Irhanida Abdul Kadir

Dr. Irhanida Abdul Kadir is a Senior Lecturer and Postgraduate Program Leader at UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts since 2009. She holds a PhD in Tourism from Universiti Sains Malaysia (2010-2014), a Master of Science in Tourism Planning from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (2006-2008), and a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (Hons) from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (1998-2004).

Her academic appointments include:

• Malaysia Qualification Assurance (MQA) Assessment Panel (2024-present)
• Internal Auditor for Ministry of Higher Education for Malaysia Research Assessment (MyRA), 2018-present
• UOW Malaysia KDU Penang UC Penang Research, Innovation and Entrepreneur Committee Member (2016-present)
• Teaching and Learning committee member (2016-present)
• External Assessor for SEGi College Penang, 2014-2020

Dr. Irhanida's research focuses on sustainable tourism development, with particular emphasis on:

• Integration of Sustainable Tourism Principles with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Community-based tourism models for rural development
• Tourism Area Life Cycle modeling
• Event tourism quality and visitor experience
• Economic opportunities for B40 communities through tourism

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on sustainable tourism development, particularly examining how tourism can contribute to poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, and community empowerment. Her work spans both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in Malaysian and international contexts, with numerous publications in high-impact journals and conference proceedings.

Dr. Irhanida has received multiple awards for her work:

• Collaboration Award (Team/Individual) for UOW 2024 Staff Awards
• Research Excellent Award for UOW 2023 Staff Awards
• Collaboration Award for UOW 2023 Staff Awards
• Teaching Excellent Award for UOW 2022 Staff Awards
• Passion Award for UOW 2021 Staff Awards

As a supervisor, Dr. Irhanida currently advises multiple Master's and PhD students in Tourism and Hospitality Management, with a focus on sustainable tourism development, rural tourism, and community-based approaches. She has secured several research grants including the UOW Advancement and Equity Grant Scheme for Research 2023 (AUD20,000.00), UOW Malaysia Internal Research Grant 2023 (RM 5,200.00), and the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme 2022 (FRGS) from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (RM80,000.00).

Dr. Irhanida actively collaborates with government bodies, local authorities, and stakeholders including ThinkCity, Penang Green Council, and the Penang State Legislative Assembly to develop tourism strategies that align with sustainable development principles.