Started his research career in the think tank sector, Dr. Lee Chee Leong (Karl) is attracted to the rise of non-traditional diplomacy in the international order today. Such appeal has taken Dr. Lee into new research horizons that started with his Monash University's doctoral research on the Chinese sub-state diplomacy in China-ASEAN economic cooperation. With constructive supervision by Professor Helen Nesadurai and Associate Professor Kuik Cheng Chwee, Dr. Lee completed his doctoral thesis that unravels how a faraway and least developed sub-state of Guangxi managed to overcome its own hurdles, navigate the complexities within the Chinese state and become the frontline actor in China-ASEAN economic cooperation.  Following his doctoral completion, Dr. Lee's research on non-traditional diplomacy has expanded into Taiwan’s quasi-state diplomacy in Southeast Asia. Such quest has led him spending at great length in comprehending the concept of soft power, a concept that finds its relevance to Taiwan, which has no official diplomatic with Southeast Asia but is heavily connected to the region and has to rely on soft power in its engagements with these Southeast Asian nations. By comparing different case studies of Taiwan's quasi-state engagement within Southeast Asia, Dr. Lee has developed the soft power diffusion process to explain how such phenomenon operates in the real world. His ongoing and incoming research projects include Unpacking ‘De-risking’ China in the Indo-Pacific Region: Economic Statecraft (ES) & Geoeconomics, Taiwan's New Southbound Policy (NSP) and NSP+: The Domestic-International Dichotomy, The Taiwanese Connections in Nvidia's Global AI Supply Chain and Taiwan and Ireland: The Story of Two Tech Powerhouses.  To date, Dr. Lee was the recipient of several scholarships and fellowships in Malaysia and overseas: University of Malaya’s Graduate Fellowship (2010-2011); Monash University’s Merit Scholarship (2016-2019); Chinese Government Scholarship (2018-2019); and Taiwan Fellowship (2020). Prior to his appointment as Senior Lecturer at the Institute of China Studies (ICS), he was the Visiting Scholar at Guangxi University for Nationalities (GXUN) (2018-2019), Taiwan Fellow at National Chengchi University (NCCU) (2020) and Associate Fellow at ICS UM (2016-2019). He welcomes any potential PhD candidate who would like to work on Taiwan-Southeast Asia relations, comparative cases of ES between Asia and Europe, US-China-ASEAN semiconductor geoeconomics and case studies of donut economies in Asia. He is also willing to discuss with potential doctoral candidates on proposals related to the Chinese sub-state (provincial and city) diplomacy toward ASEAN, comparative cases of sub-state diplomacy between Asia and Europe as well as conceptual innovations of sub-state diplomacy vis-a-vis soft power.     

Dr. Ezlika M. Ghazali is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She holds an MBA from the University of Malaya and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Warwick University, United Kingdom. Dr. Ghazali’s career is marked by significant contributions to academia through teaching, research, and administration, as well as active engagement in social causes. Academic and Professional Background Dr. Ghazali’s academic journey is underpinned by rigorous training and extensive experience. She served as the Head of the Management Department at her institution, demonstrating strong leadership and administrative capabilities. In addition, she is a member of several professional bodies, including the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Academy of Marketing, reflecting her commitment to ongoing professional development. Research Contributions With an output of over 130 scholarly publications, Dr. Ghazali’s research interests span consumer behaviour, sustainability, and cultural influences in marketing. Her work has been published in high-impact international journals such as the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Electronic Markets, Internet Research, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and the International Journal of Consumer Studies, among others. She has investigated diverse topics ranging from digital consumer engagement to pro-environmental consumption patterns in different cultural contexts. Several of Dr. Ghazali’s publications are highly cited in the field. For example, her study on consumers’ values in purchasing organic personal care products (published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services) has been cited over 430 times, reflecting its significant impact. Another notable paper, exploring pro-environmental behaviours through the lens of Value-Belief-Norm theory (in Sustainability), has garnered over 250 citations, underscoring her influence in sustainability research. Additionally, her work on mobile commerce adoption in Malaysia (in the Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics) has accumulated over 200 citations, highlighting her contributions to understanding technology adoption in emerging markets. Teaching and Mentorship Dr. Ghazali is dedicated to education and mentorship, having developed and taught numerous marketing courses such as Strategic Marketing, Marketing Research Methods, Marketing Data Analysis, and Consumer Behaviour. She has supervised multiple Ph.D. candidates and over 30 Master’s theses, contributing significantly to the academic growth of her students and the next generation of scholars. Internationalisation and Global Impact A hallmark of Dr. Ghazali’s career is her extensive international collaboration and global engagement. She has co-authored journal articles and conference papers with scholars from more than ten countries – including the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman, and Australia – reflecting a truly global research network. She has also co-edited academic volumes with international collaborators and contributed chapters through leading publishers such as Springer, Elsevier, and Emerald, showing the global reach of her scholarly work. Dr. Ghazali actively contributes to international conferences: notably, she was on the organizing committee for the IBA-UM International Marketing Conference 2016, and she presented her research at global forums such as the Academy for Global Business Advancement (AGBA) World Congress and the Association for Consumer Research (ACR Europe) conference. Her professional affiliations further highlight her global outlook, as she holds memberships in worldwide networks like APA, the Academy of Marketing, and ServCollab, and she serves on the editorial boards of international journals as well as on global research and grant review committees. Through internationally funded research projects – including a collaborative initiative on innovative insect-based protein sources and various sustainability-focused studies – Dr. Ghazali works with cross-border teams to address pressing marketing and consumer challenges around the world. Awards and Recognitions Dr. Ghazali’s work has been acknowledged through numerous awards, including a Best Paper Award and two Wiley “Top Cited Article” honors. As of 2025, her scholarly output has achieved an h-index of 25 and an i10-index of 38 on Google Scholar (along with an h-index of 17 on Scopus), reflecting the influence and reach of her research contributions. Social and Community Engagement Dr. Ghazali is deeply committed to social causes, particularly the well-being of children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She has contributed to translating autism-related literature from Malay to English, enhancing accessibility to critical resources for families and practitioners. Her community engagement efforts demonstrate a dedication to leveraging her expertise for social good. Dr. Ezlika M. Ghazali’s impactful research, innovative teaching, and dedicated societal engagement exemplify her significant contributions to the field of marketing and academia. She continues to explore the intricate intersections between technology, culture, and sustainability in marketing, ensuring her ongoing influence and leadership in her field.

Mohd Suhaimi Mohd Danuri graduated from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 1995 with a Diploma in Quantity Surveying & in 1997 with a Bachelor of Quantity Surveying (Honours). In August 2003, he graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Construction Law (MConstrLaw). About ten years later in Jun 2013, he graduated from the Graduate School of Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia with a PhD in Business Law. Prior to his lecturing appointment, he had worked with several consultants, precaster and construction companies. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya since 2003 and promoted to associate professor in 2020. He was the Head of the Department of Quantity Surveying from 1st April 2006 to 8th July 2007, and in August 2016, he has been appointed again to serve as the Head of the Department of Quantity Surveying on 2-years term until August 2018, and reappointed to serve until 26 May 2019. He is a registered Consultant Quantity Surveyor (CQS) with the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia, Member of The Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (MRISM), Associate Member of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK (ACIArb) and Member of Institute of Value Management Malaysia. He was the academic advisor for a UK franchised programme, run by a private academic institution in Malaysia. He serves as external examiner for several academic programmes in Malaysia and is actively involved in various committees and programmes under the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia, Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia and Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia. His main research interests are in the areas of procurement and construction law. He has published over 50 articles in journals and conference proceedings, and published his first single-author book in 2021, in addition to the other 2 co-authored books previously published in 2015 and 2017. Apart from academic profile, he is currently a member of the Registration & Qualification Committee, deputy chairman for Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) Sub-Committee, under the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia (BQSM). He has also served several ministries and government agencies to give advice on technical matters, and occasionally appointed as a committee member for Disciplinary and Investigation Committee setup as a result of any official disciplinary complaint lodged to the BQSM.