UUM secures RM361,000 Hasanah Special Grant (HSG) 5.0 for SE-Budi Hasanah

Pictures CEDI

LANGKAWI, 23 April 2025: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) has formalised a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Koperasi Kepulauan Tuba dan Selat (KOPTUBAS) during a strategic session with SMK Langkawi, Pulau Tuba and the Langkawi District Education Office (PPD Langkawi), marking the official launch of the SE-Budi Hasanah Community-Based Language Learning (CBLL) Project, which will be implemented from end of May 2025 until February 2026.

Funded under the Hasanah Special Grant (HSG) 5.0 with a total allocation of RM361,000 and facilitated by UUM Leads Sdn. Bhd., this initiative is jointly led by the Cooperative and Entrepreneurship Development Institute (CEDI) and the School of Languages, Civilisation and Philosophy (SLCP). This project is further strengthened through strategic contributions from the School of Education (SoE), UUM; the School of Education, Al-Bukhary International University; and Athena Holdings Sdn. Bhd.

Targeting 250 secondary school students in Pulau Tuba, the project applies a robust educational framework that integrates Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, and Freire’s Critical Pedagogy. It is also guided by the Quintuple Helix Model for sustainable development. The programme uniquely blends CEFR-aligned English language learning, resilience-building rooted in Tauhidic principles, and community-based social entrepreneurship, tailored to the lived experiences of students from underserved communities.

Associate Prof. Dr Mohamad Khadafi Rofie, Dean of SLCP and a specialist in Islamic-based resilience, contributes to the design of the resilience module, which focuses on identity, faith, and emotional strength. He works closely with Assoc. Prof. Dr Mohd Nizho Abdul Rahman and Dr Azman Md Zain in this effort.

The project team is led by Ms. Fatin Athirah Fadzillah and includes Mdm. Nurul Akmal Ab Halim, Ms. Henny Haryani Ismail, Assoc. Prof. Dr Mohd Nizho Abdul Rahman, Assoc. Prof. Dr Rafizah Rawian, Dr Azman Md Zain, Prof. Dr Nurahimah Yusoff, Dr Muhammad Noor Abdul Aziz, Dr Saiful Azizi Ismail, Mr. Akmal Ahlami Md Rozai, and Mdm. Anja Juliah Abu Bakar from Athena Holdings Sdn. Bhd.

Present at the LoI session were Dr Saiful Azizi Ismail, Deputy Executive Director (Training & Incubator), CEDI; Mr. Akmal Ahlami Md Rozai, Assistant Registrar, CEDI; and Mdm. Roshita Che Ani from SLCP. The project has enjoyed consistent support from Prof. Dr Russayani Ismail, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), since its early stages, recognising its strategic value in advancing UUM’s KPI targets through impactful research, inclusive education, and community empowerment. The initiative also contributes meaningfully to both CEDI’s niche in entrepreneurship and innovation, and SLCP’s focus on language and values-based education.

Yayasan Hasanah, the funder of this initiative, is a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad and operates with funding support from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Malaysia. As a national organisation, it is committed to strengthening Malaysia’s social capital through high-impact partnerships in education, community development, and sustainability.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Shazida Jan Mohd Khan, Executive Director of CEDI, expressed her hope for the initiative, stating, collaborations such as this between UUM departments will not only strengthen the university’s capacity to serve but also deepen our impact within the communities we engage with.

Ms. Fatin Athirah echoed this sentiment, adding, SE-Budi Hasanah is more than an academic intervention. It is a values-driven blueprint for building resilient, future-ready youth. – Fatin Athirah Fadzillah