Uniten Students Wins Diana Award 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) student Nehemiah Aaron Nathan made the country proud when he received the 2023 Diana Award recently.

The virtual award presentation ceremony was held on July 1, which marks the 62nd anniversary of Princess Diana's birth.

UNITEN in a statement today said Nehemiah, who is a Tunku scholar studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering was one of the two Malaysians and among 200 youths worldwide presented with the accolade for social action or humanitarian efforts.

“Nehemiah was nominated by his university lecturer and club advisor Dr Evelyn Yeap Ewe Lin, to receive the award,” the statement said.

Established in memory of Princess of Wales, Diana, the awards are given out to youth aged nine to 25 for going above and beyond in their lives to create and sustain positive change and for their social actions or humanitarian work.

UNITEN added that Nehemiah was chosen to receive the award after he and his friends developed the 'Zing! English Card Game', using a game-based learning approach to help children stay engaged with learning English. 

“He and his friends, Syaarveni, Ho Jia, Lee Mei Yan and Chan Yew Joe, co-founded 'The EduLab', a social enterprise aimed to improve English proficiency among Malaysian students, especially in the B40 community. 

“The impact (card game) is tangible with over 850 children from 15 government primary schools and tuition centres within the Klang Valley area benefitting from the programme and experiencing gains in their English literacy,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Nehemiah said he was truly humbled, honoured, and thankful to God that the Diana Award saw in him a worthy recipient.

He said as one of the two Malaysians chosen for the 2023 Diana Award, he felt incredibly privileged to represent the nation.

The third-year student said those engaged in social action comprehend the gravity of the recognition as it takes a holistic approach to the person.

“We frequently hear that we can work towards an award, but the Diana Award is different since it is an independent acknowledgement of one's capacity to drive genuine change,” he said, adding that the initiative has also garnered recognition from esteemed organisations like McKinsey & Co. and the United States Department of State, and the impact is growing steadily.

UNITEN vice-chancellor Prof Ir Dr Noor Azuan extends his heartfelt congratulations to the students for their remarkable achievements. 

“I have great hopes that UNITEN students will rise to prominence, making their mark not only at the national level but also on the international stage,” he said.

-- BERNAMA