Vice Chancellor

Professor Dato’ Dr. Annuar is a distinguished scholar-practitioner and currently serves as the Vice Chancellor of Asia Metropolitan University (AMU). He has extensive industrial experience in engineering, technology, management, business, foreign direct investment, and higher education leadership. He began his academic journey by pursuing studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia, USA, on a PETRONAS scholarship, earning a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, a Master of Business Administration (Finance), and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with Magna Cum Laude distinction and Honors Scholar designation.

He also holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from the University of South Australia, was an Advanced Engineering Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT), and is an alumnus of the University of Oxford Business School. A Professional Engineer (Ir.), Professional Technologist (Ts.), and HRDC Accredited Trainer, he brings a rare blend of academic rigour and industrial depth to the role. His career began at PETRONAS' ASEAN Bintulu Fertilizer plant as a project and plant engineer, before expanding into key leadership roles across public, private, and international platforms. Notably, he served as President and Group CEO of Kulim Technology Park Corporation (KTPC), spearheading the development of the 4,800-acre Kulim HiTech Park, attracting world-class investors and building cutting-edge facilities in advanced manufacturing, CNC, robotics, IT, and biotechnology.

Professor Dato’ Dr. Annuar has also made significant contributions to Malaysia’s innovation and economic development landscape as Vice President of Technology Park Malaysia, and CEO of KXP Airport City Holdings. His governance experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), where he also chaired the Finance and Investment Committees, and holding adjunct professorships at Universiti Utara Malaysia and AMU. He previously held the role of President of the Asian Association of Business Incubation in Shanghai, PRC, and was a Consultant to The World Bank on entrepreneurship and business incubation.

For his exemplary service, he has received numerous honors, including the prestigious Dato’ Setia DiRaja Kedah (DSDK) bestowed by His Majesty The Sultan of Kedah, a Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from UniMAP, Honorary Master in Engineering from UniMAP,and acknowledgement in the Who’s Who in Engineering Malaysia (1st Edition), by the Board of Engineers’ Malaysia (BEM).

In addition to these accomplishments, his early academic years in the United States were marked by exceptional distinction. He was nominated by the University of Missouri to the prestigious U.S. National Engineering Honor Society (Tau Beta Pi), and U.S. National Industrial Engineering Honor Society (Alpha Pi Mu). He was also selected as a University Scholar and listed in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges in 1984—an honour reserved for students demonstrating outstanding leadership, scholarship, and service.

These cumulative achievements reflect not only a lifetime of excellence across academia and industry, but also a sustained commitment to leadership, innovation, and nation-building, positioning Professor Dato’ Dr. Annuar as a highly respected figure in both the academic and professional spheres.