Mushtak Al-Atabi is the Provost and CEO of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia — a storyteller, transnational
education expert, negotiation scholar, chartered engineer, and purpose-driven leader. He believes the
purpose of education is to mobilise each person's sense of purpose into positive impact on the world around
them.
He developed Purpose-Driven Education, delivered Malaysia's first Massive Open Online Course, pioneered the
CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) engineering framework, and initiated the first Engineering Grand
Challenges Scholar Programme outside the United States. His online courses in entrepreneurship, emotional
intelligence, and global enterprise have reached students in over 150 countries.
Beyond Heriot-Watt, he is Chairman of the Vice-Chancellors' Council for Private Universities in Malaysia, a
Board member of the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, and one of ten lead experts commissioned to
co-author the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint — the national policy document guiding the sector's
transformation.
He consults and trains leaders of universities, governmental agencies and multinational corporations on
leadership, innovation, and human performance, and has written six books translating engineering thinking
and purpose-driven leadership into lessons for organisations and individuals.
