Sustainability

Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI)’s efforts towards sustainable development can be observed through many projects, programs, and initiatives over the past decade. The following are some of ISI’s main highlights shared from the Institute’s full list of projects.

Project: Door House for the Poor

The ‘Door House for the Poor’ project is a research project which was initiated to build a two-bedroom house prototype for the hard-core poor and low-income population through the utilization of low-cost but livable and comfortable design. The project consists of research and development work centred on harnessing the best option to optimize affordability and comfortability for the targeted population in need. The results and prototype contribute an improved and fresher outlook on low-cost housing construction and serves as an example for the current local low-cost development scene.

Project: ICONLAB PILS^TM KPT-BOS

A program initiated by the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) unit of the Ministry of Higher Education MoHE which comprises of the addition of new branches of Polytechnic and Community Colleges. ISI as the project coordinator managed the contractual, technical, legal, and academics aspects of the expansion work, which includes the design, renovation, rent, infrastructure supply and installation of 2 polytechnics and 10 community colleges. The project involves transformation of under-utilized, alternative sector locations and infrastructure into a fully functioning educational sector infrastructure. The completion of this project succeeded in establishing an addition of 12 new local, community-based learning institutions in the country which is expected to increase the number of students enrolled and the access of vocational education to the local communities.

Project: Bukit Puchong Low-cost Housing Rejuvenation Project

The Bukit Puchong Low-cost Housing Rejuvenation Project is a partnership project between Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI), Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) and the community and residence of the Bukit Puchong Low-Cost Flats. Through this program, the neighbourhood spaces in the community are identified and transformed to enable quality communal use by the community’s population, improve existing community facilities, and encourage self-subsistent community agriculture (community farm). The project took into consideration the aspirations of the local community and leveraged the expertise from ISI and the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, UTM to help plan and design better community spaces and facilities.

Project: Research Project on Conceptual Master Plan of Tanjung Pelepas Ecological Park (TPEP)

The research project is the initial but integral part of an extensive proposal for the establishment of the Tanjung Pelepas Ecological Park (TPEP) and Research Centre, which was proposed for the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP). TPEP and its corresponding Research Centre was proposed for the purpose of promoting development that is appropriate to the location characteristics (with the inclusion of environmental consideration); establishing an eco-tourism destination (with environmentally sound travel products); as well as emphasizing sustainable conservation of the environment and equitable distribution of the local community’s economic growth. In this research project, the current characteristics and issues of the location as well as expectations from stakeholders, especially the population staying in or undergoing frequent work or living activities in its vicinity were obtained and analysed in the preparation of the conceptual master plan for the proposed TPEP establishment.

Program: MIT-UTM, Malaysia Sustainable Cities Program

The Malaysia Sustainable Cities Program (MSCP) is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) via Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI), covering a span of 5 years, from 2013 to 2018. During the program, each year visiting scholars from both MIT and UTM attach with the opposite institution and engages in various knowledge sharing, collaborative projects and research work across borders. Topics include area of concern related to urban planning, socio-economic development impacts, carbon emissions, disaster management and many more. Outcome from the MSCP includes research findings, publications and instructional videos which were shared internationally, especially to the global south region.

Project: Expert Review and Feasibility Study for the Transformation of AKEPT

In this project, a review was conducted on the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) together with a feasibility study for the transformation of AKEPT. As a higher education leadership academy, its transformation and advancement will encourage improvements in its organizational management, the quality of its services, the fulfilment of its role in the higher education sector, as well as better training content and delivery that meets clients’ needs. The scope of proposed transformation for AKEPT includes improving its performance as a training institution, improving its workforce competency, and empowering its capacity for self-subsistency through its own independent programs and initiatives.

Project: Johor Bahru Low Carbon Society Action Plan, & Pengerang Low Carbon Society Blueprint

The Low Carbon Society Action Plan for Johor Bahru and Low Carbon Society Blueprint for Pengerang was designed to provide guidance to policy-makers, investors, businesses, non-profits, developers and the community of Johor Bahru and Pengerang in mitigating the impacts of the district’s social and economic activities on climate change as well as the environment. The action plan includes emission profiles and potential emissions reduction for the Johor Bahru and Pengerang district. The project was initiated by the UTM Low Carbon Research Centre (UTM-LCARC) in collaboration with Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI) for the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) and Pengerang Local Authority (PLA).

Project: Research Collaboration on the Development of the IUIU Main Campus Master Plan

This Master Plan project is designed by Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI) for the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), consisting of a 15-year vision of an inclusive and sustainable strategic framework that guides the development and growth of the IUIU Main Campus. Elements of social, environmental, and financial empowerment were also taken into consideration in its preparation. The Master Plan was established through a lengthy research, discussion, analysis, planning and design process involving the collaboration of planners, technical experts, consultants and researchers from ISI’s project team with the inputs of stakeholders from the IUIU end. The Master Plan carves the path for the IUIU Main Campus to eventually fulfil the role of a community-oriented Edupolis that thrives from a healthy and dynamic integration of internal and external communities of IUIU and the rest of its stakeholders. In terms of future development, the Master Plan implementation is expected to achieve its full realization by the year 2035.

Program: ISI-UTM Urban Mountain Bike Jamboree

The program is a collaboration of Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI) with the local cyclers community and groups, such as the Orang Johor Cycling Team (OJCT) and participated by various cyclers and members of the local community from all walks of life. Through the ISI-UTM Urban Mountain Bike Jamboree program, participants were given the opportunity to join the physical activities and experience eco-tourism by cycling within the campus grounds and visiting the various existing natural and man-made attractions such as the Deer Park, Tropical Park, the Fruit Farm, Orchid farm and the recreational forest. The program helps to introduce the locations and attractions suitable for cyclers within a reachable vicinity in the university and promotes cycling and sight-seeing activities to more in-campus residence and patrons.