Dr. Mohd Khairi bin Ismail is a respected Malaysian economist, researcher, and academic who currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Terengganu. With over 15 years of experience in higher education and research, Dr. Khairi has made significant contributions in the fields of development economics, environmental economics, and poverty studies. He is also a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies (UAC), University of Malaya—an institution known for championing inclusive and sustainable development research. A First-Class Honours graduate in Economics from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Dr. Khairi later earned his PhD in Environment and Development (Economics) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). His academic journey reflects a deep commitment to interdisciplinary research addressing socio-economic issues affecting the B40 community, urban poverty, and sustainable livelihoods. His scholarly work has been published in more than 60 journals, proceedings, and book chapters, with multiple publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science (WoS).  Dr. Khairi has received numerous recognitions and academic awards, including the best paper award and multiple gold medals for innovation in research and teaching. His policy-based research has received grants from national research bodies, especially in projects related to community well-being, Islamic social finance, and urban resilience. In addition, he is an editorial board member for SAGE Open and reviewer for several national and international journals. His expertise has also earned him frequent invitations to media appearances, both in print and broadcast. Dr. Khairi has been featured on RTM and RTM Radio, offering expert commentary on national issues such as the cost of living, national budget, SST vs GST, and inflation. He has also contributed opinion pieces and interviews to major newspapers including Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Sinar Harian, and The Star. His media engagements are characterized by a balanced, data-driven, and policy-relevant approach that bridges the gap between academia and the public.

Dr. Nur Ardiyana Rejab is a Senior Lecturer within the Genetics and Molecular Biology Program at the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya. Her research expertise lies in the functional analysis of plant development, specifically focusing on the molecular regulation of flowering and the genetic drivers of oil accumulation in high-value crops like the oil palm. Utilizing Arabidopsis thaliana as a primary model system, Dr. Ardiyana performs targeted functional analysis of genes of interest to translate fundamental molecular insights into tangible crop improvements. Her current research portfolio also emphasizes sustainable agriculture through the field identification and collection of wild banana germplasm for future crop diversification, alongside collaborative efforts to develop biological control strategies against Ganoderma pathogens in plantations. By integrating rigorous laboratory-based molecular approaches with essential fieldwork, Dr. Ardiyana seeks to advance innovative and sustainable solutions for global food security and crop protection.

Dr. Wong Won Fen is a faculty member at the Department of Medical Microbiology, Universiti Malaya, where she has served since 2012. She is an immunologist with research interests in host–pathogen interactions, immune regulation, and inflammation, with a particular focus on the immunopathogenesis of sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia trachomatis and HIV. Her research integrates molecular and cellular immunology to understand immune dynamics and develop strategies for improving disease prognosis, vaccine development, and novel immunotherapeutic interventions. Dr. Wong received her early scientific training at Tohoku University, Japan, under the supervision of Professor Masanobu Satake. To date, she has published more than 115 peer-reviewed articles, with an h-index of 37 and over 5,200 citations. She has received several international recognitions, including the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship, Fulbright Visiting Scholarship, and the Institut Mérieux Young Investigator Award. At Universiti Malaya, Dr. Wong teaches in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. She serves as the Course Coordinator for Immunology in the MBBS programme and for Advanced Medical Microbiology in the Biomedical Science programme, in addition to her role as Faculty Ph.D. Programme Coordinator and Quality Management System (QMS) committee member contributing to institutional quality initiatives.