Prof Dr Shameem Rafik-Galea

Prof. Dr. Shameem Rafik-Galea is a Professor at SEGi University’s Faculty of Education, Languages, Psychology, and Music. Currently serving as the President of the Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics (MAAL), she also brings her expertise to the global education sphere as a board member of AppliedHE™, a rising body in higher education rankings. Prof. Shameem's influential role in academic circles includes her previous tenure on the QS Asia and QS Maple International Advisory Boards from 2010 to 2018.

After an impactful 37-year academic career, which began as a school teacher and evolved through roles at leading Malaysian Research Public institutions, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and University Putra Malaysia, Shameem retired as a Professor of Applied Linguistics at Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2017. Following her retirement, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Liberal Arts at UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, before transitioning to freelance consultancy. Her dedication to education, research, and leadership in applied linguistics has spanned public and private universities, where she initiated strategies in institutional branding, internationalization, and rankings and she contributed to top-down research projects on language education policies led by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education.

Shameem’s expertise spans English for Specific Purposes, Applied Linguistics, ELT Teacher Education, and Workplace Communication within the Malaysian context, where she has significantly contributed to the field through her extensive research and presentations. Her contributions include numerous keynote and plenary talks on topics such as English language teaching, thinking skills, workplace English, and management communication. Additionally, her work in English language teaching, Sociolinguistics and Discourse Studies underscores her broad impact, further highlighting her contributions to advancing knowledge and understanding in these areas.

Shameem’s career aspiration is to continue inspiring the next generation of scholars and practitioners in applied linguistics, fostering resilience and innovation in global education. She actively mentors Master’s, and PhD students, supports international applied linguistics and educational organizations, and shares her expertise through research, publications, and workshops internationally. Driven by a passion for lifelong learning and a commitment to global academic collaboration, she actively contributes to research, conferences and forums on English language teaching, communication and applied linguistics.