Owen's UNSW Online journey to build a greener future

"Don't give up on yourself. Do as much as you can, and maybe one day you'll find you're actually not that bad."

Published on the 20 October 2026

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From Malaysia to Brisbane

It's quite rare that newly graduated high school students entering university know exactly what they want to do for the next few years. For Owen Tew, his origin story was no different.

Having moved from Malaysia to Brisbane to study a Bachelor of Accounting and a Bachelor of Business Statistics at Monash University, he quickly realised that it wasn't quite the path he wanted to take.

After completing his two degrees, UNSW Online came into the picture and shaped the next stage of his journey.

"I was already working in a small accounting firm [after graduating] but I wanted to do my study as well," recalls Owen. "So, I wanted a flexible option, preferably online, and then I came across UNSW Online. I wanted to do something different to my [bachelor degrees] because I realised Business Statistics is just not what I wanted to do."

So what was that different 'something'? A Master of Applied Finance, which will feed into Owen's bigger ambitions (more on that in the next section).

Balancing the UNSW Online hexamester schedule with work was an initial challenge. Still, Owen quickly found his groove, as the flexibility and clear structure of his online uni courses made it easier to manage his time. As he admits, he's someone who likes his own space and typically works best at solo endeavours, so this online nature of his Master's degree was a perfect fit.

"At the start, it was pretty difficult! I thought I [could] manage because I did my double Bachelors, so I thought a Masters and a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) is a reachable goal for me.

"But I eventually readjusted, so now I spend weekends on UNSW Online [courses], and after that I would do my CPA stuff."

After settling into a nice rhythm, he set his sights on his next goal: A start-up focusing on sustainable reporting.

Pivoting to sustainable reporting by way of UNSW Online

The big question is how did Owen go from accounting to sustainable reporting? What exactly motivated such a seemingly unrelated pivot from corporate to start-up?

Well, it turns out it's been on his mind for quite some time and the seeds were planted when he was still in Malaysia.

"I was born in Selangor and moved to Sabah when I was young. Sabah is known for its forests, so there's a lot of green and trees," he recounts.

" I'm pretty straightforward with myself, so I know what my priority is. [For me], the CPA certificate and education is the most important to me. That's why I immediately dropped my job.

"Even with the app, it doesn't consume much of my time. I basically have more time to study, and UNSW Online is just really flexible. If I miss out today, I would just do it tomorrow."

"I came across an article where some European countries started to do sustainability reporting, which I felt was an opportunity.

"I immediately told my dad about this sustainability reporting idea and asked if it was possible to do it in Malaysia. My dad is a government agent there and has connections, so I was pretty lucky [laughs]."

Now, you're probably wondering what 'sustainability reporting' is, exactly. Don't worry, Owen's got you covered.

"So, it's basically like a financial report. It's similar, but it's a company trying to report on its sustainability, basically how 'green' they are."

Owen's big app idea is to make sustainability reporting much easier for companies to achieve. Reporting can be quite tedious, so reducing any friction in that process is most welcome. When combined with companies reporting on their sustainability activities and how environmentally friendly they are, it's a win-win.

Learnings, advice for future students and next steps

The correlation between Accounting and a start-up focusing on sustainability reporting may not seem obvious at first. But to Owen, it's a logical extension of what he wants to achieve.

"I did Accounting for my Bachelor's degree [so] I have the same mindset regarding reporting, because it's about reporting the right value, the right amount and the right thing," Owen explains. "So once the app goes live, how am I going to operate that thing? That's why I picked Finance as my Masters."

So when will the app go live?

Owen laughs, "Oh it went live just this Tuesday! Okay, not all of it, just part of it."

MVP stage for a start-up app already? That's impressive to say the least, and Owen has some big plans for it over the next year.

"Hopefully the [Malaysian] government will do its policy in 2027 [and] will encourage small and medium businesses to start reporting. It's in phase two now [so] we've got to talk with some agencies and sectors from the Malaysian government regarding how to promote [this]. It's all future plans right now."

The app is focused on Malaysia, but Owen hopes other countries will lean right into sustainability reporting, including Oceania, explaining, "Because Europe is the only place that's done it, maybe this will be useful in other countries as well."

Reflecting on what he's learned (beyond his degree that is), Owen has some advice for those thinking about pursuing a UNSW Online degree.

"I didn't expect myself to be an academic person. I didn't do well in my ATAR [and] I got pretty lucky [with] Monash. But you just don't give up on yourself.

"Do as much as you can, and maybe one day you'll find that you're actually not that bad. You're probably better than 80 per cent of people, that's a lot! So I'm just trying to [be] chill and do my best."

"You have to be a very organised person. If you're not, you get can get lost [quickly]," he says. "In my own experience, you get lost immediately, even if you don't feel it. It's nothing that I've experienced up until right now, even with my accelerated degree and my [two] Bachelor degrees.

"It's dedication and organising your time. Time management is key."

As for his academic journey, the world is Owen's oyster and he's looking at several potential options.

"I was actually talking to my study advisor and asking her if I could take more courses next semester [as] I'm aiming to [finish] around July 2027.

"Actually, before my UNSW Online application, I was talking to an advisor about a research option while doing my degree. I'm [also] trying to pursue a doctorate. So if there's a pathway [at UNSW] for me, that's definitely the way to go!"

All interview quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

Last edited on 16 October 2026