Akbar Sarif bin Muhammad is a lecturer at the Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. Born in Bima, Indonesia, on 15 April 1985, he pursued early education in Pelalawan, Riau, before completing his secondary studies at Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor in 2004. He graduated with distinction and obtained his bachelor's degree in Comparative Mazhab and Law from Universitas Darussalam Gontor in 2008. Driven by a strong interest in Islamic legal theory, he continued his postgraduate studies at the Universiti Malaya, completing his Master’s research on the concepts of maslahah and mafsadah in the thought of al-Imam al-Ghazali and al-Imam al-Shatibi. In 2021, he was awarded a PhD for his work on the application of Maqasid al-Shari‘ah in the development of contemporary Islamic law in Indonesia. His academic expertise spans Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh, Maqasid al-Shari‘ah in both theoretical and contemporary applications, manuscript studies, Islamic philanthropy, and Islamic property law. He has authored journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers, all of which contribute to the enrichment of scholarly discourse in Islamic law and its contemporary applications. Akbar has also collaborated on research projects with government and heritage institutions in Malaysia and Indonesia. At the Universiti Malaya, he teaches, supervises postgraduate students, and actively engages in research and academic discourse at national and international levels.

I am Erma Rahayu Mohd Faizal Abdullah, the Head of the Department of Artificial Intelligence at Universiti Malaya. My passion lies in advancing the fields of computer vision, machine learning, and their applications in areas such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing. As an academic, I’ve had the privilege of shaping the AI curriculum at Universiti Malaya, including designing courses like Artificial Intelligence: Principles & Techniques and NextGen Software Development. My goal is to ensure students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the evolving AI landscape. My research focuses on solving real-world problems through AI. One of my proudest projects is UMFit, a real-time monitoring app for cardiac patients that aims to improve healthcare accessibility and reduce clinical burdens. I’m also actively involved in using CBCT data for dentistry research and collaborating with Perodua to enhance automation and quality systems in manufacturing. Ethical AI is a significant part of my work. As an IEEE CertifAIEd™ Authorized Assessor, I focus on promoting algorithmic fairness, transparency, and privacy. I also apply explainable AI (XAI) tools, such as SHAP, to ensure my AI models are interpretable and trustworthy. Education is my passion, and I strive to empower students with high-order thinking skills and innovative approaches to learning. I also enjoy collaborating with international scholars, such as hosting Nishitani Aoi from Ehime University, and incorporating dynamic topics like intelligent agents and Data Intelligence into the curriculum. I strongly believe in building bridges between academia and industry. Collaborations with global leaders like Zhipu AI and Alto AI have brought valuable resources to my department, ensuring we remain at the forefront of AI research and innovation. I am driven by a vision of creating impactful AI solutions and nurturing the next generation of AI experts. My journey continues to be fueled by curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to ethical innovation.

Dr. Mehdi Soltanzadeh was born in 1980 in Iran. After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in Iran, he traveled to Malaysia in 2006 to attend an international humanities seminar, where he met several distinguished professors from Malaysian universities. This experience inspired him to pursue a doctorate faculty of arts and social sciences, department of history at the University of Malaya, one of the premier and oldest institutions in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Following the completion of his doctoral studies, Dr. Mehdi chose to remain in Malaysia, driven by his fascination with the country's history, culture and multi-racial society. He collaborated with the Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia for a year as a senior researcher, mostly on researching and translation of  Manuscripts, then he became of life member of Malaysia Translators’ Association,  he engaged in research with the Department of Malay Studies at the National University of Malaysia, focusing on translating various Persian classical texts into Malay. Additionally, he serves as a translator for the Islamic Encyclopaedia Foundation in Iran, where he has translated numerous entries authored by Malaysian and Indonesian scholars from Malay language into Persian language for publication in the Islamic World Encyclopaedia in Iran. Dr. Mehdi now is a senior lecturer at Academy of Malay Studies, Universiti Malaya.