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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.

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UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT ABI UMAIYA KHAN, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.

Bangladesh Maritime University | Dhaka, Bangladesh | Advancing SDG 14, SDG 15 & UNAI 9

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" Driven by curiosity and a deep commitment to ocean conservation, I believe science should serve both people and the planet. Through the Millennium Fellowship, I aim to strengthen my leadership and collaboration skills to create impactful, research-based solutions for marine and climate challenges. This opportunity will allow me to align my work with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in protecting life below water, and to contribute meaningfully to building a more sustainable and resilient world. "

Millennium Fellowship Project: EcoDeshi: Local Plastic Alternatives

In 2002, Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags after they were found clogging drains and worsening floods. But despite the ban, plastic is still everywhere because it's cheap and easy to get. Most single-use plastics end up in rivers, landfills, or the ocean. Less than 10% are recycled, and the rest break down into microplastics that harm water, soil, and even our food. My goal is to build a low-cost, sustainable supply chain that replaces single-use plastics with eco friendly alternatives such as jute-based poly bags and areca nut leaf plates. Bangladesh being rich in both jute and areca palm and create small-scale, decentralized manufacturing units in rural areas to produce biodegradable products. The machine is affordable but not in a big amount. We need constant production of jute bags and one time plate made from arcea plant . For this I plan to get an investment so I make make it available in the Bangladeshi market also in abord. Only 0.5% people from Bangladesh know about this, where the population is 176 million . I want to introduce these product to more 40% by 2026, so everyone can help to prevent plastic pollution.

About the Millennium Fellow

Abi Umaiya Khan is a passionate Bangladeshi student pursuing a BSc. in Oceanography at Bangladesh Maritime University, a leading institution in the marine sector. Born in Bangladesh, she was an active volunteer in high school. Serving as Senior Patrol Leader of her school’s scouts and earning the prestigious President’s Scout Award for her extensive social work. She is working with NOAMI, contributing to research on marine heatwaves and daily weather observation. As Assistant Organising Secretary of Youth Mappers at BMU, she confidently hosts and leads programs. Abi aspires to advance UN Sustainable Development Goals through impactful, science-driven change.

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