Kuala lumpur: A group of postgraduate students from mainland China at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is working to economically empower special needs students from a school in Ampang, Selangor, by equipping them with skills to enhance their employment prospects and improve their economic status. According to BERNAMA News Agency, the project is led by Wu Nan, who emphasized that their efforts also aim to strengthen the friendship between China and Malaysia at the community level. The group has pooled resources to provide massage chairs, equipment, and furniture necessary for the students to acquire basic reflexology skills. Wu Nan, originally from Wuhan city in Hubei province, highlighted the difficulty these students face in securing employment post-school. The initiative involves ten students from the Graduate School of Business-UKM-Master of Business Administration programme (GSB-UKM-MBA), conducted under the guidance of Professor Mazzlida Mat Deli. Wu Nan stated that the reflexology skills can hel p students earn money and improve their economic status. The special needs students benefiting from this initiative are from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Tasik in Ampang, Selangor. The school's headmistress, Puan Norhayati Zakaria, mentioned that their school is one of the few in the state offering special education classes. Efforts were made to ensure a professional and comfortable learning environment for vocational training. Wu Nan explained that resources were raised to expand the massage training base, which is situated in a separate building on the school premises. The donated items, which include air conditioning equipment, sofas, professional massage chairs, and more, aim to facilitate a conducive learning environment. Norhayati added that besides reflexology, the students also learn massage basics, stitching, cooking, and gardening to expand their career opportunities. Wu Nan's project group consists of students from various parts of China who are grateful for the opportunity to study in Mal aysia. They view this 12-week CSR project as a way to give back to Malaysia for hosting their MBA programme at UKM. By empowering special needs students economically, Wu Nan believes they can contribute to nation-building, aligning with Malaysia's vision of inclusivity as it approaches Merdeka celebrations in 2026. She emphasized that this initiative not only empowers disadvantaged groups but also fosters grassroots friendship between China and Malaysia. Li DongChen, another student involved in the project and a maths teacher in China, remarked that the project illustrates how Chinese students in Malaysia engage with the local community beyond academic pursuits. He expressed gratitude for the warmth and kindness shown by Malaysians to Chinese students. Similar sentiments were echoed by other project members, including Meng Xiao, Zhang-Junhui, Yu Aizhuo, and others. Wu Nan hopes the project will help special students realize their self-worth, embodying the social responsibility and practical value of the MB A programme. She called for greater cooperation between schools, enterprises, and social assistance. The group is exploring partnerships with reflexology practitioners for future training and mentoring to further enhance the students' employment competitiveness and self-employment abilities.