2026 - October - Discussion with WWF and Malaysia Nature Society (MNS) representatives - Ms. Sugitha Kanniaseelan
Date: 24 October 2026
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Participants: Dr. John Britto Parisutham and Mr. Manogaran, along with representatives of the Malaysia Nature Society and WWF.
1. Meeting with Representatives of the Malaysia Nature Society
On 24 October, Mr. Manogaran and I met two representatives of the Malaysia Nature Society to discuss their initiatives in environmental education, creativity, and entrepreneurial skill development.
They explained how they organise hands-on entrepreneurial workshops for teachers and students, focusing on activities such as candle-making, soap-making, recycling, and upcycling. Participants are provided with materials and kits and given approximately one and a half hours to create their own designs. This approach encourages participants to explore their creativity, develop practical skills, and transform available materials into useful and innovative products.
The discussion also covered online competitions and opportunities to expand environmental education through digital learning. We proposed that they develop structured online courses based on their existing expertise and upload them to the JOBA THINAI learning platform.
They responded positively to this proposal and expressed interest in exploring the possibility.
They also explained that they receive funding for environmental education initiatives from Stella Rajendran and Paul Rajendran, a professor at the University of Malaya.
An important outcome of the meeting was the potential for the experts to teach, share their existing skills, and earn income through online courses. This would allow them to extend their reach beyond physical workshops while creating new opportunities for environmental entrepreneurship and skill development.
2. Meeting with the WWF Education Lead
We subsequently met an education lead from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), who shared insights into her work in environmental education and policy development.
Mr. Manogaran explained the development of Prav University and how schools had served as important enablers in the growth of JOBA's educational initiatives. The discussion explored how crowdsourcing knowledge, digital learning, and community participation could help make environmental education more accessible.
The WWF representative emphasised that effective online learning in the current digital environment requires short, engaging, and consistent learning experiences. In an era dominated by short-form videos and reels, she highlighted the importance of delivering educational content in small, manageable portions that learners can consume regularly.
She expressed the view that “Content is king, and distribution is kingdom.” In other words, developing good educational content is only one part of the process; ensuring that the content reaches the intended audience is equally important. She also stressed the importance of turning learners into advocates who share and promote the learning experience within their own networks.
Another key recommendation was to make courses seamless, practical, and experiential rather than overly academic. Learning experiences should be carefully designed around participation, experimentation, and real-life application.
We discussed the role of indigenous technologies and traditional knowledge in the THINAI and JOBA approaches. Both initiatives seek to understand traditional wisdom and adapt relevant practices to contemporary life, thereby connecting cultural knowledge with modern sustainability challenges.
The WWF representative offered to support JOBA in exploring online learning and digital learning strategies. She also highlighted the potential of making learners ambassadors for the courses and using appropriate earning opportunities as an additional motivation for participation.
3. Key Outcomes and Opportunities for Collaboration
The meetings identified several opportunities for developing the JOBA THINAI platform:
Skill-based online courses: Invite practitioners to convert their existing expertise in candle-making, soap-making, recycling, upcycling, and creative design into digital learning modules.
Learn, teach, and earn: Explore ways for course creators and learners to benefit economically from their skills, knowledge, and participation.
Experiential pedagogy: Design courses around hands-on activities, practical challenges, creativity, and real-world applications rather than relying exclusively on academic instruction.
Bite-sized digital learning: Develop short, engaging learning units that encourage regular participation and fit contemporary digital consumption habits.
Learner-led distribution: Encourage learners to become course ambassadors and share their experiences, helping extend the reach of THINAI through community networks.
Indigenous and traditional knowledge: Integrate relevant traditional wisdom and indigenous technologies into modern sustainability education.
Strategic collaboration: Explore support from environmental educators, subject experts, institutions, and potential funding partners to develop and distribute quality learning resources.
Conclusion
The meetings with the Malaysia Nature Society and WWF provided valuable insights into the future direction of JOBA and its THINAI online learning platform. They highlighted the importance of combining environmental awareness, creativity, practical skills, indigenous knowledge, digital learning, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
The discussions reinforced the idea that sustainability education should move beyond simply transferring information. It should empower people to practise what they learn, share their knowledge, develop useful skills, and become active advocates for sustainable living.
The proposed collaboration offers an opportunity to transform existing community expertise into accessible digital learning experiences, helping THINAI build a learning ecosystem in which people learn, practise, teach, share, and earn while contributing to a more sustainable society.
*************
Comments