Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Lai Chin Wei [PhD, BEng(Hons) | PEng, PTech, CEng (UK), MIEM, MIMechE (UK)] is currently a full professor in Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre, "National Higher Institution Centre of Excellent (HiCoE)", University of Malaya. Lai’s main research interests are in the areas of chemically modified/functionalized metal oxide photocatalysts and carbon graphene materials, especially for sustainable development to diverse the inclusive science, technology, and innovation in environmental pollution management and energy storage technology. As a scholar and an indication of the global impact of research work (top 2% scientists in a global list), Lai’s works have been published in more than 300 refereed international top-tier journals with Scopus h-index of 50, 8 patents (granted 3 patents), 100 book chapters, and 100 international proceedings in materials science, physics, chemistry, and renewable energy researches. In all, Lai has reviewed more than 1300 papers in the past few years, mainly for top international journals / conferences and now serving as associate editors, guest editors, topic editors and editorial board members for several prestigious high impact international journals. Lai served as section editor/editor for a book entitled “Encyclopedia of Energy Storage: Capacitors/ Supercapacitors 2022” (Elsevier ISBN: 978-0-12-819730-1), “Encyclopedia of Green Materials: Green Materials for Additive Manufacturing 2024” (Springer ISBN: 978-981-16-4921-9), “Nanotechnology in Cosmeceuticals 2025” (Elsevier ISBN: 978-0-44-330184-1), and "Nanocomposites for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment" (Springer Nature 2025/2026).  The utilization of long-lasting “photocatalysis technology” using nanomaterials to solve global warming and reduce environmental impacts has been the passion for Lai. Lai’s research findings aid in building the fundamentals knowledge and groundbreaking industry collaboration experience with many multinational companies/institutions/NGOs, which help direct research efforts towards critical aspects in nanomaterial development for various innovative advancements. Lai’s research has been funded by the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia, MOHE (FRGS, HIR-MOHE); Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia, MOSTI (E-Science fund, National Nanotechnology Development), internal University funding (University of Malaya Research Grant, Impact-Oriented Interdisciplinary Research Grant, Universiti Malaya Research Excellence Grant, as well as University Malaya Research Fund Assistance), international funding and industry grants (consultation services). Meanwhile, Lai is appointed as national and international peer evaluation panel for Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), Eurostars 3 (ESTARS3)- a joint program between the EUREKA network and the European Commission, Innovation Fund Denmark Applications, Qatar National Research Fund and Dean's Research Fund from The Education University of Hong Kong (Eduhk) since 2020. Indeed, Lai is providing leadership development opportunities that privilege to bridge the gap between academia and industry, fostering collaboration and driving innovation to impact the world using nanotechnology. Being a reputable researcher, his enthusiasm and dedication towards research work, Lai has won numerous special awards or medal winners in International exposition on research innovation, invention & solution (> 22 gold/silver awards). Through his work nanomaterials and catalysis field, Lai was awarded as JCI TOYP - Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World 2024 (Academic Leadership and Accomplishment), APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE) 2023 National Winner, IAAM Scientist medal 2023, Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Best Young Member Award 2022, JCI TOYM - Ten Outstanding Young Malaysians 2021 (Academic Leadership and Accomplishment), National Young Scientist Award 2019 by The Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC), MASS Young Researcher Award 2018 by Malaysian Solid State Science & Technology Society, a finalist of National Young Scientist Award 2018 by Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia (MOSTI), University of Malaya Excellence Awards 2015 in the category of outstanding researcher - UM Young Researcher (Sciences Discipline) and USM Persada Kencana Award for Best Thesis (Ph.D. Category Engineering) 2014. Lai’s scholastic achievement and thought leadership are recognized locally and internationally. He has been appointed as the "Adjunct Research Advisor" for Shoolini University, India (2022), "Foreign Expert/Professional" for Shanghai JiaoTong University, China (2022), "Visiting Professor", "Adjunct Professor" for Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia (2024), "Visiting Lecturer" for Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia (2024), "Visiting Professor" for National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan (2024), "Visiting Professor" for King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand (2025), "Adjunct Professor" for Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia (2025), "Visiting Professor" for Shanghai JiaoTong University, China (2025) and "Scientific Advisory Committee" for Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, India (2025). Lai is honoured to be listed among the top 2% scientists in a global list since 2020 till up to date (2024) compiled by the prestigious Stanford University, USA and awarded as Top Peer Reviewer in Cross-Field & Materials Science powered by Publons (Top 1% of Reviewers) since 2019. On professional qualifications, Lai successfully registered as a Professional Engineer (PEng) in Material Engineering discipline with the Board of Engineers (BEM) and registered as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) with the Engineering Council, UK as well as registered as a Professional Technologist (PTech) in Nanotechnology discipline with the Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT). Meanwhile, Lai is an active member in The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM, MAL), Energy Institute (EI, UK), Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE, UK) and Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC, UK). Lai believes that nanotechnology will positively affect the living standards of mankind for a better living environment. Lai is recognised as among the calibre and outstanding young scientists in the country who have the potential of advancing the scientific ecosystem in Malaysia.

Dr Nor Nazrina Mohamad Nazry is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya (UM). She earned her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Sheffield, UK, and began her academic journey at UM in 2019. However, her involvement in the rapidly evolving field of education started much earlier, in 2006, as a research assistant in digital learning at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. Her primary research focus is immersive learning, especially in pedagogies involving extended reality and the use of serious games for teaching and training. Additionally, she is passionate about related areas in instructional technology, such as computing education, human behaviour, and generative artificial intelligence for future learning. She has published numerous articles in WoS, Scopus, and peer-reviewed journals. Her recent research centres on inclusive digital instruction, virtual learning experiences, and technology applications for educational content. As the field coordinator for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education, she has actively trained pre-service teachers in engineering education, design and technology, and computer science. She is also a frequent trainer for extended reality workshops, a member of academic juries at innovation competitions, and a reviewer for international and local journals.

Dr. Lee-Ling Lim is Professor of Medicine, UM and Head of the Diabetes Care Unit, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre. As a clinician-scientist, her major areas of interest include cardiometabolic medicine and intergenerational diabetes with translational and implementation science components.  Dr. Lim sits on the Working Groups of the WHO Global Diabetes Compact, The Lancet Commission on Diabetes, and the American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes (ADA/EASD) Precision Medicine in Diabetes Initiative, who provide authoritative resources in tackling the global diabetes epidemic. She recognizes that every person with diabetes and non-communicable disease (NCD) is unique and warrants personalized care. To revolutionize health care, Dr. Lim aims to advance the implementation of Precision Medicine in Diabetes and NCD, taking into account differences in clinical presentation, genes, and lifestyles in Malaysian populations. These have led to several collaborations with the USA, UK, and other Asian countries. She has published in numerous high-impact journals, including The Lancet, Nature, Diabetes Care, and Science Bulletin.  Dr. Lim has received several awards including the Universiti Malaya's Top Cited Researcher 2024, World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University for 3 consecutive years (2022-2024), the EFSD Albert Renold Fellowship, the USA Endocrine Society Outstanding Abstract Award, and a scholarship funded by the USA NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences for training in statistical genetics at the University of Washington, USA. She is an Editorial Board Member of 4 Q1 Web of Science-indexed journals (BMC Medicine; Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism; Diabetes/Metabolism Research & Reviews, and Diabetes & Metabolism Journal). Dr. Lim is an article reviewer for 29 leading academic journals, including the European Heart Journal, Diabetes Care, PLoS Medicine, and The Lancet series.