Professor Leong is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Education and Social Progress Programme at the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia at Sunway University. He teaches in the fields of sociology, public policy, transportation and logistics. His research is largely in the areas of sustainable development, community participation, sustainable transportation and education delivery systems. Prior to joining Sunway University, he was the President of the Malaysia University of Science and Technology and the Head of the Transportation and Logistics Programme. His experience also includes teaching at the National University of Singapore, working in the Institute of Strategic and International Studies which is a policy think-tank for the Malaysian government, and as consultant to several international organisations on social development and environmental assessment. He holds a PhD in Sociology from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College, USA.