Lydia Foong

Head, Faculty of Education, SEGi University

Lydia Foong has been involved in Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) for over 23 years, locally and in the UK. She holds a St Nicholas Montessori Diploma (UK), Certificate in Montessori Primary Education, BEd (Hons) from University of Greenwich, Master in Educational Management from University of Malaya, and currently a PhD candidate. She is currently the Head of the Faculty of Education and Manager for the Centre for Teaching and Learning, SEGi University. As one of the pioneers in ECCE training, Lydia has been instrumental in strategizing, management, and development of various innovative ECCE programmes and advocacy initiatives by the Faculty of Education.

Lydia is a passionate advocate for quality and professional services for all young children in Malaysia. She is the EXCO member of the ECCE Council Malaysia and the National Association for Childcare and Education Malaysia. She is also the member of the Association for Registered Childcare Providers and Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC). She has contributed as the panel for the development of the Malaysian Vocational Programmes on Childcare and National Preschool Curriculum Standard. She is proud to be the Consultant to Citibank, the first bank in Malaysia to have set up a Corporate Childcare Centre at the work place. When SEGi University Group was appointed Champion for the National Key Economic Area Entry Point Project for Early Child Care and Education Training, she spearheaded the initiatives as part of the Economic Transformation Programme under the Prime Minister’s Department. She has also shown a keen interest in ECCE research. She was awarded the prestigious Australia-Malaysia Institute Grant 2009 on Enhancing Early childhood Teaching and Learning Excellence; lead author of the 10 Year Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Workforce Training Roadmap (2011 – 2020), SEGi University research grant on the status and work conditions of the ECCE Workforce, as well as presentation of numerous papers at local and international conferences. Her research interest is in ECCE workforce development, professional development, and reflective practice.

Events Lydia Foong has attended as a speaker: