Dr. Sonia Kumari is Senior Lecturer at Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya. She holds PhD (Financial Development and Economic Growth, UNIMAS, Malaysia), MEcon (Public Policy, UKM, Malaysia) and BEc (Management Economics, UKM, Malaysia).  Her research expertise includes, Financial Development ; Financial Integration; Financial Inclusion; Sustainable Finance; Climate Finance; and Financial management of small businesses, with main focus on multidisciplinary themes related to emerging and developing economies. Her previous work experience includes: Associate Economist at the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) ; Visiting Research Fellow at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; Visiting Research Fellow at Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales (ICEI), Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Lecturer at Help University, Malaysia.  She has taught several courses at Undergraduate level including:  Microfinance and Social Enterprise, Analysis of Development Projects, SME Development, Agriculture Business Management, Agriculture Development, Development Economics and Research Methodology (at University of Malaya); Principles of Business Management, Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics (at Help University). Postgraduate courses: Sustainable Finance (Universiti Malaya).  She supervised over 50 UG projects including industrial placement projects (at University of Malaya); over 15 Masters Research Projects (at University of Malaya); and 1 Doctoral completion (current PhD supervision = 8).   Produced over 30 publications, including book chapters, articles in internationally refereed journals, policy briefs and reports. She has also reviewed several papers for journals and conferences.  She has led research projects on: "Financial Inclusion and Inclusive Growth" and "Government Supports And Food Operator's Performance In Klang Valley" (University Grant). She is also a co-researcher for projects such as "Role of Social Enterprise in Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development in Malaysia" (University Grants); Developing Environmental Reporting Framework for the Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia: Using Q-Methodological Approach" (FRGS, Government of Malaysia) and "Catching-up along the Global Value Chain: models, determinants and policy implications in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution" (European Commission Grant). She has research collaborative links in several countries including South Africa, China and Bangladesh.  She is an Associate Editor for Journal of Institutions and Economies.  

Dr Anas Hakimee is a Restorative Clinical Specialist and lecturer at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya. He earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from Universiti Malaya in 2014 and went on to serve under the Ministry of Health until 2019. After that, he pursued and completed postgraduate training, earning a Master of Clinical Dentistry in Restorative Dentistry in 2023 from Universiti Malaya, with a focus on Prosthodontics, Implantology, and Digital Dentistry workflow. Currently, he holds the position of Clinical Coordinator for the Prosthodontic Clinic, where he actively participates in teaching and supervising both undergraduate and postgraduate dental students. He is also a dedicated member of several prestigious professional organizations, including the International Association of Dental Research - Malaysia Section (IADR Malsec), the International Team for Implantology (ITI), the Malaysian Association of Prosthodontics (MAP), and the Malaysian Dental Association (MDA). His research interests include Prosthodontics, Dental Materials, Digital Dentistry, Implantology and Dental Traumatology. He is currently involved in a university-funded research project focused on dental trauma. Apart from that, he is also supervising postgraduate students in research and clinical audit projects. 

Dr Lim is a medical lecturer of occupational and public health at the Universiti Malaya (UM). He holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Master of Public Health (MPH), and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from UM. Prior to joining UM, he worked for the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), the district health office, and the Institute of Medical Research (IMR). A primary interest of him relates to the influence of the circadian system on chronic disease and mental health in humans. He also studies shift work as a surrogate for exposure to light at night including related biomarkers for cancer, metabolic syndrome, and mental health. In 2019, he was awarded a distinction in thesis titled "Health Impacts of Night Work Among Employees in Malaysia" when he obtained his DrPH. Since 2021, Dr. Lim has participated in 26 projects, collectively securing grants exceeding USD 685 thousand (RM 3 million). As Principal Investigator, he has led studies on night shift work, fatigue, and non-communicable diseases. Dr Lim's main successful project as a Principal Investigator was the development of facial anthropometric data for Malaysian in 2021. The project worth more than USD 85 thousand (RM 345,000.00), which comprised 4,000 participants from all over Malaysia. The study aimed to produce suitable respirators (n-95) that fit the Malaysian population. This project resulted in the publication of four ISI Q1 and Q2 papers. The papers were presented during the 34th International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) Congress 2024, where he was the second Malaysian recipient honoured with the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH)-International Labour Organisation (ILO) Master Fellowship Award 2024. He is also the recipient of the Researcher Mobility and Networking Programme by National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Taiwan 2024 and the award of Naveen Jindal Young Global Research Fellowship (2025-26). Additionally, Dr. Lim serves as an article reviewer for prominent academic journals, which include BMJ Open, Plos One, and BMC Public Health. Dr. Lim is actively engaged in the production of media pieces, with a particular emphasis on subjects pertaining to occupational safety and health, as well as non-communicable diseases. Since the year 2021, he has successfully disseminated a total of 65 media articles. In addition to his research endeavours, Dr. Lim is committed to mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers. Currently, there are over 12 PHDs (3 graduated) and 16 master candidates (12 graduated) under his supervision. His teaching contributions extend globally, including the development and delivery of online occupational health courses on the FutureLearn platform, as well as the publication of a 300-page textbook on occupational health and a book chapter in Springer on Climate Change. His dedication to improving safety and health, teaching and research excellence has earned him recognition as the Best Lecturer (non-clinical) for the Universiti Malaya Medical Programme in 2024 and Certificate for Excellent Service UM in 2024. Dr. Lim's expertise and contributions extend beyond academia, as he frequently collaborates with healthcare organisations and policymakers to translate research findings into practical applications that benefit public health. His work continues to make a significant impact on the field and the broader community.