2025
14 MayÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Valedictorian Builds a Better Future, Brick by Brick
KUALA LUMPUR: A passionate advocate for community architecture, sustainability and grassroots impact, Joanne Chan Wen Hui is not your typical Malaysian architect.
Addressing the Class of 2025 as valedictorian at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» University¡¯s first convocation ceremony of the year, Joanne spoke about her mission to serve underserved rural communities through architecture.
¡°Those who are underprivileged often have to live in environments that lack dignity and design, not because they don¡¯t deserve better, but simply because they can¡¯t afford it,¡± she said.
¡°It has changed my perspective and given me a thought. That good design should not be a luxury reserved only for the rich.¡±
That belief shaped her entire university journey. Over the past three and a half years, Joanne actively volunteered and contributed to various causes - serving people, communities and even animals.
In her first semester, she joined COLLAB, a student-led initiative advocating for architecture¡¯s civic responsibility. Through COLLAB, she helped build a kindergarten for refugee children.
¡°The children wanted to learn so badly despite their underprivileged circumstances. Seeing them affirmed my desire to use architecture to drive meaningful change for those in need,¡± she said.
Since then, Joanne spent every semester break on COLLAB projects, including building affordable homes in remote highlands. She also collaborated with Paw¡¯s Eden, a local NGO and animal shelter housing over 200 stray cats and dogs.
Through crowdfunding, she and her team raised over RM11,000 to customise wheelchairs for 20 mobility-impaired dogs. They also built a bamboo hut and improved the shelter¡¯s outdoor playground.
Beyond her volunteer work, Joanne initiated the Study Buddy system to foster peer mentorship, cross-year collaboration and student-led workshops.
She also served as president of Makelab, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»¡¯s architecture student society.
¡°My experiences in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» affirmed what I have always believed: the built environment is a necessity, not a privilege. Everyone deserves access to thoughtful, inclusive spaces.¡±
Driven by this ethos, Joanne turned down higher-paying offers to work as an assistant architect at a local start-up focused on sustainable and socially conscious design.
She plans to pursue her Master¡¯s degree, sit for the Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia III Examination and eventually establish her own firm to revitalise rural and educational spaces through culturally sensitive, sustainable design.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» vice-chancellor and president Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir remarked, ¡°Let the opportunities gained from a Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» credential guide you to a greater purpose and shape the decisions you make. Let them influence the work you pursue.
Our valedictorian embodies this. I was moved to hear that she chose to join a small start-up whose mission aligned with hers - to design sustainable spaces for underserved communities. I¡¯m proud to share that today, she is doing the work she believes in.¡±
The convocation also marked the installation of Tunku Zain Al-¡¯Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz as Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»¡¯s second Chancellor, following his tenure as pro-chancellor since 2021.
The ceremony celebrated the achievements of 898 graduates in the presence of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» University council chairman and founder Dato' Peter Ng and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Healthcare Group chairman Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Ranked in the world¡¯s top 1% in the QS World University Rankings 2025 by virtue of its top 265 ranking, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» University stands out as one of Asia¡¯s top private universities.
