Associate Prof. Sr Dr. Brennan Brit Anak Kayan is a lecturer at the Department of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and a Visiting Professor at College of Architecture and Energy Engineering, Wenzhou University of Technology (WZUT), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. He has graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Building Surveying) (Hons) in 1999 and received a Master of Science (Building) in 2003, both from the University of Malaya and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (Construction Management) from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK) in 2013. Brit has over 20 years of experience as an academician and two years in industrial practice, latterly specializing in ‘Green Maintenance’, sustainable materials and repair and building conservation. Professionally, Brit is a full Member of the Royal Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia (MRISM) (since 2007) and a Registered Conservator of the Department of National Heritage, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Malaysia (since 2015). Brit has been delivering high-quality teaching in building conservation, professional practice, construction technology, university-community engagement, multi-disciplinary studio-based and building surveying subjects.  Brit undertakes research and consultancy activities within the Faculty of Built Environment and Sustainability Science Research Cluster of the University of Malaya (SusCi); in low carbon building materials, building dilapidation, Environmental Maintenance Impact (EMI), sustainable repair approach of ‘Green Maintenance’ using  Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach in heritage buildings conservation. Brit’s previous research works give insight into how ‘Green Maintenance’ is essential for the retention of embodied energy (CO2 emissions reduction or lowering carbon) and cost saving that relates directly to the longevity of the repair materials and techniques (low carbon-cost).  He also employed construction technologies to stimulate university-community engagement in achieving sustainable maintenance and repair of vernacular houses. His current research establishes the correlation between intervention and embodied carbon expenditure in terms of environmental sustainability. Brit has attained PI status for grant funding totalling RM 224,300.00 and Co-Researcher status for RM 158,000.00 and has the publication of more than 20 academic reviewed journals, two(2) books entitled  Heritage Buildings Conservation: Current and Emerging Perspectives and Green Maintenance of Heritage Buildings-A Sustainable Repair Approach [published by University of Malaya Press, a member of Majlis Penerbitan Ilmiah Malaysia/Malaysian Scholarly Publishing Council Council  (MAPIM)] in 2022 and 2020 respectively, two chapters in a book, more than 20 conference or proceedings papers, 3 technical reports and 7 other publications. He was awarded the RISM Excellence Award 2006 for Best Article on Surveying, Web of Science (WoS) Incentives Award for Quartile 1/Tier 1 journal publication in 2012 and Gold Medal in the National Research and Innovation Expo in 2004. Brit has been actively involved in consultancy projects with the role as registered conservator/consultant under the UMConsult (formerly known Unit Perundingan Universiti Malaya i.e. UPUM), working with various organisations such as the Department of National Heritage (Jabatan Warisan Negara Malaysia, JWN), Ministry of Home Affairs (Kementerian Dalam Negeri Malaysia, KDN), Think City, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), National Department for Culture and Arts (Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, JKKN). Brit was also awarded the 2016 Excellence Service Award and the 2015 and 2006 Excellence Service Certificate. In July-August 2014 Brit has involved as a resource person and moderator in The Development of Asean Youth Heritage Leaders: Through Volunteerism and Community Engagement (AYVP 2014), jointly organized by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), University of Malaya (UM), Ministry of Education, Malaysia, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia, ASEAN, UNESCO, Melaka and George Town World Heritage Site and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Brit also has also involved as a co-instructor in Liverpool John Moores (LJMU) Inbound Programme since 2014 and UM Post Disaster Reconstruction Team in 2015 and a co-coordinator of Program Penelitian Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka (PMBKM) in 2021-2022 and Implementation Agreement of Joint Academic and Research Activities for the period of 2022-2025 between Department of Architecture and Planning, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia (USK) and Department of Building Surveying, Universiti Malaya (UM). Brit is a Editorial Board Member of Journal of Design and Built Environment (JDBE), RAUT Journal, and Editorial Board as Regional Advisory Editorial for Europe and Africa/Reviewer of JoDA-Journal of Digital Architecture, co-editor Journal of Surveying, Construction and Property (JSCP) and a reviewer for KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, the Journal of Cleaner Production, World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development (WJSTSD) and, International Journal of Building and Adaptation (IJBPA), Energy and Buildings, International Journal of Real Estate Studies, International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and Practice, KEMANUSIAN-The Asian Journal of Humanities, Cities, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE), Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Facilities, Construction Innovation, and has written articles for the Structural Survey: Journal of Building Pathology & Refurbishment,  RICS Building Conservation Journal, Smart and Sustainable Build Environment (SASBE), Journal of Cultural Heritage Management (JCHMSD), Journal of Surveying, Construction and Property (JSCP), Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Environment Management (JTHEM), Chemical Engineering Transactions (CET), The Malaysian Surveyor, International Journal of Technology (IJTECH), The Australian Journal of University-Community Engagement (AJUCE), Journal of Design and the Built Environment (JDBE), in diverse subject of ‘greening maintenance’, sustainable repair and materials, life cycle assessment, sustainable maintenance management, sustainable development of historic property and environment and and etc. Currently, he is a supervisor to 4 PhD students (3 completed and 1 ongoing) in conservation framework and policy of traditional urban settlement conservation framework and policy of traditional urban settlements, low carbon-cost repair, quantification of embodied carbon expenditure for repair, cultural landscape of hill stations, and evaluation of building dilapidation and 4 Master students (completed) in the built heritage maintenance and performance, digitization of heritage museum, facilities management and pest control in public property. Administrative duties in which Brit has been involved include Co-ordinator of Master of Facilities & Maintenance Management (MFMM) (2022-2024), Committee Member of Undergraduate Programme and Building Surveying Promotion (2014-2016), Member of Examination Boardlist (2017-2018) & (2019-2020), Faculty of Built Environment's Graduate Employability Coordinator (2021-2023) and Thinking Matters: Mind and Intellect Cluster of Student Holistic Empowerment (SHE) Coordinator (since 2022).  Previously, Brit has been appointed as reviewer of UM Postgraduate Research Grant for 2014-2015 and appointed as scientific committee cum reviewer for IBCC 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2022, and IBSC-BEURC 2025.

Professor Datin Dr Raihanah Abdullah was born on July 26, 1965 at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital. She is the youngest daughter of two siblings to Haji Abdullah bin Haji Abdul Wahab and Hajjah Saidah binti Mohd Fadzlullah Suhaimi. Both her parents are teachers by profession.  She started her early education at Sekolah Sri Petaling, Petaling Jaya, Selangor from 1972 to 1976, before continuing her studies at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Maahad Hamidiah, Kajang, Selangor from 1977 to 1979. Her final years of secondary education was at the Kolej Islam Kelang Selangor, from 1980 to 1981. Dr Raihanah began her matriculation studies at Universiti Malaya in 1982 and graduated in 1988 with a first-class degree in the Bachelor of Shariah (Hons). She then continued with her Masters degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in the field of Islamic Society and Cultures from 1990 to 1991. In 2000, she was awarded the Sultan Iskandar Johor Foundation-Universiti Malaya joint scholarship to pursue the Doctor of Philosophy degree at the International Islamic University, Malaysia specializing in Islamic Family Law. Five years later, she submitted and successfully defended her doctorate thesis entitled “An Analysis of the Current Legal Mechanism in Curbing Abuse of Polygamy in Malaysia: A Socio-Legal Perspective’.  From 2006 to 2007 she was appointed as the Head of the Department of Shariah and Law. Then from 1 November 2018 – 30 June 2021 she served as the Director (Dean) of the Academy. Again here, she made history as the first female to become a Director (Dean) of the Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya – the academic position that she never dreamt of fulfilling. Dr Raihanah also held several administrative positions at the university level. In 2011, she became the Director of the Centre for Civilizational Dialogue (CCD), a position she held for 3 years. With her exceptional research record, she was later handpicked to become the Dean of the Humanities Research Cluster from 2015 to 2016, where she served to assist in the application of research expertise to the various fields in the humanities and to oversee the success of collaborative research projects. Following that she was appointed as the university Senate member from 2016 - 2017.  She is a registered Shari’ah lawyer and a certified mediator whose focus revolve around issues related to Islamic Family Law, Islamic Law and Gender, and Islamic Law and Society. Her particular interests are in areas involving women’s human rights, issues related to violence against women and the human rights of the marginalized groups of society – the elderly, children and people with disability. Over a relatively short period of time, she has successfully advanced her expertise in the areas related to the human rights of marginalized groups of society, particularly of women. This is evident in her prolific publications on these topics both in English and Bahasa Malaysia and the numerous invitations to share her thoughts at local as well as international meetings. One of her main research focuses is on the role of women and youth in building a peaceful and harmonious co-existence. In 2018, she spearheaded the organization of an event, “Women as Agents of Peace and Harmony”, in conjunction with International Women’s Day 2018 to promote mutual understanding between different religions, to encourage interreligious dialogue and to celebrate the role of women from different generations, cultures and faiths in promoting peace and harmony. In her capacity as an expert in her own area, Dr. Raihanah has been invited as keynote speaker and guest lecturer by several Universities in Indonesia, Thailand as well as in Sri Lanka. She has also delivered several Public Lectures in the Maldives and Japan. As a mark of recognition of her services and expertise in this area, internationally, it did not come as a surprise that she was awarded, in October 2008, a fellowship with the Freeman Foundation for Salzburg Global Seminar, Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg, Austria. This also led to her being appointed an Auditor of the National Commission for Academic Accreditation & Assessment (NCAAA), Riyadh in 2010. Dr. Raihanah is not the kind of person to let opportunities to grow and develop slip through her fingers. During her tenure as the Director of the Centre for Civilizational Dialogue (CCD), Universiti Malaya, she developed interest in Dialogue and Conflict Resolution, an interest that she honed to further strengthened her expertise. She participated in the training sessions at the International Summer Academy in Peace and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna from 1-11 September 2013. It was during this time that her passion for building peace and harmonious co-existence in the world intensified. As an effort to share and extend this passion, she organized several outreach events and activities related to intercultural dialogues such as the 2013 “Forum & Exhibition on Youth Interfaith Dialogue: A Youth Discussion on Peace and Harmony” and the 2012 “International Symposium on Inter-Civilizational Dialogue towards Peace, Harmonious Co-existence and Sustainability”. These international symposiums highlighted several aspects of inter-civilizational dialogue according to the Islamic perspective and the Lotus Sutra. On 22 March 2015, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy invited Dr. Raihanah to a public lecture in Tokyo, Japan entitled “Women and Youth in Civilizational Dialogue”. Her message of congratulations to the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, Tokyo, Japan in celebrating their 52nd anniversary was published in the February 4th, 2014, edition of the Seikyo Shimbun, Japan’s 3rd largest newspaper with about 6 million daily circulation. Her emphasis on the importance of acceptance and respect amongst the diverse cultures and faiths to achieve a harmonious world was one of the points highlighted by the newspaper. She was also featured as advocating the need to bridge the world through dialogue in order to achieve this acceptance and respect.  She was invited by the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), Vienna, Austria, together with 500 other religious leaders around the globe to participate in the Global Forum on “The Image of the Other: Interreligious and Intercultural Education” which was held on 18 and 19 November 2013 in Vienna, Austria. Her growing passion in this area encouraged her to train as a Dialogue practitioner at the prestigious King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in 2019. Upon submitting her final project and initiative, “Youth Dialogue: To Live and To Learn Together” and successfully completing the training course, she was awarded the International Fellow of KAICIID. This acknowledgement was definitely a much-welcomed additional feather in her cap. In 2011 at the 38th Session of the Council of OIC Foreign Ministers in Kazakhstan, she was elected as one of the 18 commissioners in the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), representing Malaysia. This is the first time the OIC introduced the role of commissioners and Dr. Raihanah is very proud to be one of the four women elected as among the 18 pioneering commissioners. She served as the Commissioner of Human Rights of OIC from 2012-2019. Her involvement with Human Rights issues at the international levels gave her several opportunities to participate in fact-finding missions to conflict zones. During her tenure as the Human Rights Commissioner, among the experiences that proved to be immensely invaluable to her was her visits to Muzaffarabad, Pakistan and Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh. In 2017, the Government of Pakistan invited the IPHRC delegation for a visit to Islamabad and the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 27-29 March 2017. Following that in January 2018, she was involved with the Fact-Finding Visit to the Rohingya Refugees’ Camp in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh. During these unforgettable visits, she had the privilege to personally interact with women victims who experienced violations of their basic human rights. These heart wrenching narratives spurred her to advance the plights of these victims to a wider audience. Her efforts have not been in vain. In 2018 she was appointed as the Vice Chairperson of IPHRC, OIC from August 2018 - August 2019, as well as the Coordinator of the Standing Mechanism for Monitoring and Reporting on Human Rights Violation in the India occupied Kashmir, IPHRC, OIC in 2018. In this capacity she was empowered to speak on these issues to committees and organizations that can propel positive changes. On the 4th of February 2019, at the British Parliament, she delivered a poignant speech on human rights violations faced by Kashmiri people, in particular, violations against women. Based on her extensive expertise, she has been appointed to sit on several government agencies that address these issues as well as on similar local committees.  In addition, at the national level, she was appointed as one of the working committees in the Family Support Unit, under the Department of Shariah Judiciary Malaysia from 2009–2023 and the Think Tank of Sulh Committee from 2021-2023 at the same Department. She also served as a Member of the Hakam Committee, under the Selangor Syariah Judicial Department (JAKESS) from 2012– 2023. She also served as a member of the Syarak and Civil Law Technical Committee under the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) from 2020 to 2022. Moreover, her passion in the subject of Islam and Gender gained her the position of an expert panelist in dealing with Muslim women’s issues (PISWI) under the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) in 2014 as well as a Fellow at the Tunku Hajjah Azizah Centre for Women’s Studies, Islamic University Malaysia (UIM).  Over the last few years, she has been frequently invited to appear on local television programmes to speak on matters related to women’s rights in the Islamic perspective. More significantly, her involvements in these outreach programs and activities act as an eye opener allowing her to see for herself the situation in the society, in particular, the women and children, are in at the ground level. Towards the end of the 1990s she joined as an ordinary member, the Lembaga Kebajikan Perempuan Islam Malaysia (Malaysian Muslim Women's Welfare Board) which is a non-governmental organization (NGO). Within months, she was appointed as EXCO in the organization from 1999-2008. Through this platform she had the opportunity to create legal awareness, share views and delve directly into the needs of society especially of women and children.  Despite her various commitments, she found time to carry out volunteer work as she considered her active involvement with volunteering activities a crucial part of her personal and professional growth. Through her 32 years of service in the academic realm at Universiti Malaya, she has advocated for reforms to Islamic laws regarding women – highlighting their unique positions in society and advocating for women empowerment. As an advocate of women human rights, Dr Raihanah lives by the motto of “Be gracious in speech, kind words echo to eternity” as she continues to engage in spreading awareness and acceptance of peaceful coexistence through intercultural dialogue. For her outstanding initiatives in advancing Islam and bringing to light community issues focusing particularly on legal matters affecting women at the national level as well as globally, she was awarded by the Government of Malaysia with the National Maulidurrasul Award 2017.

Mohammad Tawfik bin Yaakub is a senior lecturer in the department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya. He obtained his Degree in Social Sciences (Political Science) in 2010, his Master of Social Sciences (Political Science) in 2012, both from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Studies in 2018 from the University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur. Prior to joining UM, he worked as a tutor in the School of History, Politics, and Strategy at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) from 2010 to 2012, and as Assistant Secretary at the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) from 2012 to 2013. He subsequently served as a Research Assistant at the Centre for the Study of Malay Excellence, Academy of Malay Studies (UM) from 2013 to 2015. During his tenure at the Faculty of Business and Economics, Mohammad Tawfik bin Yaakub was also appointed to hold several positions at the faculty and university level, including Research Fellow at the University of Malaya Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMcedel) from 2021 to 2022, committee member of the University of Malaya Sports Program from 2021 to 2024, and Department Representative for the Postgraduate Committee from 2020 to 2021. Mohammad Tawfik bin Yaakub has extensive knowledge in the field of Political Science, with specialisation in Malaysian politics, federalism, Malay politics, comparative politics, and ethnic politics. He was also named Chief Researcher, in charge of two national studies: The Re-Empowerment of Parliament Institutions in Malaysia After 14 General Elections and Its Impact Towards Democracy from 2019 to 2021, and The Socioeconomic Influence of Voters on the Results of the 14th General Election in Selangor from 2019 to 2022. Other co-researcher projects include: “Re-introduction Of Local Elections in Malaysia: Assessment of Its Possibility and Impact On The Social Structure from 2018 to 2020”; “Addressing The Future Of Work: Policy And Stakeholders Response On Graduate Employability Since The Pandemic from 2022 to 2024”; and “Border Security Along Kudat And Sandakan Sabah's Eastern Coastal Areas: The Impact Of Social-Business On Sustainable Livelihoods from 2018 to 2020”.  He is also active in publishing articles on Malaysian politics in journals, books, book chapters, and mainstream newspapers. Since 2021, Mohammad Tawfik b Yaakub has published one Scopus-indexed article, 14 articles in internationally and locally indexed journals, a book titled “Dua Era Kerjasama Politik UMNO-PAS: Bermula Cita-Cita, Berakhir di Putrajaya” in 2020, and seven chapters in books. In addition, from 2018 to the present, he has written 200 articles about Malaysian politics for mainstream print and online media outlets such as Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Sinar Harian, Kosmo, Harakah, and Awani Online. Mohammad Tawfik b Yaakub is frequently invited to appear as a political analyst for Malaysian mainstream media outlets such as TV1, TV3, Astro Awani, Al-Hijrah TV, Sinar Harian, Bernama TV, Sarawak TV, and the country's main radio channels such as Buletin FM, Era FM, Sinar FM, Nasional FM, KL FM, and Bernama Radio. He was a panellist on Sinar Harian, Bernama, RTM, and Astro Awani during the 15th Malaysian General Election. Apart from that, from 2021 to 2022, he is frequently invited by government institutions such as The Royal Malaysian Police College (PDRM), the Islamic Training Institute of Malaysia (ILIM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Teacher Training Institute, Ministry of Education and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UNISZA) to conduct courses and provide briefings on political developments in the country. In addition, he was invited by the Public Service Department (JPA) to serve on the interview panel for the Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP).