Prof. Emerita Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin

Dr. Sharifah Hapsah is a medical doctor, an academic leader and a lifelong advocate for women's empowerment across their life span. Her special ability and passion to blend her professional, academic and community service make her contribution unique and impactful not only nationally but also internationally in the areas of medical and higher education, quality assurance, gender equality, justice and inclusivity for women, families and children. She was the prime mover of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act which lays the foundation for safeguarding quality and excellence in higher education. Her tenure as Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia saw its rise in international rankings, research and publications with innovations in start-up companies. She championed university-community engagement which was recognised in the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities. Since 2023 her passion is devoted to the promotion of a resilient and sustainable care ecosystem which could also address the issues of retaining women in the workforce and to ensure affordable and quality care, in particular for children, individuals with special needs and older persons. Recognising Malaysia's rapidly ageing population, she has been a leading advocate for healthy ageing and dignified longevity. In 2026, she spearheaded two projects: (a) the collaborative development and multisectoral stakeholder consultation which produced Competency-based Standards of Training for Caregivers of Older Persons, with career pathways which ultimately will lead to their professionalisation. (b) seminar on "Healthy Aging with Financial Confidence, Protection and Dignity for Women in a Sustainable Silver Economy" in collaboration with the Financial Education Network (FEN). Dr Sharifah Hapsah has received numerous national and international awards and appointments. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to social development, she was conferred the award of Outstanding Woman for Social Development by Her Majesty, The Queen of Thailand, becoming one of the first five non-Thai recipients of this prestigious honour.