These 4 M’sian Young Leaders Were Selected For British Council’s Prestigious Global Policy Programme

Malaysia’s youth have been making headlines both locally and globally. Back in September, four Malaysian women were awarded prestigious British Council Women in STEM scholarships!

Recently, more good news has come about. It was announced by the British Council that four young leaders from Malaysia were selected for a global policy programme out of a total of over 9,000 worldwide applicants.

The programme called “Future Leaders Connect”, includes a total of 63 delegates from thirteen countries across the world who will take part in a six-week online policy and leadership programme.

It will allow delegates to gain exclusive access to policy experts and training, discuss their policy ideas with UK Parliamentarians and Government and be mentored by the UK think tanks and other senior leaders.

It is held in partnership with the prestigious Møller Institute at Cambridge University and aims to help the delegates develop their skills, expand their networks and ultimately, make policy changes.

According to the British Council, the four Malaysian young leaders who were selected for the programme are:

#1 – David Lim, Urban Policy

David Lim is the Manager of the Social Innovation Team at the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre, a government agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

He has worked in sustainability and social innovation for more than ten years and has successfully run the National Social Enterprise Accreditation programme as well as other initiatives.

These include a social impact matching grant programme worth RM10 million and a public social procurement programme worth RM20 million that focused on sustaining and scaling social enterprises.

David’s vision for global change is to encourage public policy, services and spending to deliver social value.

#2 – Seah Shu Yen, Human Rights

Seah Shu Yen is a dentist who developed her organisational and leadership skills as the Head of Unit of a district primary care dental clinic.

She was then given the opportunity to expand the clinic’s public services and lead the Malaysian National Oral Health Roadshow in 2019.

She joined the pre-specialisation training programme at the Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology Specialist Department in preparation for a master’s degree, and while there witnessed first-hand the need for equality and transparency in higher education.

Shu Yen is now a passionate advocate of 21st-century learning and educational excellence. Her vision for global change is a world where everyone has an equal chance to achieve their ambitions.

#3 – Wan Farihah Ahmad Fahmy, Youth Policy

Farihah is the Capacity Building Officer on the Better Health Programme Malaysia, a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-funded project.

She empowers diverse community health volunteers to support communities in in-person and virtual settings.

Her work has been shared with international audiences, including senior NHS and Ministry of Health Malaysia stakeholders, global and regional Better Health project delivery teams, and renowned academics.

As a Teach For Malaysia alumna, Global Girls Education Fellow and parent, she believes that developing a nation begins with investment in high-quality early childhood education and care.

Her vision for global change is the development of an ecosystem of care that centres on child well-being.

#4 – Zaim Mohzani, Youth Policy

Zaim is currently the External Affairs Director of KSI Strategic Institute for the Asia Pacific, an internationally recognised think tank.

He is a public policy professional and has established three non-profit organisations that have reached more than 10,000 young people in the country.

He is also a Chevening scholar and serves as the President of Chevening Alumni Malaysia. Zaim’s vision for global change is to end youth unemployment by encouraging governments to create a youth job guarantee.

The young leaders will be joined by others from around the world including Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Poland, Kenya, Ukraine, Vietnam and the UK in a prestigious global network of next-generation policymakers.

It is held in partnership with the prestigious Møller Institute at Cambridge University and aims to help the delegates develop their skills, expand their networks and ultimately, make policy changes.

Scott McDonald, British Council CEO said, “We’re delighted to be able to announce the exceptional individuals from Malaysia to take part in this year’s global programme.”

“Future Leaders Connect is an opportunity for emerging leaders in Malaysia to collaborate with their counterparts from all over the world, and to benefit from the sharing of ideas and knowledge in tackling global issues and challenges.”

This year’s Future Leaders Connect programme runs for six weeks online until 19 November.

We would like to express our congratulations to the four young leaders who will represent Malaysia on a global stage. Let’s hope that we get to see more of our youths being selected for prestigious international programmes in the future.

For more information on Future Leaders Connect or British Council, visit here.

Also read: 4 M’sian Women Have Been Awarded With The Prestigious British Council Women In STEM Scholarships!