Zakri Abdul Hamid is a distinguished professor at UCSI University, Malaysia and currently holds the distinction of being the fifth holder of the Tun Hussein Onn Chair in International Studies at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia. He is chairman of Atri Advisory, a consulting company advising governments and international organisations on sustainable development and is currently the Pro-Chancellor of two universities in Malaysia, namely Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim and Multimedia University in Cyberjaya.  He is the joint-chairmen of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), chairman of the Business Council on Sustainable Development, Malaysia and chairman of the National Biodiversity Roundtable. ​

 

He was the Science Adviser to the Prime Minister of Malaysia and former Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies, United Nations University. He is the founding Chair of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and former member of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board. Zakri is one of the original negotiators of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. He is an emeritus member of the Global Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN); former member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Scientific Advisory Board and presently a vice-chair of the governing council of the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. Recent appointments include ambassador and science advisor to the Campaign for Nature and founding fellow, International Science Council. Zakri is a senior fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. ​

 

Among the awards he received are: 2019 National Academic Laureate; 2019 UN Malaysia Award; 2018 Midori Biodiversity Prize; 2017 ASEAN Biodiversity Hero, and the 2015 Merdeka Award, and the 2014 Zayed International Prize for the Environment.