MA

MOHAMMAD ZAKI AHMAD

Universiti Utara Malaysia, University of Wollongong

ORCID iD 0000-0003-4036-3976
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About

Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Zaki Ahmad has served as the Director of the Asian Institute of International Affairs and Diplomacy (AIIAD) since 2021. He is also a senior lecturer at the School of International Studies (SOIS), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), where he teaches International Relations and International Maritime Politics and Issues. Previously, he held the positions of Deputy Dean of SOIS (2014–2017) and Head of the International Affairs Department (2011–2013). During his tenure as Deputy Dean, Dr. Zaki played a pivotal role in assisting the Dean and the School’s executive committee in formulating, implementing, and overseeing academic policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives. Additionally, he led a special task force responsible for preparing and drafting the Self-Assessment Report (SAR) for the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) certification of the Bachelor of International Affairs Management (BIAM) program in 2013, 2018 and 2025.

Dr. Zaki earned his PhD in Maritime Policy from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, Australia, in 2011, under the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) Scholarship Scheme. His doctoral research critically analysed the alignment of Malaysian laws, policies, and enforcement measures with international legal and normative frameworks for responsible fisheries. Dr. Zaki is an alumnus of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) International Deans’ Course (2014/2015) and was awarded the UKM-KANEKA Corporation Fellowship in 2023.

Beyond administrative roles, Dr. Zaki is an active speaker at various workshops and seminars, covering topics such as the law of the sea, South China Sea disputes, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, responsible fisheries governance, and contemporary international affairs. He is also frequently invited by various institutions to conduct academic writing workshops, particularly focusing on coherent writing skills for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Dr. Zaki’s current research interests include international relations, maritime policy, fisheries policy and law, maritime security, IUU fishing, the law of the sea, and regional diplomacy practices in the context of ASEAN. More recently, his research has focused on Malaysia’s foreign policy posture in the South China Sea dispute, the environmental impacts on fisheries, and policies for local community engagement in promoting and facilitating responsible fisheries, with a strong emphasis on food security.

Employment

  • Universiti Utara Malaysia

Education

  • University of Wollongong Phd in Maritime Policy
    2007 - 2011

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (2)