From Rural Sabah To International Stage, Aikal Danish Joins IB Global Youth Advisory Council

By Lucia Terey Anak John

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25  (Bernama) -- Who would have thought that, despite all the limitations of a remote village far from basic amenities, including internet access, a young man from the interior of Sabah is now stepping onto the international stage to represent the voices of nearly two million students around the world.

Aikal Danish Juman, 19, a second-year International Baccalaureate (IB) Pre-Australian student at Kolej MARA Banting (KMB), recently made history when he was selected as one of only 12 students globally to join the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s (IBO) Youth Advisory Council (YAC) for 2025–2026.

Hailing from Kampung Indah, Nabawan, Aikal Danish was chosen from over 1,400 applicants across 92 countries, making him the sole representative from Malaysia in the student advisory body that provides direct input to IBO’s top leadership.

As part of the YAC, he will represent the voices of IB students from the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to discussions on education policy and student needs at various platforms, including the IB Global Conference 2025, scheduled to take place in The Hague, Netherlands, from Oct 22–25.

“Growing up in an area that requires at least an hour’s travel to the nearest city, I am deeply aware of the economic and educational gaps faced by rural students.

“In Nabawan, opportunities are scarce and limited. Many high-potential students like me have to work many times harder just to access opportunities that are often readily available to students in urban areas,” he told Bernama recently.

Fueled by these experiences, Aikal Danish chose to highlight the real issues he faced during the rigorous YAC selection process, which required three essays and two video submissions on global issues.

“The IB YAC selection process is very strict, but I made sure my responses were always honest. I wasn’t focused on saying ‘what they wanted to hear,’ but on presenting the real challenges I see every day, whether in Nabawan, Sabah, or at Kolej MARA Banting,” he said.

Still in disbelief over his selection, the youngest of three siblings views this achievement as an invaluable opportunity to work directly with IB Director General Olli-Pekka Heinonen and the executive team to shape the direction and development of the IB curriculum.

He hopes to ensure that all high-potential students, regardless of their background or location, are given fair access to succeed.

At the same time, he is committed to implementing impactful student-focused initiatives, including plans to introduce the IB programme in Nabawan, so that more rural students can access world-class educational opportunities.

“I am grateful that my experience as Deputy President of the Student Representative Council (MPP) at KMB prepared me for this role in the IB YAC. It honed my leadership and communication skills, which I now use to serve and be a voice for nearly two million IB students,” he said.

Aikal Danish dedicated his success to his parents, whom he regards as his greatest inspiration, and to his close friend, Jacqueline Atat, who has been a constant source of encouragement and strength throughout his academic journey.

Aspiring to further his studies in Neuroscience and become a neurologist, he also expressed gratitude to the former Deputy Director of Academic Affairs at KMB, Rosmaria Abdullah, for her guidance during the YAC application process.

Meanwhile, Kolej MARA Banting Director Zanita Zakaria described Aikal Danish’s achievement as historic, noting that this was the first time the IBO had created the YAC, and that he was chosen from thousands of international applicants.

“We consistently encourage student participation in leadership platforms such as the MPP and the Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) programme, which are core components of the IB, to develop global leaders in line with our tagline, ‘Nurturing Leaders for a Better World’,” she said.

She added that while KMB students have previously taken part in international programmes such as Model United Nations (MUN), the Australian Economics Olympiad, and Math Beyond Limits Balkans, Aikal Danish’s selection to the YAC is a first-of-its-kind achievement and a source of great pride.

-- BERNAMA