Professor Dr. Mohd Rafie Bin Johan is an Award Winning Scientist and International Keynote Speaker. He is true example of how theoretical and fundamental research leads to remarkable progresses in the applied, engineering and industrial use of nano-designed advanced materials. Born in Melaka, in 1968, Professor Rafie graduated with a BSc(Hons) in Physics from University of Malaya, Malaysia, in 1993 and BEng in Chemical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2023. He continued his studies at Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti of Malaya, where he obtained his MPhil in Quantum Optics in 1997, moving then to Department of Physics, University of Malaya where he obtained his PhD in Theoretical Physics in 2005. From 1999 to 1991 he was also Head of Biomedical Engineering Program in Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya. He later moved to Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya where from the year 2005 until 2009, as a senior lecturer and played the role of Coordinator for Materials Engineering Undergraduate Program. In 2010, he is promoted to Associate Professor to steer research in Nanomaterials Engineering. Then, in 2015, he is promoted to Professor of Materials Engineering. In 2016, he is transferred to Nanotechnology and Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), University of Malaya Centre of Excellence (UMCOE), an internationally well-recognized center with the mission to be the world leader in “nanotechnology and catalysis” coining sustainability resources and green technology. In 2017, he is appointed as a Director of NANOCAT. Prof. Rafie is well recognized internationally in the field of Nanotechnology. Testimony to this, he has been elected in Evaluation Panels for AET and ITR clusters and UPGP and for grants applications at UMRG, PRGS, FRGS, and Qatar Foundation. He also has been appointed as panel for Yang di Pertuan Agong Scholarship and COMSTECS for Islamic Organization Country for evaluation of best scientific papers for Muslim Scientist and Qatar Reseach Foundation. Prof Rafie also has been invited as a speaker to numerous talks and conferences and also Guest Editor for Symmetry (ISI journal) and editor for Asean Engineering Journal. In 2010, he was a visiting scientist at Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Cambridge and at 2012, he was a visiting scholar at Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy. The educational contribution of Prof. Rafie may be summarized in few numbers: 40 PhD completed (20 on-going), 30 Master completed (10 on going). These supervised students span over a quite broad scientific area going from science (chemistry, physics, material science, biology) to engineering (chemical, material). He had published more 350 ISI papers with H index 40 (WoS) and 44 Google scholar with 7791 citations. He had various research project (National, International (Jica) and Industry (Petronas, Hartalega and NanoMalaysia) with total amount more than RM 19 million. He is awarded Top Research Scientist Malaysia (TRSM) 2021 by Academy Sciences Malaysia and winner of Top in Tech Innovation Award (Most Impactful Academia-Industry Collaboration. He was awarded UM Excellence award for Best HICOE-UMCOE (2022) and elected as Fellow Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) 2023. He was promoted to Senior Professor (VK6) in 2023. Recently, he was elected as  Fellow Academy Science Malaysia in 2024.

Dr. Abdul Muneem is currently serving as a Lecturer at the Department of Fiqh and Usul, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya (UM). He holds both a PhD and a Master’s degree from the same department, reflecting his strong academic foundation in Islamic jurisprudence. He completed his undergraduate studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 2015. Following his graduation, Dr. Abdul Muneem joined the International Shariʿah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA)—now known as ISRA Institute—as a Sharīʿah Management Trainee in 2015. This role allowed him to delve deeply into research and industry practices within the field of Islamic finance. He also gained hands-on experience through an internship at the Sharīʿah Research and Advisory Department of AmBank Islamic Berhad in 2017. Dr. Abdul Muneem has made meaningful contributions to the development of Islamic finance through his research and academic publications. His areas of expertise include Islamic banking, Islamic finance, takaful, and broader Sharīʿah-related legal issues. His current research focuses on emerging topics such as Islamic financial technologies (fintech), Islamic crowdfunding, digital assets, zakat, and other contemporary issues in Islamic finance. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles in prestigious academic journals indexed by Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), as well as reputable local journals such as MyCite.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Nor Fadhilah Mohamad is an ophthalmologist sub-specialising in neuro-ophthalmology and has a strong background in clinical practice and education. She completed her fellowship training at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) in London in 2012, where she gained expertise in managing complex neuro-ophthalmological conditions. Dr. Nor Fadhilah is the Postgraduate Programme Coordinator at the Department of Ophthalmology. In this role, she oversees the training and development of postgraduate students, ensuring that the programme supports academic and clinical excellence. She is also involved in shaping ophthalmology training in Malaysia, contributing to advancing education and professional standards in the field. Her clinical and academic interests include optic neuropathies and improving patient-centred approaches to care. Dr. Nor Fadhilah has shared her work at various conferences, reflecting her dedication to advancing knowledge and improving clinical practices. Committed to mentoring the next generation of ophthalmologists, Dr. Nor Fadhilah focuses on fostering a supportive learning environment for her students and peers, encouraging professional growth and lifelong learning.