Danial is a Malaysian scholar of public policy, international relations, and political science at the International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA), Universiti Malaya, where he teaches in the Master of Public Policy programme and previously served as Deputy Executive Director (Academic & Student Affairs) from 2024 to 2026. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, Asia e University, and Co-Chief Editor of POLIGOV: Malaysian Journal of Policy, Leadership, International & Government Affairs (UM Press). He holds a PhD in International Relations (Political Science) from the University of St Andrews and has reviewed manuscripts for Third World Quarterly, Comparative Politics, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, African Identities, and SAGE Open. His academic and policy work spans comparative public policy, Global South and Africa-Asia relations, Malaysian public and foreign policy, and peace and conflict studies, complemented by extensive engagement in postgraduate education, government policy initiatives, academic publishing, and international scholarly networks.