Category: 2020 Speaker

Zainuddin A. Manan is a professor of chemical engineering and the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academics and International of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). He is the founding director of UTM Process Systems Engineering Centre (PROSPECT) and the founding Dean of UTM Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering. He started his career as an process engineer and has since then been an academic leader, educator, researcher, consultant and professional coach for more than 25 years. As the UTM Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof Zain founded the UTM Synergy 4.0 transformation program to advance the mission of widening access to UTM quality engineering education. UTM Synergy 4.0 involved the historic consolidation of 18 UTM subdiscipline-based faculties into 7 faculties based on UTM key thrust areas; advancing flexible & 4IR-ready curriculum, future-ready educators and life-ready graduates; and providing access to UTM lifelong education programs delivered through various digital and distance learning modes such as MOOCS, blended, fully online as well as remote supervision, apart from residential modes. Zain has been the chair of global/regional committees such as the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Global Award for Computer Aided Process Design, the Board of judges for ASEAN Energy Awards for commercial and industrial sectors, and the Chair of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act Drafting committee under the Malaysian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. He has delivered over 400 invited talks in professional courses, conferences and seminars across the world and has coached professionals from more than 500 national and multi-national companies.

Dr. Mullika Sungsanit is the Head of the Center of Excellence for Entrepreneurship. With extensive experience in entrepreneurship development and innovation management, Dr. Mullika has led key initiatives to support students and researchers. She founded the Student Entrepreneurship Development Academy (SEDA) to instill an entrepreneurial mindset through practical training and mentorship. Her work is dedicated to connecting academic research with community needs, fostering sustainable business models, and promoting economic growth with a positive social and environmental impact.

Holding a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Mullika’s expertise is recognized internationally through her roles as the National Coordinator for ASEA-UNINET in Thailand and past operational chair for the World Technology Universities Network (WTUN). She has also served as a consultant for World Bank programs, focusing on capacity-building for women entrepreneurs. Dr. Mullika is a committed advocate for cross-regional collaboration and sustainable development, actively building partnerships with European institutions to advance shared goals in areas like the blue economy.

Adisak is working at School of Management Technology, Suranaree University of Technology.

Dr. M. M. Ramya is currently a Professor in Centre for Automation and Robotics (ANRO) at the Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science. She has over 20 years of teaching experience. Her research activities focus on artificial intelligence and soft computing techniques, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence and image processing applications. She has over 35 publications in academic journals and conference proceedings. She has received funds worth Rs. 150 lakhs for her research projects from different agencies like DRDO, UGC etc. She is frequently invited as a resource person to deliver lectures, to conduct training workshops, and chair track sessions at conferences. She regularly reviews manuscripts submitted to peer review journals and conferences. She is also an associate editor of an international journal “Image Analysis & Stereology”.

Professor Michael Fitzpatrick is Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engineering, Environment and Computing) for the Coventry University Group, where he oversees the provision at the main Faculty campus in Coventry; the CU Group sites in Coventry, Scarborough, and East London, and the London Campus; and the trans-national education provision with our global partners. He is the lead for the establishment of collaborative links and joint activities with Universities in North America. He also holds the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Chair of Structural Integrity and Systems Performance. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Scientist, and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

His research centres around the application of advanced experimental methods to materials engineering applications, particularly in the nuclear power and aerospace industries. He has been a user of the international neutron and synchrotron X-ray facilities for over 20 years. He has published over 250 research papers. He was the recipient of the Lidstone Medal of The Welding Institute in 2009; and the Tom Bell Surface Engineering Medal of the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining in 2020.

Michael is a Non-Executive Director of Diamond Light Source Ltd, the UK’s synchrotron X-ray facility; and a Non-Executive Director of Feraru Dynamics Ltd, a University spin-out company developing wearable technologies for preventative safety in the manufacturing and construction industries.

Katie O’Dwyer is a lecturer and researcher at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in Ireland. Katie joined GMIT from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada where she carried out postdoctoral work. Prior to her time in Canada she completed her PhD at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Katie is an ecological parasitologist interested in the interactions between parasites and their hosts across a range of ecosystems, including freshwater and marine environments. She works with a range of organisations including government agencies, museums, schools, community groups and charity groups, and has a particular interest in fostering international partnerships. Katie currently supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students examining a range of host-parasite systems. She teaches several undergraduate and postgraduate modules across three programmes: Applied Freshwater and Marine Biology, Agriculture and Environmental Management, and an International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources degree. In 2018 Katie was awarded an early career research award by the Irish Ecological Association for her ongoing work on parasite ecology.

Uduak Archibong is the Pro Vice Chancellor [Equality, Diversity and Inclusion], directs the Centre for Inclusion and Diversity and provides strategic oversight for equality, diversity and inclusion [EDI] across the institution. She obtained a BSc (First Class) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria in 1990, a PhD from Hull University in 1995 and promoted to Professor of Diversity with a cross-disciplinary and institutional portfolio in 2004. She is a Fellow of the West African College of Nursing and a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing. She was listed in the New Year Honours list 2015 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to higher education and equality.

She has been recognised as a foremost authority on inclusion and diversity and became the first ever UK Professor of Diversity with a cross-disciplinary and institutional portfolio. She has a sustained, distinguished presence in the field of diversity management, she is currently leading in setting agenda to drive research, learning and knowledge exchange activities internationally and has published extensively on inclusion and diversity. Informed by over 30 years’ experience of working in the health and higher education sectors, her academic and professional work has major impacts locally, nationally and globally. Key among these impacts is that the body of her research work has provided the evidence base for, and a robust understanding of, the development and application of cultural solutions and diversity interventions in public, private and third sector organisations.

She is at the forefront of transforming organisational culture for sustainable diversity and inclusion approaches. Her research has provided a unique international definition of positive action and application for representational and participative diversity. She led to completion a major multi-million European Commission funded gender equality research project, GENOVATE, across 7 European Universities and led the EDI elements of a multi-million European Horizon 2020 project, RRING, in collaboration with 20 international partners. Her research projects – Disrupting the disproportional disciplinary proceedings in the UK NHS and Cracking the concrete ceiling for the advancement of UK BME Academic staff have made a major contribution to shaping the agenda on race equality, and informed global debates on systemic racism and other forms of structural inequality.

A multi-award winner, Uduak has been honoured as one of the top 100 Nigerians in the UK to receive a Centenary Award, one of the top 50 Inspirational Women in Healthcare in the UK, a Distinguished Nurse Leader in 21st century in Nigeria, and one of the 70 most outstanding Nigerians in the UK Health Sector. She featured in Northern Power Women Power List, 2019 and Phenomenal Women – Portraits of UK Black Women Professors in 2020. She was listed in the Black WHO’S WHO in the Millennium. Uduak is an Ecumenical Canon of the Bradford Cathedral, UK.

Uduak has founded AFfIH [Affiong Etuk Foundation for Inclusive Health] to help her determination to make Nigeria a Dementia Responsive Country. Her outstanding leadership for the development and promotion of a movement to forge community unity against dementia in Akwa Ibom State has led to the conferment of numerous high chief titles in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria.

Professor Mansoor Alaali has served as the President of Ahlia University since 2015. He holds a BSc from the University of Teesside (UK), an MSc in Computer Science, and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge-Based Systems from Aston University in Birmingham (UK).

His research interests span applied computer science, data mining, algorithms, artificial intelligence, university governance and ethics. Among his recent publications are two books: “Artificial Minds and Digital Souls: AI and the Future of Humanity” and “Success Through the Soul: Building Confidence”.

Professor Mansoor is an editor and reviewer for several international peer-reviewed journals and a regular keynote speaker at global conferences. He holds memberships in multiple professional bodies and has delivered numerous workshops and seminars in both technical and non-technical areas, including strategic planning and information technology.

Previously, he has developed innovative technical solutions and provided consultancy services to various international and local organisations.

Professor Mansoor advocates for a renewed perspective on higher education in the Arab world, believing that reform is essential to empower future generations and uplift societies.

Under his leadership, Ahlia University has achieved significant milestones in local and international accreditation, advancing both research and educational excellence.

His recent intellectual pursuits focus on human philosophy and expanding the frontiers of knowledge.

Dieter Bryniok graduated as a micro-biologist. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Tuebingen, Germany with a doctoral thesis on the immuno-enzymatic detection of methanogens in biogas producing microbial consortia. Between 1985 and 2017, he worked for the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB), Stuttgart, Germany as a scientist, research group leader and vice department leader, initially in the chemical microbiology (CMB) department. He has been vice department leader of the institute’s environmental biotechnology and biochemical engineering department (UBT) since 2001. Previously, he worked as senior project manager in the fields of biodegradation of hazardous substances, water management, bio-energy, sustainable development, industrial biotechnology and bio-economy. Byniok headed the Fraunhofer Demonstration Center for Process Integrated Environmental Technology for six years (1995-2001) He was also responsible for establishing the Fraunhofer Center for Energy and the Environment in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, between the years of 1998 and 2001. Furthermore, he was managing director of the Fraunhofer Water Systems Alliance – a network of up to 13 Fraunhofer Institutes working in the field of water supply and wastewater management – for ten years from 2007 onwards. Bryniok held a professorship in environmental biotechnology from 2010 to 2022 at the newly founded Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (HSHL) in Hamm, Germany, where he worked full-time from November 2017. He headed two research fields for bioenergy and bio-economy. Since 2018, he was Vice President for Research and Transfer, before he retired in August 2022.

A senior leader with a background in strategy development, collaborative working and knowledge management. At Coventry University Jo is the institutional lead on national and international policy engagement. She is responsible for coordinating our engagement with relevant bodies, national regulatory bodies and HE networks such as University Alliance and the World Technology Universities Network (WTUN). Through her work she has a wide network of HE, industry and policy contacts. Jo has led on a number of organisational change programmes within the university, the two most significant involved (i) establishing two new professional services departments to support our growing research aspirations, as well as our continued engagement with industry and (ii) the launch of a formal Location Independent Working programme. She is a CMI accredited coach and supports colleagues with their personal development through our university’s coaching and mentoring academy. Jo strongly believes that collaborative working is key to economic and societal growth and that the Higher Education sector has a key role as a catalyst for collaboration. Experience: HE policy in the UK; developing business cases for investment; chairing and facilitation of large and small groups; public speaking; networking and building influence; project management; public funding bid writing and development; flexible working practices; business-university collaboration; public funded research and enterprise programmes; business and enterprise support; managing complex budgets; information and knowledge management.