SE-Budi Hasanah strengthens Community-Based Language Learning through Micro-Teaching and Cultural Immersion at Amantara
Pictures SE-Budi Hasanah Team
JITRA, 11 January 2026: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) extends its deepest appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Martadha Mohamed, whose steadfast leadership and continuous support have been instrumental in advancing values-driven, community-engaged education. This strong institutional backing has enabled the continued implementation of the SE-Budi Hasanah Programme, most recently through the Micro-Teaching and Cultural Immersion Programme held at Amantara Glamping.
As part of the Hasanah Special Grant (HSG) 5.0, the programme brought together 20 student-mentors, including creative interns, in a structured capacity-building initiative. Grounded in a Community-Based Language Learning (CBLL) framework, SE-Budi Hasanah currently reaches 239 secondary school students in Pulau Tuba, Langkawi. Fully funded by Yayasan Hasanah, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional, the initiative reflects a shared national aspiration towards inclusive education, youth empowerment, and sustainable community development.
To ensure sound governance and effective implementation, UUM Leads Sdn Bhd acts as the signatory partner, safeguarding accountability, compliance, and delivery integrity. Complementing this role at the grassroots level is Koperasi Kepulauan Tuba dan Selat (KOPTUBAS), which functions as a vital community liaison by nurturing local trust and facilitating coordination between the university, schools, and island stakeholders.
Within the programme, the micro-teaching component served as a key platform for exposing student-mentors to curriculum perspectives and authentic classroom practices. Guided sessions were led by Prof. Dr. Nurahimah Yusoff, Prof. Dr. Abdul Malek Abdul Karim, Dean of the School of Education at Albukhary International University, as well as former lecturers from Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Darulaman. Collectively, these sessions highlighted learner-centred pedagogy, curriculum alignment, classroom management, and adaptive instructional strategies suited to community-based learning environments.
Equally significant was the Cultural Immersion Slot, which featured a specially curated Wayang Kulit preparation session facilitated by Unifilm Studio. The session was led by its Director, Cik Bahiyah Md Idris, together with her team, offering student-mentors an immersive experience in cultural heritage as a narrative and pedagogical tool. This segment illustrated how traditional art forms can be effectively integrated into language learning, identity formation, and community storytelling.
“The social entrepreneurship ecosystem has been thoughtfully embedded within the Community-Based Language Learning (CBLL) framework, bringing English language learning and social entrepreneurship together in a cohesive and purposeful manner. This integrated approach provides a powerful platform for youths in Pulau Tuba to develop the competencies, values, and confidence needed to become community builders for the island and beyond,” said Dr. Azrain Nasyrah Mustapa, an invited contributor to the session.
The programme’s emphasis on social entrepreneurship and ESG was further reinforced through sessions conducted by Ms. Fatin Athirah Fadzillah, Lead Researcher of the SE-Budi Hasanah Programme, together with Dr. Mohd Aamir Adeeb Abdul Rahim and Dr. Norzalila Jamaludin, Deputy Dean (Student Affairs) at the School of Business Management. These sessions underscored ethical leadership, ESG awareness, and impact-oriented thinking within the context of community education.
Beyond the formal training modules, the student-mentors also participated in an engagement visit to Flour Crown, where they interacted with UUM alumna Ms. Wan Aifaa Syafia Wan Mohd Sopii. Through this session, they gained first-hand insights into a youth-led entrepreneurial journey, exploring themes of business resilience, branding, and values-driven enterprise. This experience strengthened the programme’s experiential learning dimension by bridging classroom concepts with real-world practice.
Notably, the SE-Budi Hasanah Programme student-mentors comprise Semester 1 undergraduates from a wide range of academic programmes, underscoring UUM’s intentional strategy to nurture leadership, service ethos, and civic responsibility from the earliest stage of university life. In addition, several student leaders, led by Ms. Siti Nurul Aulia Abdul Malek and Ms. Sofia Natasyah Saparin, will also be undertaking internships with Yayasan Hasanah, further reinforcing university–industry–community partnerships and strengthening youth leadership pipelines.
Through this integrated approach, the SE-Budi Hasanah Programme continues to position Universiti Utara Malaysia at the forefront of experiential, community-based, and values-driven education, where language learning, cultural immersion, and social entrepreneurship converge to create meaningful and sustainable impact. – Krishna Poobalan
