Digital Transformation and Sustainability in Higher Education

Digital transformation and sustainability have become pivotal in higher education, reshaping how institutions operate, teach, and engage with communities. As universities adopt technologies to enhance learning experiences and streamline administrative processes, they align these innovations with environmental and social responsibility. This convergence presents both opportunities and challenges, demanding strategic integration of smart infrastructure, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable practices. By embracing digital technology and sustainability, higher education institutions can improve educational outcomes and operational efficiency while addressing the global challenges of climate change and social equity. Digital Transformation and Sustainability in Higher Education explores the integration of digital technology into higher education practices for sustainable development. It examines the use of intelligent technologies for enhanced skill development and student learning. This book covers topics such as microcredentials, social responsibility, and gamification, and is a useful resource for educators, computer engineers, academicians, researchers, and data scientists.

Wan Zuhainis Saad is an associate professor in Microbiology at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia. She is the former Director of Academic Excellence Division, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia from 2018 to 2022. She is now the Director of the Centre for Academic Development and Leadership Excellence (CADe-Lead) UPM. She has been awarded: 1. Winner of the Reimagining and Redesigning Higher Education (Virtual Immersive Learning Experience Category) 2017 2. Winner of the National Academic Award (Teaching Award – Pure Science Cluster) 2018 3. Higher Education E-Learning Maestro Award 2023 She has introduced innovative academic excellence initiatives including Experiential Learning and Competency Based Education Landscape (EXCEL), Service Learning Malaysia University for Society (SULAM) and many more. She is now a strong advocate of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and now heading the ESD Task Force in UPM. Presently, she is the Adjunct Professor in UCSI University and the Advisory Board Members for the UK-Malaysian University Consortium. Advisor for the Center of Academic Excellence and Development, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, and the Advisory Panel for Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Universiti Teknologi Petronas. She has also been appointed as the Expert Consultant in transforming the academic programs in Cambodian Higher Education.

Nor Aziah Alias is currently a fellow of the Malaysian Academy of Professors. She was an honorary professor of Teaching and Learning at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She was formerly the UiTM Director of Academic Development (2014-2021), the Director of E-learning (2012-2014), the Deputy dean (Academic) of UiTM Faculty of Education and an instructional designer at the university’s distance learning centre. She has a Masters degree in Physics and a Bachelor Degree in the same field from Indiana University, Bloomington. She earned a Graduate Certificate in ODL from University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Her doctoral degree is in the field of instructional technology. She has won awards including Malaysian Educational Technology Association Dissertation Award and the EdTech Leadership in Asia for Tertiary Education Award (EduTECH) Asia 2019. Her field of interest include Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) and ICT for Development (ICT4D), Technology enhanced learning environment, development research in Instructional Technology and education for sustainable development. Dr. Nor Aziah has published in journals, written chapters and edited books published by MIT Press, Springer, Sage, Information Age Publishing, Copenhagen Business School Press, Libri Press (UK) and IGI Global (Pennsylvania, USA). Her latest IGI book project is titled “Cases on Responsive and Responsible Learning in Higher Education” published in February 2023.

Chou Min Chong holds a PhD in Immunology and teaches aquaculture students at Universiti Putra Malaysia on the topic of fish immunology. He is passionate about using artificial intelligence (AI) in educational methods to enhance the learning journey of his aquaculture students. In 2022, the Ministry of Education Malaysia and UNESCO named Dr. Chong Chou Min as the leader of inclusive Open Educational Resources (iOER). He has been participating in developing the national iOER policy since 2019, which was officially introduced by the Ministry of Education Malaysia in 2022. Additionally, he represented UPM as a digital disruptive leader in the Academy of Higher Education Leadership (AKEPT). Dr. Chong Chou Min is currently involved in preparing the new Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026-2035 as the head writer of Shift 8: Flexible Education and Lifelong Learning. Dr. Chong Chou Min is leading one of the “Key Priority Action Areas” of the Taskforce Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at UPM, focusing on building the capacities of educators. He is also the head of PutraOER. Dr. Chong is also the Lead Trainer for the AI (Kopi AIs) Series and has been involved in giving many AI trainings both within and outside UPM. He has been actively engaged in exploring AI and integrating it into academic practices, discussions on AI usage and consequences, and sharing his knowledge to enhance understanding of AI in academic environments.

Suriana Sabri began her career at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2013. She holds a PhD in metabolic engineering from The University of Queensland, Australia. Dr. Suriana has published 81 articles in the Web of Science (WoS) journals with 1422 Scopus citations and has an h-index score of 24, indicating a high level of research impact in the microbiology, microbial technology, and metabolic engineering field. She has supervised 38 postgraduate students, of whom 23 have successfully graduated, comprising 11 PhDs and 12 MSc students. Currently, Dr. Suriana serves as the Deputy Director of the Centre for Academic Development and Leadership Excellence (CADe-Lead) at UPM since January 2022. She spearheads the Teaching and Learning Development section and oversees initiatives to enhance the curriculum of the academic program. Since 2017, she has been an active member of the university curiculum committee, helping with the development and revision of academic programs (for both undergraduate and postgraduate). Her expertise extends to conducting workshops, both at the university and national levels, focused on the development of ODL programs. Moreover, she has served as the panel assessor for the accreditation of 4 ODL programs at IMU University and UTM. Additionally, she imparts her knowledge as a trainer specializing in the Development of Academic Programs, Outcome-Based Education, and Assessment of Learning Outcomes.