The British Council is pleased to announce the successful Malaysian recipients of the Alumni UK Social Action Grant 2026–27, a global initiative that supports UK alumni to lead innovative projects addressing pressing social and environmental challenges in their communities. The programme provides grants of up to £5,000 for alumni-led projects that demonstrate impact, innovation, and collaboration.

Projects funded under the programme are aligned with one or more of the programme’s key themes:

  • Climate Action & Sustainability
  • Inclusion, Reducing Inequality & Empowerment

 

Malaysia’s Successful Grant Recipients

We are delighted to award the Alumni UK Social Action Grant 2026–27 to the below projects:

Theme: Inclusion, Reducing Inequality & Empowerment

This capacity-building initiative provide tailored professional development for educators working at multiple Alternative Learning Centres in Sabah. For stateless children in Sabah, Alternative Learning Centres are often their only place to learn. By training teachers in adaptive, resource-efficient instructional strategies, this initiative ensures educators can deliver high-quality, impactful lessons to stateless children, even within resource-constrained environments. Ultimately, this project seeks to elevate educational quality, ensuring marginalised children gain dignified, high quality education.

 

Theme: Inclusion, Reducing Inequality & Empowerment

Healing involves the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. At Sultan Ahmad Shah Medical Centre (SASMEC) @ IIUM, this project creates a welcoming, accessible spiritual care system tailored specifically for rehabilitation patients with disabilities. By working closely with patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers, the team will design practical tools that overcome communication and mobility barriers. Importantly, these resources are designed to be inclusive and supportive for individuals of all religious backgrounds and beliefs. Through staff training and thoughtful service design, the initiative ensures every patient can easily express their needs and receive compassionate, dignified care that respects their personal choices.

Theme: Climate Action & Sustainability

Bayang Bumi brings ancient Malaysian storytelling into the future to inspire climate action. Through this hands-on initiative, young people team up with a traditional master puppeteer (tok dalang) to explore local environmental challenges. Together, youth write original stories, craft shadow puppets (wayang kulit), and perform for their communities. To reach even wider audiences, their live performances are converted into an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) digital exhibition. By bridging cultural heritage, modern technology, and youth leadership, Bayang Bumi empowers the next generation to lead climate conversations while keeping Malaysia’s rich traditions vibrant and relevant.

Theme: Climate Action & Sustainability

Renewable energy projects often proceed without meaningful input or fair benefits for local indigenous communities. The VP4G initiative changes this by empowering an Orang Asli community to lead green energy decisions on their lands. Over five months, community members—including elders, women, and youth—will establish a People's Energy Commission and create a visual Community Energy Charter. This charter sets clear rules for environmental protection, customary rights, and fair benefit-sharing. By presenting their self-designed governance model directly to government ministries, the project ensures indigenous voices actively shape a fair green transition while creating a replicable model for inclusive climate action.

About Alumni UK

Alumni UK is the British Council’s global network for international graduates of UK higher education institutions. Launched in 2022, the platform brings together alumni from around the world to connect, collaborate, access professional development opportunities, and contribute to positive change in their communities.