Ziena Jalil, a changemaker focused on equity and inclusion

Ziena Jalil is an award-winning business and public sector leader, focused on deepening New Zealand’s engagement with the Asia Pacific, and improving outcomes for those with diverse cultures, abilities and experiences. She is Chief of Staff at Te Pūkenga, and a board member for Education New Zealand, Toka Tū Ake EQC, and the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

 Recognised by Campaign Asia Pacific as part of its 2020 Women to Watch, a group of 40 outstanding women in the Asia Pacific, Ziena is a sought after MC and facilitator, and a keynote speaker on leadership, Asia business, international education, and diversity, equity and inclusion. A former New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Singapore, she has received several international awards for her work promoting New Zealand trade and education in Asia, where she was based in various roles for 10 years.

 A member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, Global Women and Asia 21, she holds a Master of Arts (First Class Hons) in International Relations and Politics, a Bachelor of Communication Studies, and Diploma of International Trade.

Professor Freshwater is a globally recognised leader, having worked in world-class universities for almost two decades. She became the University of Auckland’s first female Vice-Chancellor in March 2020, after serving at the University of Western Australia as Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Go8 in Australia.

She is Vice-Chair for Asia Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Steering Committee, and Presidential Champion for the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL), Deputy Chair of Research Australia, Chair of Universities New Zealand Research Committee, and recent Chair of World University Network (WUN). 

Dawn has been elected to the Academia Europaea (MAE), is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland (FRCSI) and Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing (FRCN). She was listed in the top 2% of researchers in Stanford-Elsevier List 2023 in Public Health, Clinical Psychology and Nursing.

Professor Schneider was elected as APRU’s 5th Chief Executive and took up the role from January 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] 

Professor Dr. Yvonne Lim Ai Lian is currently the Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) at Universiti Malaya and a senior professor at the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine. She also serves as a University Senate Member and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) Council Member. Prior to this, she has taken on leadership roles as the Deputy Dean (Research) at the Faculty of Medicine and the Director of International Relations Office, Universiti Malaya. She was also a former president of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM).
Her research focuses on host-parasite-environment interactions among underserved indigenous communities from a range of socioeconomic and ecological gradients. For the past 28 years, she has been studying tropical diseases such as helminthiasis, malaria, filariasis, sarcocystosis, dengue, scrub typhus and other diseases in the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia. In addition, using multidisciplinary advance approaches, together with collaborators from New York University, their work in unravelling the mechanisms of how low levels of helminth (worm) infection promote growth of probiotic gut microbiota was published in Science 2016. These gut microbiome works has been expanded to HIV and cancer patients as well as to oral microbiome and skin microbiome.

As a member of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) in the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Data Treatment Platform, she contributes her expertise to global research initiatives. Her involvement in shaping national policies, including the National Policy for the Development of Orang Asli (Indigenous), underscores her commitment to community welfare.

Her work has been funded by various national and international grants. She has published more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 9 book chapters and 3 books. She has supervised 45 postgraduate students and hosted researchers from a vast network of local and international partnerships (eg. US, UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore). She has received numerous awards and recognitions, among which were the MSPTM Medal (2008) for being an outstanding young scientist; the Universiti Malaya Excellent Lecturer award for the Science Disciplines (2015); the Top Research Scientists of Malaysia Award (2016) and inducted as a Fellow of the eminent Academy of Sciences Malaysia (2017). She was cited by Stanford University as one of the top 2% scientists for the years 2019, 2021 and 2023 in her field of expertise. In 2021, she was awarded the Fulbright Scholar Award 2021/2022 for an attachment at the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. Recently, she was appointed the co-chair of the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Programme from 2022-2025.

Professor Joanna Regulska, vice provost and dean of Global Affairs and professor of gender, sexuality and women’s studies at the University of California, Davis, has led large-scale programs that transform institutions, establish collaborative partnerships and substantially improve globally focused services for over 30 years.
Regulska oversees Global Affairs at UC Davis, where she strives to provide all students with global learning experiences through a Provost’s Priority of Global Education for All; engage faculty, staff and students with the UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of UC Davis’ commitment to solving global challenges; and help promote understanding and address global inequities.

Regulska serves on the board of directors for NAFSA: Association of International Educators as the vice president for public policy and practice. In 2022, she was honored with the Charles Klasek Award for outstanding service to the field of international higher education from the Association of International Education Administrators. In 2021, Regulska was named an inaugural member of the National Academy for International Education. In 2019, she was honored with the first-ever Senior International Officer Award from the Institute of International Education.

A respected scholar, Regulska’s research concentrates on women’s political activism, grassroots mobilization, decentralization, democracy and democratization, with a focus on Europe and the Caucasus.

Professor Dr. Yatimah Alias graduated with a BSc (1993) from University of Malaya (UM) and completed her Ph.D. from East Anglia University, UK (1998). She has been attached to UM ever since 1998 and attained her professorship in the year of 2010, becoming one of the university’s youngest professors. She is a dynamic individual with great interpersonal skills and is actively involved in both administrative duties and scientific research. She is currently UM’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic & Internationalization) and the Head of University Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids (UMCiL). Prior to that she has also served as the Director of the Academic Strategic Planning Centre (ASPC) UM, Director of UM Curriculum Development Centre (CDC), Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Science UM and the President of Malaysian Ionic Liquids Research Society (MILRS).

Prof. Dr. Yatimah Alias niche research areas includes electrochemistry, ionic liquids, sensors and biosensors, supramolecular chemistry, and nanomaterials. Inorganic chemistry remains her forte but being an enterprising researcher, she delved into various forms applications and impactful ventures. She is an accomplished electrochemist with potentiometric skills which includes cyclic voltammetry, impedance study & etc. Beyond electrochemistry, she too, has explored in supramolecular-coordination chemistry, ionic liquids synthesis & applications and sensor development & fabrications. Her keen pursuit of research was cultivated and developed with reputable research grant programs such as Impact Oriented Interdisciplinary Research Grant (IIRG), High Impact Research-Ministry of Education Malaysia (HIR-MOE), Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), Prototype Research Grant Scheme, and Research University funding. Apart from that, in 2020, she has also managed to obtain joint international funding with United Arab Emirates (UAE) University.

To her credit she holds a H-Index of 42, published 259 ISI ranked journals, and filed 6 patents of which 2 has been granted. She has received many accolades from both national and international arenas including Gold and Silver medals such as Gold Medal International Innovation, Invention & Technology Exhibition 2019 & 2021 (ITEX 2019 & ITEX 2021), Silver Medal International Conference and Exposition on Inventions by Institutions of Higher Learning 2019 (PECIPTA’19), Silver Medal Seoul International Invention Fair 2012 (SIIF 2012) and Gold Medal Brussels Innova Energy 2007 (EUREKA 07). She has also received international recognition, including World Class Professor by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research & Technology, Indonesia and the Canadian Special Award of Excellence from the Inventors Circle in 2022. For her valuable services to UM, she was also conferred the honour of Excellent Award and Service for the year 2019 and 2020, respectively. In recognition of her keen pursuit in research, she was proffered the title of Fellow by the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry in 2017 and the esteemed Akademi Sains Malaysia in 2019. She is also instrumental in the upstart of University Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids (UMCiL) in 2007 and the Malaysian Ionic Liquids Research Society (MILRS) in 2016.

Rosa Devés is the first female President of the Universidad de Chile in its 181-year history. She became President in 2022 following a distinguished scientific career in biochemistry, which also involved various leadership positions in senior university management.

Prof. Devés holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario (Canada) and pursued postdoctoral studies at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, USA). Her academic career began in 1980 when she joined the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de Chile, where she taught and conducted research in cellular physiology. Her research in the field of cellular physiology, specifically on the mechanisms of transport in biological membranes, has had an international impact and was recognized with her appointment as a Corresponding Member of the Chilean Academy of Sciences in 2002.

She has a broad commitment to education at all levels. Prof. Devés was the first director of the Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, which stands as one of the most influential programs in the country. Alongside her contribution to graduate education innovation, she is one of the founders of the Inquiry-Based Science Education Program for Elementary Education, an initiative that has involved collaboration with science academies around the world. In 2013, this effort was recognized with an award by the Mexican Ministry of Public Education and INNOVEC-Mexico. Since 2015, she has also been a member of the International Committee of the La main à la pâte Foundation in France, which promotes innovation in science education in that country.

As a senior university leader, she served as Director of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies (2006–2010) and as the first woman Provost (2010–2014). Following this, she held the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs for eight years (2014–2022). She has been deeply involved in developing various diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives since 2010. In the more external political field, she was active in defending university autonomy under the dictatorship through various academic associations. 

In 2024, she was recognized for her career by “Comunidad Mujer”, one of the most important Chilean organizations working on gender equity, and for her role as an educator by the Chilean Union of Teachers. She also received the “Women of Influence” award from the National Institute of Human Rights and the “Leadership” award in 2023 from the International Women’s Forum. She was also highlighted as one of the “100 Women Leaders” of (2022-2023) by the most influential newspaper in Chile (El Mercurio), and by Forbes-Chile as one of the 30 more powerful women leaders.

President Kohei Itoh graduated from Keio University and received his MS and PhD in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined Keio as a faculty member in 1995 and became a full professor in 2007. He was the dean of the Faculty and Graduate School of Science and Technology between 2017 and 2019, and is the current chairperson of the Japanese government’s Quantum Technology Innovation expert panel.

His main research area is quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum physics, leading to over 360 journal publications. He is an executive member of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI) as well as a council member of the Science Council of Japan. He has served on numerous executive boards including the Physical Society of Japan and the Japan Society of Applied Physics. He leads various quantum information projects as the program director of Quantum Information Technology in the MEXT Quantum Leap Flagship Program.

He received the Japan IBM Prize in 2006 and the JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Prize in 2009. He is also a fellow of American Physical Society and a fellow of the Japan Society of Applied Physics.

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.

Professor Akiyo Ito Okuda is the Vice-President for Student Affairs, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. She also serves as director for the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and is a professor of English and American Studies within Keio. She received her master’s degree in English (1993) and her doctorate degree in African American Literature (2005) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also has a master’s and bachelor’s degree from the Department of English at Keio University.

As a Vice-President at Keio University and director of the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Professor Okuda has promoted initiatives such as Unconscious Bias Training, a family care support program (KIND) for staff, and barrier-free resources for disabled students. Previously she was a counselor and vice-chairperson of the Keio University Harassment Prevention Committee.

Professor Jemaima Tiatia-Siau is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific, Waipapa Taumata Rau. University of Auckland. She is a Professor in Pacific Studies with research interests in: mental health and wellbeing, suicide prevention and postvention, climate change and mental wellbeing, youth development, health inequities and Pacific Studies.

Cindy Fan is UCLA’s Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement, and is the first woman and Asian American to hold that position. She is also Professor of Geography. As SIO, she provides strategic leadership for the university’s international partnerships and agreements, represents UCLA globally, promotes international education and research, and oversees the 27 interdisciplinary research centers and eight degree programs within the International Institute. She also leads the Global Goal of UCLA’s Strategic Plan. Dr. Fan received her BA and MPhil from respectively the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong and her PhD from the Ohio State University. Internationally known for her research on migration and split households, gender, and regional development in China, Dr. Fan has numerous publications including the pioneering book China on the Move. She has delivered numerous keynotes across the world, and has received the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award, Distinguished Scholar Awards from the American Association of Geographers, an American Council on Education Fellowship, major grants from the Mellon Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation and National Science Foundation, and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Bristol. Dr. Fan is an elected member of the National Academy of International Education.

Dr. Derlie Mateo-Babiano is Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Assistant Dean, Diversity and Inclusion at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning (ABP), the University of Melbourne.

Derlie is committed to fostering and embedding diversity and inclusion in the built environment discipline. She has led the development of ABP’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan which aspires to contribute to the shaping of a more inclusive ABP community. Her commitment to gender diversity in the transport discipline has led her to co-convene the Women in Transport leadership (WiTL) knowledge network (www.witl.info).

She supports the University of Melbourne’s gender equity commitment through the Athena Swan Task Force, and as one of the program leaders of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership program, she contributes to the building of leadership capabilities of women in academia.

By leading projects that support the Indigenising and Internationalising the curriculum in ABP, Derlie aims to diversify the educational experience and build the capacities of built environment students to become global citizens, enabling them to contribute to the shaping of a more just, inclusive and sustainable global community.

Dr. Rachael Hains-Wesson is the Academic Director of the Work-Integrated Learning Hub and an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Business School. She spearheads the development and enhancement of high-quality work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for business students. With over fifteen years of experience in learning and teaching, she has established various strategies and two WIL Hubs, while conducting high impact research in work-integrated learning, career development, and employability.

Rachael holds two PhDs: one in Creative Writing from the University of Western Australia and another in Higher Education Teaching and Learning from Deakin University. She also has a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. With a strong background in entrepreneurship, creative industries, and international education, she has worked as an editor, publisher, and practitioner in diverse local, national, and global enterprises.

An active member of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Rachael serves/served as a fellowship mentor, branch co-secretary, and committee member. She is also part of the Academy of Reviewers for its high-impact journal. Passionate about fostering student learning and teacher scholarship, she employs innovative and evidence-based pedagogies, technologies, and partnerships. Rachael has received numerous awards, including a National Citation for Teaching and Learning, and has published extensively.

Dr. Rhonda Di Biase is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne. She coordinates subjects across the post-graduate programs and is course coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Educational Research. She has previously worked at the Faculty of Education, Maldives National University and has been involved in the Maldives education sector since 2006. Since then, she has continued to visit and research in the Maldives. In 2014 she was awarded an Endeavour Executive Fellowship from the Australian government in conjunction with the Maldives National University, promoting locally grounded research. Her research interests include education in small states, pedagogical reform and professional development for teachers in low and middle income countries and education and education for sustainable development, particularly in island states.

Professor Sierin Lim is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU). Her research group focuses on repurposing nature-derived materials by designing and engineering biological entities for applications in health and the environment. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). She received the L‘Oréal -UNESCO Singapore for Women in Science National Fellowship in 2013 and was named Singapore 100 Women in Tech Inaugural List in 2020.

In addition to her research work, Sierin is championing community developments at NTU and in Singapore, particularly women in STEM initiatives. She founded the Biomedical Engineering Society (Singapore) Student Chapter in 2009, co-founded Women@NTU in 2018 and Society of Women Engineers Singapore in 2021, of which she is the Vice President (Academic).

She is leading the Ministry of Education-funded Promotion of Women in Engineering, Research, and Science (POWERS) programme and is currently serving as the Associate Dean of Global Partnerships at the NTU Graduate College.

Dr. Naayeli Ramí­rez-Espinosa is the current Chair of the regional department of law in the Monterrey region at Tec de Monterrey. She practices law since 2002. She holds a Masters degree in public law (2007, Komazawa University in Tokyo, Japan) and two doctorates, one in philosophy of law (2014, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada) and one in public administration (2010, Waseda University in Tokyo). She completed a post-doctorate in Intercultural Education focusing on regulations and laws on Totonac, Maya and Purépecha consultation and dialogue processes at the Institute for Research in Education of the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico in 2016.

From 2016 to 2018, she worked as a consulting lawyer for Mayan communities of the Chenes region, in Campeche. From 2017 to 2020, she collaborated as a consultant with Due Process Law Foundation (DPLF for its acronym in English).

Naayeli is the author of various publications and articles on justice for indigenous peoples and human rights. 

Dr. Samia Khan is an associate professor in science education with leadership experience in higher education. Dr. Khan conducts research on STEM Education, science teacher education, educational technologies, case study, sustainability, and scientific models.

She publishes in the top journals in her field as well as delivers international keynotes at conferences on teacher education and science education. She was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award of Canada for Teaching Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Technology, and the Canadian Society for the Study of Education’s New Scholar Award.

Dr. Khan is also a former Associate Dean of Research in the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Dundee, UK and a Director of the Master of Educational Technology (MET) program at UBC, Canada.

Dr. Khan has consulted with governments in the UK on teacher education and STEM education policy, including the Academic Reference Committee at the Scottish Parliament and the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM.

Her active international research collaborations include Rwanda, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, UK, and Germany. In 2022, she was sponsored by the Australian Association for Research in Education to discuss her research, comparative education, and international research.

Ms. Maria Gabriela Benitez is an alumni of Industrial Engineering from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador and completed her Master’s in Project Management at the Universitat de Barcelona in Spain.

She began her professional journey at USFQ, where she worked in the Department of Continuous Improvement and Accreditation. As the Coordinator of the Office of the Dean for Research and Creativity, she has spearheaded innovative initiatives and honed her project management and relationship-building skills with researchers and professors.

She has actively engaged in programs focused on new strategies for higher education and emerging artificial intelligence tools. Her expertise equips her to tackle daily challenges, with a strong emphasis on project management, leadership, and the transformation of universities through the enhancement of research as a fundamental pillar.

I’m Joali Paredes-Mariño, a Research Fellow at the University of Auckland, specializing in the analysis of fine particles, notably volcanic ash, to comprehend their generation process. I obtained my Geological Engineering degree from Universidad de Los Andes (Mérida-Venezuela) in 2010.

A recipient of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship, I pursued my master’s studies in Europe, focusing on fine soil analysis for geotechnical purposes, earning dual degrees from Université de Poitiers (France) and Technical University of Crete (Greece) in 2014. Subsequently, I was awarded a Marie Curie Scholarship from the European Commission, enabling me to complete my Ph.D. studies in Italy in 2018, transitioning from fine soils to fine volcanic particles research.

Following a hiatus in 2019 due to passport issues stemming from the political crisis in my country, I joined the University of Auckland as a Research Fellow in 2021, delayed by COVID-19. Committed to continuous learning and meticulous laboratory work, I actively engage in fostering early career opportunities through various committees at the University and internationally.