New Associate Head of SoSS and EBS appointed

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Heriot-Watt University Malaysia is pleased to announce that Dr Foo Yin Fah is the newly appointed Associate Head of the University's School of Social Sciences and Edinburgh Business School.

A Chartered Accountant of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and Fellow Member of CPA Australia, Dr Foo also holds a Master of Finance from RMIT University and a PhD in Accounting from Victoria University, Australia.

“I am thrilled to be part of the globally connected team here. With its solid foundation and world-class reputation, Heriot-Watt University has been providing high quality education for nearly two centuries, and I hope to do my part not just in continuing its tradition of excellence but also in helping our youth make a strong impact in the world. I believe that the opportunities are limitless and look forward to tapping into them for the benefit of future generations,”

Dr Foo Yin Fah

Parallel with the University's commitment to delivering current and industry-relevant curricula at all times, Dr Foo brings an invaluable mix of industry and academia experience to the table. He has 10 years of professional experience as an accountant in various international accounting firms, multinationals and public-listed companies.

Dr Foo also has over 20 years of experience in academia, during which he held numerous academic leadership positions at Sunway University, including Head of Department, Head of School, Associate Dean and Acting Dean. Among others, he contributed significantly to expanding the University's Business School to become the largest faculty. He also played an integral role in expanding its Department of Accounting to become the largest in terms of student enrolment. 

Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi, Provost and CEO of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, said: “We are happy to welcome Dr Foo to the Heriot-Watt family. In today's highly dynamic environment, the University is confident that his vast experience and expertise will provide the catalyst to inspire the growth of the School of Social Sciences and Edinburgh Business School while propelling the University forward to a more impactful and exciting future.”

In recent years, Dr. Foo has dedicated his work towards social entrepreneurship, supporting numerous social innovation and social entrepreneurship projects and start-ups in Malaysia.

He played a prominent part in setting up the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship with the objective of creating more understanding and awareness of the social entrepreneurship movement in Malaysia. He was also involved in the Social Progress Network, which is part of a global movement to advance global social progress, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Dialogue in the Dark, a social enterprise that supports the visually impaired.

He is also a recipient of an RM300,000 Project Grant for Southeast Asian Social Innovation Network that is funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

To date, Dr Foo has published a number of articles on various accounting and social entrepreneurship topics as well as contributing to conference proceedings, workshops and seminars in Malaysia and internationally.

He has also taken on numerous key university leadership positions, including Joint Chair of the Organising Committee of the ASEAN Conference on Accounting Education in 2015 and Faculty Advisor to Enactus Sunway University (formerly known as Student in Free Enterprise or SIFE) from 2011-2014.

Dr Foo will play an instrumental role in realising Strategy 2025, which was recently launched by the University.