ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT FARUK UMAR DAGAWA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW AND CAMPUS DIRECTOR FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
Albukhary International University | Alor Setar, Malaysia | Advancing SDG 4 & UNAI 1
" I am excited to be a Millennium Fellow because it offers a platform to amplify my passion for using technology and social innovation to empower communities. My work is driven by the belief that education, digital inclusion, and entrepreneurship are powerful tools to break cycles of poverty and create opportunities for youth. Through this fellowship, I hope to collaborate globally, scale my initiatives, and contribute meaningfully to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Inspiring Minds: Future-Ready
Inspiring Minds: Future-Ready is the name of our project. Our project integrates financial literacy and digital literacy to empower young people with the skills necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing world. From August to December 2025, we will focus on two key groups: university students and marginalized youth in Malaysia.
At Albukhary International University, we will deliver a financial literacy program designed to strengthen students’ capacity to make informed decisions about budgeting, saving, and financial planning as they prepare for life beyond graduation. Our goal is to reach at least 150 students through a series of structured workshops and mentorship sessions, enabling them to develop sustainable financial habits and greater confidence in their future preparedness.
Beyond our campus, we will extend our efforts to marginalized communities in Malaysia by offering digital literacy training to about 100 young people. This component will cover essential 21st-century skills such as coding, programming, and the responsible use of AI tools. Through at least four interactive workshops and follow-up mentorship sessions, participants will gain practical knowledge that can open pathways to education, employment, and entrepreneurship.
By combining financial literacy with digital literacy, this project aims to foster resilience, opportunity, and inclusion, equipping young people to navigate adulthood and the digital economy with confidence and purpose.
About the Millennium Fellow
Faruk Umar Dagawa is a Computer Science student at Albukhary International University (AIU), Malaysia, with a strong passion for technology, leadership, and community empowerment. He currently serves as a member of the AIU Student Representative Council, Exco for Social Business and Entrepreneurship, and Treasurer of the School of Computing and Informatics Committee. Beyond academics, Faruk leads youth-focused digital literacy initiatives through the AURIX 3ZERO Club. He aspires to harness technology and innovation to advance education, entrepreneurship, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
