Faculty

Dr Vaikunthan Rajaratnam is an internationally accredited and passionate hand surgeon, medical educator, and instructional designer with four decades of clinical practice, teaching, and faculty development. He is a key player in leadership in developing public and health professional education while enabling and empowering learners and teachers through technology. As a hand surgeon, Dr Rajaratnam specialises in nerve surgery, focusing on both upper and lower motor neuron injuries. His expertise in instructional design is exemplified through his use of the DDR (Design, Development, Research) framework to create effective instructional materials. In medical education, he advocates for the use of mental simulation techniques to enhance motor skill mastery among healthcare professionals. Additionally, he is a pioneer in integrating Artificial Intelligence into healthcare, research and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) practices, significantly advancing educational technology. Dr Rajaratnam is an active researcher in clinical and educational domains and mentors’ teams in authentic and real-world action research. He is a committed humanitarian and activist with extensive experience in clinical and health professional education across borders. As an advocate for democratising learning, he supports a blended approach enhanced with open-access platforms and educational technology. A lifelong learner, Dr Rajaratnam is known for his effective communication and collaboration skills, leveraging extensive networks globally.