Majlis Konvokesyen ke-23 USIM | 2025

P rofessor Dr. Fauzias Mat Nor, born in Parit, Perak, has carved her name as one of the nation’s prominent academic figures in the field of Finance. Raised in an environment that emphasised the importance of knowledge and discipline, she has built her life’s journey with determination and earnestness to make meaningful contributions to society through education, research, and human capital development. Her initial steps in the academic world began with a Diploma in Accounting at Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) in 1977, before stepping onto the international stage to continue her studies at the University of Miami, Florida, United States. There, she successfully completed her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a specialization in Finance in 1984 as a recipient of the Beta Gamma Sigma Award, and subsequently continued with her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1985. Her quest for knowledge did not stop there; rather, she continued her studies at University College Dublin, Ireland, in 1989 and successfully completed her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Finance in 1991. This achievement demonstrated her diligence, perseverance, and academic excellence. Professor Dr. Fauzias’ career in the public sector began as an Examiner and Auditor at the National Audit Department. However, her academic spirit drove her to contribute to the world of education as early as 1986 by joining Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). During nearly three decades at UKM, she held various important positions such as the Head of Finance Department, Deputy Dean, and subsequently Founding Dean of UKM-Graduate School of Business (UKM-GSB), where she played an important role in establishing UKM- GSB as the top business school in Malaysia at that time. She was also the president of the Malaysian Finance Association (MFA) from 2004 to 2011. In 2015, Professor Dr. Fauzias began a new chapter with USIM as Professor of Finance at the Faculty of Economics and Muamalat (FEM). Her capability as an academic leader continued to shine when she was appointed as the Director of USIM ‘Alamiyyah from 2017 to 2018, followed by the Director of the Institute of Islamic Finance and Wealth Management (IFWMI) from 2020 to 2021. The pinnacle of her leadership at USIM was marked when she was appointed as the Holder of the Registered Tun Ismail Ali Foundation (YTI) Professor Chair, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) from 2021 to 2023. Her contributions to research and publications are remarkable. With more than 100 indexed journal articles, 14 scholarly books, and various book chapters, her works cover Islamic finance, corporate finance and banking, as well as maqasid shariah that integrate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles in Islamic finance practices. Her research has been supported by various national, industry, and international grants, including collaborations with Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia and Permodalan Nasional Berhad. As Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Muamalat and Islamic Finance Research (JMIFR) , she is deeply committed to advancing this journal to the level of global recognition. The results of her hard work and dedication are recognized through various prestigious awards, including the UKM Excellence Service Award, USIM Excellence Researcher Award (2021, 2022), the National Book Award (2023) and USIM Active Author Award (Books) (2024). In 2022, she was also nominated for The Royal Award for Islamic Finance, which strengthened her reputation in the field of Finance. The culmination of all these recognitions was the conferment of the USIM 2024 Academic Figure Award (HASANUL MUDIR), the university’s highest award given to academic members for outstanding achievements and extraordinary contributions to the university, society, and nation.