Asia’s future leaders are in the hands of these pioneering educators

At Keningau Vocational College (KVC), Khalifa Afnan’s efforts to train students in STEM-based skills such as coding, robotics and drones led to an increased participation among female students and special needs learners. In 2022, he bested over 7,000 nominations to receive the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards, becoming the first Malaysian teacher to receive the international honour. Apart from his work in KVC, Khalifa elevates technical and vocational education in other institutions, sharing, for example, replicable initiatives with vocational colleges in Negeri Sembilan and Malacca in July 2024.

“It was a wonderful experience to expand the idea of a cost-effective digital ecosystem that can be implemented in schools without much hassle,” he said in an Instagram post. The teacher continues to learn, as well, acquiring skills in big data, AI and cybersecurity through seminars in Malaysia and beyond.

Read Khalifa Afnan’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Wei Xiang Huang established Skills for U to empower individuals with job-ready skills that can improve their livelihoods and strengthen the technical and vocational ecosystem of Taiwan. The non-profit works with schools, corporations and government agencies to deliver courses and workshops in hospitality, culinary arts, IT and digital literacy. In 2024 Skills for U continues its partnership with whisky giant Diageo to train the next generation of hospitality talents in 11 schools, including Kainan University, the University of Science and Technology of China and Jingwen University of Science and Technology. Most recently, the programme invited lecturers, including female bar owners, to share their practical knowledge, entrepreneurial experience and skills. These learning seminars not only develop professional know-how but also help broaden perspectives about the industries students will join in the future.

Read Wei Xiang Huang’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

“I believe there is particular urgency to close the opportunities gap in terms of women in STEAM fields through K-12 education and to cultivate a stronger talent pipeline of women leaders across all fields,” said Jennifer Yu Cheng to Tatler. The education advocate established the JYC Girls Impact Foundation (JYCGIF) to give teenage girls a leg up in the world by unlocking their leadership potential through digital learning. Its 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+ programme teaches programming languages so girls can pursue STEM careers and be inspired to train more young women in fundamental coding skills. In April 2024, JYCGIF launched IdeaGO Ideathon 2024, the multi-session workshop and competition that develops project management, design thinking, and innovation and technology capabilities. IdeaGO’s winning teams will have the opportunity to participate in a student exchange programme in the Greater Bay Area.

Read Jennifer Yu Cheng’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Li Ling Hsu established the Xue Xue Institute as a non-traditional education centre for design, arts and the humanities. Its curriculum, which has the equivalent education level of a regular high school, utilises an experimental approach that allows students to learn through synaesthesia and serendipity. For creatives, synesthaesia—“a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway”—is said to develop artistic sensibility, while serendipity helps sharpen imagination. Graduates of the Xue Xue Institute have been accepted by acclaimed educational institutions such as the Royal Academy of the Arts in Belgium, Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Parson School of Design in the US, and more.

Read Li Ling Hsu’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Social enterprise Arus, co-founded by Alina Amir, de-emphasises content knowledge to promote meaningful and relevant skills. Employing experiential learning adventures, it develops a problem-solving mindset with programmes for financial literacy, STEM, programming and more. Arus offers a digital learning platform that teaches Micro:bit, HTML, Python and SQL programming, as well as provides equitable education with a programme for stateless children. Moreover, Amir, who recognises that students spend a lot of time on social media, has harnessed the platform’s power by introducing bite-sized learning clips designed for TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Read Alina Amir’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Tatler Asia’s Most Influential is the definitive list of people shaping our world today. Asia’s Most Influential brings together the region's most innovative changemakers, industry titans and thought leaders who are driving positive impact in Asia and beyond. View the full list here.

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