Prof. Zaini Ujang, 44, is well known in Malaysia as a professional environmental engineer, academic leader, innovator, environmentalist and environmental regulator. He is the first recipient of the prestigious Merdeka Award 2009 for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. The New Straits Times daily described him as a “Malaysian Water Icon” in 2004 and  BERNAMA, the Malaysian national news agency, in an exclusive interview in 2006, introduced him as an “environmental ideologue”. This is in recognition of his outstanding contribution to research, teaching and advocacy works related to the environment. He obtained his B.Eng. (Chemical Engineering) from UTM, and MSc and PhD in environmental engineering from the University of Newcastle, UK. He is also an alumni of the Harvard Business School (AMP 177).

Prof. Zaini is the first UTM alumni to head the university, the oldest technical university in the country. His academic experience portfolio encompasses strategic and corporate leadership, institutional restructuring, innovation ecosystem, and research profiling. His professional expertise covers water and wastewater engineering, integrated ecosystem management, industrial ecology, as well as corporate environmental strategy.

He is an international academic figure in water and environmental engineering, and is currently a Fellow, Academy of Science Malaysia and Senior Advisor to the Prince Khalid bin Sultan Chair on Water Research, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia since January 2009. He is currently Chairman, Environmental Quality Council, Malaysia, the national agency regulating environmental control and management, and policy initiatives, as well as Member, National Commission on Water Services to regulate water services industry in Malaysia. 

He was elected Vice President of the International Water Association (IWA) London (2004-2006), serves as the Deputy President, Malaysia Water Association (2007-2011), member of IWA Strategic Council (2000-2004) and Chair of the IWA Specialist Group on Developing Countries (2004-2008).  He has been appointed Congress President of IWA Global Development Conference 2011.

Prof. Zaini  is a Chartered Engineer (Engineering Council, UK), a Chartered Scientist (UK Science Council), a Chartered Water & Environmental Manager (CIWEM, UK), a Professional Engineer (Chemical Engineer, Board of Engineers, Malaysia), and Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers UK (FIChemE). Besides the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Prof. Zaini has strong research affiliations with the Netherlands Tropical Research Foundation (WOTRO), the European Commission, the Swedish International Development Corporation (SIDA), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Rockefeller Foundation and leading universities in Europe, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States.

He has registered more than 20 intellectual properties right jointly owned with his co-workers and former students, and has commercialized six research products including (a) StormWater Filter (b) Software for Wastewater Treatment Plant Design Advisor (WASDA), (c) Hybrid Membrane Bioreactor (d) River Bank Infiltration System (e) Software on Environmental Health Risk Assessment (RISKAS) and (f) Software on Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWAM).

Prof. Zaini has published more than 200 technical papers, 22 books and more than 1000 articles on Environment and Higher Education. He co-authored the best-seller textbook with Prof. Mogens Henze on Municipal Wastewater Management for Developing Countries (IWAP, London, 2006), and co-edited a WEMS series on Environmental Biotechnology. He was appointed Member of the Editorial Board, Water Science & Technology, WST Water Supply and later appointed Editor of Water and Environmental Management Series (IWA Publishing) in 2003.

He has been involved in many high profile projects as a Technical Consultant and Corporate Advisor, such as in the case of arbitration with Singapore on the reclamation of the Johor Straits, and Water Pricing with Singapore. He was the Principal Consultant for the Master Plan Development of River Rehabilitation in the city of Johor Bahru, and formulation of the National Master Plan for the implementation of cleaner production practices. He is also involved as the Principal Consultant in preparing the Master Plan for Lake Eutrophication Management in Malaysia, and contributed to the development of scientific laboratories and pilot plants of Environmental Bioengineering and Biotechnology, including Membrane Bioreactors, Constructed Wetlands and Sequencing Batch Reactors.

In 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the Technical Committee to advise the State Government of Negeri Sembilan to overcome the water crisis in Seremban. He has also been appointed as Consultant to water-related issues with Taibah University and head of a research team to study on ground water in the holy city of Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Prof. Zaini is also an avid reader, a motivator, prolific writer and not to mention a keen horse rider. He writes a weekly column in the Malay dailies (Utusan Malaysia 1988-1998 and Berita Harian 2004-now). His professional and academic opinions on water and environmental management have been regularly quoted in print and electronic media. He is also actively involved in environmental education and public awareness programmes through the NGOs, public lectures and writing on Environment and Sustainability issues.

Prof. Zaini is the husband to Dr Zainah Moktar, a medical doctor; and a father to Siti Fatimah (16), Aishah (15), Muhammad Arif (10) and Maryam (7).