Prof. Dr Choong Chee Keong
Vice President (Student Development and Alumni Relations)
Designation: Senior Professor
Faculty / Institute / Centre : Teh Hong Piow Faculty of Business and Finance
Department / Unit: Department of Economics
Telephone No: +605-4688888 ext 2226
Fax: +605-4661313
Email Address: choongck@utar.edu.my
Scopus Profile : https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=14828776700
Google Scholar Profile : https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IA7Uy9sAAAAJ&hl=en
Orcid ID : http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5241-4884
Qualification: Doctor of Philosophy, Universiti Putra Malaysia ( Financial Economics )
Master of Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia ( Financial Economics )
Bachelor of Economics (Hons), Universiti Putra Malaysia ( Financial Economics )

CAPSULE BIOGRAPHY

 

Professor Choong Chee Keong is a Senior Professor of Economics and Vice President (Student Development and Alumni Relations) at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia. He previously served as Dean of the Teh Hong Piow Faculty of Business and Finance (2011–2016) and held the prestigious professorial chair, the “Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow Chair in Banking and Finance,” sponsored by Public Bank Berhad.

 

His research focuses on sustainable finance, village transformation, environmental and socioeconomic survey analytics, and sustainability metrics, with a strong emphasis on generating data-driven insights to inform policy design and development planning. His work has had substantial academic impact, with over 250 scholarly publications, more than 5,000 citations, and a Google Scholar h-index of 33. He has secured over RM9 million in competitive research funding nationally and internationally. In recognition of his research excellence, he was named a Top Research Scientist Malaysia (TRSM) by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2022. Internationally, he has been ranked among the top 0.5% of scholars worldwide by ScholarGPS in 2024 and 2025.

 

Beyond academia, his work has influenced industry and policy communities through consultancy, advisory roles, and participation in national policy dialogues with agencies such as the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP), Federation of Malaysia Chinese Guilds Association (FEMACGA), and the Malaysian Finance Association (MFA). His contributions support evidence-based decision-making and strengthen linkages between academia, government, and industry.

 

At the international level, Professor Choong demonstrates distinguished global research leadership as institutional principal investigator in an Erasmus+ consortium project involving nine universities across Europe and Asia. This high-impact initiative promotes sustainable tourism education, innovation, and transnational collaboration, positioning him at the forefront of international academic cooperation while contributing to capacity building, knowledge transfer, and regional development across diverse socio-economic contexts.

 

Collectively, Professor Choong’s contributions demonstrate a rare combination of scholarly excellence, leadership, and real-world impact, advancing knowledge while addressing pressing economic, social, and sustainability challenges at national and international levels.

 

Selected Career Highlights

  1. Ranked among the world’s leading scholars by ScholarGPS, placing in the Top 0.5% globally (Top Scholar – Lifetime) in 2024 (#460 in Investment) and 2025 (#64 in Foreign Direct Investment; #399 in Investment), and additionally ranked Top 2% worldwide in Overall Fields and Finance, and Top 3% in Business and Management (2025).
  2.  
  3. Recognised as Top Research Scientist Malaysia (TRSM) 2022 in the Social Sciences and Humanities category by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia.
  4.  
  5. Author of over 250 scholarly works, including publications in leading Web of Science and Scopus-indexed journals, with 5,100+ citations, a Google Scholar h-index of 33, and i10-index of 82, demonstrating sustained international research impact in applied economics, sustainable finance, and development studies.
  6.  
  7. Demonstrates strong global citation performance, with 42.9% of publications among the top 25% most cited documents worldwide, 31.3% published in top-quartile journals, and a Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) of 1.53, indicating citations 53% above the global average (Source: Scopus Author Metrics, 2025).
  8.  
  9. Appointed to the prestigious Professorial Chair, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow Chair in Banking and Finance (2012–2017), sponsored by Public Bank Berhad, in recognition of research excellence in economics and finance.
  10.  
  11. Secured over RM9 million in competitive research grants and endowment funding from national ministries, international foundations, universities, and industry partners, including MOHE, MOSTI, KPKT, the European Commission, Sumitomo Foundation, Toshiba International Foundation, and Public Bank Berhad.
  12.  
  13. Provides strategic university leadership as Vice President since 2016, with extensive experience in faculty governance, research development, student affairs, sustainability (SDG/ESG), and crisis management, including service as Dean and chair of multiple university-level committees.
  14.  
  15. Extensive postgraduate supervision and examination experience, having supervised 17 PhD and 2 Master’s (by research) students, currently supervising 5 PhD candidates, and examined 36 postgraduate theses internationally, including 24 PhD theses as external examiner.
  16.  
  17. Over 20 years of teaching experience across undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD programmes, specialising in economics, finance, econometrics, and research methodology, with a strong focus on research-led instruction and advanced quantitative skill development.
  18.  
  19. Internationally recognised for academic expertise, holding appointments as Visiting and Adjunct Professor, external examiner, and academic promotion reviewer, and serving on national research grant evaluation panels for universities across Asia, Australia, and Africa.
  20.  
  21. Delivered over 60 invited scientific presentations, including 14 international keynote lectures and 24 plenary presentations, at leading universities, policy forums, and international conferences across Asia.
  22.  
  23. Extensive industry engagement through consultancy and executive training, serving leading banks, corporations, and international organisations, generating RM300,000+ in revenue and delivering 36+ high-impact seminars to over 550 participants on ASEAN integration, global trade, and economic policy.
  24.  
  25. Active contributor to national policy and sustainability initiatives, serving as resource person for the National Planetary Health Action Plan (Academy of Sciences Malaysia), and contributing to the Higher Education Master Plan (Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia).
  26.  
  27. Principal institutional investigator in an Erasmus+ international consortium project (around €800,000) involving nine universities across Europe and Asia, advancing sustainable tourism education, innovation, and transnational knowledge cooperation.
  28.  
  29. Project Director/Principal Investigator for a major national development project, leading the formulation of the 10-Year New Village Development Master Plan (2027–2036) to guide sustainable transformation and policy planning nationwide.
  30.  
  31. Held senior leadership and advisory appointments as Economic Adviser, Board Advisor, and Deputy Chairman of socio-economic research committees for major organisations including the Federation of Malaysia Chinese Guilds Association (FEMACGA), Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP), and the Malaysian Finance Association (MFA), contributing significantly to national economic and policy discourse.
  32.  
  33. Provided leadership in large-scale community engagement and sustainability initiatives, including coordinating nationwide surveys across 613 New Villages in Malaysia; advancing institutional SDG/ESG strategies; leading and coordinating the institution’s fundraising efforts for UTAR Hospital; overseeing COVID-19 vaccination operations in UTAR; and initiating inclusive community outreach programmes, such as the Perkampungan Orang Asli outreach project.
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  35. Active public economist and media commentator, regularly invited by major regional media outlets (RTM, Astro AEC, Nanyang Siang Pau, Oriental Daily, BFM CaiJin, Beijing Daily) to provide expert analysis on Malaysian and global economic developments.