ASSOCIATE PROF. DR. MOHD SAIFUL ANWAR BIN MOHD NAWAWI

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saiful Anwar Mohd Nawawi is an academic in Islamic Studies, trained in both Shariah and Science. He holds a Bachelor of Shariah, a Master of Science, and a PhD from the Universiti Malaya.  His research focuses on how astronomy serves Islam - including Crescent Moon Visibility, the Hijri Calendar, Fiqh al-Falak, Falak and Sustainable Development, Qibla and Prayer Time. He has contributed to numerous national and government-supported projects, including studies on moon-sighting criteria, imaging techniques for crescent observation, synchronization of the Hijri calendar, zoning for prayer times, refinement of Subuh  parameters, lunar influences on climate. Shariah-based frameworks for sustainable astronomical practices,  the determination of two marhalah, qaryah, and balad rates from a contemporary fiqh perspective as well as Qibla, and halal compliance. Many of these initiatives, developed in collaboration with Malaysia’s national agencies and fellow researchers have contributed to shaping national policies, enactments, or guidelines. Dr. Saiful and his team publish in Islamic Studies journals, including Jurnal Syariah, Jurnal Fiqh, Malaysian Journal of Syariah and Law, Jurnal al-Tamaddun, and the Journal of Islamic Marketing. They also contribute to  scientific journals such as New Astronomy, Astronomy and Computing, ICARUS, and Sains Malaysiana, Malaysian Journal of Science among others. Many of their publications are indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. He has also contributed to several books, including Python for Islamic Astronomy: Modern Computational Approaches to Hijri Calendar, Qibla, and Prayer Times (CRC Press, Routledge, 2025), as well as other works published by university publishers. He currently serves as Associate Professor at the Department of Fiqh & Usul, University of Malaya, President of the Islamic Astronomers Association of Malaysia, and Deputy President of the Southeast Asia Islamic Astronomy Association. He also sits on expert panels for various government agencies related to his field.

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ASSOCIATE PROF. DR. RAIDA BINTI ABU BAKAR

Raida is an Associate Professor at the Department of Management, Universiti Malaya. Her research expertise lies in Organizational Behaviour, with a strong focus on work engagement, leadership, and employee wellbeing and happiness, particularly through qualitative approaches. She holds a BSc in Management from Purdue University (USA), an MBA from Universiti Malaya (Malaysia), and a PhD from RMIT University (Australia). Her scholarly work has appeared in journals such as the International Journal of Human Resource Management, Business Strategy and Development, and the International Journal of Training and Development, among others. With more than 20 years of academic and consultancy experience, she has contributed to numerous projects with organizations including Malaysia Aviation Group, the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development, and the Master Builders Association of Malaysia. Beyond research and consultancy, Raida also serves as Head of the Research Ethics Division at Universiti Malaya, where she oversees initiatives to support research integrity, compliance, and good governance in research.

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PROF. DR. VISHALACHE A/P BALAKRISHNAN

Started primary school in St Bernadette's Convent, Batu Gajah, Perak. Went on to secondary school in SMK Convent, Batu Gajah, Perak. Completed Form Six in SMK Sultan Yussuf, Batu Gajah, Perak. Started working career as a college trained secondary school teacher after attending professional training at Lembah Pantai Teachers' Training College and Ilmu Khas Teacher's Training College. Completed one year speacialist course in  Ilmu Khas Teacher's Training College in 1995. Completed Degree in TESL, minor Moral Education followed by Masters in Education, majoring in Moral Education in University of Malaya. Completed PhD in Education in Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Completed post doctoral studies in Inclusive and Critical Educational Psychology in The Waikato University, New Zealand. Strongly passionate about helping teachers to upgrade themselves in the teaching profession through training, research and publication in holistic education and service learning. In 2015 after the AME Conference in Santos, Brazil, have been elected as the Elected EXCO for two years. It is an honour to be the first Malaysian to be in the AME EXCO which comprises mostly renounced academics from Europe and North America. Was the Director for Centre in Research for International and Compartive Education (CRICE) from 2017 until 2022. CRICE focuses on international and comparative education in terms of research, collaboration and publication. Currently, I am holding the post of SULAM @ Service Learning Malaysia-University for Society coordinator in Universiti Malaya. Been working diligently with the internal Service Learning coordinators from the 16 faculties in Universiti Malaya. Initiating Service Learning International for 21 Century Education.  

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