I hold a PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen, UK. Prior to entering academia, I served as Editor-in-Chief of an independent news website in Malaysia. I have authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited four books on civil society, social movements, and environmental movements in Malaysia and Singapore. My current research areas are political modernisation/development, political institutions, and environmental governance and misgovernance.

Biografi Telah berkecimpung dalam kegiatan kesenian seawal tahun 1988-1995 sepenuh masa, iaitu sebagai koreografer, penari dan artistik pementasan di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya dan Shah Alam. Telah juga mewakili negara ke festival-festival antarabangsa tarian tradisional sebagai koreografer/penari ke negara Eropah seperti United Kingdom, Perancis, Sepanyol, Portugal, German, Turki; ke Asia Barat seperti Jordan, Mesir; ke China, Vietnam, Kembodia, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei dan Singapura. Manakala sebagai pengarah teater dan artistic/koreografer telah mementaskan ke festival teater di Indonesia, Thailand, Singapura. Pada tahun 1988 – 1990 menyandang tugas sebagai Pegawai Kebudayaan di Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (sekarang Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya) dan bertanggungjawab menubuhkan Unit kesenian dan kebudayaan MPPJ. Tahun 1990 sehingga 1993 telah berkecimpung sebagai koreografer bebas dalam industri seni persembahan dan televisyen sepenuh masa sebelum menyertai Universiti Malaya pada tahun 1993. Telah menjadi sebagai Pegawai Kebudayaan di Pusat Kebudayaan Universiti Malaya (1993-2000). Penyertaan sebagai staf di Universiti Malaya merupakan pengembangan pesat dalam kerjaya kesenian pentas. Di mana telah menjadikan fokus penggarapan kepada 3 bidang pengkhususan iaitu tari/koreografi, pengarahan teater dan konsep artistik. Telah mempersembahkan konsep teaterikal di dalam persembahan pentas di dalam festival tari kampus, festival tari kebangsaan dan pelbagai persembahan di bawa produksi pelajar dan staf melalui kumpulan kesenian KESUMA UM. Tahun 1996 – 1998 telah melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat Sarjana di London dalam bidang koreografi dan teater. Setelah kembali telah bergiat secara aktif dalam bidang teater yang berkonsepkan muzikal, eksperimen, fizikal, avant garde dan juga teater tradisioanal (Makyung, Randai dan Bangsawan) dan menjawat jawatan pensyarah teater pada tahun 2000. Menyertai pelbagai festival teater kampus, festival teater ipta dan universiti luar negara, festival teater peringkat negeri, zon dan kebangsaan melalui genre teater ekesperimental, avant garde dan muzikal. Penyertaan festival teater berbentuk pertandingan telah beberapa kali menyandang Johan dengan pengarahan terbaik di dalam kampus dan peringkat negeri dan Kebangsaan. (Umexpert, 2020). Telah terlibat sebagai pengarah artistik, pengarah persembahan dan Penulis kertas konsep bagi pembukaan dan penutupan Sukma Terengganu 2008, Konsert Merdeka di Dungun Terengganu, Konsert muzikal Tabung 1 Bilion Pendididkan UiTM, Muzikal Tangga dan sebagainya. (Umexpert, 2024) Memperolehi Phd pada tahun 2012 Universiti Malaya dalam fokus bidang Koreografi/Teater. Berkecimpung segara giat dalam produksi teater tradisional seperti Makyung, Bangsawan dan Randai dalam pementasan di dalam dan luar kampus.  Bergiat aktif dalam penyelidikan dan penulisan yang berkaitan dengan seni teater tradisional dan kontemporari. Kajian dan kegiatan terkini adalah mengaitkan kesenian pentas di dalam produksi dan program yang melibatkan komuniti, alam sekitar, latihan minda kreatif dan program CSR syarikat korporat. Biography: Has been involved in arts activities as early as 1988-1995 full time, as a choreographer, dancer, and staging artist around Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Shah Alam. Has also represented countries to international dance festivals as choreographers/dancers to European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Turkey; to West Asia such as Jordan, Egypt; to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. While as a theater director and artistic / choreographer has staged a theater festival in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore. Serves as a Cultural Officer at the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (now Petaling Jaya City Council) in 1988 - 1990 and was responsible for establishing the arts and culture unit of MPPJ. Experience as an independent choreographer in the performing arts and television industry from 1990 - 1993 before joining the University of Malaya in 1993 has forged the opportunity to build a network of career opportunities. A career as a Cultural Officer at the University of Malaya Cultural Center (1993-2000) is rapid development in the performing arts career. Current career development at UM makes the focus of creative cultivation work expand into 3 areas of forte specialization in the presentation. 3 fields such as dance/choreography, theater direction, and artistic concepts have shaped various theatrical concepts in stage performances in campus dance festivals, national dance festivals, and various performances around the country under production involving students, staff, and professional groups through art groups Kesuma UM. 1996-1998 was a year of continuation of Master's degree learning in London in the field of choreography and theater. Upon graduation, various activities in the field of theater with the concept of the musical, experimental, physical, avant-garde, and traditional theater (Makyung, Randal, and Bangsawan) began to be actively mobilized, and after that held the position of theater lecturer in 2000. Participated in various campus theater festivals, Ipta and university theater festivals abroad, state, zone, and national level theater festivals through experimental, avant-garde, and musical theater genres. Participation in theater festivals in the form of competitions has several times won first place with the best director award at the campus level (Karviter), Federal Territory, and National. Has been involved as an artistic director, performance director, and concept paper writer for the opening and closing of Sukma Terengganu 2008, Merdeka Concert in Dungun Terengganu, UiTM Tabung 1 Billion Education Concert musical, "Tangga" Musical and so on. (Umexpert, 2024) Obtained a Ph.D. in the 2012 University of Malaya in the focus of the field of Choreography / Theater. Engaged in traditional theater productions such as Makyung, Bangsawan, and Randai on staging inside and off-campus. Active in research and writing related to traditional and contemporary theater arts. Recent research and activities are related to performing arts in production and programs involving the community, the environment, creative mind training, and corporate CSR programs.

Dr. Nikmatul Adha is currently the Director of the Corporate Performance Centre at Universiti Malaya. She holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). In 2011, she was awarded a doctoral degree from USM, specializing in social and physical planning. Dr. Nikmatul Adha began her career as a Research Officer at USM, later serving as a Research Executive at a private consultancy firm before transitioning into academia. Since 2004, she has been a faculty member at Universiti Malaya, where she teaches Urban Management, Community Development Planning, and various planning studio courses. She is also a Graduate Member of the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP). Her research interests include participatory urban planning, tourism planning, and community development planning. Dr. Nikmatul Adha has authored several books and academic articles related to her areas of expertise. She is frequently invited as a speaker and forum panellist at national conferences and has served as a visiting lecturer at Nanjing University Jinling College.