Aisya is a former Legal Adviser at the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) and Head of Law Division at Malaysia’s national human rights institution, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). For over a decade, she has worked with diverse stakeholders at all levels to support and promote respect for the rule of law, internationally and domestically. Aisya has provided legal analysis and technical guidance to decisionmakers and policymakers, particularly from/based in Asia, in many areas of international humanitarian law including nuclear weapons, cyber warfare, counterterrorism, and cultural property protection. She has facilitated high-level humanitarian dialogues; delivered humanitarian assistance to detainees; translated treaties; developed information tools; and helped published communication materials for various audiences.     Aisya has actively participated in regional treaty and national legislative processes, such as in drafting the ASEAN Declaration on Children in the context of Migration and Malaysian laws on sexual harassment and gender equality. Within 15 months at SUHAKAM, she coordinated 15 policy briefs and papers on a range of human rights issues and for rights-based law reforms. Aisya has also assisted rule of law, human rights, transitional justice, and post-conflict development projects in/on Colombia, Ukraine, Scotland, and South Sudan. Within her first four years of practice at the Malaysian Bar, Aisya appeared as counsel in over 15 reported cases at Malaysia’s highest courts, including a landmark workplace sexual harassment case.    

VGR Chandran is Professor of Industrial Development at the Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics at University of Malaya. He has also worked as Principal Analyst of Economic and Policy Studies with Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and his research interests are mainly on innovation, technology development, trade and globalization that relate to industrial development. His field research covers sectors such as electrical and electronics, automotive, food, chemical, oil palm, machinery, iron and steel, ICT, and the newly emerging sector - renewable energy. He had extensive fieldwork covering the Asian region that includes countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, India, China, Thailand, and Malaysia. In recent years, his research interest expanded into investigating newly emerging enterprises within the context of social innovation and social enterprises, as well as open innovation. His interest has also expanded in studying the issues of NTMs, mainly regulatory and procedural requirements that serve as a barrier for firms to integrate into the Global Value Chain. He has also worked as a consultant for international organizations such as UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNEP, ERIA, OECD as well as governmental organizations in Malaysia. He has published articles in international journals - Economics of New Technology and Innovation, Policy Modelling, as well as book chapters and books on industrial development and innovation. He is the recipient of various national and international grants – to name a few - European Union Horizon 2020 and IDR, Canada, among others. His work is widely quoted in government policy documents contributing to numerous policy changes. He has contributed to the Malaysian regulatory reform efforts, STI and Industrial policy development at national as well as state level. His work via Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Economic Planning Unit, Academic of Sciences, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, MIGHT, Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysian Productivity Corporation and Institute Darul Ridzuan (state level) was instrumental in making the policy changes. His engagement with the industry are mainly in the form of undertaking studies and providing expert opinions. He has received various awards, e.g., excellence in teaching award and outstanding paper award from Emerald and Elsevier. Details of his current projects as follows: (1) Catching-up along the GVC: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/214786/factsheet/en (2) Regional Economic Corridors: http://www.crisea.eu/researchers/chandran-vgr

Dr. Che Chong Chin, PhD, holds the position of Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Malaya. Her academic journey includes the achievement of a BNSc degree in Nursing and a Master of Nursing (Education) from Monash University, followed by the completion of her PhD at the Universiti Malaya. Dr. Che has extensive experience in nursing and midwifery practice. Throughout her academic career spanning over 15 years, she has made substantial contributions to both teaching and research domains.  Her research focus spans Gerontology Nursing, Maternal and Child Health and Community Health, with a current emphasis on pioneering a psychosocial approach to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Notably, she actively contributes to the development of a time banking model tailored for ageing and sustainable communities. Dr Che is a devoted life member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and holds a position on the Early Career Researcher Editorial Advisory Board of Nursing Open.