WOU has appointed two new Deputy Vice-Chancellors effective 1 November 2017 to spearhead the University’s transformation in the development and delivery of its academic programmes and in the areas of research, industry and community collaboration.
They are Prof Zoraini Wati Abas who is to assume the position of Deputy Vice- Chancellor for Academic Programmes and Educational Technology, and Prof David Ngo Chek Ling as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Research and Outreach.
WOU Board of Governors Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, said the appointments reflect the commitment and focus of the University to the transformation of WOU as a higher learning institution to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0 and technological disruption.
“We want to ensure our online and on-campus programmes, learning support, student services and other facilities are in sync with the new emerging technologies, producing graduates with the right attitude, skill sets and learning capabilities for the new economy,” he stated.
Prof Zoraini brings with her over 30 years of experience in the education industry. She had worked in the Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya, for 10 years as a lecturer and an Associate Professor. She also served at the International Medical University (IMU) as the Director of the Centre for Medical Education and Media.
She moved on to Open University Malaysia (OUM), Kuala Lumpur, where she held various positions, including Professor of the Faculty of Education and Languages, Director of the Centre for Instructional Design and Technology, and Director of the Institute of Quality, Research and Innovation. She later served as Acting Vice-Rector (Academic and Student Affairs) at Sampoerna University, Jakarta and is also an Associate Visiting Research Fellow at the National Higher Education Research Institute (IPPTN), Universiti Sains Malaysia.
She holds a Doctor of Education and a Master of Science in Education in Instructional Technology, and a BSc in Biological Sciences, all from Northern Illinois University, USA.
In 2014, Prof Zoraini was recognised as 2nd among 14 most influential Higher Educational Technology Leaders in Southeast Asia and received the Education Leadership Award from the World Corporate Universities Congress in Mumbai, India.
Prof Ngo has worked in both public and private universities over a 25-year period. He started out as a lecturer in the School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, before moving on to the Multimedia University where he attained Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Information Science and Technology.
He later became Professor and Deputy CEO (Academic Development, R&D and Institutional Collaboration) at the City University College of Science and Technology, where he helped in its upgrade from a college to a university college, before he took up the position of Dean and Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Malaya.
He then proceeded to Sunway University where he served as Professor and Founding Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Higher Degrees), being responsible for the establishment of the Graduate School and the Research and Innovation Office, and as Research Professor in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor.
He holds a PhD in Computer Science, and a Master of Arts and BAI (Hons) in Microelectronic and Electrical Engineering, from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He has earned five patents and co-founded start-up businesses that have secured international markets.
