Professor Dato’ Dr Ir A. Bakar Jaafar FASc is currently the Vice President of Academy of Sciences Malaysia. Prof Bakar is a Malaysian Mechanical Engineer by training, environmental scientist by specialization, and ocean thermal energy technology development expert by current pre-occupation. He graduated from the University of Newcastle NSW Australia in 1973 and furthered his graduate study at The Institute of Environmental Sciences, Miami University in Ohio USA earning master’s degree in environmental science in 1976 and completing his doctorate in Marine Geography at the University of Hawaii Manoa in 1984.  He served the Professional Civil Service of Malaysia over 22 years: as Factories and Machinery Inspector 1973-74, Environmental Control Officer 1976-1995, when he took an optional retirement after having been the Director-General, Department of Environment Malaysia 1990-95. He was nominated and elected as a Member of UNCLOS Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf over three five-year terms: 1997-2002, 2002-07, 2007-12. Since 1 June 2012, he has been a Professor at Perdana Centre, University of Technology Malaysia, Razak Faculty of Technology, and Informatics, as well as a Founding Director and Research Fellow at UTM Ocean Thermal Energy Centre.