Keynote Speakers
Professor Dato’ Dr. Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid
Professor Dato’ Dr. Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid is Deputy Vice Chancellor, INTI-Laureate International Universities and Professor of Management, Education and the Social Sciences. He was formerly the Director of the Regional Center for Educational Planning (UNESCO-RCEP), Al Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; the Founding Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR); and Director of the National Institute of Educational Management and Leadership. For more than three decades, he has been the key figure in the Field of Educational Management and Leadership in Malaysia.
He is Editor and Editorial Advisor for several educational journals, locally and internationally. He is a Council Member of the Board of the Razak School of Government, a Member of the Board of Trustees Axiata, Board Member of Kolej Yayasan Saad and Yayasan Ilmuan, International Advisory Board Member of Exploring Learning and Leadership Theories Association (ELLTA), Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Educational Administration and the South African Journal of Education.
He is recipient of the Teachers Trade Union Leadership Award and a Special Award as Thought Leader and initiator of the National Professional Qualification for Head Teachers and Educational Leaders. He was Member of the National Committee on the Study, Review and Reform of Higher Education in Malaysia. He is also appointed Member of the National Advisory Council on Education. As a member of both these national committees, he has the opportunity to think through and contribute across all the levels and sectors of Education.
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid is the recipient of the National Educational Leadership Award, the highest Educational Leadership Award in Malaysia awarded only to a few individuals who have demonstrated distinguished and exemplary leadership across institutional, national and international contexts. He was awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Education and Management by the Sultan Idris Education University and also an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Malaya.
Professor Alma Harris
Dr Alma Harris is Professor and Director at the Institute of Educational Leadership, University of Malaya, the leader in research and innovation. Prior to that, Dr Harris has held positions at the Institute of Education, London (as the Pro-Director, Leadership), at the University of Bath, Open University, Nottingham University and the University of Warwick (held the position of the Director of the Institute of Education for four years).
Dr Harris’ research work focuses on organizational change and development. She is internationally known for her work on school improvement, focusing particularly on improving schools in challenging circumstances. Dr Harris has written extensively about leadership in schools and she is an expert on the theme of distributed leadership. Her book ‘Distributed Leadership in Schools: Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow’ (published in 2008 by Routledge & Falmer Press) has been translated into several languages.
Some of her recent books (as an author/ editor) include: ‘Challenging the orthodoxy? Perspectives on school effectiveness and improvement research policy and practice’ (published in 2012 by Springer), ‘Schools performing beyond expectations’ (published in 2012 by Routledge Press), ‘Professional Learning communities in Action’ (published in 2011 by Leannta Press), and ‘Leading School Turnaround’ (published in 2010 by Jossey Bass).
Dr Harris has held a number visiting professorships at a number of Universities including the University of Hong Kong, Nottingham Business School, University of Manitoba, University of Malaysia, and is a Professorial Fellow at the Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne.
Since 2009/2010, she has been seconded to the ‘Welsh Assembly Government’ as a Senior Professional Adviser and is currently assisting with the process of system wide reform. She is President Elect of the ‘International Congress of School Effectiveness and School Improvement’ and will take up her Presidency at the 26th International Congress in Chile in 2013.
Professor Shantha Liyanage
Professor Shantha Liyanage is senior researcher at Department of Education and Communities and professorial fellow at the University of Technology Sydney. He is also currently the Director of SERIM Australia Pty Ltd.
Dr Liyanage’s PhD is in the management of Industrial Innovation. He has worked in industry, government and academic institutions in the areas of management of innovation and technology management.
Previously, he was the Associate Professor and Director of Technology Management Centre (TMC) at the University of Queensland where he developed a novel postgraduate programme in technology and innovation management. He also held professorial appointments at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and the Macquarie University in Sydney. At the Business School of the University of Auckland (2001-2007), he worked closely on biotechnology commercialisation with leading biotechnology groups. He held several visiting professor positions/ appointments, including the International Business School of the Nihon University, Japan.
Dr Liyanage has contributed to innovation, knowledge and management practices in public sector organisations and private industry and his work with CERN ATLAS is internationally recognised. He was also the founding member and the Program Manager of the UNESCO based Science and Technology Policy Asian Network (STEPAN). As the program manager of STEPAN, he has contributed to science and technology development in many developing nations in Asia. Shantha has extensive experience in applied techniques for fostering technology and innovation through his consultancy experience with various Government and International development Agencies such as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, UNESCO and AusAid and Governments in Asia and Pacific.
He has contributed to theories of innovation, knowledge and intellectual capital and international business strategies and leadership, and is also on the International Advisory Board of Exploring Learning and Leadership Theories Association (ELLTA). He is also Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Leaning and Change, Inderscience, UK. Dr Liyanage is an active researcher, and his areas of expertise include: Innovation Audit, Knowledge Management, Intellectual Property Management, Project Evaluation, Organisational Innovation, and Management of Research and Development. In addition to his academic credentials, Dr Liyanage also has extensive industry experience in learning and development field.
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This Page is currently under construction, and more will be added to the list.
The listing has been done in alphabetic order.