Curtin Malaysia appoints Professor of Marketing and Director of South China Sea Research Hub

Miri – 29 June 2022 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) has appointed Professor Ong Fon Sim as Professor of Marketing and Director of its new South China Sea Research Hub.

As the Director of the South China Sea Research Hub, Professor Ong will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and development, and promoting and facilitating leading-edge research, including collaborative and interdisciplinary research within the Hub in areas related to the goals of the University. The Hub will focus on the pillars of Food Security, Education Security, Health and Welfare, as well as closely liaise with Curtin’s main campus in Perth on Strategic Studies and Maritime Security.

This includes building and providing sufficient support for a community of innovative researchers to enhance research capacity at the University and increase internal and external research opportunities for faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students through development of strong network and linkages. Professor Ong will lead the Hub’s push to become Curtin University’s first global research centre.

Curtin Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Professor Simon Leunig said he is very pleased to welcome Professor Ong to Curtin Malaysia, Curtin Malaysia’s earliest and largest global campus and hub in ASEAN.

“As a leading Australian university serving the educational and research needs of Sarawak, Malaysia and the region, we need leaders of outstanding calibre to ensure we maintain the highest quality and excellence, and remain the highest-ranked university in Sarawak. We also have a significant role to play in bolstering Curtin’s standing in the global rankings and expanding its global footprint,” Professor Leunig remarked.

“Professor Ong joins us as a highly respected academic and experienced leader with more than 25 years of experience in the Malaysian higher education sector, holding leadership positions at both public and private universities,” Prof. Leunig added.

Professor Ong was Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning (from 2016 to 2021) and a Professor of Marketing at University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) until September 2021. She also has a wealth of experience supervising research students.

During her time as the Vice-Provost, she led the development of the Centre for Academic Partnerships and Engagement (CAPE), a centre that was established in UNM to manage all award bearing off-campus teaching partnerships and collaborations. She also led the development and delivery of the university’s teaching and learning strategy, ensuring that all programmes at UNM met MQA and Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK requirements relevant to educational needs, and ensured student learning experience and satisfaction. Before becoming the Vice-Provost, she was the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UNM.

Professor Ong’s research interest is in consumer behaviour focusing on aging and older consumers, and she has received numerous research grants for her research. In addition, she has published a wide range of book chapters, journal papers and conference proceedings, and is active in presenting papers at both local and international conferences.

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok.

Professor Ong Fon Sim.