Category: 2025 Delegate

Dr. Qun Shao is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Bradford-Renduchintala Enterprise Ecosystem (BREE) at the University of Bradford. He is actively involved in managing entrepreneurship programmes for students, graduate entrepreneurs, and aspiring entrepreneurs in our local community. He is also co-founder of both the Bradford UK-China Healthtech Open Innovation programme and the RCUK (Research Council UK) China Science Bridges programme. Qun has many years of knowledge transfer experience in both academic and industrial organisations across China and UK. During his role as China Programme Manager the University of Bradford was awarded a UK first-ranked RCUK Science Bridges programme (£1.3m). Qun has built strong networks with Chinese academia, industry and government and has led programmes and co-facilitated workshops that have created over 40 funded collaborations and joint venture companies between UK SMEs and academics, and counterparts in China.

Qun is also a co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of Crystec Ltd, a spin-out of the University of Bradford, focused on pharmaceutical particle design and crystal engineering. He has overall responsibility for coordinating international research, supply chain and manufacturing operations.

Qun holds a PhD in the field of knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence applied to pharmaceutical manufacturing, and has a multi-disciplinary educational background covering science, engineering and information technology. His research expertise relates to application of knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence to pharmaceutical formulations and Traditional Chinese Medicine modernisation. He has published over 30 scientific articles in major international journals and has received a number of research grants/awards. Prior to moving to the UK, Qun worked in a national chemical research institute in China. Qun is fluent in English, with Mandarin as his native language.

Dr. N. Manoharan, presently serving as Director – Projects and International Affairs of Hindustan Group of Institutions has served as Vice Chancellor of Sathyabama University, Chennai and Pro Vice Chancellor of AMET University, Chennai. He is Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering with over 39
years of Teaching, Research and Administrative experience in Engineering College / University level. He has specialized in the area of Internal Combustion Engines, Thermography, Radiography, Materials, Micro Electronics and Nano Technology.

He has filed and published Twenty-Nine Patents with Two Patents granted in different areas of Engineering and Technology. He has published Three Hundred and Ninety-Four Technical papers in different National / International Journals / Conferences of various areas of research. He has
organized several Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, Symposia, Short-term and Long-term courses. He is a life Member / member of TWENTY-ONE Professional Societies.

He has served in various higher positions in different Organizations including Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor, Director, Dean, Principal and Professor. He has been nominated by the various GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Apex bodies to serve in the following on various capacity.

• MEMBER OF DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST) – NRDMS COMMITTEE to formulate guidelines for the conduct of Remote Sensing & GIS courses in Indian Institutes.
• MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION (UGC) EXPERT COMMITTEE to assess the physical and academic infrastructure of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU),
  Anantapur – December 2009.
• MEMBER OF SELECTION COMMITTEE OF BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd.,) Govt. of India, Kalpakkam for various Scientist and Executive posts.
• CONVENOR OF ANNA UNIVERSITY EXPERT COMMITTEE to assess the physical and academic infrastructure of Several Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu.
• BOARD MEMBER OF BOARD OF APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINING, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India.
• PRESENTLY SERVING AS NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC) PEER TEAM CHAIRMAN to offer Grading and to assess the physical and academic infrastructure
  of Several Universities and Engineering Colleges in India.
• SERVED AS NATIONAL CO COORDINATOR for the DST – ICPS Networking Research Project on Digital Poompuhar.

He has served as Executive Council Member of Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) for four years and Chairman of Tamil Nadu & Pondy section of ISTE for two years. He has worked around 50 sponsored projects and organized to receive 59 sponsored projects from various Government of
India funding agencies. He has guided more than 200 Under Graduate Projects, 100 Post Graduate Projects and produced 12 Ph.D scholars in different areas of research.

Dr. Ying-Jung Yvonne Yeh is the Vice President for International Affairs at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech) and a tenured professor in the Department of Business Administration. She has been in charge of international MBA program for years before taking the position at Office of International Affairs. She also served as a deputy secretary general of Taiwan Academy of Management, and was a member of the reviewing committee for promoting outstanding small and medium enterprises. Her research interests include employee quality of working life, performance management, and the application of technology on work and employee training. As a professor in human resource management, she is dedicated in promoting students’ career opportunities, including global mobilities.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nathapong Chitniratna is the President of Thaksin University Thailand. He has been in this position for almost two years. Prior to this he was the Vice President for Research and Innovation and the Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nathapong Chitniratna received Ph.D. in Social Development from Naresuan University, M.Sc. in Environmental Management from Prince of Songkla University, and B.A. in Political Science from Ramkamhaeng University, Thailand.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Tapany Patcharawit is currently Deputy Director of Center for International Affairs, Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), Thailand. Previously, she was Chair of the School of Metallurgical Engineering at SUT. Her current position is also Chair of Cooperative Education of the School. She received her Ph.D. in Metallurgy and Materials from the University of Birmingham, the United Kingdom. Her teaching and research have been in the field of metallurgical engineering, particularly on forming, testing, and recycling of metals and materials. For industrial engagement, she takes part as the consultant of “Recycling Technology Implementation Boost-up for Sustainably Renewable Resources towards the Development of Eco-Industrial Town Projects”, supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Mines, the Ministry of Industry, Thailand.

Chawin Chantharasenawong is now currently holds a position of Vice President for Internationalization of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thnoburi. He is an experienced researcher and academician with over a decade of experience in the field of engineering. He holds a PhD in Aeronautics from the Imperial College London and has since contributed in the field of wind energy, Formula Student racecar and, most recently, remote education technology.

Together with his co-researchers, his team has published over 20 research articles in leading engineering journals and presented his work at numerous international conferences. Chawin has held several administration positions, including Associate Dean for International Affairs at Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. He is currently the Board of Trustees Chairman at Concordian International School and Deputy Manager for International Affairs for the Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation. Chawin’s areas of expertise include nonlinear dynamical systems, multiphysics simulations, and optimization techniques.

Apart from his technical skills, Chawin is known for his excellent communication and leadership abilities. He has mentored several graduate students and, through his professional experience, networked with many high-level government organisations in the education sector.

As of the 01 August 2025, Dr Chantharasenawong is the WTUN Operational Board Chair.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samak Kaewsuksaeng is the Vice President for Research and Innovation of Thaksin University, Thailand. He is an expert in post-harvest technology. He was a visiting scholar at the Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Japan and many esteemed universities in Korea, and USA. Furthermore, he was granted for training course on “the Postharvest Physiology, Pathology and Handling of Fresh Commodities” Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Israel. He has 14 years teaching experiences and has published numerous research papers in national and international publications.

Michael Affenzeller’s main research focus is on theoretical and practical aspects of evolutionary computation, genetic algorithms, and meta-heuristics in general. In 2001 he received his PhD in engineering sciences and in 2004 he received his habilitation in applied systems engineering, both from the Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria.

Michael Affenzeller is professor at the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences, Campus Hagenberg, and head of the research group HEAL. From October 2014 to August 2022 he served as the head of studies for the Master degree program Software Engineering and as vice dean for R&D at the faculty of informatics, communications and media. Between 2019 and 2022 Michael Affenzeller acted as the scientific head of the Softwarepark Hagenberg. Since 2022 he took on the role of Provost of the Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences.

Professor Affenzeller commenced his role as WTUN Chair beginning 1 August 2025 for a period of two years.