We welcome 28 new scholars with a celebratory Scholar Induction Ceremony, on August 1. The YTL Foundation team designed a series of workshops to introduce the scholars to the Foundation’s values and programmes and provide them with an opportunity to build new friendships with one another and existing scholars.

Following the workshops, the Induction Ceremony commenced with a warm welcome address by Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min, who shared a heartfelt message about the legacy of her late father and founder of YTL Foundation, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay.

“I know my dad is looking down from heaven right now, proud of every single one of you. He would know how hard you’ve worked, how much you’ve sacrificed, and how much your parents have done to help you reach this point – with God’s grace.”

Dato’ Soo Min also shared how her parents instilled five core values in her and her siblings, which have become the guiding light for YTL Foundation today. 

“Hard work has always been the foundation of our success. Honesty and integrity must be upheld, even in the smallest of things. Togetherness reminds us that, like a bundle of chopsticks, we are stronger when united. Moral responsibility teaches us to use our blessings to build the right thing, and vitality inspires us to lead with relentless energy, innovation, and courage.”

Dato’ Soo Min concluded her address with a reminder for the new and existing scholars to “seize this journey of learning and to be diligent, honest, morally responsible, and vitally impactful anak-anak Malaysia, together.” After all, it is our responsibility to be good stewards with our blessings and to build the right thing with and for our communities. A similar message shared by our Programme Director, Dato’ Kathleen in her closing remarks.

The Ceremony, hosted by our existing YTL Foundation scholars; Ashlee and Amran carried a sense of warmth and joyfulness as parents watched their children receive the official Scholarship Award certificates from Dato’ Soo Min and Dato’ Kathleen. It is an annual reminder of why we at YTL Foundation firmly believe that education is a positive vehicle to build better generations of Malaysians who will embody hard work, honesty, moral responsibility, vitality, and togetherness as they contribute to our communities.

YTL Foundation hosted its annual YTL Foundation UK Scholars’ Retreat at the scenic Grafham Water Centre, in October.

The retreat included a mix of indoor and outdoor activities designed to foster teamwork, leadership, and self-reflection amongst the seven scholars.

The combination of adventure and self-reflection made the retreat a memorable experience for our scholars. It was an opportunity for them to disconnect from their studies and reconnect with one another and themselves.

49 teachers from 16 alternative learning centres and eight national schools across Malaysia, gathered at Ideas International School on August 22 and 23 for their first face-to-face seminars with their lecturers, Dr. Paul Richardson and Catherine O’Leary. The teachers comprise the third PGCEi (Malaysia) cohort, delivered under the Teachers for Educational Equity initiative. 

The teachers were introduced to pedagogical theories and practices that challenged their current understanding of teaching. Together with their lecturers, they engaged in activities that encouraged them to reimagine their classrooms to be more student-centred, inclusive, and adaptive. 

The MA Education cohort began their second year with a face-to-face seminar at Menara YTL, with Dr. Richardson on August 21. Together, they explored potential research directions and how their research could contribute towards establishing educational equity in Malaysia. 

Looking ahead, the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) seminars will resume in November 2025. These online sessions will be open to all educators and will feature experts in key areas such as multilingualism, trauma-informed pedagogy, and inclusive teaching. The first session is by Associate Professor Kamran Khan who will share his practical insights to teaching multilingual classrooms. Additionally, YTL Foundation and the University of Birmingham will host its second Celebration Ceremony in January 2026 for the PGCEi (Malaysia) 2024/25 cohort to celebrate the completion of their course.

Through the various activities and programmes delivered under the Teachers for Educational Equity, we aim to empower and equip teachers to champion inclusivity, equity, and transformative learning in their classrooms, schools, and wider communities.

The inspiration behind Leaps Academy’s first Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programme for educators In alternative learning centres emerged from a simple yet powerful observation. 
Students who struggle with behaviour-related issues were often met with punishment rather than understanding. 

This realisation led to an important question: if educators are equipped with emotional pedagogical tools, would they be able to address these behavioural issues among their students with empathy? 

In collaboration with IMU Cares, Leaps Academy launched a pilot SEL programme comprised of five modules tailored specifically for educators. The initiative runs alongside existing SEL efforts for students and aims to cultivate learning experiences that are more mindful and empathetic. The pilot began with 19 dedicated educators from 10 alternative learning centres.  

The first session focused on emotional regulation and stress management and introduced the educators to experiential activities and reflective discussions that encourage self-awareness and personal growth. Educators explored the connection between mind and body, learned to acknowledge and express emotions constructively, and practiced strategies to manage stress in both personal and professional settings. 

The following session centred on self-awareness andguided educators to reflect on their values, strengths, and identities. By examining how their life experiences shape emotions, behaviours, and decision-making, the educators gained a deeper understanding of themselves as individuals and as professionals shaping young minds.Inthe third session, the educators explored how empathy enhances emotional intelligence, strengthens classroom relationships, and fosters inclusive and supportive learning environments. What made these sessions truly meaningful was the diversity of the educators. 

As the pilot concludes, Leaps Academy hopes to expand the programme to reach more educators nationwide and establish learning experiences that are more emotionally centred.

Since its inception in 2023, KelasKita has positively impacted 1,500 students and mobilised 800 volunteers nationwide. 

We are grateful to our long-standing partners YTL Construction, PwC, Ajar Society and Teach For Malaysia who continue to nurture students in the underserved communities of Malaysia.

In the past year, KelasKita expanded into Sabah with new partners; Good Shepherd Services and Sky Community. Although the digital infrastructure is unsteady in rural Sabah, Good Shepherd Services was able to introduce the KelasKita programme to students in Keningau and Kiulu. Although this is a new community partnership, we hope to lay the foundational work for deeper community engagement and better accessibility to quality education for the students.

Introduced by YTL Communications, Sky Community is a mission-driven initiative dedicated to supporting underserved communities in Kota Kinabalu and beyond. Like Good Shepherd Services, Sky Community faced physical and digital infrastructure limitation but recognise the value in the KelasKita programme. The preliminary feedback from families and tutors reflect a deep sense of hope, curiousity, and a hunger to learn. This signals a promising start for a long-term partnership focused on educational equity and rural innovation.

Recognised for being an exceptional volunteer who demonstrated a passion for educational equity and inclusivity, Amber Wood was nominated and won the ‘Outstanding Contribution of the Year’ Award by the University of Bath.

Amber’s journey with YTL Foundation began in June 2024 through the Building Bridges Beyond Borders (BBBB) programme which aims to place undergraduates and young adults from the West, in UNHCR-registered Myanmar alternative learning centres in Malaysia. The purpose of the placement is to support these under-resourced alternative learning centres with volunteer teachers who can provide additional academic and enrichment support to students who have limited access to formal schooling in Malaysia.

Over the course of six months, Amber taught more than 80 students across four alternative learning centres. During this volunteer journey, Amber noticed that several students struggled to read words written on the boards which led her and a colleague to arrange for eye tests for her students. Additionally, Amber observed that some of her students are academically gifted but would not be able to complete secondary school. Therefore, she reached out to other alternative learning centres that were better suited for these students’ abilities. Her proactiveness was much needed as the eye tests revealed that many students needed glasses and ensured that the academically gifted students could complete their secondary school education. Going beyond what was required of her to complete her university credits, Amber returned to the UK in December 2024 and maintained her connection with Leaps Academy as she continues to teach young adults from one of the most under-resources Myanmar alternative learning centres online.

Amber’s passion for educational equity and inclusivity aligns with the values that YTL Foundation upholds. Therefore, it is no surprise that she received the award for her volunteerism which reflects the transformative power of education and empathy in action.

YTL Foundation was appointed as a partner for the Sekolah Angkat Madani 2025 programme under the ‘Malaysia MADANI’ framework.

The programme aims to bridge educational and digital inequalities experienced by Malaysia’s underserved communities.

Thus far, we have implemented targeted activities and initiatives in 11 selected national schools to enhance their digital learning access and develop teachers’ capacity in the use of digital tools for education. Our commitment includes provision of laptops to support students’ access to digital education resources, ; provision of training workshops for teachers to improve lesson delivery, enhancement of teacher-student engagement, and the introduction of innovative teaching tools.

Through this partnership programme, we hope to narrow the digital divide experienced by students in Malaysia’s national schools, foster inclusive learning environments, and equip both students and teachers with the tools and skills required to thrive in an AI-dominant future.

Foundry Convenings
The Foundry community continues to grow through consistent engagement and collaboration. In July and September 2025, bi-monthly Virtual Peer Consulting sessions brought together Foundry members from different cohorts to reflect, share leadership challenges, and learn from one another.

These sessions became a trusted space for meaningful dialogue which allows members to exchange insights, explore collective solutions, and build stronger relationships across the Southeast Asian region. Over time, these peer-led conversations have nurtured a culture of continuous learning and mutual support that extends beyond individual organisations.

Leadership Lab
The Leadership Lab, held from July to September 2025, continues to support second-line managers from Foundry organisations on their leadership journeys. This multi-module programme which integrates Acumen Academy’s core content, equips participants with practical tools to understand themselves and their teams more deeply.

Through guided reflection, collaborative exercises, and real-world application, participants are learning to lead with clarity, empathy, and adaptability in complex environments.

The Lab has provided a valuable space for reflection and experimentation, to help these emerging leaders strengthen their confidence and capability. In turn, this growth creates a positive ripple effect across the wider Foundry community, enhances leadership capacity, and fosters a stronger, more connected ecosystem.