Rate My Professor Dayang Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman

Datin Paduka Professor Dr Dayang Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman serves as Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Brunei since 1 January 2015, where she has spearheaded the institution's transformation into a globally recognized university, achieving rankings in QS World and Asia University Rankings, QS Sustainability, Top 10 in ASEAN, and the nation's only 5-Star-Plus University status. She earned her BSc Tech (Hons) in Applied Biology from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Cardiff, in 1987; MSc in Food Science from the University of Reading in 1988; and PhD in Genetics from the University of Southampton in 1994, all in the United Kingdom. Her academic career began as a school teacher in 1988, followed by joining Universiti Brunei Darussalam in 1989, where she taught genetics, population genetics, and molecular genetics from 1994 to 2013, and served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor prior to transferring to Universiti Teknologi Brunei in 2013. Additionally, she was appointed Adjunct Professor at Universiti Brunei Darussalam from 2020 to 2022 and Honorary Professor in the College of Science at Swansea University, UK, from 2018 to 2023. Since 29 October 2020, she holds the position of Professor of Biology in the School of Applied Sciences and Mathematics at Universiti Teknologi Brunei.

Professor Sulaiman's research specializations encompass biodiversity, aquaculture, molecular phylogeny, and biogeography of fishes. Key contributions include the discovery of three new Gastromyzon fishes—Gastromyzon aeroides, Gastromyzon cranbrooki, and Gastromyzon venustus—in Brunei's Temburong River in 2006, in collaboration with researchers from the National University of Singapore; identification of a new freshwater mussel species in Borneo in 2021; and co-ownership of two patents for biodiesel production from local paddy variety “Laila” with a PhD student. She has received numerous accolades, including the ASAIHL Fellow in 1996, Meritorious Service Medal of ASEAN Science and Technology in 2008, Honorary Fellow by the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisation in 2021, and five state honorary medals from His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam: PIKB (2001), Bintang PSB (2006), Bintang SMB (2011), Bintang SNB (2017), and Bintang DPMB (2022). Professionally, she chaired the ASEAN-COST Sub-Committee on Biotechnology from 2011 to 2014, served as national focal point from 2002 to 2014, and is a founding member of the Asian Society of Ichthyologists since 2014, alongside memberships in various national committees such as the Brunei Research Council and Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry.