Dr. Narentheren Kaliappen is an Associate Professor of International Business at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), an AACSB-accredited and globally recognized institution listed in the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education Rankings 2025. He earned his BBA, MBA, and Ph.D. in Management from UUM, a journey that reflects his strong belief that world-class impact can begin with local roots. Though educated entirely in Malaysia, Dr. Narentheren has grown into a globally active academic, with influence extending across continents. He was awarded the Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award by the Academy for Global Business Advancement (AGBA), USA, in 2015. He has published over 36 Scopus-indexed articles and holds an h-index of 9 (Scopus), 5 (Web of Science), and 17 (Google Scholar). As a scholar from a non-Science & Technology field, he has demonstrated that innovation, impact, and leadership are not limited by discipline. His contributions to teaching innovation have earned both national and international recognition, including the Anugerah Khas YB Menteri (AKRI 2024) where he was named runner-up – and a Top 5 Finalist at the Academy of International Business (AIB) Innovative Teaching Award 2023, held in Poland. For 2 years, he served as the Director of the Management and Leadership Case Study Centre (PKKPK), where he leads initiatives in case writing, teaching, training, and academic–industry collaboration. He also plays a global role as Vice-Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for the AIB Teaching & Education SIG (2024–2026), where he promotes inclusive pedagogy and academic partnerships worldwide. He has delivered training workshops, talks in 11 countries, including Australia, Singapore, India, the UAE, Bahrain, Thailand, Vietnam, Tunisia, Lebanon, Nigeria, and China. His work spans both public and private sectors, particularly in service learning, case study development, and higher education innovation. With deep expertise in educational leadership, inclusive teaching, and curriculum transformation, Dr. Narentheren is committed to contributing to both national and global education ecosystems.