Baharulnizam Baharum | Senior Business Manager
SEAMEO RECSAM

Baharulnizam Baharum is a regional leader in science and mathematics education, with over 20 years of experience driving transformative programmes across Southeast Asia. He currently serves as the Senior Business Manager at SEAMEO RECSAM (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization – Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics), where he leads the business unit of the Centre, programme innovation, and capacity-building initiatives that strengthen STEM education throughout the region. A key innovator in regional education collaboration, Nizam is the founder of the SEAMEO Science Olympiad (SEASO), the first science competition of its kind for SEAMEO member countries. Endorsed in 2016 by the Governing Board comprises members from all SEAMEO member countries, and launched in 2019, SEASO has become RECSAM’s flagship event, bringing together students and educators from 11 nations in a shared celebration of scientific inquiry, problem-solving skill, critical-thinking, innovation, design-thinking, entreprenuership and regional solidarity. Prior to his current role, Nizam served at the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI), currently known as the Penang Institute, a think-tank under the Penang State Government. There, he did research and public policy projects focused on environmental sustainability, waste management, eco-town development, and educational outreach, impacting state-level strategies and community-driven change. Nizam holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Environmental Science), Masters of Education, and is currently pursuing his PhD at Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is also a certified trainer under Malaysia’s HRD Corp and the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), and has contributed as a guest lecturer on topics ranging from eco-tourism to artificial intelligence in education. With a passion for sustainability, educational equity, and regional cooperation, Nizam continues to champion innovative models of education that prepare learners for a dynamic, interconnected world.