Originally trained as an algal molecular taxonomist and phylogeneticist, Dr Poong has a diversified research portfolio specializing in gene and metabolites expression studies using omics tools, genetic diversity and population structure of fish and seaweed, algal physiological and biochemical stress response and adaptation to climate changes, and shifts in microbiome using metagenomics. Dr Poong plays a key role in developing research proposals to attract local and international funding, managing research grants, organization of international conferences and workshops. She is an Honorary (Lifetime) Member of the International Society for Applied Phycology since June 2024.

Dr. Rozaimah Zainudin is an accomplished Associate Professor in the Department of Finance at the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya. She obtained her Ph.D. in Finance from Universiti Malaya in 2011. She earned an MBA and a BBA (Finance) from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Malaysia. Dr. Zainudin's expertise in corporate finance, international finance and risk management. Her research contributions are widely recognized, evident in her extensive publications in reputable journals such as the International Journal of Emerging Markets, Borsa Istanbul Review, Journal of Business Ethics, and many others. She has also co-authored a book entitled “The Malaysian Banking Industry: Policies and Practices after the Asian Financial Crisis” published by Routledge in 2018 with the other two authors (BOOK : The Malaysian Banking Industry after the Asian Financial Crisis (Please click this link https://rdcu.be/4fwg). The book offers valuable insights into the evolution of policies, risk management, and bailout strategies. This comprehensive resource fills a crucial gap in the market, providing students, researchers, and practitioners with up-to-date knowledge on the dynamic landscape of Malaysian banking post-AFC. Dr. Zainudin's research interests extend to national and international projects, where she has been involved in several research grants focusing on topics like Financial Technology Usage and Financial Wellbeing, Shariah-Compliant Firms, Corporate Fraud, Financial Literacy and Corporate ESG-related studies. She presented her work findings at various international conferences, further demonstrating her commitment to advancing knowledge in finance. As an academic, Dr. Zainudin is involved in teaching and supervising postgraduate students, contributing significantly to the development of future scholars in her field.

Edmund Terence Gomez Gomez is Professor of Political Economy at the Faculty of Economics & Administration, Universiti Malaya. He specializes in state-market relations and the linkages between politics, public policies, and enterprise development -- a subject on which he has published extensively, writing not only for academia but also more widely.  He has held appointments as Visiting Professor at: the School of International Relations & Pacific Studies at the University of California-San Diego, USA (2014-2015); the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, USA (2013-2014); and at Kobe University, Japan (May-August 2002). Other academic appointments include Visiting Fellowships at: the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Denmark (October-November 2004); the Australian National University, Canberra (February 2002); and at the Asian Studies Department, Murdoch University, Australia (January-December 1993). He was also Senior Research Fellow at the Department of East Asian Studies, Leeds University, United Kingdom from 1996-1999. From 2005-2008, Terence served as Project Manager and Research Coordinator of the programme area ‘Identities, Conflict and Cohesion’ at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) in Geneva, Switzerland. He has undertaken various research projects and convened numerous international conferences–among others, on political-business linkages in East Asia; the growth of national and transnational ethnic Chinese enterprise; the history of Chinese communities and their enterprises in Australia, Britain and Southeast Asia; ethnic conflict and social cohesion in Asia; equity distribution and government intervention in Malaysia –all of which have received funding from various local and global agencies, including the Sasakawa, Sumitomo and Toyota Foundations of Japan, the Department of Education and Training in Australia, the Christensen Fund (USA), the British Academy, and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the United Kingdom. He serves on the editorial board and advisory committee of the following international journals: East Asia: An Internationaal Quarterly, Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia and Asian Journal of Comparative Politics. He is also editor of the 'Chinese Worlds' Series and the 'Malaysian Studies' Series for Routledge, London & New York.