KUCHING – Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus brought together over 500 students, families, agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and businesses for its SDG Carnival 2026, a two-day public festival that transformed the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into tangible actions and experiences for the people of Sarawak.
Held on 27 and 28 September 2026, this marked the fifth edition of the university’s flagship event, a multi-day showcase featuring exhibitions, talks, competitions, performances, and hands-on activities.
The closing ceremony on 28 September 2026, officiated by YB Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development, celebrated the creativity and achievements of participants across several sustainability-focused initiatives. These included the SDG Ideathon, SDG High School Showcase, Youth Eco Runway, Futsal Charity Competition, and Green Vendor Awards, with winners recognised for their contributions and efforts.
Across the two days, the carnival turned sustainability awareness into action, with participants collecting used cooking oil for recycling and engaging in a variety of activities ranging from free health screenings by KPJ Kuching to exhibition booths by student clubs, NGOs, and local businesses.
YB Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu (front row, left) visits one of the exhibitions at the SDG Carnival 2026.
New highlights this year, introduced in partnership with the Green Science and Technology Association Malaysia (GSTAM), were the Youthpreneur Sustainability 2026 programme, where student teams pitched solutions under the theme “Rethink Waste, Redesign for Tomorrow”, and the Youth Eco Runway, a fashion show highlighting designs made entirely from waste by young designers aged 11 to 17.
The carnival also provided a platform for dialogue on Sarawak’s natural heritage through the public panel “Living with Wildlife: Coexistence, Conservation, and Eco-Tourism in Sarawak”. Featuring representatives from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, WWF-Malaysia, Permai Rainforest, and Sarawak Crocter, the discussion opened with an interactive “web of life” demonstration, in which nine volunteers and a ball of string illustrated the interconnectedness of people and nature, and the consequences of disrupting that balance.
YB Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu (right) visits one of the exhibitions at the SDG Carnival 2026.
“Five years on, the SDG Carnival has become the moment each year when Sarawak’s sustainability conversation moves out of meeting rooms and onto the campus floor. What our students, partners, and visitors have shown is that the 17 goals are already being lived here, one action at a time,” said Ir Professor Sim Kwan Yong, Advisor to the Swinburne Sarawak Academic SDG Steering Committee and Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of Swinburne Sarawak.
The SDG Carnival 2026 was supported by the Ministry for Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development; Sarawak Water; Sarawak Metro; OCI TerraSus; Press Metal; SOCOE; and the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) Sarawak. It was hosted by the Swinburne Sarawak Academic SDG Steering Committee in collaboration with GSTAM.
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