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 MASHAAL HAREEM, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
National University of Sciences & Technology | Islamabad, Pakistan | Advancing SDG 3, SDG 6, SDG 11 & UNAI 9
" If the ideas are not tangible, they're just a train of thought. True talent is translating your ideas into impact. For this, you need a platform that is reliable and recognizable. That's what the Millennium Fellowship is for my cause. With this opportunity, I will be able to align my project with the principles of Global SDGs and UNAI. I am very excited to work with like-minded individuals and mentors in the class of Millennium Fellowship 2025. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: EcoSynergy
"EcoSynergy is a campus-wide sustainability initiative launched by the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) under its role as the UNAI Global Hub Chair for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. The project marks the formal commencement of NUST’s Phase-Out Plastic Campaign, aimed at reducing dependency on single-use plastics and embedding sustainable consumption practices within the university ecosystem.
The initiative was officially launched by Pro-Rector (RIC), Dr. Rizwan Riaz, and saw active participation from students, faculty members, and campus staff—reflecting a strong institutional commitment to environmental responsibility and collective action.
A central component of EcoSynergy was the SDG 12 Awareness Hike conducted along the NUST trail. This experiential learning activity featured interactive awareness stations that highlighted the environmental, economic, and health impacts of plastic pollution. Participants engaged with creative demonstrations showcasing sustainable alternatives, lifecycle impacts of plastic products, and everyday actions that contribute to responsible consumption. To reinforce positive behavior, eco-friendly incentives were awarded to participants demonstrating active engagement and learning.
As a tangible policy outcome of the project, the NUST Sustainability Office (Sustainable) announced a strategic shift from single-use plastic bottles to reusable glass bottles across campus. This transition represents a concrete step toward waste minimization, circular resource use, and institutional leadership in sustainability practices.
Overall, EcoSynergy serves as a scalable model for behavior change, awareness-building, and policy-driven sustainability action within higher education institutions, aligning operational practices with global SDG 12 targets while fostering an environmentally conscious campus culture."
About the Millennium Fellow
Mashaal Hareem is a passionate and multidisciplinary Biotechnology undergraduate (Batch 26) at Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology. She was born and raised in Pakistan and moved to different cities all across Pakistan because of military postings. Every year, new friends, new place, new goals, and new challenges. All this helped her grow, but some things stuck with her, which she couldn't get answers to. This grew the empathy in her heart, and she kept contributing to a good cause throughout her academic and personal life till she reached university, where the opportunities flooded and she was given the right platform. She has contributed to and led several community projects, from food redistribution initiatives to the inauguration of NUST Disability and Resource Centre (NDRC). Her main goal is to provide her fellows with a more inclusive and accessible environment so that they can practice their talents and translate them into a bigger impact. That's where she will use the platform of Millennium Fellowship to bridge the gap and help students finance their climate action plans.
