ventures for the benefit of the NGOs. Next, promoting community engagement and environmental stewardship through clean-up and tree-planting activities. Finally, uplifting public spaces to improve the recreational experience for residents, thus boosting their mental and physical well-being.
Congratulations, QIU academics, students, and staff for doing your part in saving our planet and securing our future! Your efforts are further proof of the boundless spirit of community service that is embedded in the University’s DNA.
