2026 October Meeting with Dr. Puspavathy Rassiah , Monash University Malaysia , Bandar Sunway: Exploring University Collaboration and the Community Push-Pull Model

During our Malaysia exploration visit, Mr. Manoharan and I had a fruitful meeting with Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah from Monash University Malaysia , Bandar Sunway, to explore possibilities for collaboration between Monash University and JOBA in implementing the THINAI programme, particularly through Sustainability Master Trainer (SMT) training and community engagement.

The discussion was particularly valuable because Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah introduced an important strategic concept that could strengthen the THINAI implementation model: the Push-Pull Approach to Community Engagement.

1. Moving from a Push Strategy to a Pull Strategy

Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah explained the distinction between two approaches to community engagement.

Push Strategy:

If JOBA primarily organises training programmes and develops Sustainability Master Trainers who subsequently conduct courses in communities, it represents a push approach. In this model, the organisation initiates the activities and takes the programme to the community.

Pull Strategy:

In contrast, a pull approach begins with the community identifying its own local problems and priorities. The community then requests volunteers, trainers and other resource persons to help address those challenges.

Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah emphasised that the pull strategy could generate greater community participation and ownership. Instead of organisations deciding what communities need, communities themselves identify their needs and invite the necessary support.

This approach could encourage more volunteers to participate, while Sustainability Master Trainers and volunteers could work together to create meaningful and measurable changes within communities.

We recognised that this concept could become an important component of the THINAI Community Sejahtera Model.

2. Social Media for Community Mobilisation and Impact

Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah also highlighted the importance of using social media effectively to communicate community needs, mobilise volunteers and showcase the results of community initiatives.

Social media could serve as a bridge between communities seeking assistance and volunteers willing to contribute their time, knowledge and skills.

This would help THINAI develop a wider network of community volunteers and create opportunities for collaboration beyond the immediate training programmes.

3. Proposed Sustainability Master Trainer Training at Monash University

Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah suggested that seminars and training programmes could be organised twice a year, potentially during:

- March or April

- August or September

She expressed her willingness to explore collaboration with JOBA and indicated that Monash University Malaysia could provide the venue and opportunities for students to participate in these programmes.

The proposed collaboration could initially focus on organising Sustainability Master Trainer Training Programmes at the Monash University campus in Bandar Sunway.

She invited JOBA to submit a detailed proposal as early as January 2027 so that she could initiate the necessary permissions, coordination and institutional arrangements for conducting the first training programme in March or April 2027.

4. Learning by Doing: The Kinetic Learning Approach

Another important point raised by Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah was that learning should be experiential and activity-based.

She emphasised the importance of learning by doing, rather than limiting training to classroom presentations and theoretical discussions.

For example, if the Sustainability Master Trainer course is organised over three days, an appropriate component should be dedicated to fieldwork and practical community engagement.

This would allow participants to experience real community situations, identify local challenges, interact with people and practise developing solutions.

We agreed that this approach would strengthen the capacity of Sustainability Master Trainers to facilitate community-level action.

5. International Schools as Potential THINAI Learning Centres

Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah also suggested exploring the possibility of introducing THINAI programmes through international schools associated with universities.

These schools could become important centres for introducing sustainability education and developing young community volunteers.

Students could be encouraged to participate in practical environmental and community initiatives, thereby developing ecological consciousness, social responsibility and leadership skills from an early age.

This would provide another avenue for expanding THINAI beyond universities and into school communities.

6. Nature-Centric Social Enterprises and Intellectual Property Rights

During the discussion, Mr. Manoharan introduced the idea of developing nature-centric products through THINAI training and community engagement.

One example discussed was herbal tooth powder. We explained that the programme should not stop with awareness creation or training alone. It should also create opportunities for communities to develop economical social enterprises by producing useful, nature-centric products.

Dr. Pushpa appreciated the broader idea but highlighted an important consideration concerning copyright, intellectual property rights and ownership of community-developed products.

She cautioned that when communities develop products, formulations, designs or other innovations, appropriate attention must be given to intellectual property ownership and protection.

This is an important consideration for the future THINAI framework. JOBA will need to explore suitable arrangements that protect community contributions while encouraging innovation, collaboration and ethical social enterprise development.

7. Proposed Collaboration Between Monash University Malaysia  and JOBA

The discussion opened up several promising possibilities for institutional collaboration:

1. Organising Sustainability Master Trainer courses at the Monash University Malaysia campus.

2. Providing opportunities for Monash students to participate in THINAI training and community engagement.

3. Incorporating fieldwork and experiential learning into the three-day master trainer programme.

4. Exploring THINAI activities through international schools.

5. Developing a community-driven volunteer network based on the push-pull approach.

6. Using social media for community mobilisation, volunteer coordination and impact communication.

7. Exploring nature-centric social enterprises while addressing intellectual property rights.

8. Immediate Follow-Up and Next Steps

Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah invited JOBA to submit a detailed proposal by January 2027, enabling her to initiate the necessary institutional permissions and coordination for a proposed Sustainability Master Trainer programme in March or April 2027.

This provides a practical timeline for moving the discussion towards implementation.

Reflections and Significance

The meeting with Dr. Puspavathy  Rassiah was particularly significant because it introduced an important strategic dimension to the THINAI model.

While the Sustainability Master Trainer programme will develop knowledgeable and capable trainers, the community pull strategy can ensure that their knowledge and skills respond to actual community needs.

This creates a two-way relationship: THINAI develops trainers and volunteers, while communities identify their priorities and invite them to participate in solving local problems.

The combination of university partnerships, experiential learning, community-driven initiatives, volunteer mobilisation and nature-centric social enterprises could make THINAI a more effective community education and action model.

An important insight from this meeting was that sustainable community transformation should not depend only on organisations pushing programmes into communities. It should also empower communities to pull knowledge, skills, trainers and volunteers towards their own identified needs.

The proposed collaboration with Monash University could become an important institutional platform for demonstrating and developing this approach in Malaysia.

JOBA extends its sincere thanks to Dr Thangarajah  , Monash University Malaysia  School , for connecting JOBA with  Puspavathy  Rassiah, Director of Community Engagement and Societal Impact Senior Lecturer, Monash University Malaysia . We truly appreciate his valuable support , insights and contribution to the meaningful exchange. 

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