TAKING US TO NEW HEIGHTS
Meet the visionaries who set our standards and push us to be the best we can be. They lead by example to ensure we reach our goals, and then go further.
DATO' SRI DR VIJAY ESWARAN
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN
TUN ARIFIN ZAKARIA
CHANCELLOR
PROFESSOR ZITA MOHD FAHMI
VICE-CHANCELLOR
NICHOLAS GOH
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
MUHAMMAD MG OMAR
REGISTRAR
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Sri Dr. Vijay Eswaran S. Vijayaratnam
Executive Chairman, QI Group of Companies & QIU Council Chairman
Yang Berhormat Dato' Ahmad Suaidi bin Abdul Rahim
Secretary of the State Government of Perak
Yang Berhormat Tuan Khairudin bin Abu Hanipah
Chairman of the Perak State Education, Higher Education, Youth & Sports Committee
Yang Berbahagia Dato' Dr Afifi Al-Akiti
KFAS Fellow in Islamic Studies, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri S. Veerasingam
Advisor to QI Group of Companies
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Dr. R. Subramaniam
Director of Global Integrated Training Associates Sdn Bhd
Mr. Zaheer K Merchant
Director for Corporate & Legal Affairs & Director for Education
Mr. Kunaseelan Senathirajah
Group Managing Director, QI Group of Companies
Mr. Nicholas Goh Kaw Chin
Director of Global Integrated Training Associates Sdn Bhd
Professor Zita Mohd Fahmi
Chief Executive & Vice Chancellor, QIU
Professor Dr. Tina Lim Swee Kim
Director, Academic Affairs Division , QIU
Mr. Muhammad Muammar Gadaffi Omar
Registrar, QIU
SENATE
PROFESSOR ZITA MOHD FAHMI
VICE-CHANCELLOR
Professor Zita Mohd Fahmi has served the public education sector for more than 30 years, making a name for herself in academic accreditation and qualifications. Before joining QIU, Professor Zita was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). She was also the Special Advisor for the Association of Quality Assurance Agencies of the Islamic World (QA Islamic), a Non-Executive member of the Hong Kong Council for the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational qualifications, and the former Secretary of the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN).Her legacy in Malaysian education is set in stone, as she was among the few pioneer officers who established the National Accreditation Board in 1997.
MUHAMMAD MG OMAR
REGISTRAR
Mr Muhammad has headed QIU’s Registry Unit since 2017, where his team leads the effort to make QIU a role model and an example for other universities to follow.He formerly served as Director of Policy and Strategic Planning at the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) where he was responsible for formulating and recommending policies on quality assurance systems for Malaysian higher education, as well as developing and implementing strategic planning for the MQA.
Professor Dr. Tina Lim Swee Kim
Director of Academic Affairs
Professor Dr Tina Lim Swee Kim obtained a PhD in Instructional Design and Development from Universiti Sains Malaysia, a Master of Education (Curriculum & Instruction) from the University of Houston, and a Bachelor of Science with Education (Hons) from Universiti Malaya. She also holds a postgraduate certificate in the Teaching of English as a Second Language from the Language Institute, Kuala Lumpur.
An experienced educator, Professor Dr Tina brings with her more than 30 years of teaching and management experience in secondary schools, teacher education institute and private higher education institutions. She was also formerly the Senior Manager for Research and Innovation, and then Director of the Institute of Quality, Research and Innovation with Open University Malaysia. Her work experience includes serving as the Course Design Academic Project Manager at the Western Sydney University and team leader for a local e-learning content developer, as well as the Academic Head and then Principal of Sunway College Ipoh. Prior to holding the position of Director of Academic Affairs, Professor Dr Tina served as the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at QIU.
Professor Dr Vijay Kumar Mallan
Dean, Centre for Postgraduate Studies
Professor Vijay Kumar is an internationally recognised expert in doctoral education, with over 45 years of academic experience across New Zealand and Malaysia. He began his career as a primary school teacher and rose to senior academic leadership, currently serving as Dean of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies at QIU. Previously, he held leadership roles at the University of Otago, where he was appointed Honorary Professor of Doctoral Education for his outstanding contributions. He is the first academic outside Australia to receive the ACGR Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Programs and Support (2025), and the first outside the UK to be recognised by the UKCGE for excellence in doctoral supervision.
A founding member of the International Doctoral Education Research Network (IDERN), Professor Vijay’s research focuses on doctoral supervision, examination, feedback, and researcher development, particularly in international and cross-cultural contexts. His widely cited work includes a foundational supervision guide commissioned by Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education. He serves on editorial boards of leading journals, mentors emerging scholars, and has led supervision development across more than 45 universities in 23 countries.
PROFESSOR DR ABDUL RAHEEM MOHAMAD YUSOF
DEAN, FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
An educator for nearly 40 years, Prof. Dr Abdul Raheem has built a reputation as a commercial-savvy academic thanks to his experience holding posts that range from Academic Development and Quality Deputy Director to Chief Executive Officer.
Prof Dr Abdul Raheem has held several administrative posts at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, MTU Showcase and Albukhary International University. He has published more than 60 journal articles and proceedings, in addition to conducting over 30 research and consultancy projects for UPSI and the Ministry of Higher Education.
PROFESSOR DR VILASINI PILLAI
DEAN, FACULTY OF INTEGRATED LIFE SCIENCES
DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
A winner of numerous awards for her stellar research work, Professor Dr Vilasini Pillai has more than 30 years of experience in the highest echelons of government agricultural research.
Before joining QIU she was Coordinator for the Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology (APCoAB), and she is also a former National Coordinator of the United Nations’ Development Programme (UNDP) project on Capacity Building for the implementation of the Malaysian Biosafety Law, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia and in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Her expertise has seen her assisting in the establishment of the Secretariat for the National Science and Research Council, chaired by the Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Prof. Dr Sivabala Naidu
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences
Professor Dr. Sivabala Naidu has 38 years of experience as an educator and leader at all levels of education, ranging from primary to tertiary levels. His career and education pathways have provided him with a range of competencies in education with a proven track record in teaching, academic administration and research. He has presented at many international conferences and webinars such as the Asian Perspectives on English Language Teaching (2021), MELTA International Conference (2019) and TEFLIN conference in Makassar, (2018).
ASSOC. PROF. IR. TS. DR. MAH SIEW KIEN
Dean, Faculty of Computing and Engineering
Assoc. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Mah Siew Kien is an accomplished engineering educator, technologist, and advocate for STEM with over 20 years of experience spanning academia, industry, and international engagement. As Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Engineering, she leads strategic initiatives that foster academic excellence, innovation, and cross-border collaboration.
A registered Professional Engineer and Professional Technologist, Dr. Mah holds a PhD in Engineering from Universiti Tenaga Nasional. Her technical expertise lies in microelectronics and the Internet of Things (IoT), with growing interests in artificial intelligence and data engineering. Her leadership is grounded in promoting sustainable technology solutions and developing future-ready talent through interdisciplinary and applied learning approaches.
In recognition of her contributions to engineering and professional development in the region, she was conferred the Honorary Member Award by the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) in 2022. She continues to champion regional engineering excellence and professional mobility through active participation in cross-border networks and collaborative initiatives.
A recognised thought leader, she contributes regularly to national and regional engineering bulletins and forums, sharing insights on inclusive education, sustainability, and digital transformation in engineering and technology. Beyond her technical and academic leadership, Dr. Mah is also an active advocate for inclusion and diversity in STEM. She leads and supports various initiatives aimed at increasing the participation of women and underrepresented groups in science, engineering and technology across Malaysia and the ASEAN region.
