PROF. DATUK DR. SYED OTHMAN ALHABSHI obtained his B.Ec (Hons) in Statistics from University of Malaya (1969), M.S. (Statistics) from University of Wisconsin, U.S.A. (1973) and Ph.D.in Econometrics from University of Birmingham, U.K. (1983).  Since 1969, he has served in various academic capacities in four public universities in the country, namely University of Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia and Universiti Utara Malaysia.  In October of 1997, he served as the Founding President and CEO of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak until March 2005, after serving Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) as the Deputy Director-General from 1992 to 1997. He joined INCEIF in 2007 as a Professor Islamic Economics, and later appointed as Deputy President (Academic) INCEIF (2009 – 2017).

International Level: served as a member of the Board of Trustees, International Institute of Islamic Banking and Economics, Cyprus, a member of the International Advisory Board, International Institute of Islamic Economics, Islamabad and a member of the First Executive Committee of the International Association of Islamic Economics, London, each for one term of three years (1987-1990).  Director, Centre for Islamic Management Pte. Ltd. Singapore (1996-2006). He sat on the Board of Pak-Kuwait Takaful Pte Ltd, Karachi, Pakistan (1998 – 2012). He was also appointed to sit on the Advisory Board of Dubai Center for Islamic Banking & Finance and a member of Scientific Committee of the Sharjah Islamic Center International Award for Islamic Banking Products – 2nd Session 2016-2017.

National Level: served the Islamic Economic Development Foundation, Malaysia (YPEIM) for ten years (1987-1996), first as Deputy Chairman and later as Chairman of its Board of Trustees; a member of the Islamic Consultative Body, Prime Minister’s Department, (1983 – 1994) advising the Prime Minister on Islamic matters;   a member of the Board of Trustees as well as the Management Committee of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia  (AIM), (1986 – 2000) an NGO that deals with micro-credit that was serving more than 70,000 hard-core poor families. It was during my term of office as Chairman of the Islamic Economic Development Foundation, Malaysia that YPEIM introduced and started AR-Rahnu (Pawn-broking in Islam) with Bank Rakyat Malaysia. It is now a RM2billion business for Bank Rakyat. YPEIM also took 20% equity in Takaful Nasional which proves to be a very lucrative business for YPEIM. A member of the first Shariah Committee for Bank Rakyat Malaysia (1996 – 2003) and for RHB Asset Management (1996 – 2000). A member of Board of Directors of Etiqa Takaful Berhad Board (1995-2013), Maybank Islamic Board (2006-2014), Asia Unit Trust Board (1994-2012), Universiti Teknikal MARA Sdn. Bhd (2006 – 2020), Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM) (2011-2020). He chaired the Shariah Committee of Malaysian Reinsurance Bhd (2000 – 2010) and Singapore Unit Trust (2008 – 2018). A member of Shariah Committee for Etiqa Takaful (2010 – 2014). 

Current Affiliations: He chairs the Board of Directors of Prima Prai Sdn Bhd, Epen Bina Sdn Bhd dan B.U. Development Sdn Bhd since 1994.   He also chairs the Shariah Advisory Committee of Labuan Reinsurance (L) Ltd since 2000. He is the Shariah Advisor for Nomura Asset Management since 2010 and sits as a member of Shariah Advisory Committee of Prudential BSN Takaful Berhad since 2017. Recently he was appointed as the a member of Board of Governors of Multimedia University (MMU) (February 2021 – January 2023).