ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2020
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In the three months the application was open in 2020, 15,159 young leaders applied to join the Class of 2020 on 1,458 campuses across 135 nations. 80 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 1,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2020 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT DENISE DEOLINDA VAN HEERDEN, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2020.
University of the Western Cape | Cape Town, South Africa | Advancing SDG 7 & UNAI 9
" It is the greatest honour bestowed upon me to be part of the Millennium Fellowship because it allows me to extend the social and environmental impact of my project. The energy crisis in South Africa and the air pollution we promote mainly through the production and manufacturing sector has been the driving force behind my project. My project seeks to produce energy without the combustion of fuels. I also wish to encourage the youth through this project by discouraging the attitude of consumerism, and encourage sustainability in this form. Fighting for freedom and justice would be futile if we do not have the environment to live in. As a TechnoGirl Alumni, I also wish to promote women participation in science and innovation. I believe being a Millennium Fellow will further instill me with the passion to engineer sustainable change and make it possible to achieve the goals I have to uplift South Africa. We may be geographically at the bottom, but we may be sustainably at the top. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Converting CO2 to electricity
Converting CO2 to electricity is a project aimed to limit the greenhouse effect by extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is seen as a problem, and converting it into electricity. This is a long-shot for green technology and ultimately developing our country and its economy. The green solution is the breakthrough solution as we are urged to find ways to limit the release of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. This project has been tested and has successfully created affordable and clean energy. However, this project has encouraged a new approach towards tackling environmental issues whilst solving another. Denise is looking forward to collaborating with the other Millennium Fellows and continue researching into alternative approaches. Moreover, Denise wishes to encourage the youth through this new lens of sustainability.
About the Millennium Fellow
Denise Van Heerden lives her life striving for social and environmental justice. As an LLB Golden Key International Candidate and as the Secretary-General of UNICEF UWC, serving two years in the executive committee of UNICEF UWC, this young advocate for change addresses challenges and inequalities through leadership and social responsibility. She has experience in public debate on global topical issues as the Provincial Ambassador of the North West where she also addressed the general issues and needs in her province in National Chamber under the Nelson Mandela's Children's Parliament. She is also an International Science Fair gold medalist and award winner for this prestigious project addressing her passion for sustainable transformation in her community and South Africa.
