Dr. Suzaini Zaid is currently teaching at the Department of Building Surveying in the Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya. She has teaching experience in the fields of building surveying, urban planning, and sustainable development. Her research and publications focus on energy efficiency, zero-carbon development, climate change mitigation and adaptation in the built environment.

Suzaini was part of the testing of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Sustainable Building and Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI)’s Common Carbon Metric and Protocol tool Pilot Test Phase 1 and Phase 2 in the Malaysian context, through her PhD research. Her research was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, University of New South Wales, UNEP-SBCI, and the City Hall of Kuala Lumpur.

Her current research project includes Development of Vertical Greenery System in Government Buildings; Investigating Social Psychology Factors for User Behaviour Change Towards Energy Efficiency and Conservation; COVID-19 Survivability in Wastewater Systems; Development of Community-based Microbial Farming in Dwelling Areas; and Rejuvenating Public Space Through Re-Imagining Recyclable Plastic & Construction Waste.

Suzaini holds a PhD degree in Planning and Urban Development from the Faculty of the Built Environment, University of New South Wales (2013). Before this, she graduated from UCL with an MSc of Building and Urban Design (2007) and Universiti Malaya with a Bachelor of Building Surveying (2005). She is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

For me, changemaking means driving lasting, impactful transformations that benefit both people and the planet. One key milestone was spearheading UM’s EcoCampus initiative, which not only reduced carbon emissions but also fostered a culture of environmental stewardship, benefiting the entire campus community and inspiring broader societal change.