KUCHING – Dr Gabriel Wee Wei En, Head of the Department of Executive and Entrepreneurship at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus’ School of Business, has been recognised with the prestigious Malaysia Influential Educators Award 2024.
The award is a testament to his significant contributions in fostering innovative educational practices and impactful industry collaboration within Sarawak and beyond.
Dr Wee’s journey toward this recognition has been marked by a strong commitment to aligning education with industry needs. He developed Authentic Entrepreneurship Practices (AEP), an educational model that places industry collaboration at the core of academic curricula, enabling students to gain real-world insights and practical experience.
Dr Wee (seated, sixth right) with students at the TEGAS Speaker Series Program, an initiative integrated into the curriculum, where students gain hands-on experience in a real-world start-up environment as part of their entrepreneurial learning journey.
Under his leadership, he has successfully driven student-led enterprises, providing students with hands-on entrepreneurial experience and fostering innovation from within the university environment.
Students under his mentorship have also performed exceptionally in national and international competitions, including the United Nations Hult Prize (Tokyo Regional Finalists 2021, Paris Regional Finalists 2023), Sunway LaunchX (First Runner-Up 2024) and EntreCamp Malaysia (Runner-Up 2024).
Healthy Delights, the pioneering student-led enterprise team, guided by Dr Wee, which offers organic salad bowls on campus through a farm-to-table concept.
His work extends into the research field, where he has led numerous projects aimed at enhancing digital adoption and sustainability within the agricultural sector, contributing to Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
Dr Wee’s paper on smart farming technology has been widely recognised, highlighting the importance of social influence in technology adoption across rural communities. He has been featured on BFM radio, discussing Sarawak’s commitment of RM1 billion over two years to compete with Kedah as Malaysia’s rice bowl and ensure food security.
His community engagement projects, such as Gedong for Passion, as well as capacity-building programs like PENJANA Wanita, SDEC Digital Upskilling Program and Sarawak Digital Enabler Program, have further validated his passion and commitment for sustainable development for all.
Students engage in Design Thinking to empathise with farming community challenges and ideate sustainable solutions during a farm-based learning experience under Dr Wee’s mentorship.
In receiving the award, Dr Wee remarked, “This recognition is not just a personal achievement, but a reflection of the incredible support I’ve received from Swinburne Sarawak, my colleagues and our students.
“Together, we have worked to create an ecosystem where education meets innovation, and where the impact of our work resonates across industries and communities,” he said.
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