Fumitaka Furuoka is a Japanese economist who has lived in Malaysia since 1987. From 1991 to 1999, he worked as a senior assistant at the Consulate General of Japan in Penang. Fumitaka then moved to academia and has taught economics for 25 years at three Malaysian public universities, namely, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, and Universiti Malaya. His academic expertise is in the field of applied economics which involves applying economic and econometric theories to address real-world critical economic issues and problems. As an applied economist, he aims to provide insights from his research for hammering out effective policies that foster sustainable development, enable a reduction of regional disparities, and move society towards achieving economic and social justice.  In his research in the field of applied economics, he focuses on economic equity between countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of economic development level in different countries), as well as economic equity within countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of income distribution in a specific country). Regarding economic equity between countries, he has conducted extensive research on diverse and pertinent global economic issues, such as poverty reduction, unemployment, economic growth/development, and renewable energy. In 2006, he published a book on Japanese foreign aid titled New Challenges for Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Policy. The book examines how Japan’s aid policy can contribute to reducing poverty and improving the well-being of developing countries, particularly Southeast Asian economies. As to economic equity within countries, the main focus of Fumitaka's research is promoting “employment for all” which is closely aligned with Target 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He strongly believes that employment for all, including people with disabilities, is the basic foundation for a sustainable and more humane economy (Ekonomi Madani). This belief has led him to write a book on employment for people with disabilities entitled Disability and Employment: Towards a Humanistic Economy. The book was published by Springer in 2024. This research direction has a strong practical orientation, and Fumitaka considers work in this area to be of ultimate importance for achieving economic equity and providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities. In short, his research aims to identify barriers and initiate policies that promote and enable economic inclusion, employment, and justice for all.

I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geology at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. I obtained my Ph.D. in Biogeochemistry from the University of Cambridge in 2018, focusing on calcium carbonate mineral formation. My current research focuses on microbial processes, elemental cycling, and geochemical interactions in marine and terrestrial environments. I am particularly interested in understanding how sediment mineralogy and microbial activity influence global biogeochemical cycles. Over the years, I have published 22 peer-reviewed articles, including a Best Paper Award at IC-DLI Deep Life 2022 and the won the Excellent Service award in 2023. In addition to my research, I have had the opportunity to contribute to international journals as a reviewer and serve on multiple funded projects, both as a principal investigator and collaborator. These experiences have enriched my perspective on tackling complex environmental challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. I am passionate about fostering research excellence, mentoring students, and contributing to solutions for global environmental issues. Through collaboration and continuous learning, I hope to advance my understanding in geosciences while supporting sustainable development.

Professor Sr Dr. Hafez Salleh , a former Deputy Dean (Undergraduate) and former Head at Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Malaysia. He has an educational background in quantity surveying and IT in construction. Currently, he is Head of Centre for Building, Construction & Tropical Architecture (BuCTA) Research. He has a BSc, MSc and PhD Degree from School of the Built Environment and top rated, 6* Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment, University of Salford, United Kingdom. He has 30 years’ experience in both academia and industry practice and has been an active researcher and research supervisor. He is the recipient of Excellence Service Award by University of Malaya in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2022 and recipient of Loyal Service Award 20 Years in 2017. He has supervised a wide range of undergraduate and post graduate research students in various research themes. His main research interest is IT/IS strategic management in construction and sustainable design. His previous research was the development of IT/IS Readiness Model that focuses on evaluation of organizational readiness prior IT/IS investment. He is currently working on the theme of IT/IS evaluation in construction with interest in the links between ‘hard’ & human issues and BIM Implementation in construction industry. He is a Registered Consultant Quantity Surveyor (CQS) with Board of Quantity Surveyor Malaysia (BQSM), Fellow of Royal Institute of Surveyor Malaysia (FRISM), the technical committee member of Malaysian Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP) 2005-2015, Strategic Thrust 6: Leveraging Information Technology, Editorial Board Members, Journal of Surveying, Construction & Property, Associate Editor for Journal of Design and Built Environment (JDBE) and Lead Auditor for QMS ISO 9001:2008, University of Malaya. He was a Member of Quantity Surveying Accreditation Council (QSAC), BQSM, for Session 2019-2021, Auditor for QMS ISO 9001:2015 (BQSM) 2021,2022, 2023 and he is also a regular Assessor Panel of Accreditation for Quantity Surveying Programme for both RISM and BQSM and has been appointed as an External Examiner for more than 28 thesis of Master and PhD examinations.