SEAMEO-The University of Tsukuba Symposium IX (Virtual)

Dr Radzi Jidin is the Senior Minister of Education in the Malaysian government and a Senator in the Dewan Negara (Upper House of the Malaysian Parliament). As one of the four Senior Ministers in the Cabinet, he leads the Social Cluster, a group of eight ministries managing education and social policies. He served as Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs from July 2018 until February 2020.

Dr Radzi is the Information Chief of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU), one of the component parties in the ruling coalition. He is also the Deputy Chairman for Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA), a think tank focusing on developing socioeconomic analysis.

Prior to joining politics, Dr Radzi was in academia where he taught undergraduate and postgraduate students at The Australian National University, the University of New South Wales and the University of Tasmania. His teaching and research interests covered financial accounting and reporting, corporate governance, ethics, and auditing, including forensic auditing. Dr Radzi regularly presented at international accounting conferences and published several papers in international accounting journals.

Dr Radzi obtained his PhD from The Australian National University.

Yoshiyasu Ida received Ph.D in Science(Geography) from University of Tsukuba and is currently teaching geography education, undergraduate, master and doctor courses.
His professional interests focus on curricula of geography in the world , and his current projects include geographical curriculum for SDGs and ESD . In addition, he serves as presidents of Japanese association for the social studies and the geographical education society of Japan and is a member of editorial board of international research in geographical and environmental education.

Mr. Raden Alpha Amirrachman, Ph.D. received Doctor of Philosophy in Social Sciences from Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), Universiteit van Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and is currently teaching in the Faculty of Education at Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University (UNTIRTA), Banten.
A strong advocate for integrity and professionalism, he involves his students in conducting project-based tasks to improve their skills and competences. His professional interests focus on educational policy in the era 4.0, and his current projects include writing a book on the sociological aspects of societies adapting to changes in education sector and conducting project on fostering global citizenship through sales competition.

Glenn B. Gregorio obtained his Ph.D. in Genetics, M.Sc. in Plant Breeding, and BS Agriculture at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Born and educated at Central Mindanao university, Musuan, Bukidnon for this Elementary and High School. His career was developed at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as researcher; then he served as Post-Doctoral Fellow and assumed various research positions like International Research Fellow, Scientist, Senior Scientist, and Deputy Division Head of IRRI’s Plant Breeding Genetics and Biotechnology Division. At IRRI, he worked on Rice Breeding for tolerance to saline-prone and problem soils, and as Coordinator for varietal development pipeline-cross cutting R&D. He had a three-year stint as crop breeding manager for corn at East-West Seed Company.
He is a professor of the Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food science at UPLB and currently the Director of Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). His numerous awards include the following: Ten Outstanding Youth Scientists of the Philippines (TOYS 1980); Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS 2004) in the field of Genetics; Crop Science Society of the Philippines Achievement Award for Crop Science Research (2004); Honorary Foreign Scientist of the Rural Development Administration (RDA) Award of Korea (2002-2005); The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM 2004) Philippines; Ho Chi Minh Medal award for “Having Great Contribution to the cause of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam” (2012); Crop Science Achievement Award in Research Management (2014) and UPLB Outstanding Alumni Award (2020). Dr. Gregorio was also conferred the rank of Academician as member of NAST-Philippines in 2018.

Songheang Ai received the doctor of philosophy from South Korea in human resources development (HRD) from Korea University of Technology and Education (KOREATECH) and is currently teaching human resources management (HRM) as an adjunct professor at National Institution of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Cambodia.

As an adjunct professor at National Mean Chey University, he taught educational psychology. A strong advocate for learning, innovation, integrity, and productivity, he involves his students in the research work enhancing their research competencies by supervising and mentoring them regularly. His professional interests focus on technical and vocational education and training (TVET), migration, secondary education, curriculum development, and soft skills, and his current research projects include assessing the distance learning delivery quality for technical and vocational education students during the Covid-19 outbreak in Cambodia, and assessing the curriculum implementation effectiveness at technical and vocational education institutes. He has published some journal research articles, international conference papers, book chapters, and web blogs. In addition, he serves as a director of SEAMEO TED. He was recently honored with the Best Paper Award for his contributions to the international conference on June 22-23, 2019 in Bali, Indonesia.

Dr Indrawati received Doctoral Degree in Management of Education from Indonesia University of Education and is currently holding position as the Director of SEAMEO QITEP in Science.
A strong advocate for STEM learning, she develops programmes on integration on STEM learning into Indonesian National Curriculum. Her professional interests focus on managerial skills for the school principal and superintendent, higher order thinking skills, pedagogical in the science learning, and student active learning implementation in elementary school, and STEM learning, and her current projects include local context-based STEM learning and computational thinking learning development. In addition, was a member of the developer team of Science-Technology-Society (a collaborative program with British Petroleum, British Council, and SEAMEO RECSAM in Science across Asia-Pacific/Science across the World Program) and also became and also became the coordinator of Science National Development.

Associate Professor Pratap Singhasivanon received Dr.P.H., School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology from University of Michigan, U.S.A. and is currently teaching Tropical Medicine and infectious disease epidemiology at Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University.

A strong advocate for WHO activities addressing health problems in South East Asia. His professional interests focus on Vector-borne diseases e.g. Malaria, Dengue, and his current projects include One Health in Southeast Asia. He publishes more than 200 publication peer review. In addition, he serves as former Dean of Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University and is a member of Academic Committee of National Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Public Health (including country response in COVID-19 Pandemic). He was recently honored with the Mahidolthayakorn for his contributions to best Alumni of Mahidol University.

Mr. Mohd Zulkarnain Abdul Wahab received his Masters in Education majoring in Special Education from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) and is currently heading the Research and Innovation Division at SEAMEO Regional Centre for Special Educational Needs (SEAMEO SEN), Malaysia. Active in coordinating training programmes and projects related to Special Education and Inclusive locally and internationally, he also involved in the development of online training modules for teachers. His professional interests focus on SEN Support, Educational Support for the Deafblind, PWD Employment and Skill Enhancement Programme for SEN. He started his career in the area of Special Education as the International Relations Officer for SEAMEO SEN.
In all of the positions he held at the centre, he had to initiate numerous local, international, government and non-governmental engagements for programmes and events especially on capacity building and international conferences. This has led to his extended networking within the Special Education Academia across Southeast Asia and internationally.
Leading the Research and Innovation Division, his role among others is to align the centre’s role and focus in conducting impact researches focusing on current issues as well as incorporating innovation in special education.

Luh Anik Mayani received a doctoral degree in Linguistics from University of Cologne, Germany and is currently the Director of SEAMEO QITEP in Language (SEAQIL).
She focuses on managing and developing SEAQIL’s sustainability to improve the quality of language teachers and education personnel in Southeast Asia. One of her newly initiated programs in SEAQIL is School Literacy Club; a club which is designed to improve high school students’ life skill through reading-writing/speaking literacy and mastering foreign language(s). This program involves teachers, literacy communities, university students and other relevant stakeholders.
Above all, she is a language researcher. Some of her latest publications are “Affricates, Nasal-Obstruent Sequences and Phrasal Accent in Tajio” (2016) in Linguistik Indonesia; “Word class classification in Tajio” (2017) in NUSA Linguistic studies of languages in and around Indonesia; and “Consonant Geminates in Simalungun Language” (2017) in Linguistik Indonesia. In addition, she is the current President of Indonesian Linguistics Society.

Kiengkay Ounmany received a PhD in social and economic sciences from the University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Austria and is currently teaching development theories in a Master Programme in International Development Studies at the National University of Laos.
A strong advocate for sustainable development, he involves his students in research on rural development, poverty reduction and sustainable development in Laos. His professional interests focus on rural development, participatory approach, human capital and sustainable development, and his current projects include Effectiveness Assessment Survey Implementation of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Activities in Lao PDR, United Nations Development Programme, Vientiane, Lao PDR and Rapid end line review the National Nutrition Strategy Plan of Actions (2016-2020) And draft the Strategy Plan of Actions (2021-2025) Four priority actions under Ministry of Education and Sports, World Food Programme (WFP), Vientiane, Lao PDR. His key publications include “The Legacy of the Vietnam War: Making a Living amid Unexploded Ordnance in Xieng Khouang Province, Northern Laos” and “Impacts of Unexploded Ordnance Clearance on Wet Rice Farming in Xieng Khouang Province, Northern Laos”

Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela is presently the Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat, the first female Director since SEAMEO was organized in 1965. She served as the first female Deputy Director for Programme and Development of SEAMEO Secretariat from July 2015 to March 2019 and led the Educational Research and Innovation Office of SEAMEO INNOTECH, from 2006 to June 2015.

Prior to joining SEAMEO, she was and Director IV of the Office of Student Services and Director III at the International Affairs Services in the Commission on Higher Education Philippines (1995-2006) and was responsible for foreign and local scholarship programs, academic mobility and transnational education. She has also served as Vice Chairperson of the UNESCO National Commission Education Commissioner (2000-2010). She is a Professorial lecturer at the University of the Philippines and De la Salle University in Manila.

Dr Valenzuela’s expertise is on internationalization of higher education and transnational education, teacher education, alternative learning and secondary education. She has published international and local articles, journals, technical reports and guidelines for some SEAMEO and other international organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, CHED and DepEd. Among her well-noted research work were: Philippine Higher Education Guide (CHED), K to 12 Toolkit; Quality Assurance, Mutual Recognition in Higher Education (UNESCO Paris); Toolkit for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications (UNESCO BKK); Toolkit for National Information Centers (UNESCO Bangkok), ESD Toolkit for Secondary Schools; Internationalization of Philippine Higher Education (UNESCO Natcom) and Reform and Development in Philippine Higher Education; The Southeast Asian Teaching Standards; Multigrade Quality Indicators in Southeast Asia; K to 12 Regional Comparison in Southeast Asia and published at the International Encyclopedia of Education under Elsevier London to name a few.

Dr Valenzuela holds Doctor of Education in Educational Management at De La Salle University, MA in Science Education at the Philippine Normal University and Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education major in English and General Science. She is a Career Executive Service Officer (CESO IV) in the Philippine Government and a member of various international professional and academic organizations including the Phi Lambda Theta Honor Society of Women Leaders in Education and the Phi Delta Kappa. She was awarded as Philippine Normal University’s Blue Ribbon Award for Distinguished Alumni in 2013, and a World Bank Fellow in Multilingual Education.

Tetsuo Kyomen received Ph.D. in Education from Waseda university and is currently teaching pedagogy at university of Tsukuba.
A strong advocate for career development in society, he involves his students in industry-academia collaboration projects. His professional interests focus on career education in extracurricular activities , and his current projects include the publication of the book, Extracurricular Activities in Japan.
n addition, he serves as research collaborator for National Institute for Educational Policy Research in Japan, and is a board member of Asian Academic Society for Vocational Education and Training. He was recently honored with the encouragement award at The Japanese Society for the Study of Career Education for his contributions to the development of career education research.

Alias Abu Bakar received BSc (Hons) Mathematics, Statistics & Computing, Greenwich University (UK) and MSc in Mathematical Modeling in Applied Mathematics (University of East Anglia, (UK). He holds a few senior Government positions, as a Principal for Jefri Bolkiah Engineering College in 2008 then appointed as a Centre Director SEAMEO VOCTECH Regional Centre for three years from 2009-2013. He was then appointed as Assistant Director for Politeknik Brunei for eight years before joining back SEAMEO VOCTECH in 2020 as a Centre Director.
He was the chairperson for both Politeknik Brunei ISO 9001-2015 Task Force committee and the Strategic Plan Review Committee. He was conferred two honorary medals by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, The Meritorious Service Medal (PIKB) in 2007 and The Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei (PSB) in 2017.

Benito Espeña Benoza has more than 20 years of professional experience in project development, management, and international cooperation. He is currently Manager of the Knowledge Management and Networking Office of the SEAMEO Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology, which covers information and communication services, external relations and materials development.
Prior to his current post, Mr. Benoza was Programme Officer (Development) at the SEAMEO Secretariat. Previously, he served as Program Officer and Consultant of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization East Asia Sub-Regional Office. He obtained the Bachelor of Science in Development Communication degree at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, major in Development Journalism. In 2007, he obtained the Master of Arts in Education, with specialization in Educational Administration at the Philippine Normal University under the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Programme (ETEEAP). In 2012, he served as Visiting Research Fellow of the Centre for Research and International Cooperation in Education (CRICED), University of Tsukuba.

Dr Zulhamsyah Imran received Ph.D. Biosphere Science from Hiroshima University, Japan, and is currently teaching in the Department of Aquatic Resources Management at IPB University.

A strong advocate for managing coastal areas, aquatic resources, and coastal and ocean resources management, he involves his students in spatial planning on coastal and marine, impact environmental assessment, strategic environmental assessment, water pollution, aquatic water plant, management of small islands, and policy on aquatic resource management.

His professional interests focus on Coastal and Marine Management. His current projects include Low emission development strategic in Indonesia (2015-2017); Alternative coastal livelihood in Small Island of Berau District, Indonesia (2016); Lobster project in Bumbang Bay, East Nusa Tenggara Province (2017), Coastal vulnerability index aftermath tsunami in Palu Bay, Indonesia (Feb 2019), Coastal ecosystem assessment of Ajkwa Estuary, Timika District (2020), Guideline of strategic environmental assessment for Coastal and Marine Zoning Plan (2020); Strategic environmental assessment for Coastal and Marine Zoning Plan (2020).

In addition, he serves as Centre Director for Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Tropical Biology (SEAMEO BIOTROP) and is a member of SEAMEO (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization). He is a former Director of Fisheries and Marine in Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh-Nias in the period 2006-2009. As scientist, he has become a member in the Society of Coastal and Ecosystem Study in Asia and Pacific (SECSAP) and International Institute of Fisheries Economic and Trade. He has also involved in various social organization such as Association of IPB University Alumni, Association of Muslim Intellectual, and YAPIC Foundation since 2015. He was recently honored with the “Satya Lencana” for 20 Years of Service for his contributions to education in Indonesia given by President of Republic of Indonesia.

Dr. Shah Jahan bin Assanarkutty is currently the Centre Director of SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang Malaysia. He holds a PhD in Environmental Ethics from University of Malaya, Malaysia. He has 25 years’ of teaching experience as a Science/Biology teacher in a secondary school and lecturer in the Matriculation College. He also served as the Deputy Director in the Matriculation College and Matriculation Division (Academic), Ministry of Education, Malaysia.
His area of specialisation includes Biology, Science Education, Environmental Education, Environmental Ethics and Educational Administration. In addition, he serves as a member of Advisory Peer Group of School of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences of Wawasan Open University.

Sumardyono received doctoral degree in Mathematical Analysis from Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta and is currently teaching math education at PPPPTK Matematika & SEAMEO SEAQiM.
His professional interests focus on math analysis, math misconception, & learning media, and his current projects include preparing for a book about math misconception in school. In addition, he serves as director for SEAMEO Regional Centre for QITEP in Mathematics (SEAMEO SEAQiM), and is a member of APWI (Asosiasi Profesi Widyaiswara Indonesia).

Muchtaruddin Mansyur is currently a Director of Regional Centre for Food and Nutrition South East Asian Ministry of Education (SEAMEO-RECFON). Professor at the Community Medicine Department, Universitas Indonesia. He is a medical doctor (Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta) and PhD in Health & Community Care (Leeds, UK).
He is a former Head of Centre for Hajj Health, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia, 2016 – 2017; Director of Occupational Health and Sports Health, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia 2013 – 2016; Head of Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine at the Universitas Indonesia 2013; Head of Occupational Medicine Specialist Residency Program, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia 2006 – 2013
His scientific publication can be retrieved from the link of; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3100-3269 or https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=x62sP14AAAAJ&hl=en

Dwi Priyono received his Doctoral degree in Educational Management from Universitas Negeri Jakarta and is currently teaching Educational Programmes Evaluation at Universitas Muhammadiyah
Prof. Dr. HAMKA. His professional interests focus on leadership and management expertise. His current projects include the “Development of Relational Leadership Model for Kindergarten Principal”. From 2017 until now he serves as the Director of SEAMEO CECCEP, and also a member of KONI (National Committee for Sports), PGRI (Teachers Association of Republic of Indonesia), and Scout Movement of South Sumatra.

Mrs. Somlak Charoenpot has a BA in Archaeology from Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, and an MA in Art History with Museum Studies from the University of Denver in Colorado, United States of America. She worked as a curator and was executive director in charge of 44 national museums in Thailand before becoming the Deputy General of the Fine Arts Department (FAD), Ministry of Culture where she extended her management to the work of the Offices of Architecture, Arts and Crafts, Literature and History, National Museums, the Office of Performing Arts and many regional FAD units.
Upon retirement from the Fine Arts Department, she has been on advisory on many museum establishment projects for private sectors and boards and steering committee for the Siam Society a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote knowledge of the culture, history, arts, and natural sciences of Thailand as well as those of neighboring countries. She begins her directorship as Centre Director of SEAMEO SPAFA since 2019.