Week 9 : Fieldwork

Salam all,

After going through the Week 9 slides for SCSH 1201, I found myself pausing and genuinely reflecting on what it means to be a student at a university that promotes sustainability. The topic, “IIUM as a Sustainable Campus: Students as Agents of Change,” isn't just a catchy title, it’s a reminder of the amanah we carry.

What struck me most was the realization that there’s no single, fixed definition of a “sustainable campus.” Instead, it’s something that each university shapes based on its context, challenges, and values. For IIUM, the combination of environmental care, economic responsibility, and social well-being is deeply embedded in Islamic teachings, as highlighted in the Quranic verses shared in the slides. These verses reminded me that sustainability isn’t just a global or academic concept, it’s part of our deen.



I was impressed by the variety of programs already in place: from food waste composting and solar energy initiatives to eco-transport studies like UNiRIDE and tree-planting projects under myTREEvolution. These are not just pilot programs or symbolic gestures. They are real efforts that show IIUM is serious about being more than just “green”, it wants to be sustainable in every sense.

One part I hadn’t considered before was how sustainability also means caring for people. The Food Bank and mental health awareness initiatives show that social sustainability is just as important as environmental action. It's about creating a community where people are not left behind, where compassion and support are part of the structure.

But beyond being impressed, I also felt a bit guilty. How much am I actually contributing? Do I make the effort to sort my trash? Do I even know where the recycling stations are? The presentation made me realize that being part of a sustainable campus isn’t just the university’s job, it’s also mine.

The fieldwork theme may not have come with a hands-on activity this week, but it did something arguably more important, it made me think. And maybe that’s the first step toward real change.

IIUM is doing its part. It’s now on us, the students, to rise to the role we’re being called to play.

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