Rahinah Ibrahim

Prof. Dr. Rahinah Ibrahim is a Senior Professor of Architecture and former Dean of Faculty of Design and Architecture, UPM. She has seven years experience in property development and architectural practice before joining UPM in 1997 and led the establishment of its architecture programme. A trained architect, she received her Engineering and Ph.D. degrees in Construction Engineering and Management from Stanford University. The Sustainable Design Informatics research she established, focuses on developing theories and emerging computer-integrated applications for developing sustainable product innovations in the built environment. Rahinah is the lead inventor of several award-winning inventions profiled in more than 50 countries.

She led the transformational phenomenon at the faculty with the “Transformation Vision of FRSB 2011-2014” fusing design thinking into students’ teaching and learning with R&D and I&E (innovation and entrepreneurship). The initiative
brought forward translational researches that place research into real life applications. Among them are the E.A.G.L.E. Navigator, for making the PhD journey easier; the i-STP, an independent sewage treatment plant system for remote settlements; and the IBS Foreman, a mixed-reality training programme for low-skilled workforce.

Rahinah contributed in developing strategies and guides for Malaysia including the Timber Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) Design Guide, the Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP 2016-2020), the Value Management Guide Book and the National Design Roadmap for Furniture and Timber-based Products. She was the founding Editor-in-Chiefs of Alam Cipta and STEDEX, and is currently Editorial Board Member of Archnet-IJAR, J. of Management and Marketing and Intl. J. of Markets and Business Systems with reputable publishers.

Rahinah was trained in innovation entrepreneurship by Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and ISIS, Oxford University. For her research achievements, she was awarded the “Top Research Scientists Malaysia 2012” from the Academy of Science Malaysia. For her innovative endeavours, the Malaysian Government awarded her the “National Academic Award (AAN) 2013”. She is the Founding Director of Grounded Learning (M) Sdn. Bhd., a start-up company of UPM, for commercialising the E.A.G.L.E. Programme. Currently the Deputy President of Institute of Value Management Malaysia, she is a member of the Organization Design Community, USA and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, UK.