Prof Dr Siti Nursheena is a parasitologist in the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science. Her expert area is in the field of mammalian helminthology and molecular parasitology to which she obtained her PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. Her research interests covers host-parasite interactions and epidemiology of a wide range of zoonotic parasites from protozoans, helminth and ectoparasites especially from stray animals, rodents and more recently human. Presently, she is the team leader for an epidemiological investigation into the incidence of parasitic infections among vulnerable community particularly among migrant workers, refugees and the urban poor. Dr Sheena also actively contributes to the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and was the vice president in 2016-2018 and president in 2018-2020. She contributes her time also on  2 editorial boards; the Tropical Biomedicine (Q3) as chief-in-editor and the editorial board member for Parasitology (Q1).

Fumitaka Furuoka is a Japanese economist who has lived in Malaysia since 1987. From 1991 to 1999, he worked as a senior assistant at the Consulate General of Japan in Penang. Fumitaka then moved to academia and has taught economics for 25 years at three Malaysian public universities, namely, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, and Universiti Malaya. His academic expertise is in the field of applied economics which involves applying economic and econometric theories to address real-world critical economic issues and problems. As an applied economist, he aims to provide insights from his research for hammering out effective policies that foster sustainable development, enable a reduction of regional disparities, and move society towards achieving economic and social justice.  In his research in the field of applied economics, he focuses on economic equity between countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of economic development level in different countries), as well as economic equity within countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of income distribution in a specific country). Regarding economic equity between countries, he has conducted extensive research on diverse and pertinent global economic issues, such as poverty reduction, unemployment, economic growth/development, and renewable energy. In 2006, he published a book on Japanese foreign aid titled New Challenges for Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Policy. The book examines how Japan’s aid policy can contribute to reducing poverty and improving the well-being of developing countries, particularly Southeast Asian economies. As to economic equity within countries, the main focus of Fumitaka's research is promoting “employment for all” which is closely aligned with Target 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He strongly believes that employment for all, including people with disabilities, is the basic foundation for a sustainable and more humane economy (Ekonomi Madani). This belief has led him to write a book on employment for people with disabilities entitled Disability and Employment: Towards a Humanistic Economy. The book was published by Springer in 2024. This research direction has a strong practical orientation, and Fumitaka considers work in this area to be of ultimate importance for achieving economic equity and providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities. In short, his research aims to identify barriers and initiate policies that promote and enable economic inclusion, employment, and justice for all.

Muhammad Izzul Syahmi Zulkepli has been a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Shariah and Economics, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya, since July 2024. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Shariah (Shariah and Economics) from Universiti Malaya in 2018, followed by a Master's Degree by research at the same institution in 2020, focusing on Islamic banking. He then pursued a PhD at Universiti Malaya, specializing in the application of fintech in Islamic banking operations, and successfully completed it in 2023. Driven by a passion for expanding knowledge, he is dedicated to learning, exploring, and sharing insights in the fields of Islamic economics, Islamic banking, Islamic finance, and Islamic fintech. His academic career has seen significant contributions, including the publication of a book, several book chapters, and numerous articles in highly indexed and other reputable journals. Additionally, he has presented his research at various local and international conferences, further cementing his expertise and thought leadership in his field.