By Suzanne Bowness
Challenge students to explore the similarities and differences between a major export from their own country and a similar one across the world and you have an intriguing premise for a course. But ask them to explore those issues together as peers? And add the lens of sustainability? Now you have a course that catches award attention.
Small wonder, then, that the course ““Chemical Dynamics” created by York Chemistry professor Hovig Kouyoumdjian and his co-facilitator Ooi Der Jiun from the MAHSA University in Malaysia, was shortlisted for the QS Reimagine Award 2025 in the Sustainability Education Literacy category.
For Kouyoumdjian, a teaching stream professor at York’s Markham campus, setting a stretch goal at the beginning of each year has become a regular part of his teaching practice. And in learning about York International’s Globally Networked Learning (GNL) program, he found the support he needed to try something global. GNL brings together faculty and students from different institutions throughout the world, not only offering an award to co-develop course resources, but connections, tech help and advice. They even introduce teaching partners, which is how Kouyoumdjian met Ooi, a biochemistry professor in MAHSA University’s department of Preclinical Sciences in the Faculty of Dentistry, who spotted a call for GNL collaborators over social media.
Over Zoom, these professors from opposite sides of the globe demonstrate the easy rapport of longtime colleagues as they describe how their collaborative work came together. First, they identified a topic of interest to students from both countries, focusing on the impacts of two oils that are central to the economy of each country: Petroleum and edible oil (canola oil in Canada oil and Palm oil in Malaysia).
Following an icebreaker unit where they introduced themselves and compared their hobbies and cultural interests through AI-generated images (K-pop music was common ground), the students learned about oil and gas production plus sustainability initiatives in both countries. It’s a topic that resonated and worked especially well given the importance of resource development to the economies of each country.
“Studying both industries helped me understand sustainability as a complex, interconnected issue. I used to see oil and gas mainly as a source of environmental harm, but I now realize that sustainable development requires considering multiple sectors—including agriculture and food industries,” says York student Maria-Aimee Tat.
Another course assignment that continued the global theme asked students to contribute to a relevant project of their choice on Zooniverse, a citizen science research platform. The final assignment was a joint presentation on the oil production, with mixed teams from both universities. In total, the seven-week course served around 10 students drawn from Kouyoumdjian’s CHEM 1001: Chemical Dynamics course and 24 from Ooi’s dental program. The classes met over Zoom and used York’s Moodle platform, plus Padlet and Canva.
Through the course discussions, students came to appreciate their similarities. “What surprised me most was how closely our perspectives aligned, even though we came from different backgrounds. We both approached sustainability from both a community-based and a broader policy or industry level,” says Tat. MAHSA student Emelia Charles says that learning about Canada’s sustainability practices gave her a comparison point. “It opened my eyes to realize that each and every sector has a way of embedding sustainability in order to create a better place and a less polluted world,” she says.
Both professors credit the support from GNL with providing the best practices and tech support so they could focus mostly on their content development and learning objectives. “Credit should go to the larger GNL team. They were always there for us. Whenever we asked questions, they provided support,” says Kouyoumdjian, noting the Zooniverse suggestion, the icebreaker topics and tech setup as specific elements that enriched the course delivery.
Kouyoumdjian has emerged from his GNL experience even more enthusiastic about the possibility of global collaboration. Following the award shortlist, he travelled to London, England to present the course concept at the QS Reimagine Education conference in December (the course was shortlisted for the QS Sutainability Education Literacy Award , and the opportunity forged some excellent connections). He hopes to inspire others to adapt it to their own needs. “It could be a model for others. This could be in scalable as long as the model is there,” he says.
Of course, the major beneficiaries have already been the students, who raved about the course. “It was definitely an amazing experience,” says Charles. “This program has allowed me to see how different countries approach certain problems effectively.” Her York classmate agrees. “Working with students from Malaysia was an enriching and eye-opening experience. It gave me the chance to see how people from different cultural and academic backgrounds approach the same global issues. We shared ideas, compared perspectives, and learned to collaborate despite time zone differences. I really appreciated their openness, respect, and strong sense of teamwork,” says Tat.