New VC for UoC

PROF Dr Zabidi Azhar Mohd Hussin is the fifth vice chancellor and new chief executive at University of Cyberjaya (UoC). His appointment was effective Feb 13.

Graduate employability, Prof Dr Zabidi Azhar said in a press release, would be the focus during his tenure.

Prof Dr Zabidi Azhar graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, in 1985.

His interest in children’s health led him to obtaining his Diploma in Child Health in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1987. In 1991, he received his membership in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, while in 1997, he became a fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health – both in the United Kingdom.

With keen interest in bioethics and communication, Prof Dr Zabidi Azhar’s specialisation lies in paediatric neurology and medical education. He is also the honorary editor of Advances in Medical Education and Practice, and is a recipient of the Neurology and Neuroscience Excellence Grant from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

He serves as a council member of the Malaysian Medical Council, a member of the Ethics Expert Panel for the European Research Agency, and a member of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency’s accreditation panel for Malaysian and international accreditation. He is also the Child Health Cluster head for Malaysia’s National Professors Council and a visiting professor at Universitas Jeneral Soedirman, Indonesia, and the American University of Sovereign Nations, United States.

Prof Dr Zabidi Azhar, who takes over from the varsity’s former vice chancellor Emeritus Prof Datuk Mohamed Abdul Razak, previously served in senior roles at USM – as dean of its School of Medicine and Usains Tech Services general manager, while serving as a paediatrics professor at the varsity.

He is also formerly the vice-chancellor at Perdana University and the pro vice-chancellor (Academic) at International Medical University (IMU).