The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) recently appointed Professor Claire O’Malley and Professor Fon Sim Ong as Deans of the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences respectively.
As Deans, Professor O’Malley and Professor Ong will lead two faculties which have bold growth plans for the coming years. They will be responsible for promoting teaching and research excellence within their faculties as well as contributing to the broader operation of the University. Growth opportunities for both faculties will emerge from the expansion in existing provision as well as the development of new programmes with particular emphasis being placed on the development of globally aware and responsible graduates. Research initiatives will particularly focus on agendas that are of relevance to South East Asia. Collaboration across all three faculties at UNMC will enable research teams to bring diverse expertise to address problems of regional and global significance.
“I am delighted to announce the appointment of two colleagues – one each from the Malaysia and UK campuses of the University of Nottingham. Both are outstanding academics with excellent management and leadership experience who will be able to play a key role as the University moves forward with its own vision for 2020,” said Professor Christine Ennew, Provost & CEO of The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
“I have every confidence that both will continue to excel in their academic careers and provide the leadership that will enable others to do likewise“ said Professor Ennew.
Professor Claire O’Malley
Professor O’Malley started her career at the University of Nottingham UK in 1989. Prior to joining UNMC, she was Professor of Learning Science at the School of Psychology, and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Nottingham, UK.
She is a founding member of the Mixed Reality Laboratory at the University of Nottingham, UK, which serves to connect researchers from across disciplines in science, engineering, social science and arts. She is also a founding member of the Learning Sciences Research Institute at Nottingham, bringing together researchers in psychology, education and computer science. She is also founding member and a past President of the International Society of the Learning Sciences and a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society. She is also a co-investigator in the Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute at Nottingham.
Professor O’Malley holds a doctorate in Education and a Bachelors degree in Psychology & Philosophy from the University of Leeds, UK. Her research interests are in human-computer interaction and technology enhanced learning.
Prior to joining the University of Nottingham, she worked at the University of California San Diego, the University of Sussex and the Open University.
Professor O’Malley has been awarded significant funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC),the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK, as well as the European Commission. She was Deputy Director of the ESRC Centre for Research in Development, Instruction and Training at Nottingham from 1992 to 2002, vice-chair of the ESRC Research Grants Board from 2004 to 2008 and most recently a member of the ESRC Research Committee from 2012 to 2014.
Professor O’Malley said: “As an interdisciplinary researcher, I am very honoured and excited about the opportunity to lead the Faculty of Science at UNMC in the development of research and teaching in important global challenges such as health, food security and environmental change and the important role of digital technology and social science in achieving advances in these areas.”
Professor Fon Sim Ong
Professor Ong has more than 20 years in academia in the Malaysian higher education sector. She joined UNMC in May this year as the Professor of Marketing in the University’s business school. Professor Ong has held positions at both public and private universities, lecturing undergraduate and post graduate students. She has served as Deputy Dean, Research and Development, Faculty of Business and Accountancy of University of Malaya and was also Professor of Marketing and Dean of the Graduate School of Business at Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.
Professor Ong also has delivered numerous training sessions in the area of marketing for corporations such as APM Automotive Bhd, PROTON Holdings and Tenaga Nasional Berhad. She has also undertaken consultancy projects commissioned by Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).
She has been awarded research grants by the Malaysian government for her research in ageing and older consumers. Her involvement into the area of older consumers and ageing has enabled her to network and collaborate with researchers from US and Hong Kong. She is currently a Research Affiliate with Asia Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong. Her other research interest include materialism, stress and subjective well-being, and behaviour of patrons at shopping malls.
Professor Ong is the secretary of one of the research clusters of the National Council of Professors in Malaysia, under its private higher education institution arm since May this year. In addition, she is also a Trustee of i-RESOLVE Foundation, Asia Pacific Forum on Families (Malaysia), a Foundation dedicated to research.
Professor Ong said: “I am indeed honoured to be given the opportunity to lead the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, which has a broad portfolio of programmes, a faculty comprising of local and international scholars and students. The Nottingham culture of excellence will continue to guide us in achieving our goals in teaching and research and I am really looking forward to working with my colleagues in my new capacity".
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More information is available from Josephine Dionisappu,PR & Communications Manager on + 6 (03) 8924 8746, josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my.
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 42,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with campuses in China and Malaysia modelled on a headquarters that is among the most attractive in Britain’ (Times Good University Guide 2014). It is also one of the most popular universities among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities,and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the World’s Top 75 universities by the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy &sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its research into global foods security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fundraising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.
Posted on 18th December 2013