Resource Persons

2nd Leadership Development Program for Higher Education Institutions in Southeast Asia

Dr. Paul PS. Teng

Dr. Paul PS. Teng is from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, where he is Adjunct Senior Fellow, Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and concurrently Managing Director of the university's NIE International Pte. Ltd. He is also a SEARCA Senior Fellow and an Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University, Australia. He was formerly Deputy Director-General (Research) of the World Fish Center based in Malaysia. He had worked for Monsanto Company (1999-2002) as Asia Pacific Director of Science and Technology, and then Asia Vice-President for Public Affairs. Prior to this, he was with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in the Philippines as its Program Leader for Cross-ecosystems Research (1991-1998) and its Integrated Pest Management Coordinator (1987-1990). Between 1978 and 1987, Dr. Teng was at the University of Minnesota, USA, respectively as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, then Professor of Plant Pathology. Between 1989 and 1990, he was at the University of Hawaii, as Professor and Department Chair, Plant Pathology.

Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya

Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya is the fourth and current President of the University of Nueva Caceres (UNC) in Naga, Bicol Province, Philippines. UNC is the largest private university in Bicol, and her role is to steward the University to become a leading future-ready and outcome- based higher education institution in the region and achieve autonomous status by 2025. Her governance framework is focused on attaining excellence in three fronts: academic excellence, operational excellence, fiscal stability, and institutional sustainability. UNC is a subsidiary of the Ayala-Yuchengco group of companies, the industry leaders in the Philippines. Dr. Lauraya been serving under the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Chair of the Technical Working Group for the Institutional Development and Innovation Grants, CHED K12 Transition Program Management Unit since 2016. She has also served as the seventh President of Bicol University from 2007 to 2015.

Dr. Calvin Chan

Dr. Calvin Chan is Associate Professor and Director of the Office of Graduate Studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). He teaches Strategy as well as Technology and Innovation Management, and researches on the social and organisational aspects of information systems, with particular interest in 'technology and ageing' and 'e-government.' His researches are published in leading journals such as the Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Journal of the American Society for the Information Science and Technology, and European Journal of Information Systems. Prior to becoming a faculty member at SUSS, Calvin was doing Strategic Planning and Master Planning at the Singapore Government's Infocomm Development Authority.

Dr. Rebekah Lim

Dr. Rebekah Lim is a faculty member and Director of the Teaching and Learning Centre at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). She leads the Centre in academic development of lecturers in higher education, academic support for adult learners, and digital learning practices. She has been an educator in teacher training, and in the higher ed, specializing in areas of pedagogy, learning design and online learning. Her research interests include adult professional identities, teacher learning and technology-enabled pedagogy; areas in which many of her competitive research grant awards are based on. Her other awards include the Hewlett Packard Innovation in IT in Education, Dean's commendation for research award, and the teaching excellence award 2011 & 2013. She has served as consultant, to both local schools and international bodies, such as the Commonwealth of Learning. Her current interests, both in research and in practice, include the use of AI in education, and in the examination of identity and knowledge appropriation as adults navigate transitions.

Dr. Felix Tan

Dr Felix Tan is an Information Systems researcher and senior lecturer at the UNSW business school. He actively investigates the enabling effects of enterprise systems and digital platforms, in the contexts of business and society, with emphasis on disruption, strategies, structures, and transformation. Dr Tan regularly publishes in IS journals including Information Systems Journal and MISQ Executive, premier conferences and book chapters. He has conducted ICT related fieldwork-based research and projects with over 50 companies and technology startups across Asia-Pacific. Dr Tan is an SAP academic alliance professor and certified Lego Serious Play Facilitator and delivered related ICT training in Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Australia.

Dr. N. Varaprasad

Dr. N. Varaprasad has over 38 years of experience in higher education, equally split between polytechnic-level education and university education. He was the founding Principal/CEO of the highly innovative Temasek Polytechnic and Deputy President at the National University of Singapore. He later became CEO of the National Library Board for a further six years, overseeing the National Library and the network of public libraries in Singapore. His extensive experience covers technical and higher education and management, as well as library management. He is concurrently Adjunct Professor at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). He is the recipient of many awards from governments and professional societies, including the Singapore Public Administration Medal (Gold). His book "50 Years of Technical Education in Singapore - How to Build a World-class TVET System" was published in 2016.

Dr. Supachai Yavaprabhas

Dr. Supachai Yavaprabhas is a Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He previously served as the University’s Vice-President for International Affairs, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, and Director of Chula Unisearch (the research and commercial arm of the University). He has also served as Director of the SEAMEO Regional Center for Higher Education and Development (RIHED) based in Bangkok, Thailand and Executive Director of the ASEAN University Network (AUN). His research interests include public sector reform, especially in the sector of regional higher education development, basic education, and public health. In his mid-career, he served as Secretary to the Minister of University Affairs for a few years. In the past years, he has held many positions as the main committee, external quality assurance assessor, advisor, and senior administrator in both public and higher education sectors. He has also served as a member of the Thailand Constitution Drafting Committee, university councils of a few universities in Thailand, and Chair of the Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy.