Subarna Sivapalan - Facilitator: Sustainability, Society and You
I am a PhD student with Uni of Nottingham's School of Education. My research focuses on engineering education for sustainable development within the Malaysian context.
Location Malaysia
Activity
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Hi everyone. Thank you to all who have shared your views. So, the question on everyone's mind right now: to squat, or not to squat? I am from Malaysia, and here, squat toilets are very very common. You can find these toilet in almost all public spaces, government and private sector offices, schools, hospitals, eateries and even at the cinema. Many of us here...
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You are absolutely right Lara. Hope you are enjoying the course : )
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Hi Luis. We are always here to assist. You can always write to any of the facilitators if you need help. Happy to help.
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Hi Peggy. Glad to have you on the course : ) How is it going so far?
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This is something we could start doing in malaysia !! thank you anne
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Hi Buathan, Bob and Zela,
Welcome to the module. Great to have you all on SSY. Indigenous knowledge, agriculture and water are all key issues related to sustainability. These issues also feature prominently as priority areas within the UN. I look forward to reading your experiences and thoughts on ways in which you put sustainability to practice through...
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Hi Everyone. Welcome to SSY !!
I am Subarna, one of the facilitators on SSY, and I am based in Malaysia. I teach Professional Communication Skills to undergraduate engineering students, where I get them to communicate about environmental and societal aspects of sustainability through individual and group presentations. I've also just submitted my PhD thesis...
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Hi everyone. Great ideas !!! Loving this positive energy !!!
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Thanks for all your posts. There are a lot of great initiatives going on. Wondering if any one you looked into how sustainably these programmes are run.
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Thanks everyone for your responses. Some very thought provoking comments and perspectives indeed. Although it contributes to unsustainability, many of us believe that the internet has nevertheless proven to be an important tool in our daily lives. Barbara Virvilis has aptly put it , when she says we need to learn to use it more responsibly. So, how can we do...
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Thanks so much for the sharing of experiences and links everyone. I am reminded of the magnificence of our past and how much we have to learn from our forefathers. There are certainly no short cuts to sustainability.
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Hi Sophie. Couldn't agree with you more. The participatory approach through stakeholder engagement and involvement is most certainly the way forward.
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Hi Brendan. I can't speak for all non-western countries, but must say that the situation is quite similar over in malaysia too.
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This is a good point Denise. Sustainability is definitely a collective effort. How have reactions from your community been?
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any tips on how one can reduce intake by 10% Muzafar? And why 10%by the way?
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these are fantastic ideas regina. how do you keep motivated to continue doing this?
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The recent trend in real estate development in Malaysia is to advertise that the housing projects being undertaken are green. We see a lot of 'green townships' sprouting up. Being curious, I ventured into one of these townships and found that the only thing green there was the grass !! Clever use of words by unscrupulous housing developers to sell the idea of...
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Thanks for your posts everyone. In addition to these criteria, I also think it is necessary for us to educate ourselves on the significance of these heritage sites. Governments should strictly enforce laws that prohibit desecration of such sites. A recent case of the demolition of an 8th century ancient site in Malaysia, to make way for development is a good...
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Fantastic photos Srihari !!!
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Of the 10 responses we have so far, it seems that we are in a tie. Interestingly also, there are some of us who feel that we are neither anthropocentric nor ecocentric.
What do you think should have been addressed in the articles you read, and how could have these issues helped you decide whether you were anthropocentric or ecocentric?
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There seems to be mixed opinions on the benefits and possibilities of subscribing to green capitalism to reduce the impact of climate change, thus far. Participants responses seem to suggest that for green capitalism to be truly beneficial, it must be backed up by appropriate policies, enforcement, influence, practice and a shift in the we commonly think of...
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Water scarcity has not been a major issue in Malaysia. Water pollution, however, is a huge concern, and is often a result of unsustainable development. Policies don't work if enforcement and engagement with stakeholders don't occur as it should.
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Hi everyone. Thanks for your posts.
Have your attitudes to water consumption changed after you found out your water foot print scores?
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My favourite place would have to be Tanjavur in South India. It houses many UNESCO world heritage sites, and is an important centre of South Indian art, architecture and religion.
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This is a great quote Tamuno. It really encapsulates the essence of what sustainability is.
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Hi everyone. Thanks so much for your replies.
As many of you have explained, I too agree that sustainability is a moral obligation. How we live today has deep implications to the society of the future. We have to therefore educate ourselves and those around on living a sustainable lifestyle so the future generation can also enjoy what we are thankful for...
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Well said Rukmini.
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Hi Kian Guan. These are excellent observations. I totally agree !!
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In Malaysia, engineering education programme outcomes clearly articulate the need for the nation's future engineers to be sustainability competent. However, findings of my PhD research suggest that the Malaysian engineering industry feels that our graduate engineers have little knowledge of and appreciation for sustainable development and sustainable...
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Hi everyone. Thanks so much for your posts. It seems that many of us seem to identify with the 5Cs model. I came across a framework for socially sustainable design developed by the UK based Young Foundation. Further info is available at this link:
http://urbanaffect.com/
Happy reading! -
A warm welcome to all !!!! Hope you are all enjoying the module.
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Hi everyone,
I am Subarna from Malaysia. I am one of the facilitators of Sustainability, Society and You. It's great to see so many people from so many countries here. I look forward to learning from you all. Wishing all a fruitful learning experience.
