Dr. Yanti Idaya Aspura binti Mohd Khalid is an Associate Professor and the current Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Universiti Malaya. Her academic career began in 2001 at Management and Science University, followed by over a decade of service as a Senior Librarian at the International Islamic University Malaysia (2003–2015). She joined Universiti Malaya in 2016, specializing in Library and Information Science. Dr. Yanti holds a Ph.D. in Systems Science and Management from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (2014), alongside a Master of Library and Information Science (2001) and a Bachelor of Human Sciences in Political Science (2000) from IIUM. Her research interests include data librarianship and open science, bibliometrics and scholarly publishing, information systems, and information retrieval. Dr. Yanti has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and actively contributes to advancing scholarly communication and digital preservation practices. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science (JIF 0.423, JCR 2012) and has played a key role in academic leadership and curriculum development to strengthen the field of library and information science. She is also a Certified Data Steward (511650) from CDS eLearning Curve.

VGR Chandran is Professor of Industrial Development at the Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics at University of Malaya. He has also worked as Principal Analyst of Economic and Policy Studies with Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and his research interests are mainly on innovation, technology development, trade and globalization that relate to industrial development. His field research covers sectors such as electrical and electronics, automotive, food, chemical, oil palm, machinery, iron and steel, ICT, and the newly emerging sector - renewable energy. He had extensive fieldwork covering the Asian region that includes countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, India, China, Thailand, and Malaysia. In recent years, his research interest expanded into investigating newly emerging enterprises within the context of social innovation and social enterprises, as well as open innovation. His interest has also expanded in studying the issues of NTMs, mainly regulatory and procedural requirements that serve as a barrier for firms to integrate into the Global Value Chain. He has also worked as a consultant for international organizations such as UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNEP, ERIA, OECD as well as governmental organizations in Malaysia. He has published articles in international journals - Economics of New Technology and Innovation, Policy Modelling, as well as book chapters and books on industrial development and innovation. He is the recipient of various national and international grants – to name a few - European Union Horizon 2020 and IDR, Canada, among others. His work is widely quoted in government policy documents contributing to numerous policy changes. He has contributed to the Malaysian regulatory reform efforts, STI and Industrial policy development at national as well as state level. His work via Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Economic Planning Unit, Academic of Sciences, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, MIGHT, Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysian Productivity Corporation and Institute Darul Ridzuan (state level) was instrumental in making the policy changes. His engagement with the industry are mainly in the form of undertaking studies and providing expert opinions. He has received various awards, e.g., excellence in teaching award and outstanding paper award from Emerald and Elsevier. Details of his current projects as follows: (1) Catching-up along the GVC: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/214786/factsheet/en (2) Regional Economic Corridors: http://www.crisea.eu/researchers/chandran-vgr

Dr. Fong Chng Saun is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Technology from University Putra Malaysia in 2016 and completed his PhD in Environmental Science, specializing in Urban Ecosystem Management, at Universiti Malaya in 2021. Dr. Fong’s research focuses on urban ecosystem management in tropical cities, with key expertise in urban heat island (UHI) dynamics, air pollution, climate resilience, and planetary health. His work integrates geospatial analytics, environmental monitoring, and data-driven approaches to understand urban climate risks and develop practical mitigation strategies. In recent years, his research has expanded into greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analytics, carbon management, and carbon neutrality transitions. He leads and contributes to multiple national and international research projects, including initiatives on urban heat mitigation, microclimate assessment of green versus built environments, centralized GHG emissions data systems, and Net Zero living lab such as the Lembah Pantai SDG Precinct. His work increasingly adopts a living lab approach, translating research into real-world interventions through campus and community-based sustainability solutions. Dr. Fong is also involved in interdisciplinary projects linking climate risks to health and societal outcomes, including studies on air quality and respiratory health under the NIHR Global Health Research Unit (RESPIRE). His research further explores the intersection of urban design, environmental exposure, and human well-being within the broader planetary health framework. He serves as the Living Labs Coordinator under the Universiti Malaya Sustainable Development Centre (UMSDC) and leads the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Research Interest Group under the Young Scientists Network–Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM). His work actively bridges science, policy, and implementation, supporting evidence-based decision-making for sustainable and climate-resilient urban futures. Dr. Fong welcomes interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly those advancing urban sustainability, climate action, and planetary health.