Academic · FTKEK, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka

Nurulfajar Abd Manap, PhD

Engineer, educator and innovator working at the intersection of image processing, spatial computing and the future of engineering education.

Apple Distinguished Educator Apple Professional Learning Specialist
Portrait of Dr. Nurulfajar Abd Manap
Beyond the classroom

More than an educator.

Two decades of teaching sit alongside a wider record — building things, leading institutions, and turning culture into technology.

Guiding a student through an AR prototype on an iPad

Innovator

Creator of the BEAM Framework and TUAH Digital Portfolio — four registered copyrights and trademarks, and gold medals at ITEX, IUCEL and Jejak Inovasi for original work.

Dr. Nurulfajar Abd Manap presenting cultural heritage technology work

Storyteller

Turns Malaysian batik and songket heritage into AI and augmented reality — keynoting ASEAN–China cultural heritage events on the strength of that work.

Demonstrating a VR headset to a student in the lab

Mentor

Guided 90+ students from final-year projects through to PhD, and now trains educators across Southeast Asia as an Apple Learning Coach facilitator.

International collaboration session with Dr. Nurulfajar Abd Manap

Global collaborator

Lectured and spoken in the UK, Germany, France, Indonesia and Singapore, with active MoUs spanning six international institutions.

Institutional leadership and academic engagement by Dr. Nurulfajar Abd Manap

Institutional leader

Served as Deputy Vice Chancellor and Dean, steering a faculty and a university through curriculum reform, digital transformation and COVID-19.

Community leadership moment with Dr. Nurulfajar Abd Manap

Community builder

Chaired Malaysia's national university sports council and led student welfare as Commandant of UTeM's volunteer corps — leadership well beyond the lab.

24
Years teaching, 2002 to present
90+
Students supervised, FYP through PhD
4.93
Latest teaching evaluation, out of 5.0
668
Citations on Google Scholar
2012
PhD, University of Strathclyde, UK
2017
Apple Distinguished Educator since
Institutional leadership

Roles held along the way

Academic leadership at university, faculty and national level — alongside the teaching and research.

Head of Committee Faculty of Artificial Intelligence & Cyber Security (FAIX) Establishment Initiative
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
2024 – 2026
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs)
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
2018 – 2021
Dean Faculty of Electronic & Computer Engineering
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
2015 – 2018
Deputy Dean (Academic), FKEKK
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
2014 – 2015
Head Machine Learning & Signal Processing Research Group
CeTRI, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
2014 – 2015
Head of Department Computer Engineering, FKEKK
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
2003 – 2007
Chairman Majlis Sukan Universiti Malaysia (MASUM)
National university sports council
2020 – 2021
Dr Nurulfajar Abd Manap wearing a traditional tanjak during an interview as UTeM deputy vice-chancellor for student affairs Dr Nurulfajar Abd Manap speaking at a UTeM TVET forum in traditional Malay attire Dr Nurulfajar Abd Manap addressing an audience at UTeM's Vice-Chancellor's address event Dr Nurulfajar Abd Manap being interviewed by press at a university event
Strategic contributions

Institutional and academic development

Focused contributions to student development, academic transformation, emerging technologies and sustainable programme growth at UTeM.

01

TUAH Student Development

Strengthened TUAH as a holistic student development brand focused on leadership, adaptability, employability and future-ready graduates.

02

TUAH INDEX Framework

Led a university-wide competency framework for assessing leadership, involvement, soft skills, innovation and holistic achievement.

03

TUAH Digital Portfolio

Developed portfolio-based learning to support reflection, competency documentation, digital identity and lifelong learning.

04

FAIX Establishment

Headed the committee for the Faculty of Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security initiative, aligning AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation.

05

BENR Programme Development

Contributed to curriculum planning and programme enhancement for Computer Engineering, aligned with Industry 4.0 and future engineering needs.

06

Curriculum and CQI

Supported outcome-based education, curriculum review, accreditation preparation and continuous quality improvement.

07

Emerging Technologies

Promoted AI, deep learning, spatial computing, AR and immersive technology within engineering education and student-centered learning.

08

UTeM-ST IoT Laboratory

Helped establish an industry-academia IoT laboratory supporting research, hands-on learning and technology-enhanced education.

09

COVID-19 Digital Continuity

Led student welfare, online engagement and adaptive education initiatives during the pandemic and Movement Control Order period.

Let's build what's next.

Open to speaking, professional learning collaborations, external examining, and conversations about immersive technology in engineering education.

Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) Apple Professional Learning Specialist (APLS)