Category: Delegate

Professor Sherif El-Khamisy

Sherif is a ‘life’-scientist with over 25 years’ experience in the higher education sector, focusing on research, innovation, translation and commercialisation. He is trained as a pharmacist followed by a PhD in genomic medicine from the University of Sussex, then a post-doctoral training at St Jude Hospital in the US. Working with the Nobel Laureate Zewail in Caltech, Sherif established and directed one of the first medical genomics research centres in the MENA region. In 2018, Sherif co-founded the healthy Lifespan Institute at the University of Sheffield. Sherif moved to the University of Bradford in 2020 as the Director of the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, then Associate Dean of Research, and then took up the PVC role in 2024.

Sherif is responsible for the leadership and management of the University of Bradford Research and Innovation ecosystem. Sherif has significant experience of working in higher education here in the UK and in the MENA region, championing the quality of research and innovation, student experience, engagement with the government and private sectors.

Sherif’s core technical background is in genomic medicine with a broader economic focus through working with senior executives and stakeholders. He is a Wellcome Trust Investigator, a Fellow of the Lister Institute of Preventative Medicine and sits on UKRI and Wellcome Trust funding panels. His work in biology and medicine is published in journals such as Nature, Cell and Science. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and his work has been recognized by AstraZeneca (UK), Caltech (USA), Awards of Excellence in Medical Sciences from the Shoman Foundation (Jordon) and the Wellcome Trust (UK).

Sherif is committed to value led leadership, whereby building trust, equality, diversity and inclusion are the at the cornerstone of strategic developments to unlock the potential of people from all backgrounds.

Dr Ramalingam Dharmalingam

Dr. Ramalingam Dharmalingam is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). He currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Information Technology at Majan University College, Muscat, Oman.

Dr. Ram is a key architect behind the development of the innovative BSc (Hons) Computing – Oil and Gas programme, specifically designed to equip students with specialised skills for industrial automation. The programme covers critical areas such as field devices, industrial data networks with PLC, SCADA, and DCS, data visualisation techniques, ERP systems, and business process management using BPMN 2.0.With extensive expertise in Cybersecurity, IoT, Industrial Automation, and Sustainable Technology Solutions, Dr. Ram has led numerous impactful academic and research initiatives. He was awarded the Best Paper Award at the University of Derby, UK, for his innovative research on a sustainable IoT-based disease monitoring solution for lime trees in Oman.

Currently, he is actively involved in a strategic national project with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR), further contributing to the advancement of digital agriculture and smart systems in Oman.

Dr. Ram’s work is distinguished by a strong commitment to applied research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the promotion of sustainable development through technology.

Ms. Tanya Sharma

Tanya Sharma has a rich and diverse professional background, with experience working with esteemed organizations such as the United Nations. As a Deputy Director at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Tanya Sharma has been instrumental in fostering global academic partnerships, promoting internationalization, and economic empowerment for KISS students. She has successfully organized educational tours, trips, and programs for cross-cultural learning and partnership building, and have managed programs bringing international faculty to KISS for academic exchange. Prior to joining KIIT, Tanya Sharma worked as a Project Associate at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New Delhi, India, from May 2021 to August 2024. In this role, she supported the Social Protection unit in program management and execution, including planning, coordination, and events. She also prepared reports, drafted talking points, and facilitated trainings on various initiatives, including the 1000 Springs Initiative and the Adi-Prashikshan Portal. Before that Tanya Sharma worked as a Consultant at UNDP from September 2019 to December 2019, where she supported the unit in program management and execution, built liaison with state government officials, and represented UNPD in meetings with state governments and NITI Aayog.

Tanya Sharma has also worked as a Consultant at United Nations Women (UNW) from May 2019 to September 2019, where she assisted with logistics, budget management, and coordination for the Beijing+25 Campaign in India.

Additionally, Tanya Sharma has also worked at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 2018 to January 2019, where she drafted reports, facilitated meetings, and supported logistics and organizational work.

Yutaka Furuya

Mr. Muhaimen Umpat

System Budget Director of Mindanao State University System

Atty. Rashid Pandi

Rashid V. Pandi is a law professor at the Mindanao State University, where he concurrently serves as the Director of the Presidential Management Staff. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics, cum laude, from the same university in 2010 and his Juris Doctor degree on an academic scholarship from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City in 2017, graduating as the class valedictorian and receiving the Gold Medal for Best Thesis. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2018.

In 2022, he completed his Master of Laws (LLM) degree as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar at Columbia University in New York City, supported by a Fulbright scholarship. He is also the recipient of The Parker School Certificate for Achievement in International and Comparative Law.

During his time in law school, Prof. Pandi was a member of the team that represented the Philippines in moot court competitions held in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. He contributed to the team’s victories at the World Championship in Oxford University in 2018 and in Stetson University in Florida, USA in 2016.

Prior to joining MSU, Atty. Pandi was an associate at Romulo Law, the oldest and one of the largest law firms in the country. He was also a law professor at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, where he taught public international law and commercial law.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norahim Bin Ibrahim

Norahim Bin Ibrahim holds a B.Eng. in Applied Chemistry (2001) from Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan under the Look East Policy Scholarship funded by the Public Service Department (JPA). Since 2007, he has been working as a tutor in the Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, UTM. In 2008, he completed a Masters in Chemistry at University of Bath, UK, with a scholarship from the Ministry of Higher Education and obtained his PhD from the same institution in 2012. He then served the Department of Student Affairs and Alumni,UTM for 8 years as a Residential College Principal where he dedicated his time and expertise to student development and welfare. Since his return, he has been involved in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and raising awareness about organic waste management across the country. His community service projects have earned him recognition both nationally and internationally. He currently collaborates with local and international companies and organizations in research on organic agriculture. His research interests include water treatment and applied biology in agriculture.

Professor Emeritus Datuk TS. Ir. Dr. Siti Hamisah Tapsir

Currently, the President and Vice-Chancellor of UCSI University, Malaysia following appointment on October 1, 2021. A former civil servant with over 34 years in the Government; held various portfolios under six different ministers, most notably in higher education and science, technology and innovation.

Prior to retirement from the civil service in September 2021, played an instrumental role in overseeing the coordination of the National Immunization Programme (PICK) as the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), which was mandated to implement PICK in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH). The national vaccination programme exceeded expectations by inoculating at least 80% of the adult population in Malaysia by September 2021. Initially expected to retire in March 2021 but service was extended by six months to
lead MOSTI in rolling out PICK.

In 2019, was appointed as the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC) to lead the policy development and strategic management in science, technology and innovation as well as the environment and climate change.

Served as the Director-General of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) from 2017 to 2019. Responsible for the implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015 – 2025 – the Integrated Cumulative Grade Point Average (iCGPA), the CEO@Faculty programme and the 2u2i programme as the key initiatives. Introduced Malaysian Quality Evaluation System for Private Colleges, also known as the MyQuest rating system, to evaluate and subsequently improve the performance of private higher education institutions of college status in Malaysia. Prior to that, served as the Deputy
Director-General for both public and private universities at MOHE from 2009 to 2017. The policy enhancement of private higher education was captured in two books namely; ‘The Way Forward of PHEI’ and “Framing Malaysian Higher Education 4.0: Future Proofing Talents’ and quality of PHEIs”. Was also responsible for the governance and regulatory of private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Malaysia.

Worked briefly as a Civil Engineer in the Public Works Department, Malaysia and Bethel & Duncan Associate, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA.

Started career as a lecturer at University Technology Malaysia (UTM) in 1987 and then as a Dean of Pusat Pengajian Diploma. Subsequently Deputy-Vice Chancellor in charge of academic matters and internalization at UTM.
A registered professional engineer with the Board of Engineers, a Fellow member of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia and a Professional Technologist of the Malaysia Board of Technologists. President of the Malaysia Board of Technologists since 2021 and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia since September 2022. Completed Advanced Management Program at Harvard University, Boston, USA in 2014.

Upon retirement from full time civil service, was appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer of UCSI Group and Vice- Chancellor of UCSI University in October 2021. Mainly oversees the strategic agenda of the education, technology, hotels and travel segments as well as monitoring the performance and fiduciary duties of the UCSI Group and its group of companies. In May 2022, was appointed as the Chairman of the Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force established by the Ministry of Health Malaysia to cover aspects of work culture as well as human resources
management of healthcare personnel. The task force has ended in August 2022. In 2022, was appointed as the one of the committee members of Merdeka Award Nomination Committee for Education and Community Category.

On board of several public listed companies; the Chairperson of Independent Board of Director of Oppstar Berhad, on board of Sime Darby Bhd., Institute Intergriti Malaysia and Malayan Cement Berhad. Was the Chairperson of Independent Board of Director of KitaCon Berhad till June 2024.

Ms Chanathip Kaewthong

Chanathip Kaewthong is currently working at Thaksin University, Thailand, as Head of the International Relations Office, primarily responsible for coordinating and facilitating academic cooperation with foreign institutions.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suresh Ramakrishnan

Dr. Suresh Ramakrishnan is an Associate Professor in Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. He has also additional duties of Associate Director Global Strategy & Engagement at UTM International.