Board of Director
Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen
Director and Chair of Academic Board
Leading exponent in the field of studio furniture and design/woodcraft, having lectured, as well as having his work exhibited, throughout the world. He is represented in the permanent collections of the Australian National Gallery as well as public galleries and museums in six states and territories across Australia as well as in Germany.
Gained significant experience in the international arena as President of the Crafts Council of Australia, from which position he served as the Honorary Secretary to the World Craft Council, a UNESCO-funded NGO, and over many years undertook cultural relations visits and projects funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including Government to Government cultural missions, and liaison with Universities in many countries throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. He has served on many national and international boards and committees.
Academic experience includes six years as CE and academic leader of Swinburne Sarawak for which he was awarded awarded the title of ‘Darjah Utama Yang Amat Mulia Bintang Kenyalang Sarawak Johan Bintang Kenyalang (JBK (H)), by Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin, the Head of State of Sarawak for services to education.
Recently retired from the position of Deputy Vice Chancellor Global/Academic with Torrens University but remains Chair and member of the Academic Boards and/or Governing Boards of several HE private providers.
Dr Eman Liu
Deputy Chair of Board of Directors
Dr. Yiman Liu is the Deputy Director and President of Huashang Education Group, Director and Vice President of Huashang College, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Director of Top Talent Kindergarten Education Group, Founder of Top Talent (International) kindergarten, Director and President of Global Business College of Australia, Director of Guangzhou Zhuochuang Educational Information Science and Technology Co. Ltd.
She is also a current Member of the Guangdong Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Vice Chairman of Guangdong Human Resources Research Institute, Vice Chairman of Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Standing Committee of Guangzhou Federation of Industry and Commerce, Standing Deputy Director of Youth Committee of Guangzhou Federation of Industry and Commerce, Deputy Director of Zengcheng Federation of Industry and Commerce in Guangzhou, Director of Guangdong Intellectual Association, Member of All-China Youth Federation, Vice President of Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community, Director of Federation of Hong Kong Guangzhou Community, Executive Member and Deputy Secretary General of Hong Kong Elite Association, and Founder and Chairman of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Youth Career Development Association. She has obtained her Bachelor degree in Business Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong as well as a Master degree in Management at the University of Warwick, UK. Ms. Liu has been endeavouring to develop education for more than ten years and is responsible for the internal management and business development of Huashang Education Group. In addition, she actively participates in social welfare events devoted to the exploration of how to further enhance the quality of education and how to effectively cultivate talents with creativity, caring spirit, international scope and social responsibility.
Director and Chair of Academic Board
Emeritus Professor Gary Smith is a senior higher education leader with extensive experience in academic governance, international education and institutional strategy. He was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) at Deakin University, where he led international strategy, partnerships, student recruitment, marketing and global engagement. He has also held senior leadership positions at Western Sydney University and the University of South Australia.
Professor Smith has served on academic and governing boards and currently chairs the academic boards of higher education providers. He sees the Academic Board as central to safeguarding academic standards, assuring course quality and student outcomes, and providing independent advice to the governing board. He brings particular expertise in regulatory compliance, course development and transnational education. He holds a PhD in International Relations from Monash University.
Al Gibb
Director
Al Gibb brings more than 25 years of experience across education, government and technology in Australia and the United Kingdom. He is founder and CEO of Mighty Serious, which operates Mighty Cares, a mobile compliance training platform for Australia’s aged care sector delivered in partnership with RMIT. His career includes senior roles with the Victorian Government, where he created Melbourne International Games Week, and a decade with the Scottish Government managing foreign direct investment across Northern Europe.
He is Chair of the Global Indigenous Runway Project and previously served on the board of the Australian Council for Educational Research – STEM Video Game Challenge. As an Independent Director of EIA, Al contributes expertise in strategy, risk and compliance, digital delivery and stakeholder engagement.
Sophia Wang is the General Manager and Director of Edvantage Institute Australia (EIA), where she leads the institute’s strategic growth, market positioning, and overall operations. With decade of experience in business operations and cross-cultural management, she brings a strong market-oriented and student-focused perspective to higher education.
Before transitioning into education,
Sophia had a successful career in marketing and cross-cultural management. After obtained MBA from Melbourne Business School, she worked in multinational marketing agencies and consulting firms to facilitate business expansion overseas. Drawing on her background in strong industry connection and cross-culture environment, she is known for fostering a supportive and student-centred culture, ensuring that education delivery is aligned with student needs and industry expectations. Sophia is committed to creating practical, career-focused learning environments that support student success and global employability. Under her leadership, EIA continues to grow as a dynamic and responsive provider in Australia’s international education sector.