DR. MOHD EFFINDI BIN SAMSUDDIN

Biografi Telah berkecimpung dalam kegiatan kesenian seawal tahun 1988-1995 sepenuh masa, iaitu sebagai koreografer, penari dan artistik pementasan di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya dan Shah Alam. Telah juga mewakili negara ke festival-festival antarabangsa tarian tradisional sebagai koreografer/penari ke negara Eropah seperti United Kingdom, Perancis, Sepanyol, Portugal, German, Turki; ke Asia Barat seperti Jordan, Mesir; ke China, Vietnam, Kembodia, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei dan Singapura. Manakala sebagai pengarah teater dan artistic/koreografer telah mementaskan ke festival teater di Indonesia, Thailand, Singapura. Pada tahun 1988 – 1990 menyandang tugas sebagai Pegawai Kebudayaan di Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (sekarang Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya) dan bertanggungjawab menubuhkan Unit kesenian dan kebudayaan MPPJ. Tahun 1990 sehingga 1993 telah berkecimpung sebagai koreografer bebas dalam industri seni persembahan dan televisyen sepenuh masa sebelum menyertai Universiti Malaya pada tahun 1993. Telah menjadi sebagai Pegawai Kebudayaan di Pusat Kebudayaan Universiti Malaya (1993-2000). Penyertaan sebagai staf di Universiti Malaya merupakan pengembangan pesat dalam kerjaya kesenian pentas. Di mana telah menjadikan fokus penggarapan kepada 3 bidang pengkhususan iaitu tari/koreografi, pengarahan teater dan konsep artistik. Telah mempersembahkan konsep teaterikal di dalam persembahan pentas di dalam festival tari kampus, festival tari kebangsaan dan pelbagai persembahan di bawa produksi pelajar dan staf melalui kumpulan kesenian KESUMA UM. Tahun 1996 – 1998 telah melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat Sarjana di London dalam bidang koreografi dan teater. Setelah kembali telah bergiat secara aktif dalam bidang teater yang berkonsepkan muzikal, eksperimen, fizikal, avant garde dan juga teater tradisioanal (Makyung, Randai dan Bangsawan) dan menjawat jawatan pensyarah teater pada tahun 2000. Menyertai pelbagai festival teater kampus, festival teater ipta dan universiti luar negara, festival teater peringkat negeri, zon dan kebangsaan melalui genre teater ekesperimental, avant garde dan muzikal. Penyertaan festival teater berbentuk pertandingan telah beberapa kali menyandang Johan dengan pengarahan terbaik di dalam kampus dan peringkat negeri dan Kebangsaan. (Umexpert, 2020). Telah terlibat sebagai pengarah artistik, pengarah persembahan dan Penulis kertas konsep bagi pembukaan dan penutupan Sukma Terengganu 2008, Konsert Merdeka di Dungun Terengganu, Konsert muzikal Tabung 1 Bilion Pendididkan UiTM, Muzikal Tangga dan sebagainya. (Umexpert, 2024) Memperolehi Phd pada tahun 2012 Universiti Malaya dalam fokus bidang Koreografi/Teater. Berkecimpung segara giat dalam produksi teater tradisional seperti Makyung, Bangsawan dan Randai dalam pementasan di dalam dan luar kampus.  Bergiat aktif dalam penyelidikan dan penulisan yang berkaitan dengan seni teater tradisional dan kontemporari. Kajian dan kegiatan terkini adalah mengaitkan kesenian pentas di dalam produksi dan program yang melibatkan komuniti, alam sekitar, latihan minda kreatif dan program CSR syarikat korporat. Biography: Has been involved in arts activities as early as 1988-1995 full time, as a choreographer, dancer, and staging artist around Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Shah Alam. Has also represented countries to international dance festivals as choreographers/dancers to European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Turkey; to West Asia such as Jordan, Egypt; to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. While as a theater director and artistic / choreographer has staged a theater festival in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore. Serves as a Cultural Officer at the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (now Petaling Jaya City Council) in 1988 - 1990 and was responsible for establishing the arts and culture unit of MPPJ. Experience as an independent choreographer in the performing arts and television industry from 1990 - 1993 before joining the University of Malaya in 1993 has forged the opportunity to build a network of career opportunities. A career as a Cultural Officer at the University of Malaya Cultural Center (1993-2000) is rapid development in the performing arts career. Current career development at UM makes the focus of creative cultivation work expand into 3 areas of forte specialization in the presentation. 3 fields such as dance/choreography, theater direction, and artistic concepts have shaped various theatrical concepts in stage performances in campus dance festivals, national dance festivals, and various performances around the country under production involving students, staff, and professional groups through art groups Kesuma UM. 1996-1998 was a year of continuation of Master's degree learning in London in the field of choreography and theater. Upon graduation, various activities in the field of theater with the concept of the musical, experimental, physical, avant-garde, and traditional theater (Makyung, Randal, and Bangsawan) began to be actively mobilized, and after that held the position of theater lecturer in 2000. Participated in various campus theater festivals, Ipta and university theater festivals abroad, state, zone, and national level theater festivals through experimental, avant-garde, and musical theater genres. Participation in theater festivals in the form of competitions has several times won first place with the best director award at the campus level (Karviter), Federal Territory, and National. Has been involved as an artistic director, performance director, and concept paper writer for the opening and closing of Sukma Terengganu 2008, Merdeka Concert in Dungun Terengganu, UiTM Tabung 1 Billion Education Concert musical, "Tangga" Musical and so on. (Umexpert, 2024) Obtained a Ph.D. in the 2012 University of Malaya in the focus of the field of Choreography / Theater. Engaged in traditional theater productions such as Makyung, Bangsawan, and Randai on staging inside and off-campus. Active in research and writing related to traditional and contemporary theater arts. Recent research and activities are related to performing arts in production and programs involving the community, the environment, creative mind training, and corporate CSR programs.

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PROF. DR. VISHALACHE A/P BALAKRISHNAN

Started primary school in St Bernadette's Convent, Batu Gajah, Perak. Went on to secondary school in SMK Convent, Batu Gajah, Perak. Completed Form Six in SMK Sultan Yussuf, Batu Gajah, Perak. Started working career as a college trained secondary school teacher after attending professional training at Lembah Pantai Teachers' Training College and Ilmu Khas Teacher's Training College. Completed one year speacialist course in  Ilmu Khas Teacher's Training College in 1995. Completed Degree in TESL, minor Moral Education followed by Masters in Education, majoring in Moral Education in University of Malaya. Completed PhD in Education in Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Completed post doctoral studies in Inclusive and Critical Educational Psychology in The Waikato University, New Zealand. Strongly passionate about helping teachers to upgrade themselves in the teaching profession through training, research and publication in holistic education and service learning. In 2015 after the AME Conference in Santos, Brazil, have been elected as the Elected EXCO for two years. It is an honour to be the first Malaysian to be in the AME EXCO which comprises mostly renounced academics from Europe and North America. Was the Director for Centre in Research for International and Compartive Education (CRICE) from 2017 until 2022. CRICE focuses on international and comparative education in terms of research, collaboration and publication. Currently, I am holding the post of SULAM @ Service Learning Malaysia-University for Society coordinator in Universiti Malaya. Been working diligently with the internal Service Learning coordinators from the 16 faculties in Universiti Malaya. Initiating Service Learning International for 21 Century Education.  

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ASSOCIATE PROF. DR. FADZILAH HANUM BINTI MOHD MYDIN

Dr Fadzilah Hanum Mohd Mydin is a Family Medicine consultant and academic at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, specialising in geriatrics in primary care, lifestyle medicine, mental health, and health systems innovation. Her research focuses on vital yet often overlooked issues affecting older adults, including abuse of older people, advance care planning, social isolation, and mental health. She also explores healthy ageing, health behaviours, and the utilisation of technology in healthcare to improve access and quality of care. She has developed context-sensitive training programmes and clinical guidelines for healthcare practitioners as part of the Prevent Elder Abuse Initiatives (PEACE®). Her doctoral research involved developing and evaluating educational interventions to address the abuse of older people, emphasising the crucial role of primary healthcare providers. Her research on the abuse of older people has been recognised with awards at the 2014 WONCA Asia Pacific Conference and the 2025 Pierre Pluye International Award. She has led digital health innovations, including a mobile app designed to promote behavioural change and manage chronic diseases via telehealth. Her work has earned awards at the Malaysia Technology Expo and the International Innovation Awards. She is the co-chair of the WONCA Special Interest Group on Family Violence and a member of the WONCA Special Interest Group on Healthy Ageing, contributing to national and international discussions on healthy ageing and safeguarding older adults. As an academic, she supervises postgraduate students in the Master of Family Medicine and Master of Medical Science programmes. Her ongoing work continues to influence healthcare practice, policy, and education both within Malaysia and internationally. She actively engages with communities to promote healthy ageing through lifestyle interventions, notably leading the global Walk with A Doc initiative in Petaling Jaya. This award-winning public health programme aims to promote healthy ageing and intergenerational connections.

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RECENT PUBLICATION

  • Islam, Ameena; Md Syed, Md Azalanshah (2026). Journalistic Professionalism in a Time of Paradoxes: ntv Online and "alternative Voice" in Bangladesh. Journalism Practice


  • Adams, Donnie; Sothinathan, Jayanti S.; Radzi, Norfariza Mohd (2026). Science Mapping The Evolution of Middle Leadership Research, 2002-2023. Educational Management Administration & Leadership


  • Azahari, Ahmad Fikri Azfar Ahmad; Naim, Wan Naimah Wan Ab; Sari, Nor Ashikin Md; Lim, Einly; Mokhtarudin, Mohd Jamil Mohamed (2026). Advancement in Computational Simulation and Validation of Congenital Heart Disease: a Review. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering


  • Furuoka, Fumitaka; Gil-Alana, Luis; Yaya, OlaOluwa S.; Vo, Xuan Vinh (2026). Convergence of Gender Unemployment Gaps in Africa: New Evidence from Fourier Adf and Kpss Unit Root Tests With Break. Applied Economics


  • Uchiyama, Yosuke; Furuoka, Fumitaka (2026). Uberisation and Resistance to Online Food Delivery Gig Work in Asia: Lessons from Malaysia. Journal of Contemporary Asia


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