Professor Dr. A. Ghafar Ahmad

Born in Pontian, Johore, Malaysia on 26th of October 1964, Prof. Dr. A Ghafar has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA (1982-86), Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the Kent State University, Ohio, USA (1987-88); and a PhD. in Building Conservation from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom (1990-1993).

His PhD. research, which is "Conservation of British Colonial Buildings Built Between 1800 and 1930 in Malaysia", examined the methods and techniques of conservation employed on historic buildings in the United Kingdom and developed possibilities of transferring them to the context of British colonial buildings in Malaysia.

Prof. Dr. A Ghafar has been appointed as the Deputy Dean (Academic and Student Affairs) at the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from March 2001 until March 2003. 

He is actively involved in a number of conservation activities in Malaysia and has been a member of the Penang Heritage Technical Committee, Penang Heritage Centre Committee, Penang Island Building Conservation Advisory Committee, Penang State Conservation Committee, Streering Committee for the Conservation Project of the Acheen Street Mosque, George Town, Penang; and Heritage Building Committee, Taiping, Perak. 

He has been a member of two national working committees under the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Malaysia (2005-2007):- Committee of National Heritage Register (Architecture); and Coordination Committee of UNESCO's World Heritage List Nomination for George Town-Melaka.

Since joining the USM in January 1994, Prof. Dr. A. Ghafar has carried out many researches in the fields of building conservation, urban conservation and heritage tourism. He has also written and edited  a few books on heritage buildings including the British colonial buildings in Malaysia and a couple of videos on building and urban conservation. He has presented several papers at both local and international seminars including Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Austria, Jordan, Holland, Spain, Cambodia and Turkey.

In January 1999, Prof. Dr. A. Ghafar won the Historic Mosques Preservation Award in the Building Restoration Category from the Ministry of Higher Education, Saudi Arabia. He has received a certificate of recognition and a handsome prize money of 50,000 Riyal (RM 52,000).

Prof. Dr. A. Ghafar has been involved in the following restoration projects:

1. Acheen Street Mosque, George Town, Penang

2. Fort Cornwallis, George Town, Penang

3. 116 & 118 Lebuh Acheh, George Town, Penang

4. Old Town Hall, George Town, Penang

5. Old City Hall, (Interior refurbishment) George Town, Penang

6. One Fathom Bank Lighthouse, (HABS Documentation) Port Klang, Selangor

7. Campbell Street Market, (Dilapidation Survey), George Town, Penang

8. Old Clock Tower, (Dilapidation Survey), Taiping, Perak

9. Sultan Abu Bakar Museum (Dilapidation Survey), Pekan, Pahang

10. No.57 Macalister Road, George Town, Penang

11. High Court Building, George Town, Penang

12. Lim Mah Chye's Mansion-Homestead  (Dilapidation Survey), George Town, Penang

13. Rows of shophouses, Acheen Street, George Town, Penang

14. M.M. Nordin Mausoleum, George Town, Penang

15. St. Joseph's Novitiate Building, George Town, Penang (Dilapidation Survey)

In October 2001, Prof. Dr. A. Ghafar has been selected among other experts in the Asia-Pacific region by the United Nations Institute For Training and Research (UNITAR), Geneva to attend a training workshop on "Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites: Laws, Policy & Administrative Aspects" in Hiroshima, Japan.

In September-October 2005, Prof. Dr. A Ghafar has been selected to represent Malaysia in the International Training Workshop on Restoration of Wooden Structures in Nara, Japan. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU), National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (NRICP, Japan), and  ICCROM (the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property). 15 participants from around the Asia-Pacific region took part in the training course and explored various issues pertaining to wooden structures in Japan and the Asia-pacific region.

Due to his vast experience and knowledge in heritage building conservation, Prof. Dr. A Ghafar is currently seconded to the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Malaysia as the Deputy Commissioner of Heritage.