Max Han Kai Ding, a student studying the MSc in Environmental Change and Management at the Environmental Change Institute, is named Future Nobel Laureate Scholar for his work on environmental rights in Southeast Asia. He recently visited Sweden where he engaged with Nobel Laureates about global challenges.
Max Han at the Nobel Prize Museum
Max is one of eleven global students awarded the 2024 Future Nobel Laureate Scholarship by EF (Education First), a student program “fuelled by the belief that in order to change the world, you need to experience it”. In addition to completing a project-based course, an international field study, and an action-learning project that will be displayed at the Nobel Prize Museum, scholars learn from global thought leaders at the Nobel Week Dialogue in Stockholm. The programme is offered in collaboration with the Nobel Prize Museum and The Forum on Education Abroad.
Max is the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to be named a Future Nobel Laureate Scholar for his commitment to addressing global challenges. While in Stockholm, he presented his work on environmental rights and advocacy in Southeast Asia to the international community and ambassadors. He was also hosted by the Malaysian Embassy in Stockholm, where he highlighted the critical role of youth mobilisation in Malaysia for advancing climate justice.
Max Han is welcomed to the Embassy of Malaysia in Stockholm by the First Secretary Theventhiran Arumugam
Max already has an impressive reputation based on his commitment to climate justice and environmental rights advocacy. He is the co-founder of Youths United for Earth (YUFE), a youth-led movement mobilising Malaysian youth for climate action through storytelling, advocacy, and campaigns. YUFE’s initiatives have reached over 50,000 people and engaged with institutions such as the United Nations, ASEAN, and Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability.
Internationally, Max has previously represented Southeast Asia by speaking at forums including the UN Headquarters, UN Climate Change, ASEAN, Stanford University, and Princeton University. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Princess Diana Award, Tatler’s Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow, and the North American Association for Environmental Education’s 30 Under 30.
Max is now actively lobbying ASEAN to elevate the region's environmental rights by adopting Southeast Asia’s first Environmental Rights Declaration. Over the past two years, he has been drafting this declaration with UN bodies, diplomats, and communities affected by environmental injustices to establish stronger protections for the environment and the people of Southeast Asia.
Max said: “I am deeply honoured to be the first Southeast Asian to receive this recognition, and I stand on the shoulders of countless activists before me. I hope this acknowledgment shines a light on the inspiring environmental defenders and frontline communities in Southeast Asia who are tirelessly advocating for environmental justice and human rights. This international recognition affirms the necessity of safe spaces to foster environmental democracy.
“In Sweden, I spoke about the urgent need for more ambitious environmental rights in our region of Southeast Asia. Growing up in Malaysia and witnessing my own community face environmental crises, I’m more determined than ever to ensure future generations don’t go through the same struggles. Our generation is dedicated to living and breathing a more just and liveable world into existence – and if we can do anything, our governments can do everything.”