Category: 2020 Speaker

Dr. Norhayati Abdullah is currently the Associate Director of UTM International Kuala Lumpur and Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). She recently completed her tenure as a Guest Scholar at the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (Shishu-kan), Kyoto University, Japan. Norhayati is recipient of the 2019/2020 ASEAN Science and Technology Fellowship focusing on the strategic recommendations for water sector transformation under the auspices of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. In 2018, she received the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Fellowship. She was Board of Director of the International Water Association (IWA) from 2014-2018, an IWA Fellow and Vice President of the Malaysian Water Association (MWA). At global level, Norhayati has been actively involved with the IWA program and activities since 2000. She received the IWA Young Water Professional (IWAYWP) Award in 2012 in recognition of her outstanding achievements in wastewater research and active involvement in various professional development programs. Norhayati represented UTM and Malaysia at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor for the Fulbright US-ASEAN Visiting Scholar Initiatives in 2016-2017. She was conferred the Top 50 Most Impactful Leaders in Water & Water Management (A Global Listing) award during the World CSR Day in 2018.

Prof. Muneer Al Mubarak is a VP of Administration and Finance and Acting Dean for Graduate Studies & Research. He received his Ph.D. in Business & Economic Studies (Marketing) from University of Leeds, UK. Prof. Al Mubarak’s expertise is in strategic management, marketing management, and relationship marketing. He has over 34 years work experience as he contributed well in teaching and training in areas such as Leadership, Strategic Management, Relationship Marketing, Marketing Management, Marketing Communications, Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, Customer Relationship Management and Service Excellence. He has participated in many community activities over the years and is a reviewer of many reputable international journals.

Dr. R.W. Alexander Jesudasan is now the Pro Vice – Chancellor in Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science, Chennai and formerly the Principal & Secretary, Madras Christian College from June 2009 – May 2020.

Academic specialization : Zoology, Applied Entomology.

D. Sc. (Zoology – Entomology), Madras Christian College (Autonomous), University of Madras, September 2010.
Ph. D. (Zoology – Entomology), Fredrick Institute of Plant Protection and Toxicology, University of Madras, 1988.
Ph. D. (Public Policy)(Honorary) – Hanshin University, South Korea,18th February 2022.
M. Sc. (Zoology), Madras Christian College (Autonomous), University of Madras, 1983, Outstanding Grade, 77 %.

Dr. Jesudasan held notable positions at the National and International levels. He has to his credited 180 publications, in Journals/Conference Proceedings of high repute; one book;, one German Patent; guided 10 Ph.D. Scholars and handled both National and International funded research projects; offered Consultancy services; recipient of several accolades and awards; and Fellow/Member of several academic bodies and visited more than 20 Countries for academic engagement. He has served/serving as the Chairman/Member Coordinator of NAAC peer team assessed/assessing 35 Colleges all over India.

Dr(Ms) Chitra Rajagopal, Distinguished Scientist holds the position of Director General (RM & Impl.). Her research interests are : Environment, Explosives, Process, Chemical and Fire Safety; Eco friendly and Clean Energy Technologies, Sustainable Development; Qualitative Risk Assessment, Environment Impact Assessment, Disaster Management, Heat Transfer; Systems Analysis of Defence Systems. Some of her technical contributions are:

• Innovative design, development and evaluation of above ground and underground explosive store houses; packaging and coating technologies.

• Development of Green Technologies : Eco-friendly Treatment, Remediation & Disposal Technologies for Explosives and Hazardous Wastes; Eco-friendly Safe packaging for defense applications, Bio-fuel reformer for generation of Hydrogen.

• Integrated Software Package for Risk and Hazard analysis (RHA) and Disaster Management; Application of Risk Assessment Techniques to Defence Establishments for handling of Explosives and other Hazardous Materials;

• Design and Development of Heat Transfer Equipment and Combustors

• Development of Halon alternatives for Fire Fighting applications – water mist, aerosols, novel organic molecules. She is currently INAE-AICTE Distinguished Visiting Professor.

She is a recipient of several National and DRDO awards such as DRDO Scientist of the Year Award in the year 2010; Lifetime Achievement Award by Society for Reliability and Safety (SRESA) in 2019; Eminent Engineers Award by The Institution of Engineers (India) in 2019, among others. She has to her credit 55 International and 49 National publications with 4285 citations. She has authored three book chapters and published 125 technical reports. She holds twelve patents to her credit (04granted, 08 filed). 02 technologies have been transferred to Industry.. She has been associated with a number of international and national professional organisations including Leadership for Environment &Development Program (LEAD), UK; Carbon Society Delhi, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and High Energy Materials Society of India,

Professor Peter Kersten is professor for Mechatronics and Vice Dean at the Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences. He holds a doctor degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin and a diploma degree in Physics from the Technical University of Dortmund. He has many years of management experience in international industrial companies.

Mathew Docherty is the Digital Learning Developer at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, School of Engineering. Mathew was originally a trained automation engineer who lived and worked worldwide and at the same time managed large international projects. Since 2017 he has been head of the Digital Learning department, where he supports teachers in the creation of content and didactic approaches. His main research areas include student engagement and motivation combined with innovative technologies and approaches. E-mail: mathew.docherty@fh-wels.at

Professor PB Anand is Professor of Public Policy and Sustainable Development and (since February 2019) also the Head of the Department of Peace Studies and International Development celebrating its Golden Jubilee year at the University of Bradford. Professor Anand has published many papers in international refereed journals on the capability approach, human right to water, on the pathways to sustainable development in extractive economies, on river water disputes, and most recently on smart and sustainable cities. With Dr Flavio Comim and Dr Shailaja Fennell he has been a co-convenor of the Cambridge Capability Conferences from which two books on advancing capability approach (2018 and 2024) are published by Cambridge University Press. Prof Anand has been the lead editor of the 1107-page volume titled Handbook of BRICS and Emerging Economies published by the Oxford University Press (2021). Anand has completed many assignments for the UNDP most notably as the Principal Author of the Mongolia National Human Development Report. At Bradford he has been a member of the Senate (presently fourth term) and previously served as a member of the University Council (2014-18). He is presently on the council of the British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS). Anand is a Fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association and the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. Anand has won many awards for his teaching excellence and outstanding support for students.

Ornkanya Yaoharee has been working as lecturer at School of Liberal Arts since 2005 and is currently an Assistant to the President on Innovative Lifelong Learning at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. Her missions are to systematically encourage instructors to work more with the industrial sectors, to combine all competency-based short courses that serve the industrial needs, and to promote diversified activities with business and industrial sectors. She is specialising in workplace communication, pragmatics, politeness strategies, and intercultural communication. For the past few years, she has been designing the business communication courses based on the paradigm of blended-learning to serve the industry needs and investigating workplace discourse by using computer as a tool for data analysis. She was a Fulbright scholar at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2007, and a recipient of Royal Thai Government Scholarship for doctoral degree studies. She holds a PhD in Cultural Perspectives and Comparative Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master’s Degree in Education from the same university, another Master’s Degree in English for Careers from Thammasat University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Second-Class Honors) from Chulalongkorn University. Her publications include the studies of power and politeness in workplace communication, decision-making in workplace, internationalization of the schools, and linguistic landscape in urban multicultural city.