Dian Diana Abdul Hamed Shah, 28
Dian is from Shah Alam, Selangor. A recent PhD graduate from Duke University in North Carolina, United States, she is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at Universiti Malaya.
What made you interested in joining the National Unity Youth Fellowship?
“As an academic, a lot of my work has both direct and indirect bearing on issues of national unity. When I learned about the National Unity Youth Fellowship (NUYF) program, I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me to see how the work that academics do on various legal, political, and socio-economic issues - often from the comfort of the ivory tower of academia - is received, applied and translated on the ground. I was particularly attracted to the prospects of directly engaging with various sections of the Malaysian society through the unique Turun Padang (fieldwork) sessions that the program offers. Having also relocated back to Malaysia after almost a decade abroad, I thought that the program would be a ‘therapy’ of sorts as I juggle between settling down, advancing my career, and renewing my passion for social activism.”
What do you hope to achieve or learn from your experience with the Fellowship?
“As my colleagues and I go through the program, I hope to get a better perspective of the realities of the Malaysian society at the grassroots level. The NUYF consists of a group of energetic youngsters from very different backgrounds and ideologies, but with a common mission of trying bring about a positive change in the country. I believe in the values of moderation and mutual respect, and I hope that we can lead by example and be the catalysts for unity and moderation, especially among the youth.”
To follow Dian's journey, 'like' us on Facebook!
To go back to the NUYF Fellows 2015 page and learn more about the other Fellows, click here.
What made you interested in joining the National Unity Youth Fellowship?
“As an academic, a lot of my work has both direct and indirect bearing on issues of national unity. When I learned about the National Unity Youth Fellowship (NUYF) program, I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me to see how the work that academics do on various legal, political, and socio-economic issues - often from the comfort of the ivory tower of academia - is received, applied and translated on the ground. I was particularly attracted to the prospects of directly engaging with various sections of the Malaysian society through the unique Turun Padang (fieldwork) sessions that the program offers. Having also relocated back to Malaysia after almost a decade abroad, I thought that the program would be a ‘therapy’ of sorts as I juggle between settling down, advancing my career, and renewing my passion for social activism.”
What do you hope to achieve or learn from your experience with the Fellowship?
“As my colleagues and I go through the program, I hope to get a better perspective of the realities of the Malaysian society at the grassroots level. The NUYF consists of a group of energetic youngsters from very different backgrounds and ideologies, but with a common mission of trying bring about a positive change in the country. I believe in the values of moderation and mutual respect, and I hope that we can lead by example and be the catalysts for unity and moderation, especially among the youth.”
To follow Dian's journey, 'like' us on Facebook!
To go back to the NUYF Fellows 2015 page and learn more about the other Fellows, click here.