Associate Professor Dr Farhana Diana Deris is Director of the Corporate Communications Centre, Office of Strategy and Global Eminence, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), where she leads the University’s strategic communications, institutional branding, media engagement, and international visibility initiatives in support of UTM’s global eminence agenda.

Her leadership experience spans international higher education, strategic partnerships, research management, global engagement, and institutional communications. From 2018 to 2022, she served as Manager (Partnerships) at UTM International under the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, overseeing bilateral and multilateral collaborations and representing UTM in international consortium activities. During this period, she was also entrusted with performing the duties of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International).

In 2023, she was appointed Assistant Dean (External and Global Engagement) at UTM’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, leading initiatives in internationalisation, academic and research partnerships, alumni engagement, industry and community collaboration, and institutional visibility. From January 2024, she additionally performed the duties of Deputy Dean (Research, Innovation and Development), contributing to research governance, strategic planning, and innovation outreach.

Appointed Director of the Corporate Communications Centre in June 2025, Dr Farhana now works at the intersection of higher education leadership, communication, reputation, and global engagement. She is particularly interested in how universities can translate academic excellence and innovation into meaningful narratives, partnerships, and societal impact that strengthen their relevance in an increasingly connected world.