“A university is a learning playground where educators and students engage meaningfully in a familial environment. She promotes interactive, creative learning that builds on students' natural curiosity while maximising their potential.”
PROFESSOR HAZEL MELANIE RAMOS, SFHEA
Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning
Hailing from generations of teachers and passionate educators, it was almost inevitable that Professor Hazel Ramos would follow a similar path. Raised by educator parents in an academic environment, she developed a love for learning early on.
Today, her teaching is driven by a deep desire to inspire that same curiosity in her students and to give them the confidence to try new things.
Professor Ramos moved to Malaysia in 2006 shortly after completing her PhD in the Philippines. That December, she joined the 188体育网址_188体育在线-【唯一授权网站】@ of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) as a pioneering academic in the newly formed School of Applied Psychology.
Just days after arriving, she welcomed the first cohort of MSc Management Psychology students. Within two years, she had helped develop and launch three additional programmes for the School.
Professor Ramos has long envisioned UNM as a regional hub for education in ASEAN and Asia, underpinned by the region’s strong commitment to learning. She believes universities are powerful engines of growth and through education, she and her colleagues are developing the next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators.
To her, a university is a learning playground where educators and students engage meaningfully in a familial environment. She promotes interactive, creative learning that builds on students' natural curiosity while maximising their potential.
Her passion for innovation in pedagogy is clear. She developed UNM’s first e-learning module on research methods and led digital transformation efforts in classrooms before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, she spearheaded the creation of a Digital Teaching and Learning Lab, a tech-enabled space where academic and professional staff can develop content, experiment with teaching methods and collaborate.
Her commitment to educational excellence has been recognised with two of UNM’s highest honours: the Vice Chancellor’s Medal in 2017 and the Lord Dearing Award in 2022.
One of her most impactful contributions is the Teaching and Learning Observation College (TLOC), a tri-campus, volunteer-based initiative that she launched in 2019.
TLOC offers academic and professional staff a platform for peer observation and feedback, encouraging reflective practice and continuous improvement. The community has since grown to over 30 active members.
Her work with TLOC laid the foundation for the Malaysia Senior Fellows Network, launched in 2023 in collaboration with Advance HE. This network amplifies voices committed to pedagogical excellence and equity.
Professor Ramos has also made her mark as a family business researcher, exemplifying how creativity, discipline and a commitment to diversity and inclusion can drive meaningful change. She often says glass ceilings do not exist at UNM, and her own journey proves it.
UNM took a chance on a young PhD graduate nearly 20 years ago. That investment has paid off many times over.