Persidangan Pembangunan Pelajar Peringkat Kebangsaan 2008

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 22-23Oktober 2008

Integrating the principles of sustainable development

among human resource: The case of USM graduates

Marimuthu P.Ratnam a,, Roslan Kamarudin b, Nazru Hj. Ismail c

a,b,c
Students Affairs & Development Division, USM

marimuthu@notes.usm.my

Abstract

The sustainable of the organization dependent upon its employees who adopt sustainable development
principles as part of their human philosophy. Therefore producing students with the principles of
sustainable is an essential task for many education institutions especially for the public universities in
Malaysia. This paper investigates how Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has integrated the principles of
sustainable development into its co-curriculum activities. The possibility of the designed co-curriculum
activities toward producing human resources with sustainable development principles were discussed in the
paper. The findings of this study will be important for education institutions since it can provide
information on how the co-curriculum activities can be designed to establish the principles of sustainable
development among the students for the formation of sustainable organization.

Keywords: sustainable development principles, students

1. Introduction levels. According to the United Nations (1992)

in 36th Chapter of Agenda 21, “Education is
important for promoting sustainable
The first United Nation’s World
development and improving the capacity of
Summit on Sustainable Development took place
people to address environment and development
in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the recent largest
issues.” Therefore, considering the universality
Summit on Sustainable Development occurred in
mission statement, the 39th years old Universiti
Johannesburg, South Africa on August 26-
Sains Malaysia (USM) has focuses its
September 4, 2002. Through out the years
commitment and responsibility to the element of
sustainable development issues has been
sustainability by integrating sustainable
discussed never ending at the local at global

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Persidangan Pembangunan Pelajar Peringkat Kebangsaan 2008
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 22-23Oktober 2008

operations, policy and practices for its long term time should promise to protect and enhance
achievement by making the university a opportunities for future.
microcosm of the outside world inline with the Extending in this area, sustainable
concept of being a “University in a Garden” Human Resource is divine as a process of
from year 2003. In relation to this objective, managing all resources in such a way that
USM always embrace ecological protection, economic, social and aesthetic needs can be
conservation of resources and human fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity,
development in all its three campuses: main essential ecological processes, biological
campus in Penang, engineering campus in diversity and life support systems. (WTO, 2001).
Nibong Tebal and health campus in Kubang According to Ahlberg (2004), the education core
Kerian, Kelantan. of sustainable development is ability,
competence, expertise, intelligence, creativity,
and wisdom. Ahlberg (2004), in the first
2. Understanding sustainable
tentative theory of education, claimed that the
development and sustainable human
most central concept in Education for
resource Sustainable development is integrating different
The most common definition of sustainable aspects of sustainable development in thinking
development is proposed in World Commission and acting because it is linked to other
on Environment report released during the 1987. development concept as how it is illustrated in
The definition is as below: Figure 1.

“Development that meets the needs of the

3. USM students towards
present without compromising the
sustainable
ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.”
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is
aware about the sustainable human resource
The idea of sustainable centers on a
development. The effort for transforming USM
holistic integration of economic, environmental
students to be a sustainable human resource, has
and socio-cultural development. Sustainable
started in early 2001. USM begin to rigorously
development is accessed as a more responsible
pursued and expended in order to ensure the
and balanced form of development. These
campus produces human capital as the seeds of
development should allows the protection of
social transformation that is sustainable among
natural resources and the environment while
staffs and students. The endeavor on the
permitting it to be exploited in order to secure
understanding Ahlberg’s theory that the
continued economic growth over the years. In
education is the key to change unsustainable
other word, sustainable development should
lifestyle and mindset strictly took place.
meets he needs of the people but at the same
Undergraduate and postgraduate students were

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Persidangan Pembangunan Pelajar Peringkat Kebangsaan 2008
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 22-23Oktober 2008

provided with learning tools and opportunities in
the real world environment to integrate
knowledge and concepts of sustainability to local
practices, applications and solutions.
As mentioned above, USM has been
designing sustainable projects since 2001, so
since then the projects hosting with a great
challenges and a great responsibility towards
sustainable human resource. All the projects
choose “Humanity, Nature, and Technology as
the theme for transforming for ‘sustainable
tomorrow’. Ideally, humanity has redefined
itself, its placement in nature and refines the role
of technology within the environment. USM has
decided to directly and continuously address the
difficult issues of imagining and encouraging a
sustainable future. In order to insure that the
projects are related to the represent sustainable
development the Hannover sustainable principles
are considered. These principles are adopted and
modified from the "The Hannover Principles"
which were designed in year 1992 for EXPO
2000 in Hannover to insure sustainable
development of the city, region, and world
(William McDonough & Partners, 1992). These
principles shared seen as a living document
committed to the transformation and growth in
the understanding sustainable development
values growth among students.

Environmental Educated for Sustainable

Programme Development

requires

Integrating different aspects of sustainable

development in thinking and acting

Ecologically Socially Culturally Economically

sustainable sustainable sustainable sustainable
development development development development

Figure 1. Ahlberg’s (2004) first tentative theory of what is central in Education for Sustainable Development.
The most central concept in this concept map is ‘integrating different aspects of sustainable development in
thinking and acting’.

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Persidangan Pembangunan Pelajar Peringkat Kebangsaan 2008
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 22-23Oktober 2008

The sustainable principles practice to controlled using of

1. Insight on rights of humanity and nature resources.

to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, 9. Seek constant improvement by the

diverse and sustainable condition. sharing of knowledge. Encourage direct

2. Recognize interdependence. The and open communication between

elements of human design interact with colleagues, academicians,

and depend upon the natural world, with administration, and users to link long

brand diverse implications as every terms sustainable considerations with

scale. Expand design consideration to ethical responsibility and re-establish

recognizing even distant effects the integral relationships between

3. Respect relationships between spirit and natural processes and human activities.
Source: William McDonough & Partners (1992).
matter. Consider all aspects of human
settlement including community,
dwelling, industry and trade in term of
existing and evolving connection 4. USM activities led
between spiritual and material
sustainability
consciousness.
4. Accept responsibility for the
Universiti Sains Malaysia through The
consequences of activities upon human
Students Affairs and Development Division and
well-being. The violability of natural
other respective departments in USM are
system and their right to co-exit.
constantly integrating the core principles and
5. Create safe objects of long value. Do
practical of ecology from the perspective of
not burden future generations with
human consciousness. Students have been
requirements for maintenance or
learning the Law of Nature evolved the system
vigilant administration of potential
for miraculous complexity of life. There are
danger due to the careless creation of
plenty of opportunities for the students in USM
products, processes or standards.
to profound their experience and increasing their
6. Eliminate the concept of waste.
awareness through involving in activities
Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle
organized in the university which can directly
of products and process, to approach the
linked to sustainable development. The
state of natural systems, in which there
examples of activities are discussed as below:
is no waste.
7. Rely a natural energy flows. Human
a) The White Coffin Campaign- This is
design should, like the living world,
the latest campaign in a series of student-
derive their creative forces.
centered activities.
8. Understand the limitations of resource.
The white coffin (referring to the white
These who create and plan should
container made from polystyrene)

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Persidangan Pembangunan Pelajar Peringkat Kebangsaan 2008
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 22-23Oktober 2008
campaign was launched though the
Healthy Campus Programme and
sustained by the students themselves. In
this campaign students are encouraged
to take the lead against the use of
polystyrene (a petrochemical material
widely used in food containers for take
away food) on campus. The ultimate
goal of this campaign is to develop a
deeper students’ understanding of
sustainable development principles
such as created insight on rights of
humanity and nature besides accepting
responsibility for the consequences of
activities upon human well being. In
this campaign the student are being
educated about the danger of using
polystyrene containers. USM students
now have agreed to bring their own
food containers or to use bi-degradable
containers to pack their food. The
campaign is now being emulated by
other universities in Malaysia.
b) The Campus- Wide Recycling Project-
This project aim to raise the awareness
of students on recycling as one of the
important elements in environment
sustainability. Throughout this
programme, many students and
university staff were exposed and
trained on how to recycle products such
as paper, cloth, and promote the
activities among the entire campus
community including e-wastes. This
activity attempts to implement
sustainable principles such as eliminate
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the concept of waste, understand the
limitations of resources and provide
insights on rights of humanity and
nature.
c) The Tree Planting Project- In USM,
‘tree planting’ has become an annual
activity during the orientation week of
newly admitted students. About 600
trees including several varieties of local
fruits are being planted yearly in all the
three campus of USM. Through this
green activity, sustainable principles
such as insight on rights of humanity
and nature are implemented.
d) Earth Hour and Earth Day- As a
measure of global concern, USM
participated in events such as the Earth
Hour 2008 on 28 March as an
awareness exercise to save energy for
an hour worldwide. USM also
celebrates the World Earth Day on 22
April 2008. This activity managed to
created awareness and knowledge
among the students about how to rely
on natural energy flows, eliminate the
concept of waste, understand the
limitation of resources besides learn to
seek constant improvement by the
sharing of knowledge.
e) Sustainable Health Programmes- A
series of activities carried out in USM
by various centers on issues pertaining
to dangers of drug abuse, anti smoking
and prevention of doping in sports in
Persidangan Pembangunan Pelajar Peringkat Kebangsaan 2008
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 22-23Oktober 2008
campus. This activity is important to
provide insight on rights of humanity
and nature is implemented.
5. The reflect of sustainability
activities in the formation of human
resource
The students’ involvement on sustainable
activities noted as important to the facilitation
the goal of sustainable development in an
organization where the graduate will be attached
(Beard and Rees, 2000). It is believed that the
introduction of sustainable principles among the
students at the tertiary education institution can
help to form sustainable human resource. The
sustainable team also is useful to generate ideas,
enhance learning experience, explore issues,
identify conflict and focus action to practicable
environmental options (Beard and Rees, 2000).
This sustainable human resource may able to
ensure sustainable development in the country
and global level for future. The rationale is by
accessing or involving students on sustainable
adventure activities at university level will
motivate them to explore the sustainable
development values by understanding the
sustainable diversity such as below:
1. Students can learn how to maximize the
use and continuously involve in
sustainable development activities.
2. Students have deep experience of
consciousness to the power and majesty
of nature.
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3. Students able to determine the role of
sustainable human resources in the
structure of societies, work and live.
4. Students understand the important of
obey the Natural Law and adjusting
work and to avoid nature conflicts.
5. Students understand how to condition
workforce change on the base of
sustainability
6. Conclusion
Based on that perception, the USM
authorities believe that those students who
involve in the sustainable activities and adopt
sustainable development principles will become
sustainable human resource. Nowadays, more
employees and organizations are concerning the
sustainability issues in the business and aiming
for maximizing the economic and social benefits
by integrating sustainable operations, policy and
practice for long term. So, there are bright
futures for sustainable human resource to
contribute to the ecology and society but they
can equally contribute to the economical
development of the country and world.
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