New Provost and CEO announced for UoR Malaysia

Professor May Tan-Mullins has been appointed as the new Provost and CEO of the University of Reading Malaysia (UoR Malaysia).

May takes up the role following the departure of Professor Wing Lam in August. She will take over from the Deputy Provosts Professor Teck Eng (DP Academic) and Nandan Ramachandran, who have been in interim charge since the summer.

As Provost and CEO, May will lead University operations at our Malaysia campus in EduCity. This includes increasing student recruitment and driving forward engagement across Southeast Asia, allowing the University’s research and expertise to drive positive change in the wider region.

This appointment supports the Global Engagement and Internationalisation Strategic Framework announced earlier this year by Dr Caroline Baylon, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International).

In support of this framework, May will also become Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (ASEAN), where she will play a key role in fostering engagement with a range of stakeholders across Southeast Asia.

She will also help establish Malaysia as a global engagement hub to increase awareness of transnational education opportunities, strengthen its regional influence and better align it with our central strategic objectives, including around financial sustainability.

May will hold the additional title of Professor of Sustainability at UoR Malaysia, where she can apply her extensive experience of environmental and societal impacts, particularly in China, to raising UoR Malaysia’s profile in these areas.

May was previously Dean International and Chief Sustainability Officer at James Cook University in Singapore, and Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning and a Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China.

May said: “My values and motivations align with those of the University of Reading and its ambitions in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. I am passionate about finding new ways for organisations and communities to address injustices and problems facing populations, and there are lots of opportunities for the University to play a leading role in that.

“I am excited to lead the University’s next stage of growth in Malaysia, putting Reading on the map in Asia and being loud and proud about the opportunities we can offer prospective students.

“I am particularly excited to strengthen Reading’s international environmental sustainability credentials. Climate change is a growing concern in Southeast Asia, especially among students, giving the University an opportunity to be a force for good through our action and research.”

May’s appointment is subject to formal approval from the Malaysian Ministry of Education, a standard process for all high-profile higher education appointments in the country. Final confirmation is expected in the coming weeks.