Associate Professor Dr Priya Sharma Amarjit Singh

Associate Professor Dr Priya Sharma Amarjit Singh

  • Head of Centre
Centre for Commercial Law & Justice
  • Sunway Business School
Google Scholar
SDGs Focus
Quality Education
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Reduced Inequalities
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Biography

Dr Priya is an Associate Professor and Head of Centre for Commercial Law & Justice at Sunway Business School, Sunway University. She is also Board Member of Global PRME, Advisor to PRME Chapter ASEAN+ Steering Committee, and member of AACSB Responsible Management Education Affinity Group.  

Before academia, she was a practicing lawyer, admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya, with experience in corporate conveyancing. Her passion is driving Sustainability and the SDGs in higher education to deliver responsible leaders of the future. She advocates for authentic, meaningful education, research, and community engagement.  

Her research interest lies at the intersection of humanity and the law, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable communities such as children, migrant workers, and refugees. She explores critical issues like human trafficking, modern slavery, and forced labour, seeking legal and policy solutions to uphold human dignity and justice. Additionally, her research promotes responsible management education, integrating sustainability and ethical awareness into business education. She aims to foster a deeper understanding of social justice in both legal and educational contexts, empowering future leaders to address global challenges with compassion, accountability, and a strong sense of purpose.

Dr Priya is open to collaborations with the industry, civil society, educational institutions, government, and other stakeholders to empower sustainability in this decade of action. She is also keen on fostering partnerships that bring education and life skills to vulnerable communities like refugee youth. She currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of CERTE (Connecting and Equipping Refugees to Tertiary Education).

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • HRDC Trainer Certification (2025)
  • PhD, Monash University, Malaysia (2023)
  • LEGO Serious Play Facilitator Certification (2023)
  • Postgraduate Diploma Hons, Monash University, Malaysia (2010)
  • Master, University Malaya (2001)
  • Bachelor, University of London, UK (1994)
  • Certificate of Legal Practice (1994)

Research Interests

  • Human Trafficking
  • Forced Labor
  • Responsible Management Education
  • Sustainability

Teaching Areas

  • Labour Law
  • Integrity & Anti-Corruption
  • Corporate Governance
  • Human Rights

Courses Taught

  • Legal Aspects in Industrial Relations
  • Kursus Integriti dan Anti- Rasuah

Notable Publications

Publications

  1. Sharma, P., Trakic, A., & Tajuddin, H. H. A. (Eds.). (2026). Combatting modern slavery: A global perspective. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-1466-3
  2. Sharma, P. (2024) Behind the Veil: Evaluating Malaysia's Legislative Framework to Protect Migrant Workers Trafficked for Forced Labour. Malayan Law Journal, 192-223. 
  3. Sharma, P. (2022). Children are everyone's business: child labour, corporate social responsibility and the law in Malaysia. Malayan Law Journal, 4 , 142-163.
  4. Sharma, P. (2021). Covid-19 and trafficking of migrant workers for forced labour. In A. Trakic (Ed.), Covid-19 and Business Law: Legal Implications of a Global Pandemic (1st ed., pp. 129-152). (De Gruyter Studies in Global Asia; Vol. 3). Walter de Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110723694-008
  5. Sharma, P. (2015). Exploitation of Children for Labour: The Malaysian Predicament . Malayan Law Journal, 6, xxxvi 

Media Publications

  1. “Gloves off in Malaysia’s modern slavery struggle”, 360 info
  2. “Definition of 'forced labour' excludes workers trafficked in informal sector”, The STAR
  3. “Integrating Employability and Sustainability Skills Via Monash Social Impact Project”, Business Today
  4. “Malaysia’s labour laws need strengthening to tackle forced labour scourge”, Interview by Shani Alexander (International Employment Lawyer)
  5. “Opening Pathways to Higher Education for Refugee Entrepreneurs”
  6. “COVID-19 and the vulnerability of migrant workers to forced-labour trafficking in Malaysia.”
  7. “Building Better Business Leaders to tackle global challengers”
  8. “Universities are missing the mark teaching SDGs in business – but there's a way to fix it”

Grants

  1. Collaborator on project: Project: “Transforming Finance Education through LEGO Serious Play and Experiential Learning” for RM18,376.00 running from July 2025 – July 2026
  2. Collaborator on project “Sustainability in Engineering Education - Educational Perspectives and Outcomes Blueprint for Engineering Accreditation Exercises” for RM25,500, running from January 2024 to July 2025.
  3. Chief Investigator on the project titled “Social Protection Fund,” receiving RM48,928 from May 2018 to December 2019. This project, in collaboration with UNHCR Kuala Lumpur and Liberty to Learn (NGO), aimed to strengthen the capacity of 7 refugee Community-based Organizations (CBOs) and promote self-reliance within refugee communities.

Keynote Speaker

  1. International Doctoral and Early Career Academics (ECA) Consortium 2026, "Transforming Business Education with Sustainable Impact through i5PRME Pedagogy."
  2. ASEAN Social Business Conference 2024, "The Importance of Imparting Humanity in Business Education."
  3. AACSB Asia-Pacific Annual Conference 2024, “Innovating Curriculum to Build a Sustainable Future”
  4. 11th National Business and Management Conference (NBMC) – Philippines 2023“Safeguarding Authenticity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The PRME ASEAN+ Exper, ience”
  5. PRME Global Students Summit 2023,  "Empowering Today's Youth for a Sustainable Tomorrow"
  6. AACSB AP & EMEA Accreditation Conference, 2021, “Inspiring Responsible Management Education through Business Curricular and Community Engagement.”
  7. 9th National Business & Management Conference, Philippines, 2021 “Inspiring Integration of SDGs in Business Research & Education through Multiple Stakeholder Engagement.”
  8. International Undergraduate Research Conference (ICUR) 2021, “Inter-disciplinary Research & The Importance of Collaboration in Research”

Guest Panelist

  1. ASEAN Regional Meeting on Countering People Smuggling and Related Transnational Crime 2025, “Legislatives Gaps and Reform Strategies to Address Smuggling of Migrants”
  2. Association of Malaysian Economics Undergraduates: Economics Summit 2025, "Greener Together - Driving ASEAN's Sustainable Future." 
  3. Moderator, Invisible People Exhibition (2025): Chaired sessions on refugee empowerment and education.
  4. Planetary Health Summit 2024 (PHAM 2024), "Business and Sustainability: What can we learn from the Malaysian Experience to advance Planetary Health?"
  5. Times Higher Education: Asia Universities Summit 2024, "Nurturing Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence for Workplace Success"
  6. Times Higher Education: Asia Universities Summit  2024,  "15by30 Roadmap: Expanding Higher Education, Skills, and Self-Reliance for Refugee.”
  7. Times Higher Education: Global Sustainable Development Congress 2024, "PRME Time: The i5Project for Developing Intentional Leaders"
  8. QS Ranking Higher Education Summit 2023, "Sustainability in Business Education"
  9. UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, PRME Global Forum 2021, “Best Practices of Integrating SDGs into Teaching & Research: Examples from the Eastern Hemisphere.”

Conference Presentations

  1. Global Refugee Forum, at United Nations, Geneva (2019), Whitepaper proposal to the government titled “Towards Inclusion of Refugees in Higher Education in Malaysia”
  2. Sustainable Brands Kuala Lumpur Conference (2019), “The Role of Business Schools in driving Sustainable Development”
  3. Disruption, Temporality, Law: The Future of Law & Society Scholarship conference organized by Law & Society Association of Australia and New Zealand at Griffith University (2016), “Trafficking of Migrant Workers for Forced Labour Into Malaysia: - An Empirical Legal Study”
  4. Comparative Law and Legal Theory conference organized by Monash School of Business, Caulfield at Monash University, Prato Centre, Italy (2015), “Regulating Children in Employment”
  5. Children and the Law conference organized by LAWASIA in Siem Reap, Cambodia (2011), “Exploitation of Children for Labour; The Malaysian Dilemma”
  6. LAWASIA Annual conference held in Delhi, India (2010), “Exploitation of Children for Labour; Corporate Social Responsibility and The Law”

Achievements & Accolades

Community & Social Impact

  1. Founder, 3E (Educate, Engage, Evolve) Refugee Education Student Volunteer Program: Designed and led a three-phase experiential program to foster empathy and civic responsibility among student volunteers. 
  2. Chair, Advisory Board – Connecting and Equipping Refugees to Tertiary Education (CERTE): Provide strategic guidance on refugee education access and serve on the Higher Education Selection Committee for Refugees.
  3. Whitepaper Proposal, (December 2019 – Ongoing): Whitepaper on Higher Education Access for Refugees: Led a collaboration between several private institutions, NGOs, and UNHCR that resulted in the development and submission of a Whitepaper proposal to the government, advocating for granting access to higher education for refugee youth in Malaysia. This ongoing initiative aims to influence policy changes to provide equitable educational opportunities for refugees.

Award & Recognition

  1. Dean’s Commendation for Service, Sunway Business School (Refugee Education Program) (2025)
  2. Pro-Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Educational Leadership, Monash University Malaysia (2024)
  3. Pro-Vice Chancellor’s Education Excellence Award, Monash University Malaysia (2023)
  4. Dean’s Award, Education Excellence, School of Business, Monash University Malaysia (2023)
  5. Dean’s Award, Education Excellence, Monash Business School, Australia (2022)
  6. Financial Times Responsible Business Education Awards – High Commendation (2021)
  7. Dean’s Award, Engagement & Impact Excellence, School of Business, Monash University Malaysia (2021)
  8. PRME Education Excellence Award – Monash Business School, Australia (2020)
  9. Jeffrey Cheah Travel Grant to Harvard University, Sunway University (2017)

Professional Associations

  1. Advisory Board Member, Global PRME (2023 – Present)
  2. PRME ASEAN+ Regional Trainer for PRME Pedagogy Certification Series
  3. Steering Committee, AACSB Responsible Management Affinity Group
  4. Advisor, PRME Chapter ASEAN+ (2024 – Present)
  5. Chair, PRME Chapter ASEAN+ (2021 – 2024)