UM Living Labs (UMLL)

UM LIVING LAB GRANT PROGRAMME (UM LLGP), WAS SETUP UNDER THE PURVIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE RESEARCH CLUSTER (SUSCI), WITH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN DVC (RESEARCH & INNOVATION) AND DVC (DEVELOPMENT) UM.

Practically, UM LLGP serves as a knowledge/action research platform for the Department of Development and Estate Maintenance (JPPHB) as the process owner (in waste management, water management, energy management, and greening & biodiversity) to gradually improve the sustainability of their operations. In this approach, UM researchers will join hands with JPPHB staff and other relevant stakeholders in UM to systematically improve UM’s performance in these areas, according to specific targets or KPIs. This approach is more focused, systematic collaborative, and trans-disciplinary in nature. UM Living Labs have shown significant contributions over these years in supporting University of Malaya participation in numerous prestigious ranking and assessment platform such as Universitas Indonesia GreenMetric World University Ranking, Low Carbon Cities Framework (Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water), Audit Kampus Hijau (SWCorp), and the ASEAN University Network Quality Assessment (AUN-QA) among others.

As of October 2018, a total of 45 UM Living Lab projects focusing on eco-campus sustainability has been approved. Among highlighted projects include Water Warriors which focuses on the revival of Tasek Varsiti UM and water management in campus, Zero Waste Campaign which emphasizes on sustainable waste management in UM, and The RIMBA Project with a focus on urban biodiversity and environmental education.

Living Labs are deemed to befit sustainability agenda and UM Eco-campus Blueprint aspirations which was previously coordinated by SuSci Research Cluster. All in all, it is a one-step 'experiment' which combine two main components, namely research and sustainable campus transformation plan. UM Living Lab is introduced to support the aspirations of UM to be among the leading Eco-Campus while promoting participation of the entire campus, a rarely visible trait in other research grants or programme. It is hoped that through translational research of UM Living Labs, our researchers may contribute to the realization of UM Eco-campus Blueprint and subsequently to address sustainability issues within UM campus.

Brochure UM Living Labs (Edition 2019)