Dr. Faridah Awang has over 32 years’ international experience of business, technology, and higher education fields. She earned a Ph.D. in Workforce Education Program Leadership and Administrative Training from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, USA.
She specializes in the management of workforce training and development fields, with particular expertise in integrated corporate communication and technology, motivation, change management, train-the-trainer, workplace essentials, and leadership skills. She has substantial leadership experience in the US higher education with over 23 years of combined experience at Eastern Kentucky University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and Southeast Missouri State University. She is academically and professionally experienced in various leadership roles including as the Corporate Communication and Technology Program Coordinator and President of the Association for Business Communication-International SW US region.
She is an expert consultant offering a broad range of professional services, which include data analytics, e-commerce, employee motivation, career development, and web design to for-profit and non-profit organizations worldwide. She led the business curriculum development for the creation of a dual degree in Business and Marketing Education program and Corporate Communication and Technology certification at EKU.
She is recognized as a leading authority with multiple international publications in the field of international business, leadership communication, holistic assessment, information technology, and branding. She authored Musafir Cinta 4 Musim and co-authored Cross-Cultural and International Business Law and Ethics with Drs. Lana Carnes, Lila Waldman, and Donna Everett. She is a renowned professor in management, marketing, and international business who frequently delivered workshops and speaking engagements to business and education leaders around the world including Canada, Iceland, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America.
She has been featured in prominent publications across the world such as the SIU Alumni Magazine, EKU Magazine, EKU Stories, Madison Living, KY Forward, Malaysia’s Berita Harian, Sinar Harian, GPS Bestari, Sinarfm, and television programs such as the Radio Television Malaysia’s Selamat Pagi Malaysia (Good Morning Malaysia), Malaysian National News Agency, BERNAMA’s The Nation, AstroAWANI’s AGENDA, and the SinarLive to name a few.
She is an award-winning professor at EKU and the first Malaysia-born American to earn a full professorship in her academic field in the U.S. Her scholarly distinctions and achievements have been recognized by various awards such as the Anugerah Khidmat Cemerlang (Malaysia), EKU’s Critical Thinking Teacher of the Year, EKU’s Jack L. Dyer Excellence in Teaching Award, national Delta Pi Epsilon research award, Outstanding Master’s Thesis research award, and Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation research award (USA). She was inducted into the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Illinois’ Writer Hall of Fame for her business education achievements and contributions.
In 2019 she established a non-profit organization, The Faridah Awang Scholars Program, which aspires to create a world where educational opportunities are available to deserving scholars. The exclusive purpose of the organization was to facilitate access to education, especially in underserved communities on a global stage. Access includes in the form of monetary scholarships and exposure to diverse learning experiences. The organization served populations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and around the world regardless of creed, color, or culture consistent with charitable purposes. In response to the devastating impact of COVID-19, she created the Prof. Ida Awang Hope Fund, which gave financial and essential supports globally.
In 2021 she expanded her philanthropic initiative by creating Prof Ida Awang Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund for women worldwide. The purpose of the fund is to elevate women financially, help women reinvest their income in the well-being and education of their families, and carry the legacy of women’s entrepreneur endeavors in the world.
FASCHOLARS PROGRAM, INC. 