Asma Ismail

Dr. Asma binti Ismail is a Malaysian academic and molecular biologist. She holds the Emerita Datuk title and is the first female vice-chancellor (VC) of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), appointed in 2016, as well as and the first female VC of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM).

Asma is also the first female in Malaysia to hold several positions: Director-General of Higher Education; President of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (2016–2019); Chairperson of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) (2019-2021); National Science Advisor to the Prime Minister. Additionally, she has been elected to the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (2003), the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (2010), the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (2016), and the Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences (2017).

She has been appointed as the vice-chancellor and CEO of IMU University, as of 1 August 2024.

Education Ismail earned her degree in Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. She then received her MA in Microbiology from Indiana University, Bloomington and a PhD in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1986.

She also received the Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Glasgow (2013), the Thomas Hard Benton Mural Medallion by the Indiana University (2015),