Prior to joining USIM, he served as a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Policy and Management from 1995 to 2010, and the WHO Scientific Committee of Tobacco Product Regulation from 2004 to 2006.

Apart from being active in Education for Sustainable Development since the early 2000s, he is best noted as a foremost thinker on the concept of Sejahtera, the indigenous and traditional version the Sustainable Development in the Malay Archipielago[5] Universitas 21 awarded Gilbert Medal to Dzulkifli on 4 May 2017 in recognition of his contributions to education,[6] the first Asian to receive this honour; the seventh globally - the highest honour Universitas 21 can bestow.

In addition to being distinctive in his willingness to challenge Western knowledge systems and to support the development and dissemination of alternative views on science, philosophy and education.

He also received the honour of being the 11th Tokoh Akademik Negara (National Academic Laureate) in 2017, and more recently he was awarded the Asia-Pacific Futures Network Award (APFN) at its 10th Annual Conference on September 4, 2023 for "his individual contributions in an institution enhancing futures thinking in the Asia-Pacific community."

In 2019, he was conferred The Order of The Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon award by the Japanese Emperor for his outstanding contribution in promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Malaysia and Japan.