Professor Hitendra Pillay

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PhD (University of New South Wales), MA (The University of the South Pacific), MSc (University of New South Wales), BEd (The University of the South Pacific), DipEd (The University of the South Pacific)

Hitendra Pillay is a Professor in the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice at Queensland University of Technology.  He has multi-disciplinary background ranging from education to engineering to cognitive science – resulting in a diverse academic research portfolio. He has won many research grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Taiwan National Science Council, Australian Development Research Award Scheme, and published over 145 academic papers and over 120 technical reports for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Australian & NZ Aid and the European Union. Professor Pillay has successfully supervised over 45 PhDs across a range of research areas and has worked in 35 countries ( OECD and developing  countries) as either an education sector expert or university academic. His understanding of knowledge systems and human cognition privileges him to be innovative and develop complex schemas for cross discipline knowledge creation and associated applications. Drawing on his multi-disciplinary academic research and social sector development work his current research interest is synthesizing the fragmented research agendas into more holistic and cross disciplinary models of knowledge creation, innovation and global development.

Additional information

  • National Human Capital Development for the 21st Century - QUT/Republic of Fiji Contracted Research. Lead Investigator. 2022-2023
  • TVET in Fiji: Better alignment between skills development and labor market demand. Fiji Higher Education Commission contract. Lead Specialist, 2018
  • E-learning for Secondary Science Education in the Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,  Government of New Zealand.  Contract. Design Team Leader-2018
  • Education Policy and Planning expert. Asian Development Bank  TA 8774 REG. 2016-1017 Support  analytical work on global trends and innovation in post-secondary education for preparation of knowledge products,  evidence based policy dialogue in selected CWA countries and contribute as a speaker in the post-secondary education forum.
  • Partnership for Innovation in Education in Asia and the Pacific. Asian Development Bank  Technical assistance - Co financed by the Govt of Finland. 2014-2016. TA8503-REG. Team Leader
  • Current Status of Vocational Education in India. BHP Billiton limited , Singapore. Contract research -QV Ref # 50. 2014. Lead Researcher
  • Adjunct Professor:  Research Capacity Development, University of the South Pacific, 2013-ongoing.
  • Samoa SchoolNet Project, ADB Grant # SAM 36513-03: RTI International Consultancy Services Contract Number 8305 Jan 2010 to Dec 2013 Samoa. Team Leader
  • AUSAID/EC Education Sector Support Project; AUSAID, Indonesia. Contract # 50827. 24 May 2009 – 9th Oct 2009, Indonesia,
  • ESDP 1960 – Project Completion Report for ESDP policy reform loan, Uzbekistan, ADB, 24 May 2008 – 9th Oct 2008, Uzbekistan,
  • Basic Education Project – Indonesia – AUSAID, 25 Mar 2006 – 30 Jun 2006, Indonesia,
  • Samoa SchoolNet & Community Access- Asian Development Bank: ADB TA No 4305-SAM, 15 Feb 2005 – 28 Feb 2006, Samoa,
  • Albanian Education Reform Project – World Bank Credit # 3343-ALB, 30 Jun 2004 – 07 Feb 2005, Albania, Chief Education Sector Advisor .
  • Central Asian Regional Project- Asian Development Bank: ADB TA5988-REG, 1 May 2003 – 12 Sep 2003, Central Asia,
  • QLD Rail People Management Program Q-RAIL, 20 May 2003 – 23 May 2003, Australia,
  • Tajikistan Social Sector Development Project- Asian Development Bank: ADB TA 3704-TAJ, 17 May 2002 – 31 July 2002, Tajikistan,
  • Education Sector Project Thailand- Asian Development Bank: ADB TA 3885- THAI, 28 Feb 2002 – 17 May 2002, Thailand,
  • Learning and Innovation – World Bank LIL project, 09 April 1999 – 23 July 1999, Azerbaijan,
Title
Implementing and monitoring education policy and practices for people with disability in the South Pacific
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
66446
Start year
2013
Keywords
Disability; Education; Inclusive Education; Professional Development
Title
Industry-school Partnerships: A Strategy to Enhance Education and Training Opportunities
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP100200052
Start year
2011
Keywords
Youth Employment; Education Policy; Industry-school Partnerships; Curriculum Innovation
  • Investigating the Alignment between English Language Academic Support Courses and Students' Transition to English Medium Instruction at a Sri Lankan University
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Adjunct Associate Professor Margaret Kettle, Dr Mallihai Tambyah, Dr Jennifer Smith
  • To aid or not to aid: effectiveness of human capital development flowing from the development partner support --- Case of secondary education sector in Bangladesh |
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Donna Tangen
  • Capacity development of research supervisors to support sustainable post graduate supervision in developing countries
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Professor Karen Dooley
  • Use of ICT to support critical reading in Bogotá
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Shaun Nykvist

  • Professional Doctorate, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Associate Professor Denise Beutel
  • Inquiry-based hybrid learning environment to promote self-directed and lifelong learning skills
    Professional Doctorate, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Associate Professor Denise Beutel
  • Secondary school leadership in disrupting times: the role of entrepreneurship in leading contemporary learning organisations
    Professional Doctorate, Mentoring Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Chris Blundell, Dr James Davis

  • Professional Doctorate, Mentoring Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Timothy Lehmann
  • Developing understandings of the complexities associated with the profession and professional learning for instrumental music teachers
    MPhil, Associate Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Susan Chapman
  • From creative thinking to enterprising creativity: Experiences of Australian entrepreneurial education teachers
    MPhil, Associate Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr James Davis