ENVIRONMENTAL advocate Max Han Kai Ding (pic) has been selected as the latest recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship for Malaysia.
Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, the 23-year-old will join other Rhodes scholars from around the world in October to pursue their postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
He has set his sights on pursuing two master’s degrees: one in environmental change and management, and another in public policy.
Currently pursuing a BA (Hons) in Environmental Studies at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, with a focus on environmental justice, Han said he is committed to combating injustice through productive action.
“I believe in the power of working with local communities, listening to those who are most affected, and demanding systemic change as a collective – and this form of nation-building is what I hope to do with my education at Oxford.
“We, as ordinary citizens, can come together and dream up solutions to the climate crisis together,” he said in a recent press release.
He added that upon graduating, he hopes to integrate environmental justice into climate policies, or contribute to movement-building in an institution that aligns with his values, as well as participate in nation-building in Malaysia.
Citing his growing up years, he said he was impacted by the air pollution from haze and was even hospitalised for asthma.
“Year after year, I have had friends and family impacted by our annual floods. I don’t want to be helpless or normalise these crises anymore.
“I refuse to accept another flood that displaces hundreds of thousands in Malaysia. I refuse to normalise Malaysians wading in water to vote, as we witnessed in November 2022,” he said.
From teaching children about climate change to volunteering with conservationists and coastal communities, Han’s commitment to environmental action began when he was a teenager.
At age 19, he co-founded Youths United for Earth (YUFE), a nonprofit mobilising youths for environmental action through storytelling, campaigns and advocacy.
Recognised for his work, Han has been honoured with the Diana Award and the “EE 30 Under 30” of the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Han has also been working with environmental defenders and policymakers to draft South-East Asia’s first Environmental Human Rights Framework with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
As a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship for Malaysia – which is a partnership between the Rhodes Trust and Yayasan Khazanah – Han went through a rigorous selection process, which included two rounds of reviews before the final interviews with an international selection committee.
Rhodes Trust national secretary for Malaysia Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said the selection committees had exceptionally strong pools from which to shortlist for the final interviews.
“I believe we have selected the best scholar who exemplifies Rhodes values to stand up for the world.
“Han has the potential to become a catalyst for good – a young changemaker who will inspire solutions to the many challenges faced by our post-Covid-19 society. We can’t wait to see all the good work he will do at Oxford and beyond,” he said.
Yayasan Hasanah chief programme officer Intan Zalila Mohd Yusof said Han emerged as the 2024 Rhodes Trust elect from Malaysia for his strong determination and passion to alleviate societal challenges in the country.
Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s oldest graduate fellowship based at Oxford University.
The programme awards 100 fully-funded scholarships each year to students from anywhere in the world with proven academic excellence who also show exceptional character, leadership, achievement in extracurricular activities and a commitment to solving humanity’s challenges.
Yayasan Khazanah is a key strategic partner of the Rhodes Trust in Malaysia. This collaboration provides the opportunity to sponsor one Malaysian per year to pursue postgraduate studies at Oxford University in perpetuity.
Since the Rhodes Scholarship for Malaysia was launched in 2016, 10 Malaysians have been awarded the scholarship.
