For University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) Economics student Iskandar Adam Zulqarnain Bin Rizaldy, leadership has always been about other people. “What ultimately draws me towards leadership is the possibility of improving other people’s lives,” he said.
That sense of purpose has carried him through two milestones this year. He received the Top Leadership Award for Cohort 16 of Axiata Foundation’s University Leadership Development Programme (ULDP) 2026, and he was appointed to Dewan Muda Johor 2026 as Chairperson of the Investment, Trade, Economic Development, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee.
ULDP is an intensive 14-day programme that brings together a select cohort of Malaysian undergraduates from local and overseas universities, developing future business leaders through leadership modules, business simulations and team-based challenges.
Speaking candidly, Iskandar revealed that his path to ULDP began at a low point. After losing the election for Home Students Officer, Iskandar came close to giving up on leadership, until Yayasan Tun Razak recommended him for the programme. “Their confidence mattered because it arrived when my own was in short supply,” he said.
As Chief Executive Officer in one of the business simulations, he led his team’s strategic response and represented the organisation at a simulated press conference. His hardest call was committing the team to a single direction when several capable members favoured different approaches, while making sure each of them felt heard. The experience reshaped how he saw his role. “I began to see that my contribution could lie in recognising and bringing together other people’s capabilities,” he said.
Asked about how his experiences at UNM helped him stand out for ULDP, Iskandar pointed to his participation in 17 clubs and societies during his first year of studies—something he describes as “an admittedly enthusiastic interpretation of making the most of university.” Through the Nottingham Economics Society and Project RED, a community tutoring initiative, he learned to coordinate people and turn plans into results. UNM’s international community also taught him to test his assumptions against different perspectives.
Shaping Johor’s Economic Future Through Dewan Muda Johor
His purpose now extends to the state where it began. “Johor is where my sense of responsibility began,” said the born-and-bred Johorean. Dewan Muda Johor is a state-level youth policy and deliberation platform where young Johoreans debate public issues and develop policy recommendations. His committee is examining how major investments in Johor can deliver lasting benefits for local workers and talent, and its motions are being prepared for the Persidangan Dewan Muda Johor 2026.
This is where his Economics degree comes into play. Modules such as Current Economic Issues in Malaysia, Development Economics and Applied Econometrics I inform the committee’s work. “Economics has made me more precise about what I mean by helping people,” he said.
His advice to fellow students is this: “Give your ambition a purpose beyond yourself. It becomes much easier to understand why an opportunity matters when you know who you hope to help with it.”
From campus societies to state-level policy, Iskandar’s journey signals how a UNM education can grow into a lasting commitment to serving others.
Posted on 12th November 2026