Datuk Dr Rosti is the former Vice President, Education Division, of PETRONAS, Malaysia’s oil and gas corporation. In the 30 or so years since his graduation from UQ, he established systems and policy that integrate education, training and employment in Malaysia.

After graduating from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Engineering in 1974, Datuk Dr Rosti returned to his home country, Malaysia. He began working with the Ministry of Labour and Manpower as the Principal of the Industrial Training Institute in Kuala Lumpur. Here, Datuk Dr Rosti influenced the development of vocational education and training in Malaysia, creating a policy framework that has underpinned the establishment of a training system in the country. He emphasised that practical and innovative learning came from integrating experience and training with theory in a formal education process.

As Section Head of Technical Training at PETRONAS since the mid-1980s, Datuk Dr Rosti brought an increased emphasis on education and training to the organisation.

Datuk Dr Rosti was instrumental in leading academic and industry partnerships in Malaysia, encouraging collaborative efforts to develop a generation of Malaysian knowledge workers who are internationally competitive. He made contributions towards the education and human resources development of the young Malaysian population and played a major role in Malaysia’s economic and human capital development.

Over many years, Datuk Dr Rosti has given back to UQ through supporting its commercial and academic links with Malaysia. He was UQ's 2007 International Alumnus of the Year.