Trained in Cultural Studies, I am a researcher engaging in interdisciplinary research on culture. My research is primarily concerned with the cultural history of modern and contemporary China through the lens of ‘folk’ or minjian. In particular, I am interested in how ‘folk’ has been discursively constructed by the state and intellectuals throughout the 20th century, and how it continues to be represented at heritage sites, folk art museums, folk art fairs, as well as contemporary art exhibitions in the 21st century. My interdisciplinary PhD training in Cultural Studies in Asia at the National University of Singapore has taught me to be a questioner, committed to promoting critical and creative thinking as a mode of living beyond academia. Being a practitioner of critical pedagogy, I always problematize preconceived ideas that have shaped our understandings of the world. As a lecturer, I believe that classroom is where knowledge is produced and challenged through productive dialogues between teachers and students. Besides teaching in the classroom, I am also an active listener keen on translating students’ personal experience and knowledge into discussion materials. Critical discussion could help students reflect upon how our perception of the world is sociologically constructed. Students are not passive learners but knowledge producers. My role as a teacher is to acknowledge students’ opinions as knowledge and situate their knowledge within a larger socio-political, economic, and cultural contexts so as to allow them to scrutinize their common sense. I am currently not available for PhD supervisions. 

Dr Sujatha Ramasamy is a Senior Lecturer at the Program Science Biology with Education, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya. Dr Sujatha was previously the Head of Academic Quality Assurance Unit at the Quality Management & Enhancement Center (QMEC) responsible for accreditation and quality assurance of all levels of academic programmes in Universiti Malaya. She has had a wide of experience in quality management systems and academic quality assurance. Currently she is the Quality Manager for Faculty of Science. Dr Sujatha Ramasamy completed her BSc. (Biomedical Technology). MSc. and PhD. (Natural Product Research) from Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. She had more than 20 years of experience in research in the field of plants-derived natural products, which is focusing on medicinal food and underutilized plants. Her main interest is mainly on assessing the bioactive compounds from plants as source for potential candidates for anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound healing agents. Dr Sujatha also exploring on the natural pigments from plants as potential food colorants. Her current focus is on medicinal food plants which consumed by Asian culture with the intention of health maintenance. Through the research findings, she aimed to understand the medicinal food plant’s efficacy in its cultural context and promoting its consumption in enhancing well-being. Dr Sujatha is also had more than 20 years’ experience in animal (cancer and normal cells) cell culture techniques in which most of the biological screening had been conducted in in vitro model. She had experienced in handling ELISA assay and immunochemistry test. Her study also includes on the biological mechanism that trigger the plant’s therapeutic activity.

Ridha is the Director at Centre for Research in Industry (CRI) 4.0 and Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya. He obtained Doctor of Engineering from Utsunomiya University Japan in 2015, specializing in magnetic abrasive finishing for superfinishing of tube internal surface for clean environment applications. Prior to his doctoral study, he worked in Mazak Corporation as Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, focusing on CNC prototype machine design and evaluation for mass production and customization. He involved in the design and development of several CNC machines including Mazak's Quick Turn Nexus series and had performed more than 100 variations of cutting parameters to confirm the machine`s limits and capabilities. Currently, he is collaborating with the Joining and Welding Research Institute (JWRI), Osaka University Japan to develop friction stir welding in semiconductor and aerospace applications. The project explores the possibilities of joining similar and dissimilar materials such as polycarbonate/aluminium, aluminium/stainless steel, magnesium/steel, aluminium/copper for various fundamental and applications. He was awarded the Distinguished International Associate from the Royal Academic of Engineering UK in 2023 for his project on friction stir welding. He actively applies for research grants and up to date, he has secured more than 30 projects from domestic and international funders. He has completed supervision of 7 PhD and 8 Master students, and currently supervising 8 PhD and 3 Master candidates.