Yuslizar Kamaruddin

Yuslizar Kamaruddin is a PhD candidate in the Department of Development Studies at SOAS University of London. His research examines youth leaders’ participation in climate change policymaking in Malaysia, focusing on how their voices, aspirations and experiences are recognised within formal policy processes.

His study explores how youth leaders engage with climate policy spaces, how they perceive their influence and what conditions may support more meaningful participation. Situated within broader debates on youth political agency, participatory governance and climate justice in the Global South, his research seeks to understand not only whether young people are included in policy processes but how their contributions are received, interpreted and translated into decision-making.

Yuslizar is a Lecturer at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and is currently on study leave to pursue his doctoral degree. His PhD is supported by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and UTHM. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Management from Universiti Utara Malaysia.

His academic interests are shaped by both scholarly inquiry and professional experience in higher education. He has been actively involved in research on youth development, youth leadership and public policy, particularly in understanding how institutional structures shape opportunities for participation. His previous work has engaged with themes such as youth participation capability, public policy processes, disaster preparedness and social awareness among young people.

At SOAS, his research builds on these interests by examining the relationship between governance systems and youth agency in climate policy contexts. He is particularly interested in how participation moves beyond symbolic inclusion towards forms of engagement that enable young people to influence policy outcomes.

His research interests include youth participation, climate change policy, participatory governance, youth political agency, youth leadership and policy engagement. Through his doctoral work, he aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on how policymaking processes can become more inclusive, responsive and reflective of youth perspectives.

• Youth participation in climate change policymaking
• Youth political agency and civic engagement
• Participatory governance and public policy processes
• Climate change and development  
• Qualitative research methods and thematic analysis
• Education, citizenship and policy awareness among youth