Prof. Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail is a woman of many firsts. Besides being the first female Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), she is also the country’s first female Director-General of Higher Education, first female President of Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the first female to be Chairperson of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). Her current position is as the Ibn Sina Chair for Medicine at the International Islamic University Malaysia. She has a BSc (Biology) from the University of Nevada, Reno, USA, M.A. (Microbiology) from Indiana University, USA and a Ph.D (Cellular and Molecular Biology) from University of Nevada, Reno, USA. She also received her Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Glasgow, Honorary Degree Doctor of the University, Keele University and Honorary Doctorate in Literature from Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS). Her research impact includes attaining 16 patents and commercialized worldwide, the rapid diagnostic test for typhoid called TYPHIDOT which was advocated by WHO. She had won numerous awards and recognitions for her achievements at National and International levels and to date has shared her knowledge via more than 400 invited talks and more than 50 keynotes at national and global levels. She was elected to the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2003, The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) in 2010 and The Islamic World Academy of Sciences in 2016 and was elected as Honorary Member of the Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences in 2017. Her passion for higher education and science development ecosystem gained international recognition and was elected to be a member of several international boards including the Board of Governors for Commonwealth of Learning (COL) based in Vancouver, Canada, member of the Directing Board and Executive Committee for Islamic Citation Center based in Shiraz, Iran for the OIC, Member of the College of Fellows, Keele University and as a Governing Advisory Board Member for Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan. At the national level she serves as a board member for CREST (Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology) Center to move STI based companies in the country since 2017, member of the National Science Council chaired by the Prime Minister and the High-Tech Nation Council chaired by the Minister of MOSTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) and member of the National Action Council on Shared Prosperity Vision under the Distinguished Educator category. Based on her experience and expertise, she served on the selection panel for the international awards and recognitions such as TWAS membership (Medical and Health Sciences) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Prize for Women’s contribution to development. At the national level she served as a jury panel for the Merdeka Award, Rhodes Scholarship to select Malaysians to Oxford University, the Loreal Women in Science Award, the Anugerah Akademik Negara (National Academic Award), MOHE Entrepreneurial Award (MEA) and Best Managed Companies, Asia by Deloitte. Her landmark contributions to Malaysia’s higher education system include the establishment of the prestigious National Academic Award (Anugerah Akademik Negara), the establishment of Research Universities in Malaysia and in co-helming the development and implementation of The Malaysian Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2013-2025.