KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University Distinguished Chair Prof Dr Ooi Keng Boon has become the first academic from a Malaysian private university to be elected a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
The achievement earned him a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR).
Recognised in the subject division of Economic and Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Prof Ooi was one of only five Malaysians elected to the TWAS Class of 2026.
“This milestone means a lot to me, and I hope to use the recognition to enhance UCSI’s research growth, visibility and international standing,” he said during the Malaysia Book of Records certificate presentation ceremony here on Wednesday (15 July).
His achievement places him among just 1,493 scientists from 112 countries who hold the lifetime title of TWAS Fellow.
A programme unit of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) that builds scientific capacity, education and policy in the Global South, TWAS typically elects 50 to 60 new Fellows annually.
Prof Ooi, who is also UCSI’s Centre for Business Informatics and Industrial Management director added that he would continue to promote high-impact and policy-relevant research, particularly in the areas of business, management, information systems, digital transformation and the social sciences.
His latest accolade also earned UCSI a place in the MBR as the first private university in Malaysia to have a TWAS Fellow among its academic staff.
Congratulating Prof Ooi, UCSI president and vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir said the milestone coincided fittingly with the university’s 40th anniversary.
