Dr Wan Teng LAI is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Research on Women and Gender (KANITA) at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang. Before her academic career, she was actively involved with local women’s non-governmental organizations. She received an International Development Research Center (IDRC) scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Gender and Development Studies at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand, and a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship for her doctoral studies at the University of Bonn.

Wan Teng’s research has been funded by various national and international organizations, including The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Her work encompasses a wide range of topics, such as the everyday lives of low-skilled migrant workers, digital empowerment of refugee communities, the environmental impact on indigenous people’s livelihoods, sexual harassment in higher education, and the empowerment of local women (B40) through Gender Responsive and Participatory Budgeting (GRPB). Additionally, she has explored gender and disaster dynamics, specifically in tsunami contexts, and the sexual and reproductive health of women migrant workers. Notably, Wan Teng has implemented intervention programs and awareness training to empower women migrant workers in the manufacturing industry.

Currently, Wan Teng co-leads Work Package 3, focusing on identifying skill needs and career development for creative workers. This involves systematically identifying skill gaps and strengths among entrepreneurs in Penang’s creative sector. Data collection will involve the use of in-depth interviews and surveys. The goal is to develop targeted training programs to enhance entrepreneurial skills. Wan Teng also plans to use gender frameworks to assess unique needs, obstacles, and opportunities within the sector. For further inquiries, she can be contacted at [email protected]