Tackling global issues through collective action, community engagement

Tackling global issues through collective action, community engagement

Jointly organised by NUS College and the NUS Global Relations Office, the two-week symposium themed "Interconnected Communities" gathered nearly 300 students from across Asia to develop solutions to real-world problems faced in the region.

To change people's lives for the better, take time to engage with them and understand their needs. This was a message reiterated by speakers throughout the ninth annual Asian Undergraduate Symposium organised by NUS College(NUSC) with the NUS Global Relations Officeand powered by the National Youth Council Singapore.

"We need to go beyond dominant narratives and listen to voices from the ground," urged Dr Nurhidayahti Mohammad Miharja, a sociologist and NUSC lecturer.

For instance, ramping up food production alone may not solve food insecurity as the food could be wasted if it does not reach the underserved communities, she shared. Instead, what is required is targeted help that aligns closely with the needs of communities.

Dr Nurhidayahti cited a social worker who runs a well-used community fridge and freezer in the Singapore rental flat estate where she lives. Leveraging her intimate knowledge of the community, she stocks the chillers with packets of milk for schoolchildren to collect before school, and frozen food for adults who attend her talks on healthy eating.

The initiative is effective because it targets the community's actual issues: student absenteeism and the need for a balanced diet. "She knew what the unmet needs in her community were," noted Dr Nurhidayahti.

Themed "Interconnected Communities," the two-week symposium was held from 1 to 13 July 2024 at NUS University Town and gathered nearly 300 students from countries across Asia, with 18 students representing Singapore. The programme promotes academic and intercultural exchange alongside networking and capacity development, to empower participants to develop solutions to real-world problems faced in their countries and the region.

Among the highlights were a fireside chat with Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs, and a series of lectures by distinguished speakers who shared their perspectives on issues under three sub-themes: Needs and Wants, Environment and Sustainability, and Diversity and Inclusion.

Bridging understanding

The symposium sub-theme Needs and Wants explored how individuals can bridge gaps between communities.

This means going beyond "mainstream sensibilities" and not jumping to assumptions about other people's needs and motivations, said Dr Lim Chee Han, NUSC senior lecturer and deputy director of the Impact Experience Programme at NUSC.

Contrary to what some people assume, for example, smartphones are a necessity for refugees who use them to communicate with loved ones and store memories of their lost homes. Villagers in less-developed countries may have no choice but to burn their waste, resulting in air pollution, because they lack funds for a proper garbage disposal system, noted Dr Lim, who is also the academic lead for AUS 2024.

Due to a lack of awareness about infrastructure and mobility, accessibility features used to be an afterthought in Singapore, causing the disabled community to be isolated from society, said Ms Sherena Loh, co-founder of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore).

"In the past, housing apartments were not built with lifts on every floor. Public transport like buses and trains were not (designed) for wheelchair users," said Ms Loh, who has muscular dystrophy.

To champion change for the community, she conducted ground surveys with her team and shared the findings to help inform initiatives such as the Code on Barrier-Free Accessibility in Buildings in 1995, and the introduction of wheelchair-accessible buses in 2006.

Diversity of experience

Under the sub-theme of Diversity and Inclusion, Associate Professor Eleanor Wong, NUS Associate Provost (Special Projects), urged participants to look inwards, reflect on their own privileges, and "develop the ability to appreciate the different lived experiences of others" when engaging with beneficiaries. This will enable them to design and deploy successful solutions based on a genuine understanding of the community.

"It's about going out and finding the right place where the solution should sit, and making sure that it is done," added Assoc Prof Wong, who is also Vice Dean (Residential Programmes & Enrichment) at NUSC and Director of the Legal Skills Programme and the Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education, both at NUS Law.

Dr Rayner Tan, who works with marginalised communities through non-profits such as The Greenhouse Community Services and Project X, highlighted the need for sensitivity to ensure that beneficiaries have a voice and agency in the engagement process.

"The subjects worry that we are going to take their data to a conference, share it, and get all the glory," said Dr Tan, who is Assistant Professor at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. He believes that researchers have an "ethical and moral obligation" to share the results of research with participants to ensure that they do not feel excluded or used as mere test subjects.

Interconnected ecosystems

The speakers presenting on the sub-theme of Environment and Sustainability, emphasised the far-reaching effects of climate change through the interconnections between society and ecosystems.

"Climate issues are everything that coexists with us. Every little ecosystem is connected to a bigger ecosystem," said Professor Veera Sekaran from NUS' Department of Biological Sciences.

Mr Vivek Kumar, Chief Executive Officer at WWF-Singapore, later chimed in with an example from late 2023, when Lake Tefé in the Brazilian state of Amazonas lost 10 per cent of its dolphin population in a single week due to extreme weather.

Drought caused the lake's temperatures to surge 8 degrees Celsius, and haze and pollution from forest fires contributed to a drop in oxygen levels in the dolphins' habitat. "All these combined meant that the dolphins just could not survive in the water," said Mr Kumar.

The effects of climate change will catch up with us as well, he added, urging everyone to act before it's too late.

Similarly, Dr Adrian Loo, Associate Professor at the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, stressed the need for collective action to tackle the planet's human-driven crises. For example, an unprecedented number of animal species are going extinct as a result of illegal wildlife trade and climate change.

"The world has reached the Anthropocene," he said, referring to the current geological age where human activity is heavily impacting the earth's climate and ecosystems. "We are all in this together, and we need to link my generation (of activists) to your generation and move together."

Tackling complex challenges

The lectures and subsequent panel discussions laid the foundation for the students to brainstorm holistic solutions to societal challenges as they journeyed through the rest of the programme. They fine-tuned their project proposals with insights from learning site visits, team project workshops, and mentoring sessions with NUSC educators and industry professionals.

The importance of user-centred design was a key learning outcome for Nina Katrina D. Matammu, a participant from Cagayan State University in the Philippines. Her group found input from their target demographic to be crucial in designing their proposed solution, a device to help elderly users keep track of their personal items.

Nina added: "The symposium emphasised the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, showing me how combining expertise from different fields can lead to more holistic and impactful solutions."

Participants also picked up cultural lessons along the way, thanks to the symposium's international nature, said participant Nguyen Minh Long. "Everyone had a desire to 'promote' the cultural values of their homelands," said the student from the International University at Vietnam National University, noting the importance of demonstrating respect when "engaging in exchanges about differences to better understand the diversity of humanity."

The top three groups, determined by a popular vote on the project proposals, presented their ideas to NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye, ASEAN University Network director Dr Choltis Dhirathiti, and representatives from the National Youth Council, NUSC deanery, and other symposium partners at a formal brunch to close out the event. Up to five of the most compelling proposals will receive S$5,000 seed grants to turn their ideas into reality.