Many caught the nation’s attention by voicing out against the reopening of schools in January with the #SuaraPelajar hashtag on Twitter, while a student’s video about her teacher’s inappropriate rape jokes in class raised calls to make Malaysian schools a safer place.

Following the rise in student activism, the National Student Advocacy Workshop (NaSA) to be held on Sept 4 seeks to amplify the voices of students to effectively bring change to matters important to them.

The virtual workshop is aimed at building support among student leaders for the establishment of independent student unions and reforms on freedom of speech and association.

Open to all university students and student leaders, NaSA will focus on capacity building and training in student organisation management.

It also features panel discussions on advocacy and the importance of students’ voices, with a host of experienced speakers such as Higher Education Malaysia Association president and London School of Economics Chevening scholar Ooi Tze Howe.

Other speakers include Malaysian Youth Council researcher Syafiqah Abdul Rahim, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia senior lecturer Mohd Faridh Hafez Mhd Omar and former International Islamic University Malaysia students’ union executive committee member Idayu Mumtaz Iskandar.

Those interested may register for the workshop here.

Students can also look forward to the National Students’ Leadership Conference (NaSLeC) 2021 happening on Sept 11.

Equipping students with a platform and critical thinking skills to push for reforms, NaSLeC 2021 features discussions on national laws and policies linked to higher education.

While its focus is on advocating amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, NaSLeC 2021 will allow participants to network and discuss key topics such as employability, quality of education, student welfare and mental health.

Those keen on joining the conference may register here.