Malaysia

Krishna is an accomplished individual with a background in language, diplomacy, and cultural studies. He joined the Global UGRAD program in 2022, majoring in English, and graduated from The National University of Malaysia in 2023. Currently, Krishna is pursuing a master's degree in research in Gastro diplomacy. 

In addition to his academic pursuits, Krishna has experience as a facilitator in various exchange programs and international summer programs, planning and executing activities and events for international students to maximize their cultural understanding of Malaysia. He is an avid advocate for cultural exchange, having participated in over 41 international programs, both on-site and online, with countries from all corners of the globe. In addition, Krishna works as a freelance baking teacher at an international school in Kuala Lumpur, where he imparts culinary skills and cultural insights to his students.  

Sher Rynn is a lawyer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has four years of experience in civil litigation, and has a passion for advocacy, within and outside the courtrooms. In recent years, she developed a keen interest in strengthening mental health amongst young professionals, and hopes to destigmatize the reach for help in improving one’s mental well-being.

Prior to joining legal practice, Sher Rynn studied at the University of Malaya where she was afforded opportunities to join moot court competitions internationally in Oxford, Singapore, Brisbane, and Rotterdam. Her aspirations to become a barrister grew from these grueling competitions.

During her time at the University of Wyoming, under the Global UGRAD Program, she took classes on constitutional law, first amendment rights, which led her to rediscover her interest in human rights. 

Since her return from Wyoming, Sher Rynn has been an active volunteer in Myanmar, teaching at the Peace Law Academy, a human rights law school in rural Mandalay. She also helped raise fund and awareness on the plight of the Burmese people under the military coup. Since 2023, Sher Rynn is also a mentor under the Closing the Gap program in Malaysia, assisting 12th grade school leavers with their journey into tertiary education and scholarship applications.

Mandaking Missi is a final year student at the University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), pursuing a bachelor's degree in politics and government studies. He has produced a yet-to-be-published book chapter on voting dynamics during Malaysia's 15th General Election. 

After returning from the United States, he was employed as a Research Assistant at the Malaysian Employers Federation. He facilitated a tripartite collaboration project between the International Labor Organization's Global Business Network on Forced Labor, Malaysian civil societies, and the Ministry of Human Resources. 

For over a decade, Mandaking has been involved in multiple global programs. Prior to being a Global UGRAD alumnus, he participated in and co-hosted several annual Model United Nations programs between Falu Frigymnasium in Sweden and his high school in Sabah, Malaysia. In 2016, he served as the Palestinian delegate at the Swedish Model UN on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Falun, Sweden. 

As a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), he built a strong foundation in understanding how open and constructive discourse is key to effective ethnic and global conflict resolution. Mandaking plans to pursue a master's degree in international governance and diplomacy at Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs in France.

Nickyson Nyambar is a news presenter and broadcast journalist at Astro AWANI, a 24-hour news channel in Malaysia. Hailing from Kuching, Sarawak, Nickyson is an Iban—a native tribe from Borneo, the third-largest island in the world. This makes him the first native presenter on AWANI 745, the prime time news program on the channel.

With five years of experience in the broadcasting industry, he currently handles about five programs, including his new segment, AWANI Green Action, which focuses on the environment, climate change, innovation, technology, and renewable energy, centered around key pillars: sustainability and planetary health.

Prior to joining Astro AWANI, Nickyson studied mass communication at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Melaka, Shah Alam, and Rembau. He graduated with the Vice-Chancellor's Award for his diploma and earned first-class honors in his mass communication degree, majoring in broadcasting. During his time as a student, Nickyson was an active participant in the news club NS Digital, where he developed his passion for news and broadcast journalism.

As a young talent, he is committed to being more innovative and creative in his news delivery, aiming to craft inspirational content that resonates with the new generation. Nickyson is also an alumnus of the Global UGRAD program at the State University of New York (SUNY) Plattsburgh in 2018. There, he earned the 'Best Camera Work' award for the A2 show under the district channel, Plattsburgh TV.