Associate Professor Dr. Shakinaz Desa is a biochemist, educator, educational innovator, and academic leader at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Malaysia. She holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Universiti Putra Malaysia and works at the intersection of science, education, technology, and academic innovation.

Her leadership experience includes serving as Head of the Biology Department, Deputy Dean of Research, and Director of Academic Development and Quality at UPSI. In 2026, she was appointed as an Expert for programme accreditation by ASIIN (Accreditation Agency for Degree Programmes in Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Mathematics), Düsseldorf, Germany.

She contributes to national digital education initiatives as a Trainer for MyDIGITAL EDUCATORS@MOHE and Google AI Champion, an initiative by Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education and Google for Education. She is actively involved in AI-for-education training for educators and students and consults on projects integrating artificial intelligence into educational practices and solutions.

Her innovations have received international recognition, including Gold Awards and an International Award of Merit. Her international academic experience includes appointments as Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto and Visiting Researcher at the University of Northern Colorado.

Dr. Shakinaz currently leads the MOHE-funded Heubrid Model and developed SOLAR (Semester Outcomes & Learning Analytics Report), a web-based academic intelligence platform integrating outcome-based education, learning analytics, artificial intelligence, and learner capability analytics.

Drawing on her multidisciplinary experience, she evaluates educational innovation through evidence, relevance, practical application, scalability, and sustainable impact, with particular interest in innovations that meaningfully advance learning, teaching, and institutional practice.