University Leadership

Chancellor

Professor Emeritus Tengku Dato’ Shamsul Bahrin

Professor Emeritus Tengku Dato’ Shamsul Bahrin has been with Nilai University (Nilai College as it was then known) since its inception in 1998. In his role as President, he was instrumental in getting the institution upgraded to ‘university college’ (2008) and full ‘university’ status (2012). He holds an Honours degree in Geography from Universiti Malaya and a Master’s Degree in Geography from the University of Sheffield, UK. He is a firm believer in democratisation of higher education through scholarships and financial aids.

Vice Chancellor

Professor Dato’ Dr. Azhar Bin Ismail

Professor Dato’ Dr. Azhar has more than a three-decade career as an entomologist at Mardi and the Malaysian Cocoa Board. Before he was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the Nilai University, he was the Director-General of the Malaysian Cocoa Board and was at the helm for more than 10 years.

Professor Dato’ Dr. Azhar did his undergraduate degree in Entomology at the University of California, Davis and continued his graduate degrees of Masters and PhD in Entomology at the Washington State University. He served as an Adjunct Professor with the Department of Crop Protection at University Putra Malaysia in Serdang Selangor. Also, he was the President of the Entomological Society of Malaysia (Entoma) in 2001-02.

As a Vice-Chancellor of Nilai University, Professor Dato’ Dr. Azhar will oversee all aspects of the university’s operation, especially in teaching, research and public service mission. He looks forward to boldly leading the university to new heights in academic excellence, public visibility and upward mobility for students from all backgrounds.

Chief Operating Officer /
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration)

Norman Chu

Mr. Norman Chu brings in two decades of experience to the education industry. He graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor and a Master Degree in Civil Engineering. He is an Associate Member of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) and a graduate member of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM).

After graduating in the United States, he worked for 4 years in the US as a researcher and engineer before returning to Malaysia. He was a Geotechnical Engineer with a local construction company, which had projects throughout Malaysia before joining a private institution as a lecturer. He has held various posts including as the Head of School, Registrar, Executive Vice-President, Principal, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for a private college and university.

Mr. Chu will oversee the university’s operations to bring progress by including current trends and opportunities for the growth of Nilai University.