DR. ATIFAH BINTI AHMAD YUSOFF

Dr. Atifah binti Ahmad Yusoff, who holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, an M.A. in Islamic Thought from Universiti Malaya, and a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Process Plant Engineering from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Aqidah and Islamic Thought, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya.

Dr. Atifah’s academic and research expertise spans Comparative Religion, Islamic Thought, and Contemporary Ideologies, with a strong specialisation in socio-religious harmony. She has led and contributed to multiple funded research projects, including as Principal Investigator for the Pembangunan Model Pedagogi Interaksi Antara Penganut Agama Dalam Pendidikan Islam Sekolah Menengah di Sabah (2024–2027, UM Research Excellence Grant) and as Co-Researcher for the Implementasi Konsep Tasamuh Dalam Pendidikan Madani Ke Arah Perpaduan dan Keharmonian Masyarakat Madani Multi-Etnik di Malaysia (2024–2026, UM Global Transformation Research Grant). She was also part of the research team for the Kajian Persepsi, Faktor dan Implikasi Islamofobia Dalam Kalangan Masyarakat Malaysia (2025) and the Piagam Harmoni Malaysia project with Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (2023–2024).

Her scholarly contributions include publications on the Socio-Religious Harmony Index (SRHI), which were presented at international conferences and published in reputable journals such as the Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. She has also written extensively in mass media on issues of religious harmony, moderation, and moral development, with articles appearing in platforms such as Berita Harian, Bebas News, Sumber Kini, and UMResearchPlus.

In the professional sphere, Dr. Atifah is actively engaged with institutions and dialogue initiatives that promote interfaith understanding. In 2025, she was appointed Associate Member of the Universiti Malaya Centre for Civilisational Dialogue (UMCCD) and has participated as a resource person in national focus group discussions and harmony outreach programs. She has also served as a moderator in both international and university-level conferences.

Dr. Atifah has supervised postgraduate and undergraduate research in areas closely tied to socio-religious harmony, including sectarian violence, interfaith pedagogy, and moral awareness. Her academic service includes reviewing journal articles, evaluating Ph.D. theses, and advising on national-level publications.

Her work reflects a deep commitment to fostering peaceful coexistence in Malaysia’s multi-religious society, bridging scholarly research with practical engagement to address contemporary challenges in interfaith relations and Islamic thought.