ABOUT

Brief bio

Dr. Aisyah Saad is an Education Consultant with extensive experience in leading seminars, workshops and keynotes on best teaching practices, online and microcredential courses in higher education. She has delivered over 100 workshops, keynotes, seminars and talks on academic presentations, MOOCs and online courses and teaching with technology at faculty, national and international levels. Dr. Aisyah also served as judge for Reimagine Education awards from 2017 to 2023 and ISTE Impact Awards 2022.

A pharmacist registered with the Malaysia Pharmacy Board, Dr. Aisyah did her Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) at The University of Nottingham (United Kingdom) and B.Pharm. (Hons.) at Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University. Formerly, she served as Associate Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and taught at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from 2005 to 2018. Her research interests are in student-centred learning (SCL) focusing on active learning and games, e.g. educational escape rooms, teaching innovations in pharmacy education, specialising in pharmaceutical medicinal chemistry.

Dr. Aisyah also authored a book titled Elevate, in which she shares stories and lessons on academic presentations. In 2020, the book was selected for Dana Penulis (Writer's Grant) from Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (The National Library of Malaysia).

An award-winning educator, Dr Aisyah blogs at the intersections of pharmacy, technology and academic presentations.

Past notable appointments and achievements in academia

Teaching leadership

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Anugerah Pendidik Sanjungan 2013 (Sole recipient of University’s Teaching Excellence Award).
Shortlisted in the Top 50 for Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Awards 2014 out of over 400 applicants worldwide (Hybrid Learning).
Keynote speaker and Lead trainer for 80+ national and international seminars and workshops on MOOCs, Technology in Education and Effective Presentation Skills (from 2006).
Judge for the ‘Oscars’ of Innovations in Higher Education, QS Reimagine Education awards (ICT, Hybrid Learning, VR: 2017-2023), and other Malaysia e-Learning competitions e.g. International University E-Learning Carnival (IUCEL).
Judge for the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) Impact Award 2022.
Aromatic Chemistry teaching slides featured as slide examples in the best-selling books on presentations: Presentation Zen (PZ) and PZ Design book series.

E-learning, MOOCs and microcredential course developments

UiTM Pharmacy Faculty Coordinator for e-Learning (2021-2023)
Faculty's Learning Manager. An ILD-Awantec CPD initiative (2021-2022)
Malaysian e-Learning Council (MEIPTA). Member (2016-2018)
Co-researcher, COMPETEN-SEA Jom Du-it! Entrepreneurship Skills MOOC for Single Mothers, ERASMUS+ Grant (2016-2018)
USM MOOC Manager (2015-2018)
ACE That Presentation, a MOOC on Presentation Skills.
Microcredential Made Easy, an Online Module on Learning4Life.usm.my

Administration and Fellow

Chairperson, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Discipline (2013-2016)
Editor-in-Chief, Malaysian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2014-2016)
Consultant, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (2020-2022)
Board member of Postgraduate Studies, National Institute of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceuticals Malaysia (IPHARM)
Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute for Glycomics, Gold Coast Australia Host Scientist: Professor Mark von Itzstein (2011).
Fellow and Research Fellow at a National Institute and two Centres:
- IPHARM
- USM Centre for Academic Excellence, CDAE@USM and,
- USM Centre for Chemical Biology, CCB@USM.