The Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) academic is the first Malaysian woman to have been ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists for seven consecutive years, from 2019 until this year.
The prestigious list, published by Stanford University in collaboration with academic publisher Elsevier, evaluates over nine million researchers worldwide. Only about 100,000 high-impact scientists are selected based on citations, H-index, international collaborations, and key authorship roles.
For Norazah, the recognition is more than just a personal milestone – it is a source of pride for Malaysia.
“I am truly grateful. It is not only an acknowledgment of my hard work but also a legacy for UUM and Malaysia, showing that we can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with international scientists,” she told Bernama.
The listing also strengthens Malaysia’s research profile on the global stage and, more importantly, showcases the resilience of Malaysian women in academia – a field often dominated by men.
Norazah has been listed among the world’s top 2% of scientists since the recognition was first introduced in 2019. Today, she ranks 167th globally in the field of business and management, and 5,173rd overall among the 100,000 high-impact scientists worldwide.
According to the Scopus database, she holds an H-Index of 39, with more than 196 published articles and over 5,000 citations by researchers across the world. This is no small feat in the fields of social sciences and management, which generally record lower citation rates compared to the pure sciences.
Scopus is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary database, while the H-Index is a metric that measures the productivity and citation impact of a researcher’s publications. An H-Index of 39 means at least 39 of her articles have each been cited at least 39 times by other researchers.
“Not everyone can reach a Scopus H-Index of 30, let alone 39. It is a very high number, especially in social sciences and management, because these fields do not have as many researchers or as high citation rates as the pure sciences,” she said.
“This figure shows that my research is not only being published, but also widely used and referenced by the international academic community.”
Norazah emphasised that inclusion in the world’s top 2% does not depend solely on the number of publications, but on the quality and true impact of research.
“There is no application, no nomination. Everything is based on verified, high-impact publication data. So when your name appears on that list, it is truly the result of years of hard work,” she said, adding that her achievement also reflects discipline, consistency, and a strong sense of curiosity as keys to success.
Academic and family journey
Born in Kluang, Johor, in 1977, Norazah is the second of three siblings. She grew up and received her early education in Jasin, Melaka, in a family environment that strongly emphasised discipline and education.
Her mother, Azbah Semat, served as a special-grade midwife at Melaka Hospital before retirement, while her late father, Suki Umbi, served in the Royal Malaysian Navy before becoming a hostel warden at Institut Kemahiran Mara Jasin.
This dedication to serving is reflected in Norazah’s dedication as a uniformed officer. Since 2013, she has served as an associate officer of the civil defence force, and she is currently the deputy commander of the Civil Defence Student Corps at UUM.
“My mother and late father were the pillars of my success. They would drive my sister and me to campus every day, and never tired of encouraging us to pursue knowledge to the highest level,” she reflected.
A graduate of Institut Perdagangan Mara, Norazah went on to complete her bachelor’s degree at MMU in 2000. She then pursued her master’s and PhD in marketing and e-commerce, completing her studies in 2006 at age 29.
She joined UUM in 2018 and, that same year, was honoured with the Malaysia’s Research Star Award, presented by Elsevier and the ministry of higher education to Malaysian researchers whose international publications are of the highest quality.
Today, at 48, Norazah is not only a professor but also serves as the deputy dean (research, innovation and corporate relations) at the Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business at UUM.
Research ecosystem and leadership
For Norazah, success in research is never the work of one individual – it is the result of a supportive university ecosystem. Much of her work involves cross-country collaborations, and she consistently emphasises the importance of being the lead author of high-impact publications.
Her contributions extend to nurturing her students’ success. Milestones include helping 105 undergraduate students publish Scopus-indexed articles – a feat that culminated in the 2017 publication of a research handbook that featured her undergrads as contributors.
This publication allowed each student to obtain their own Scopus ID, and many have since advanced to academic positions at various levels – from professor and associate professor to department head – while others have become successful entrepreneurs.
“This was my way of giving them early exposure to the real world of research,” Norazah said.
In the field of marketing and e-commerce, she is known for her research on consumer behaviour, digital marketing, and sustainability, particularly green marketing.
Her interest in green marketing, she revealed, began during her master’s studies. “I believe that businesses of the future must be accountable to both the environment and society. That is the central message in all my research.”
More recently, she has expanded her focus to sustainable development goals, artificial intelligence, and emerging consumer purchasing patterns such as Buy Now, Pay Later.