Professor Ho Teck Hua is the fifth president of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, where he is a Distinguished University Professor. He is also the founding executive chairman of AI Singapore; president of the Academy of Engineering, Singapore; and an academician of Academia Sinica.

Teck is a prominent behavioural scientist with a PhD in decision sciences from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. From 2018 to 2023, Teck served as senior deputy president and provost at the National University of Singapore. As provost, he was responsible for developing and enhancing NUS’s Lifelong Learning (NUS L³) Programme and recruiting promising and leading academics for the university. In 2015, he was the first awardee of the Singapore National Research Foundation’s Returning Singaporean Scientists Scheme. Before returning to Singapore, Teck was the William Halford Jr Family Professor of Marketing at the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business. In 2015, he was also conferred the Williamson Award, the Haas School’s highest faculty award, named in honour of Oliver Williamson, recipient of the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

Teck was the first non-US citizen to be editor-in-chief of Management Science. In Singapore, Teck sits on the boards of DSO National Laboratories, the Government Technology Agency, and the National Research Foundation. In 2023, he was awarded the Singapore Public Administration Medal (Gold).

Joy Johnson is president and vice-chancellor of Simon Fraser University, and professor in its Faculty of Health Sciences.

As president, Joy is committed to building community partnerships; enhancing student learning experiences; supporting Indigenous reconciliation; and advancing equity, diversity and inclusion across the university.

Prior to her appointment as president, Joy served as SFU’s vice-president, research and international, and oversaw the evolution of cutting-edge research, innovation, and international engagement across eight faculties.

Under her leadership, SFU’s achieved the fastest growth of any Canadian university research income of any university in Canada, with a focus on mobilizing knowledge to enhance the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of its communities.

Prior to SFU, Joy had a distinguished career in academics and research. She is an elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has co-authored more than 180 peer-reviewed articles.

Joy currently serves on the Universities Canada Board of Directors.

President Kohei Itoh graduated from Keio University and received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined Keio University as a faculty member in 1995 and became a full professor in 2007. He served as Dean of Faculty and Graduate School of Science and Technology of Keio University between 2017 and 2019, and as the Chair of Keio AI and Advanced Programming Consortium between 2018 and 2021. His main focus of research has been quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum physics, which led to more than 330 journal publications. He is one of 210 Council Members of the Science Council of Japan representing approximately 870,000 scholars in the country to propose and advise academic and scientific policies in Japan, and has served on numerous executive boards including the Physical Society of Japan and the Japan Society of Applied Physics. He leads a variety of quantum information projects in Japan as the Program Director of Quantum Information Technology in the MEXT Quantum Leap Flagship Program for researchers representing the field, and as the Chairperson for the expert panel on Quantum Technology Innovation for the government of Japan. He is a recipient of the Japan IBM Prize (2006) and the JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Prize (2009). He is also a founder of the IBM Quantum Computer Network Hub at Keio University.

Professor Tan Eng Chye is a passionate and award-winning educator. He was a pioneer architect of the current academic system in NUS, and has seeded many initiatives such as the Special Programme in Science, University Scholars Programme, University Town Residential College Programme, Grade-free Year, and Technology-enhanced Education.

Professor Tan holds a First Class Honours Degree in Mathematics from the National University of Singapore and PhD from Yale University.

Professor Tan is a member of the Singapore’s Future Economy Council.  He is on the boards of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR); National Research Foundation; and NUS High School of Mathematics and Sciences. He is the Chair of Universitas 21, a leading global network of 27 research-intensive universities.

Professor Tan received the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2014 for his outstanding contributions to education. He was awarded the Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal, which honours exceptional alumni in the areas of scholarship, teaching, academic administration and public service, by Yale University in 2018.  Professor Tan was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Southampton in 2018 in recognition of his achievements as “an innovative and exceptional teacher, and then as a distinguished and respected leader in academia”.

Professor Kuiling Ding – President of SJTU and APRU Steering Committee Member

Professor Ding Kuiling has been the President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University since February 2023. Previously, as SJTU's Executive Vice President for five years, he was responsible for overseeing the university's academic affairs.

Prior to joining SJTU, Professor Ding held a number of senior positions in academia, including the role of Director at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC), and the role of Vice President at Shangha iTech University.

As a chemist and an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he has received numerous prestigious awards, including the National Natural Science Award (Second Class), the Eli Lilly Scientific Excellence Award, the Yoshida Prize, and the Humboldt Prize. In addition, he serves as an editor of more than ten international chemistry journals.

Professor Ding holds a PhD in Chemistry from Nanjing University. His research interests include asymmetric catalysis and green chemistry based on organometallics. Notably, he pioneered and successfully implemented the combinatorial approach in the discovery of novel chiral catalyst systems. Furthermore, he is credited with developing the self-supporting strategy for chiral catalyst immobilization.

David Garza received a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Colorado State University.

He has a trajectory of more than 30 years with Tecnológico de Monterrey where he has served in different academic and leadership positions such as Director of Graduate Programs, Dean of Division, Dean of the School of Engineering (Monterrey campus), Director of Campus (San Luis Potosí campus), Regional Rector –responsible of the academic operations of Monterrey Campus (main campus)-, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education -he led key academic initiatives related to improving the quality of students, faculty and the development of Tec21 Educational Model- and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. He is Rector of Tecnológico de Monterrey since July 1st, 2017, a private nonprofit comprehensive university with 26 campuses in México and nearly 90,000 students (55,500 undergraduate, 8,000 graduate and 26,000 senior high school). It is international recognized for its strong reputation among employers and its entrepreneurial orientation, and it is consistently ranked among the Top universities in Latin America.

Dr. Garza has been a professor/researcher at the Informatics Research Center collaborating with academic departments, and teaching courses in the Electronic and Information Technologies related majors. He has participated as professor in the Masters and Ph.D. programs. As a researcher, he has participated in the definition and development of projects financed by highly prestigious institutions both national and international, such as: United States Agency for International Development, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, Advanced Research Projects Agency, European Commission and CONACYT. Some of his research projects have been in collaboration with international institutions such as: Virginia Tech, Southwest Research Institute and Colorado State University. As a faculty member he has been author of multiple journal/conference and book articles, and worked as consultant in different industry projects. He has been recipient, twice, of the Distinguished Faculty Award.

David Garza has been Chair of the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), an initiative created with the support of ASEE and International Federation of Engineering Education Societies. He received an Honoris Causa Doctorate from Universidad Americana Nicaragua in 2012. He is a member of professional societies and organizations such as: ASEE, IEEE, ACM, Sigma Xi, and Phi Kappa Phi. He has served in different conference committees, and state, national and international councils from different industry and academic organizations and has been invited speaker/panelist in international events in more than 15 different countries. He is married with Claudia García Valadez and has four children: Claudia Marcela, Alejandro Daniel, Andrés Fernando and Sara Elisa.

Nancy Ip is the President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Morningside Professor of Life Science. Taking office in October 2022, she is the first female president of a publicly funded university in Hong Kong.

Ip received her PhD degree in Pharmacology from Harvard University, after which she held the position of Senior Staff Scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in New York. Since joining HKUST in 1993, she has served as the Vice-President for Research and Development, Dean of Science, and Head of the Department of Biochemistry.

Ip is world-renowned for her significant contributions to the field of neuroscience. Her major research interests are in understanding the complex mechanisms that underlie proper brain functions, as well as drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Her outstanding research has resulted in over 336 scientific papers and holds 70 patents. A distinguished neuroscientist, Ip was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, among other academies, and is a recipient of numerous awards, including the National Natural Science Awards and the L'OREAL-UNESCO for Women in Science Award.

Professor Deborah Terry AO is Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Queensland (UQ). Prior to commencing this role in August 2020, she served as Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University, in Western Australia (from February 2014 to July 2020).

Professor Terry was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) in June 2015, in recognition of her distinguished service to education in the tertiary sector.

She is a former Chair of the Board of Universities Australia; a Fellow and past President of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia; an appointed member of the Australian Research Council Advisory Council; and serves on the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Board and Australia’s Academic and Research Network Board (AARNET).

Having grown up in Perth and Canberra, Professor Terry completed her PhD in Social Psychology at the Australian National University in Canberra. From there, she commenced her distinguished career at UQ in 1990, initially as an internationally recognised scholar in psychology. During her 24 years at UQ, Professor Terry progressed through a number of senior leadership roles to become Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, before leaving for her role as Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University in early 2014.

Professor at the Universidad de Chile. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, with postdoctoral studies at the University of Southern California, USA.

She has served as Director of Graduate Studies (2006-2010), Provost (2010-2014) and Vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at the Universidad de Chile (2014-2022). In these roles, she has promoted higher education policies for more equality and inclusion. Also, she is a corresponding member of the Academia Chilena de Ciencias.

In June 2022, she took office as the first ever female Rector of the Universidad de Chile in 180 years.

Professor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Abu Osman is the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya (UM), a distinguished scholar in biomechanics, and a visionary leader in higher education. With a strong academic foundation in engineering, he holds a BEng (Hons) from the University of Bradford, an MSc, and a PhD from the University of Strathclyde. He is a Chartered Engineer (UK & Australia) and a Fellow of several prestigious institutions, including the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK), Engineers Australia, and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. 

Throughout his career, Professor Noor Azuan has held numerous leadership positions, including Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Acting Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) at UMT. His contributions have led to transformative advancements in academic excellence, including elevating UM’s Faculty of Engineering to Top 10 in the world (US News) and Top 35 in QS rankings. At UNITEN, he played a key role in positioning the university as a leading regional energy research hub and established the National Energy Centre. 

An expert in biomechanics, Professor Noor Azuan has been instrumental in the field of prosthetics technology, delivering over 50 keynote and invited lectures worldwide. He is the founder of BioApps Sdn. Bhd., a UM spin-off company specializing in medical prosthetics, which has generated over RM 25 million in revenue. His research excellence is evident in his 260 publications indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, an H-index of 40, and the successful supervision of 41 PhD and 38 Master's students. His work has attracted over RM 15 million in research grants, both locally and internationally, and resulted in 14 patents. 

Recognized for his contributions to academia and innovation, he was awarded the 14th National Academic Award (Anugerah Akademik Negara ke-14) by the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He continues to be an influential figure in academic governance, serving as a Councilor in the World Council of Biomechanics and an Executive Committee member of the Asian Pacific Association of Biomechanics. 

Professor Noor Azuan is deeply committed to fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and the community, driving research and innovation that contribute to national and global development. His leadership philosophy emphasizes teamwork, sustainable research, and technological advancements that improve the quality of life for society. 

Chancellor Gary S. May is a highly engaged leader with a passion for helping others succeed. He believes success is best judged by how we enhance the lives of others.

Throughout his career, he’s championed diversity, equity and inclusion in both higher education and the workplace. He developed nationally recognized programs that attract, mentor and retain underrepresented groups in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. In 2015, President Obama honored him with the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring.

May earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science at UC Berkeley. He was inducted to the National Academy of Engineering in 2018. In 2020, May was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences under the classification of “educational and academic leadership.” In 2021, May was awarded a Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an honorary doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

A prominent voice in higher education, May is a Commissioner of the Council on Competitiveness and other national committees.

His vision as UC Davis’ seventh chancellor is to lead the university to new heights in academic excellence, inclusion, public service and upward mobility for students from all backgrounds.

As UC San Diego’s chief executive officer, Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla provides vision and strategy, leading a campus of more than 43,000 students within 11 academic, professional and graduate schools and eight undergraduate residential colleges; a preeminent health system; and the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Khosla initiated and led UC San Diego’s first-ever Strategic Plan and the ambitious 10-year, $2 billion Campaign for UC San Diego. The Campaign raised $3.05 billion, exceeding its original goal by more than $1 billion, and making UC San Diego the youngest institution ever to complete a multi-billion-dollar fundraising campaign. UC San Diego and UC San Diego Health are currently undergoing a $5 billion construction boom to expand healthcare services, classrooms, research space and double the number of on-campus housing units.

Under Chancellor Khosla’s leadership, UC San Diego has expanded college access and affordability for underserved students, initiated campus-wide interdisciplinary research initiatives to foster collaboration and solve societal challenges, and strengthened university and community partnerships to drive regional impact.

Khosla is active in groups that promote and advance engineering and electronics knowledge. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and the American Society for Engineering Education. He was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Association for Advancement of Science, the American Association of Artificial Intelligence, the Indian Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Indian Academy of Science.

President Jimenez is a labour lawyer and expert in global worker migration. He has played a key role in shaping labour policies across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and was instrumental in the creation of the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers. His experience includes serving as Deputy Administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and as Labor Attaché in Japan, Kuwait, and Iraq, where he worked to protect Filipino workers during crises. 

A lecturer and researcher specializing in migrant protection and labour policies, Jimenez holds a Master in Public Management degree from the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and was a Lee Kuan Yew Fellow at the Harvard School of Government. A University of the Philippines Diliman graduate, he was Chairperson of the University Student Council then served twice on the UP Board of Regents. He is the first UP President from Mindanao and a proud member of the Manobo tribe. He envisions UP as a globally engaged university dedicated to solving real-world challenges and producing transformative leaders. 

President Dong-sup Yoon serves as the 20th president of Yonsei University, leading the institution with a vision of "Pursuing Truth and Freedom, Unlocking Human Potential." A distinguished surgeon, President Yoon has an extensive background in healthcare leadership, having previously served as the CEO of Yonsei University Health System and the president of the Korean Hospital Association. With his expertise and broad leadership experience, he is committed to advancing both the development of the university and the broader field of social welfare. 

Prof. Schneider was elected as APRU’s 5th Chief Executive and took up the role from Janurary 2023. A native of Germany, Prof. Schneider studied at the University of Zurich, the University of Basel and the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris. He earned his degrees (Lizentiat 1990; Dr. phil. 1996; Habilitation 1999), all in Egyptology, from the University of Basel. Throughout his career, he has held academic and administrative positions in four global regions – North America; Asia; Europe; the Middle East. He was a Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Zurich (2000-3), a Junior Research Professor of the Swiss National Science Foundation at the University of Basel (2001-5), Professor and inaugural holder of the Chair in Egyptology at Swansea University, Wales (2005-7), before joining the University of British Columbia. He held Visiting Professorships at the University of Vienna (1999), the University of Heidelberg (2003-4) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2018). He was a Visiting Scholar at New York University (2006), the University of California, Berkeley (2012), the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing (2016) and Shanghai University (2018, International Masters Program). And from 2018-20, Prof. Schneider served the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China’s fastest-rising new STEM university, as Associate Vice President (International), spearheading its internationalization efforts. Recently, Prof. Schneider has founded PALAC – a new consortium of liberal arts colleges focused on experimental learning in the liberal arts across multiple economies in Asia and North America.

In addition to his Executive Directorship of the PALAC consortium and the Associate Vice President position at SUSTech (in which functions he has engaged with a large number of APRU member institutions), Prof. Schneider has acquired significant leadership experience at the departmental level (Acting Department Chair; Director of Graduate Studies; Chair of Egyptology) and university level (Senator on the UBC Senate, 2014-8). He oversaw specific strategic projects and initiatives as Special Advisor to the Vice-Provost and Dean, Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, at UBC (2015-7) and as Advisor to the President at Quest University Canada (2016-17).

Prof. Schneider has acquired a broad knowledge of the spectrum of disciplines represented by APRU member institutions, as a humanities scholar who has also worked for a STEM research university. He has been a consultant, adjudicator and reviewer for universities, funding agencies and publishers in North America, China, Europe, Israel, and Australia, as well as an executive editor of academic periodicals. His own scholarship (160 publications, among which 7 authored books and 7 edited books) focuses on cultural and linguistic interconnections in the Near East, the environmental history of Egypt, and the history of the humanities in Nazi Germany.

Email: [email protected]

Albert Chan joined APRU in September 2023, as Director of Administration and Finance.

With extensive experience in the field of financial accounting and corporate governance, Albert started his career as an external auditor in Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu of Hong Kong. He then served in commercial companies with operations ranging from telecommunications and engineering services, trading and retail, as well as construction and fitting out businesses.

Albert holds a B.A. in Accountancy from The City University of Hong Kong and has a Master of Business Administration from the Warwick Business School of University of Warwick, United Kingdom.

He is a fellow member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom.

Email: [email protected]

Chancellor Gene Block has retired as the 6^th Chancellor of UCLA. He served UCLA from 2007-2024 and has also served on the APRU Steering Committee for 11– years and 7 years—as APRU Chair. Chancellor Block was honored at the APRU Annual Presidents’ Dinner Gala Dinner at the University of Auckland in June 2024 with a Certificate of Appointment as APRU Ambassador for his longstanding stewardship of APRU.

As an APRU Ambassador, Chancellor Block will continue to support the activities of the association and give advice on its impact and advocacy across the region.

Please read more about Chancellor Block here. 

Professor Rocky S. Tuan served as the eighth Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong from January 1, 2018 - January 8, 2025. He was concurrently Lee Quo Wei and Lee Yick Hoi Lun Professor of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at the University. Prior to joining CUHK in 2016 as a distinguished visiting professor and the founding director of the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, he held several appointments at the University of Pittsburgh, including distinguished professor of orthopaedic surgery and director of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering in the School of Medicine. He is also founding director of the Center for Military Medicine Research and Associate Director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Professor Tuan is an internationally renowned biomedical scientist specializing in musculoskeletal biology and tissue regeneration, whose work covers both basic science and engineering, as well as translational and clinical applications. His significant contributions have been recognized by the Hap Paul Award of the International Society of Technologies in Arthroplasty in 1997, the Marshall Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research of the Orthopaedic Research Society in 2004, the Carnegie Science Award in Life Sciences, and the Clemson Award of the Society for Biomaterials in 2016. In 2017, Professor Tuan was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) for his accomplishments in innovation and translational research that bring significant impact on society.

Ms. Shally Fan is Director of Academic Links at CUHK. She promotes and supports the University’s global engagement strategy in research and education with a view to strengthening its impact and visibility on the global stage and enriching the international exposure and intercultural experience of students. She oversees all aspects of global engagement at the University, including teaching and research partnerships, strategic alliances and networks, collaborative agreements, as well as student and faculty mobility, among other programmes and initiatives.

Ms. Fan received her BA from The University of Adelaide and MCom from the University of South Australia. She joined the Office of Academic Links at CUHK in 2001 to manage the University’s student exchange programmes. Since then, she has expanded the scope and number of the global engagement programmes for faculty and students.  Ms. Fan is a frequent speaker in international education forums and served on the Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education during December 2015 to June 2017.

Dimitria G. Groutsis is The University of Sydney’s Academic Director of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Program and Professor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Sydney Business School.

Dimitria is a leading scholar in the field of migration, labour mobility, diversity, equity and inclusion  and ethno-racial diversity in the business context. Her research creates a bridge between the academy and business practice, engaging with key stakeholders in industry and government across many sectors. In addition to publications and high impact policy reports which have been recognised with national and international research awards, she has received 10 million dollars in research funding. Her consulting role sees her working with the Diversity Council Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission, Settlement Services International, the International Organisation for Migration, the Australian Institute of Company Directors to name but afew; and large corporate sector partners and key stakeholders in the government and non-government sectors. Dimitria has been the recipient of national and international fellowships and has been recognised with a number of prestigious awards for her leadership in diversity equity and inclusion research and practice.

Dimitria is the Convenor of the Migration, Ethno-Racial, Cultural and Intersectionality@Work Research Group at the University of Sydney Business School (MERCI@WRG).

She currently serves as the National Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Center of Recognition for Human Dignity, Tecnológico de Monterrey.

Karla is a forensic expert and is accredited as a facilitator in intervention models for the prevention and treatment of violence. Also, she has been an advisor to groups and collectives on issues of disability, sexual diversity, young people and women such as Instituto Nuevo Amanecer, fathers and mothers of Arcoiris AC, etc.

As a teacher in the Clinical Psychology program at Tec, she has taught human sexuality subjects and seminars on vulnerable groups.

Karla is a Master in Clinical Sexology Sciences from the Mexican Institute of Sexology, a PhD Candidate in Human sexology and a Graduate in Clinical Psychologist from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León.

She was a finalist for the National Human Rights Award (National Human Rights Commission Mexico City, 2012)

Jerome Hui is the Co-Director, of the APRU Biodiversity Program and is currently the Associate Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also the Director of Biology Programme, and members of Cell and Molecular Biology Programme, Environmental Science Programme, and Molecular Biotechnology Programme of the School of Life Sciences. He received his DPhil from the University of Oxford, and postdoctoral training from University of Manchester and University of Oxford. As an evolutionary biologist and zoologist, he has keen research interests on arthropods, cnidarians, invertebrates, cross-kingdom interactions, biotechnology, genomics, molecular ecology, and conservation of biodiversity.

Further information can be found at the following webpage: https://www.sls.cuhk.edu.hk/index.php/faculty-and-staff/teaching-staff/26-sls/faculty-and-staff/teaching-staff/105-professor-hui-ho-lam-jerome.

Dr Carolyn Hogg has been working on the conservation of threatened species for over twenty-five years both in Australia and overseas. Carolyn is currently the Senior Research Manager for the Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group in the Faculty of Science, and the Science Lead for the Threatened Species Initiative. Working closely with both academic and conservation management partners we are developing better tools and technologies to integrate molecular genetics into real-time conservation management decisions with a suite of Australian species such as Tasmanian devils, koalas, bilbies, orange-bellied parrots and more.

Nathan Lo, Program Co-Director of Biodiversity Program is an evolutionary biologist interested in genome evolution, molecular ecology, and phylogenetics of arthropods. He has research programs on the evolution of social behaviour in termites and the symbionts of arthropods. After joining the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at The University of Sydney in 2009, he was an Australian Research Council (ARC) QEII Research Fellow from 2010-2014, and is currently an ARC Future Fellow (2017-2021). He was Biodiversity Research Initiative Leader at the Australian Museum, Sydney from 2008-2009. He has published over 140 scientific papers, which have been cited over 8500 times.

Woo Soo Kim is a Professor at the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Canada. His research interests include advancing 3-D printing technologies and exploring their applications in engineering. He received B.Sc. degree from Yonsei University, M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea. He completed Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA.

Eleanor “Elly” Vandegrift is the Director of the Global Studies Institute at the University of Oregon in the Division of Global Engagement. She supports faculty and student global research engagement that promotes academic excellence at the University of Oregon and with global partners. As biology faculty, Elly earned multiple teaching awards for leading biology, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary courses focused on improving science literacy. She has worked with local, national, and international STEM education organizations dedicated to supporting faculty professional development and improving student learning. Elly is the author of several articles about STEM education reform and educational development. As GSI Director, she leverages a track record landing and running grants, gifts and contracts; direct work with international donors and funding agencies; as well as curricular, pedagogical and programmatic innovation in global contexts. Elly cotaught the APRU Teaching and Learning in Virtual Environments online series and co-leads the APRU Student Climate Change Simulation. Elly trained as an ecologist at Earlham College and Oregon State University.

Mellissa Withers, Program Director of Global Health Program is an academic who has turned her passion for other cultures and women’s empowerment into a full-time adventure. She serves as Professor and Director of Pedagogical Enrichment and Training in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, where she teaches global health-related courses. She is also the director of the APRU Global Health Program. Her work focuses on a broad range of global health issues, including sexual and reproductive health, women’s empowerment, migrant health, and mental health, with a particular emphasis on community participatory research and qualitative methodology.

She earned her Ph.D. in Community Health Sciences from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in Los Angeles, USA in 2009 with an emphasis on medical anthropology. Her dissertation explored fertility intentions in Bali, Indonesia, where she immersed herself in the local culture for 15 months. She also earned a Master’s in Health Sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, and a B.A. degree in Global Development from UC Berkeley.

Dr. Withers' has traveled to more than 75 countries and has lived in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Indonesia. Her research is informed by her international experiences and commitment to understanding diverse health challenges. Outside of her professional pursuits, you might find her salsa dancing, kayaking, practicing yoga, or planning her next trip, reflecting her vibrant and dynamic approach to life and work.

Email: [email protected]

Sierin Lim is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and the Associate Dean for Global Partnerships at the Graduate College, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and did a postdoc at University of California Irvine. She is the founder of the Biomedical Engineering Society (Singapore) Student Chapter and Women@NTU Initiatives. She has received several awards including the Asia Pacific Networking Research Fellowship from the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (2012), L’Oréal-UNESCO Singapore for Women in Science National Fellowships (2013), Tan Chin Tuan Fellowship for Exchange in Engineering (2016), Outstanding Woman in Biomedical Engineering Venus International Women Awards (2019).

Adrian Little is Professor of Political Theory at the University of Melbourne where he has served as Pro Vice Chancellor International and APRU Senior International Leader since 2018. He moved to Melbourne from the University of London in 2004 and went on to serve for a decade as the Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences. Adrian is the author of seven books and (co-)editor of three others on topics including contemporary political and social philosophy, Indigenous politics, borders and mobility, political conflict and democracy. His most recent book is Temporal Politics: Contested Pasts, Uncertain Futures (Edinburgh University Press, 2022). In recognition of his contribution to global research in his field, Adrian was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2020. Within APRU, Adrian is the founder and co-convenor (with Noelani Puniwai, University of Hawai’i Manoa) of the Indigenous and First Nations Knowledges Network which will have its fourth annual meeting (one virtual and three in-person) at the Universidad de Chile in November 2024. The previous two meetings were held at the University of Melbourne and in Chiapas, Mexico hosted by Tec de Monterrey. As a ‘first-in-family’ university student, Adrian is committed to equity and widening participation in international education. He works to create opportunities for greater access to tertiary institutions for marginalised groups in society, as well as recognition of diverse cultures and knowledge systems.

Noelani Puniwai is passionate about cultivating the next generation of students to mālama ʻāina. She has been trained academically (PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa; MSc. in Environmental Science, Washington State Univ; BA in Marine Science, UH Hilo) to practice malama ‘āina/kai. Yet through her experiences in her culture, science training, and student mentorship, she’s recognized that feeling aloha ‘āina, he alo a he alo, face to face must also be practiced, moving beyond exclusively intellectual pursuits. Her research interests include coastal ecosystems, cultural geography, knowledge co-production, and seascapes. Noe believes that we can use the rigor and methodologies of pono science, the foundational wisdom of our kūpuna, and our experiential daily practice of aloha ‘āina to awaken responsible action for the future of our Hawai’i.

Simon Bates is Vice-Provost and Associate Vice President, Teaching and Learning at the University of British Columbia and a tenured Professor of Teaching in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Following graduate and postdoctoral work at the interface of computational physics and theoretical chemistry, he has 25 years’ experience working in the area of technology-led educational enhancement and research. As well as leading UBC’s response to integrating generative AI tools into academic offerings, he has been involved in a number of networks and collaborations considering some of the benefits and challenges these tools pose within Higher Education, including a pan-Canadian network of institutions and as Academic Lead for the APRU ‘Generative AI in Education’ project.

Since 2019, Michiko Yoshida has been supporting Chulalongkorn University’s global engagement efforts in the context of its expanding public role to build a sustainable society. With 34 years of experience in the non-profit sector promoting international intellectual and cultural exchanges, she is committed to the cocreation of knowledge that cultivates empathy and a culture of mutual respect amongst peoples. Cutting across boundaries, she facilitates international intellectual exchanges, dialogues, and collaborations among academics, civil society actors, policymakers, and community stakeholders. Together with key international partners, Michiko spearheads several initiatives that promote transdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder engagements through university efforts at national/regional/global levels. She is the Program Chair of the APRU SDG Education for Global Citizenship program; a co-convener of the regional platform Civic Engagement 4.0~Dignity, Justice, Sustainability, which launched “Training the Trainers for Engaged Social Service in a Borderless World” (training for displaced teachers from Myanmar) in 2023; and the Project Director of the CU-UNESCO Futures Literacy Project in which Chulalongkorn University established its UNESCO Chair for Resource Governance and Futures Literacy.

Ms. Shally Fan is Director of Academic Links at CUHK. She promotes and supports the University’s global engagement strategy in research and education with a view to strengthening its impact and visibility on the global stage and enriching the international exposure and intercultural experience of students. She oversees all aspects of global engagement at the University, including teaching and research partnerships, strategic alliances and networks, collaborative agreements, as well as student and faculty mobility, among other programmes and initiatives.

Ms. Fan received her BA from The University of Adelaide and MCom from the University of South Australia. She joined the Office of Academic Links at CUHK in 2001 to manage the University’s student exchange programmes. Since then, she has expanded the scope and number of the global engagement programmes for faculty and students.  Ms. Fan is a frequent speaker in international education forums and served on the Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education during December 2015 to June 2017.