Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal Yusoh appointed new UMPSA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International)

PEKAN, 21 May 2026 – Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal Yusoh has been appointed the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), effective 20 May 2026.
He has extensive experience in academic programme development management, accreditation, teaching and learning quality assurance, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), academic policy, staff training management and talent development, as well as the implementation of strategies to expand the university’s networking and internationalisation.

Born in Terengganu, Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal began serving at UMPSA on 2 May 2003, when the university was then known as Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan dan Teknologi Malaysia (KUKTEM).

With more than 23 years of experience at the university and two years at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, he is well positioned to lead in the areas of academics, research, university management, TVET development, and strategic management of higher education.

Throughout his service at the university, Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal has held various strategic and administrative positions, including Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Corporate Strategy), Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development), Director of the Centre for Academic Innovation and Competitiveness, and Head of the Advanced Materials Research Cluster.

In addition, he was appointed Director of the Training and Competency Development Division, Registrar Department; Deputy Director of the Centre for Academic Innovation and Competitiveness; and Head of the Chemical Engineering Programme, Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering Technology.

During the early KUKTEM era under the leadership of its Rector, the late Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Abu Azam Md. Yassin, the university focused on establishing the foundations of technical and engineering education that met the needs of the national industry.

This was further strengthened under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Dr. Mohamed Said Mat Lela.

During this period, Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal was also involved in efforts to strengthen the institution’s identity as an engineering- and technology-based university.

Emphasis on a professional work culture, practical training, and close relationships with industry formed the foundation for the development of the university’s TVET education model.

During the tenure of UMPSA’s third Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Sri Ts. Dr. Daing Nasir Ibrahim, the university developed more aggressively as an internationally recognised technology and engineering institution.

Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal Yusoh also contributed to strengthening the university’s reputation through the implementation of various strategic initiatives, including dual degree programmes, international mobility, and global academic networking.

This approach provided students with opportunities to gain cross-border learning experiences and enhance their employability in the global technology and industrial sectors.

Further development took place under the leadership of the fourth Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ir. Dr. Wan Azhar Wan Yusoff, which saw the strengthening of academic programmes, research, and the development of the nation’s technical human capital.

During this era, Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal played an important role in advancing the engineering and TVET agenda through the development of industry-oriented curricula, strengthening graduate competencies, and establishing strategic collaborations with overseas institutions.

This development continued under the leadership of the fifth Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Ts. Dr. Yuserrie Zainuddin, where one of the key strengths frequently highlighted was the ‘industry-driven’ concept that connects industry needs with academic learning.

This approach is aligned with the national TVET aspirations, which emphasise practical skills, problem-solving, innovation, and learning based on real industry experience or work-based learning (WBL).

Today, under the leadership of UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah Alias, the continuity of this agenda continues to be strengthened through the university’s strategic plan, which focuses on internationalisation, future technologies, sustainability, and excellence in Advanced TVET.

Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal’s extensive experience since the KUKTEM era has made him one of the key figures in ensuring continuity in the university’s direction while upholding its core values of togetherness, excellence, innovation, and delivering outcomes for society and industry.

His ability to adapt academic leadership to changing times has also helped strengthen UMPSA’s position as a leading Advanced TVET institution in engineering, technology, and impactful education.

His experience spanning several eras of university leadership has also enabled him to understand the evolving needs of the country’s higher education sector, particularly in producing competent, adaptive, and globally competitive technical graduates.

Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Materials Engineering (Nanotechnology) from Loughborough University, United Kingdom (2010), a Master of Polymer Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (2004), and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (1999).

His areas of expertise include nanotechnology, advanced materials, graphene, polymer engineering, TVET pedagogy, academic development, and higher education quality assurance.

He is also active in international research and scholarly publishing, with involvement in more than 60 high-impact journal publications,and has led various national and international research grants.

Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal is also active in various committees and higher education leadership platforms at the national and international levels as a subject matter expert, and served as Visiting Professor at Karabuk University, Türkiye (2019) and Hebei University, China (2025).

Among his key involvements are serving as Chairman of the Public Universities Quality Management Council (MPQ-UA); Member of the Malaysia–United Kingdom TVET Committee, Ministry of Higher Education; Member in the development of the Higher Education Internationalisation Policy and Action Plan 2023–2030; Member of the MTUN 2030 Direction Committee; and Evaluator for the Ministry of Higher Education’s FRGS and PRGS grants since 2017.
He has also participated in various strategic leadership development programmes organised by the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), including the DVC Leadership Onboarding Programme (DVCLead) 2023, Strategic Management & Leadership Training 2023, Transformative TVET Leadership 2024, and Elevating Leadership Instrument & Evaluation Series (ELITE).

The UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ts. Dr.Yatimah Alias, expressed her appreciation to the Minister of Higher Education (KPT), Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, for the appointment.

She expressed hope that the appointment would further strengthen academic excellence and the internationalisation agenda, the Advanced TVET transformation, and the UMPSA Strategic Plan 2026–2030 in line with the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint (RPTM) 2026–2035.

“I hope that this appointment will strengthen the university’s academic and internationalisation agenda and play an important role in the development of the country’s higher education agenda, particularly in relation to Advanced TVET.

“In addition, Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal’s involvement across several eras of the university’s leadership demonstrates the continuity of development in TVET, engineering, technology, and internationalisation towards becoming a leading technological university,” she said.

By: Naqiah Puaad, Centre for Corporate Communications
Translation by: Ts. Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press