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Our team

Governance and Team

We are delighted to welcome you to De Montfort University Cambodia (DMU Cambodia) – A UK university in the heart of Phnom Penh, providing high quality global higher education locally, enabling our students to adapt in a changing world and to make a positive impact in their communities. 

De Montfort University is the first British university to be established and delivered UK qualifications in Cambodia and has celebrated its 150th anniversary with a track record of providing an international learning experience, allowing students to develop and fulfil their potential.

Cambodia has made significant steps in realising its ambition to lead international education development and transformation. We believe DMU Cambodia is well placed to provide additional support to these efforts.

Choosing the right university is an important decision in a person’s life. The experience not only develops individuals academically and professionally, but students gain the knowledge, skills and experience to become confident global citizens able to adapt to a fast changing and developing world. 

Our Board of Governors, combined with our DMU Cambodia and DMU Leicester management and support staff look forward to supporting your journey with us. 

Board of Governors

The Board of Governors is responsible for the determination of the educational character and mission 
of the university and for the general oversight of its activities.

Professor Susan Orr
Pro Vice-Chancellor Education,
De Montfort University Leicester 

Professor Susan Orr is the Pro Vice Chancellor Education at De Montfort University. Prior to her appointment at DMU she was PVC: Learning and Teaching at York St John University. Susan has also held leadership positions at Sheffield Hallam University and University of the Arts London.

At York St John University Susan led on the delivery of the Learning, Teaching and Student Experience strategy and was the Executive Board Sponsor for its successful application for Bronze Athena Swan and for its preparation towards submitting its Race Equality Charter to Advance HE.

At DMU Susan leads Education 2030 which builds on DMU’s student centred learning approaches to ensure that DMU’s curriculum and pedagogy meets the challenges of our current and future students and graduates.   

Sakina Zafar
President DMU Kazakhstan
Executive President DMU Cambodia 

In addition to her current duties as President at De Montfort University Kazakhstan, Sakina has also been Former Deputy Director General, Academic Director and Project Director in a variety of educational projects and institutions both in the UK and abroad. She has more than 25 years of experience in managing improvement programmes, as well as devising and overseeing activities and management in the field of education. Her experience covers both government initiatives to reform education and the implementation of programmes led by private investors. 

Sakina worked as a senior adviser in the regional public education authorities of Great Britain. She also served as a member of the steering group for the improvement of university education in Central Asia. 

Hugh Hegarty
CEO of NPCAT,
Senior Adviser 

Hugh is the founding CEO of NPCAT, one of the largest multi-academic trusts in the UK. With more than 15,000 students and more than 2,000 employees from 38 academies, which, according to the Ministry of Education, NPCAT ranks 6th in England.

Over his 29 years of experience, Hugh’s previous positions include Director of Academic Programmes and Operations, he led several education reform programmes, as well as developing and opening new schools around the world. Hugh played a key role in the development of one of the leading educational improvement agencies in the Middle East, and his teams of educational improvement consultants provided support to educational institutions in the region.

Asif Iqbal
Executive Director
 

Asif has UK and International experience in a number of sectors including capital and commodity markets. He has held leadership roles with a global focus and has been responsible for delivering both financial and non-financial outcomes.

His roles have had a general management mandate across multiple disciplines and functions including operations, strategy, M&A, investor relations and communications.

He has also acted as a senior adviser working with institutions including those in education who are looking to launch or expand their operations overseas.

  

De Montfort University Leicester

Management and Support Team

Ian Thomas
Associate Dean (International), Faculty of Business and Law, De Montfort University Leicester
 

Ian is a member of the Faculty Management Board and the Faculty Executive and Chairs the Faculty International and Faculty Collaborative Provision Boards. At institutional level, Ian is a member of the International Strategy Group, International Recruitment Committee, Global Partnership Advisory Group and the China Strategy Working Group.

Teaching experience has included delivering Management Skills and Managing People modules at postgraduate and undergraduate level as well as on undergraduate programmes overseas, mainly in partner Chinese universities, as a result of which Ian was made a Visiting Professor of Beijing City University in 2011.

Richard Cross
Interim Associate Dean (International), Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media, De Montfort University Leicester 

Dr Richard Cross’s research career has been focused on the growth of thin films for electronic devices such as thin film transistors (TFTs); mainly hydrogenated amorphous silicon and zinc oxide.

His main interests now lie in the novel growth of nanoscale materials. Of particular interest going forward will be exploring the nano-bio interface, i.e. interfacing directly nanoscale materials/devices with biological systems. Examples would be neuronal interfaces and structures for intracellular recording/biomarker detection.

He is member of Material Research Society and Emerging Technologies Research Centre (EMTERC).

Nas Harrison
Associate Professor in Transnational Education, Faculty of Business and Law, De Montfort University Leicester 

Following a successful career in Retail Management in London, Nas Harrison joined the Business & Law Faculty in 2009 as an associate lecturer in marketing. Over the years she has been teaching and leading marketing programmes, especially in areas of Customer Relationship Management and Retail Marketing. 

 In her current role as an Associate Professor in Transnational Education with the Faculty, she plays a vital role in the delivery and continued development of the Faculty and the institutional TNE growth strategy. Nas is responsible for the innovative development and management of teaching and learning activities that cater to students from diverse and international backgrounds. 

 Nas is accountable for overseeing DMU courses' academic quality taught at TNE partners and ensuring that they align with Faculty and University strategic plans. She has extensive knowledge of TNE at an operational, academic and strategic level, as she has led and delivered large scale TNE projects for the Faculty.

Dr Abdulaleem (Aleem) Al-Othmani
Senior Lecturer in Computer Science (TNE), Faculty of Engineering and Media, De Montfort University Leicester  

Dr Abdulaleem Al-Othmani is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science (TNE) at De Montfort University. He is the programme manager for all APU/DMU dual award computing programmes. 

Dr. Aleem received his BSc. degree in Computer Engineering from University of Baghdad, Iraq, in 2002; and his Master in Computer Science (Information Security) and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 2010 and 2016 respectively. Before joining De Montfort University in March 2021, he was a Senior Lecturer in Cybersecurity and Software Engineering, and the Programme Coordinator for PhD and Master of IT at University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), and he also held a Lecturer position at Asia Pacific University (APU) in Malaysia. 

Careers with DMU Cambodia
Find your next great role.

Whether you’re starting your career or looking to take your next step, DMU Cambodia offers a range of rewarding careers in the city of Phnom Penh.

Why DMU Cambodia?

This is an exciting opportunity to join DMU Cambodia - the first international campus of a UK university in Cambodia, delivering programmes leading to the award of a prestigious UK degree.

DMU Cambodia is an ambitious, globally-minded institution with a focus on delivering quality teaching and learning, and a campus-wide focus on providing a sector-leading student experience.

Our goal is to become a leading careers-focused, enterprising university in Cambodia, one which both prepares our students for the jobs of the future and provides the innovation to drive that future sustainably and inclusively.

We are therefore recruiting energetic, dynamic individuals who enjoy challenges who will embrace the University’s values and together as a strong and progressive team will help shape DMU Cambodia’s future direction and success. 

Please contact us to discuss any open roles by emailing us at jobs@dmuc.edu.kh