Dr Kathreena Kadir  BDS(Mal), MClinDent(OMFS)(Mal), Fellowship in Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery (Shanghai), AM   Dr Kathreena Kadir obtained her Bachelor of Dental Surgery from University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur in 2005. She then served the Ministry of Health for four years before returning to the same university to pursue her Master’s in Clinical Dentistry specializing in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Upon graduation in 2013, she joined the academia and currently an Associate Professor and consultant in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences. She is a member of Malaysia Academy of Medicine and has held the post of Honorary Secretary for the Malaysian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (MAOMS) in the year 2015 till 2018 and a member of the Oral Cancer Research & Coordinating Centre (OCRCC) since 2015. Her main surgical interest has always been managing patients with head and neck tumours and had recently completed her one-year Fellowship in Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery at Shanghai 9th People’s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Upon returning, she is among the lead surgeon in managing oral cancer clinic and service in University Malaya Medical Centre. Dr Kadir had also supervised numerous postgraduate research thesis in the field of both oral cancer and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). While pursuing her interest in head and neck oncology, Dr Kadir has also developed another passion in management of patients with TMD. Over the last 5 years, her team had successfully developed and validated the Malay - Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (M-DC/TMD) according to the stringent standard set by the International Network for Orofacial pain & Related disorders Methodology (INfORM). With the establishment of these two instruments (DC/TMD and M-DC/TMD), she hopes to propose the usage of these tools nationwide as a standard protocol in diagnosing and managing patients with TMD. She also contributes in coordinating and pioneering the development of the TMD Multidisciplinary Team combined clinic in Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya.  

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 at three Malaysian public universities, namely, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and Universiti Malaya (UM) for more than 25 years. His academic expertise is in the field of applied economics, which involves applying economic and econometric theories to address real-world critical financial issues and problems. As an applied economist, he aims to provide insights from his research to inform the development of effective policies that foster sustainable development, reduce regional disparities, and move society toward 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 enhancing the well-being of developing countries, particularly those in Southeast Asia. As to economic equity within countries, the primary 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 firmly 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. He also wrote another book, co-authored with Dr Yosuke Uchiyama, on employment for people with disabilities, entitled "Youth and Employment: Creating a Productive and Dynamic Society," which was published by the same publisher in 2025. 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 or young people. In short, his research aims to identify barriers and initiate policies that promote and enable economic inclusion, employment, and justice for all.