Paramount Education makes key appointments

Petaling Jaya, 6 April 2016: Paramount Education, the education division of Paramount Corporation Berhad (PCB), today announced two new key appointments to further strengthen the management team of its tertiary education institutions.

KDU University College (KDU UC) recently appointed Professor Hiew Pang Leang as Vice Chancellor in March this year.

Prof Hiew holds a PhD with a focus in Telecommunications, and undergraduate degrees in Science and Engineering, all from Monash University, Australia. He has a wealth of academic leadership experience where he has been a professor and associate professor in Taylor’s University Malaysia and Monash University Malaysia respectively. He is currently a visiting professor with the University of the West of England at Bristol, England.

In research, he is a co-inventor of a number of patents filed in the UK and Europe. He has also published his research widely in various technical journals and conference proceedings, as well as given technical talks at key international conferences, industry summits and forums.

Prof Hiew’s extensive experience in the commercial sector saw him helming British Telecommunications PLC’s global insourcing centre in Malaysia as Managing Director of BT Global Technology (M) Sdn Bhd. He was also Chief Executive Officer of BT Multimedia (M) Sdn Bhd where he headed BT’s research centres in the country.

Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Education, Datin Teh Geok Lian said, “Prof Hiew joins us at a significant time in KDU UC’s growth. Prof Hiew’s vast experience spanning academia and commercial, both in Malaysia and abroad, will ensure we are closely in touch with the needs of industries and corporations, which in turn will bring our tertiary promise of real-world education meeting real-world needs to life in new and interesting ways.

“His corporate experience and proven academic leadership will bring a rich source of new perspective and innovative leadership needed to steer KDU UC to greater standards of excellence.”

Paramount Education also announced the appointment of Dr Brian Charles Imrie as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic & Research) of KDU Penang University College (KDU Penang UC). Dr Imrie has experience in the fields of academia, research and management, following stints in Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia. Prior to his current appointment, he was Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Post-graduate & Research) at Sunway University.

Dr Imrie has been tasked to work closely with KDU Penang UC Vice Chancellor Prof Chong Beng Keok to steer the institution forward in preparation for its new campus in Batu Kawan. Mirroring the successful university metropolis concept of Paramount Utropolis in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, KDU Penang UC’s flagship campus will anchor Penang’s first university metropolis with the biggest purpose-built campus in Batu Kawan. It will feature a green campus with state-of-the-art facilities that are in line with the requirements of a university college.

“These two leadership appointments come at a critical time in the evolution of our tertiary business, which marks its 33rd year of operations this year. KDU UC’s move to Glenmarie last year, KDU Penang UC’s elevation to UC status in October 2015 and the construction of our new flagship campus in Batu Kawan to serve the needs of the Northern region signals a major leap in Paramount Education’s capacity and capability building. We are now even better positioned to deliver on Paramount Education’s promise of shaping characters and building careers, and their contributions to these efforts will be significant,” Datin Teh concluded.