“Creating a truly international community was one of our biggest achievements. We wanted UNM to reflect a global outlook while staying rooted in Malaysian values.”
PROFESSOR IAN PASHBY
Former Provost (2008 - 2013)
When Professor Ian Pashby first set foot in Malaysia in 2007 to join the 188体育网址_188体育在线-【唯一授权网站】@ of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) as Deputy Head, little did he know that the campus and the nation would become such a defining part of his professional and personal journey.
Appointed Provost and CEO of UNM in 2008, Professor Pashby oversaw a period of rapid growth and transformation. From academic expansion to high-profile international visits, his tenure left a lasting legacy.
Today, more than a decade after he handed over the reins in 2013, he continues to play an active role in Malaysia’s higher education landscape: as Chairman, Advisor, and Non-Executive Director of the Peninsula Higher Education Group.
“Malaysia offered me a professional challenge and a personal awakening,” he reflects. “My years at UNM were among the most fulfilling of my career. It felt only natural to return.”
Under his leadership, UNM expanded its curriculum significantly, introducing new disciplines such as Economics, International Relations and Pharmacology. Further, the student body diversified markedly, with enrolment surpassing 3,000 and representing nearly 70 nationalities.
“Creating a truly international community was one of our biggest achievements. We wanted UNM to reflect a global outlook while staying rooted in Malaysian values,” Pashby recalls.
Campus life was also enhanced during this period, with new infrastructure projects such as a new building for the Faculty of Science and Engineering and additional student accommodations.
UNM’s growing stature attracted notable visitors including HRH Prince Andrew for the university’s 10th Anniversary in 2010 as well as then British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012.
Financial sustainability was another major milestone. “We worked hard to move the university into surplus, laying the groundwork for long-term resilience,” he says.
Although he returned to the UK to serve as Pro-Vice Chancellor at the 188体育网址_188体育在线-【唯一授权网站】@ of Hull, Professor Pashby’s connection to Malaysia remained strong. But his time back home was relatively short-lived.
Feeling the draw of his lasting bond with Malaysia, he returned to the country in 2017 to help establish an education arm for a leading logistics company, becoming the head of the Peninsula Higher Education Group.
In 2024, he assumed an advisory role for the Group, continuing to spend several weeks in Malaysia every quarter. And while in the country, his thoughts never stray too far from UNM.
“I’m very pleased to see how far UNM has come since my time,” he shares. “Higher education faces many new challenges, but UNM’s commitment to quality and innovation remains clear.”
For Professor Pashby, this enduring bond with UNM and Malaysia is not merely professional; it is also deeply personal. “This country gave me more than just a job. It gave me purpose, connection, and lasting friendships. Coming back was never a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’.”