Dr. Umar Hakim Mohd Hasri is a Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication Studies at Universiti Malaya. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, USA, and earned both his Master's and PhD in Media and Communication Studies through research at Universiti Malaya, completing his doctoral degree with the notable Graduate-On-Time (GOT) award in 2024. Dr. Umar’s research focuses on transmedia storytelling, with a particular interest in the Malaysian animation industry. His recent work explores how the BoBoiBoy and Ejen Ali franchise utilizes cross-platform storytelling to create immersive and complex narrative universes. He has published in high-impact journals indexed by both WoS and Scopus, including Media International Australia, Atlantic Journal of Communication, Communication and Research Practice, and Malaysian Journal of Communication (Jurnal Komunikasi). He has extensive teaching experience, leading courses in Multimedia Production, Screenwriting, Media and Society, Research Methodology, and Introduction to Social Sciences at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His teaching philosophy emphasizes creative exploration and critical engagement, inspiring students to produce innovative media projects. In addition to his academic roles, Dr. Umar previously worked at Universiti Malaya Press for nearly four years, serving as a Project Officer. He played a key role in several digital transformation projects, including implementing database asset management systems to handle and secure large media assets, leading digital book conversion and management initiatives, and digitalizing management processes and filings. His expertise extends to event management, media representation, and strategic communication. Dr. Umar’s current research interests center on uncovering effective strategies in communication through immersive technology, transmedia storytelling, and digital transformation. His work focuses on how these approaches can drive economic advantages in local markets and create pathways for expansion into international trade. While grounded in media and communication studies, his research aims to bridge innovative storytelling techniques with strategic digital practices, empowering media organizations to enhance their global competitiveness.

Premalatha Thiagarajan is currently a senior lecturer and the Deputy Dean (Undergraduate and Student Affairs) at the Faculty of Creative Arts, Universiti Malaya. Trained in the Indian classical dances, Bharata Natyam and Odissi, she has staged numerous dance performances and conducted workshops and lecture-demonstrations in Malaysia and abroad. She is the founder of Premalayaa Performing Arts, a company that specialises in Indian classical dance and music. She is a member of the ICTM Study Group on Ethnochoreology, World Dance Alliance (WDA) and the Dance Studies Association (DSA). Through her numerous research publications, she has pioneered the study on Indian dance in Malaysia. Her current research interest also focuses on dance as therapy and arts and indigenous tourism. 

Dr Norazlin Ab Aziz joined the Department of Finance & Banking in the Faculty of Business & Accountancy in early 2021 to share her knowledge and expertise in Islamic finance and economics. Prior to this, she was in the unit trust industry involved in legal & compliance, marketing & business development, and project management. Norazlin obtained her Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, Master of Economics from the University Malaya and later completed her PhD in Accounting & Finance at the University of Glasgow. In her doctoral research, she critically examined the development of Islamic finance in Malaysia, theorising it through the trio of Political Economy Theory comprising Legitimacy, Stakeholder and Institutional theories. The underlying sentiments and the styles of Malaysian policymakers’ speeches were also assessed. Norazlin draws from a broad base in Islamic finance, the components of Islamic capital market, political economy, social theories, and linguistic analysis, to understand and critically evaluate the processes therein. This indicative of her research interest in Islamic finance from a policymaking perspective, products and services in the Islamic capital market, the future direction of the Islamic finance industry as well as the usage of computer-aided text analysis in business reporting and documents.