Dr. Hemza Azri is currently a senior lecturer at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malay. He gained his PhD in Physics from Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey, in 2018. His research interests lie broadly in gravitational physics, with a focus on the theoretical and experimental aspects of General Relativity (GR) and alternative theories of gravity. In parallel, he is interested in the interplay between cosmology and particle physics, exploring how physics at high energies or small scales shape what we observe in cosmology. A significant part of his work involves formulating and analyzing alternative theories of gravity and studying their physical predictions. This includes models for the early universe—most notably inflation, the rapid expansion phase believed to have occurred shortly after the Big Bang. By examining how these alternative frameworks modify or extend standard cosmology, his research aims to identify observational signatures that could test or constrain departures from GR. In parallel, his work covers topics related to strong-field gravitational phenomena, namely the physics of black holes and neutron stars, with the broader goal of assessing the validity and limits of GR. Through this combination of theoretical development and phenomenological analysis, his research contributes to the ongoing effort to understand gravity across cosmological, astrophysical, and particle-physics scales. Over the course of his academic career, he has visited leading research institutions, including the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy; Nordita in Stockholm, Sweden; and the Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) in Madrid, Spain. He has also contributed as a theorist to the UAE–ATLAS (CERN) collaboration. Alongside his research activities, he has developed a strong profile as a teacher of physics. In his lectures, he places particular emphasis on clarity and logical structure, using well-chosen examples to guide students through challenging material and to encourage genuine understanding rather than rote learning. His commitment to effective communication also extends beyond the classroom: he is capable of presenting advanced physical ideas in a way that is accessible to non-specialists. By presenting complex ideas in clear and accessible language, he helps a wider audience understand and appreciate physics and engage with science.

Dr. Mohammed H. Alaqad is an Assistant Professor of Translation & Interpreting Studies at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya. He has more than 15 years of academic and research experience. His main areas of research interest include translation studies and conference interpreting, forensic linguistics, artificial intelligence (AI), and socio-ideological aspects of the Arabic language. He is also the founder and CEO of the Asian Federation of Translators and Interpreters, Malaysia, where he contributes to advancing professional standards and fostering regional collaboration in the language services industry. Previously, he served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Hashim Sani Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Malaya. From February 2019 to January 2024, Dr. Alaqad was an Assistant Professor at Management & Science University (MSU), where he led both the diploma and bachelor programs in translation and interpreting. During his tenure, he made significant contributions to establishing and shaping the university’s translation programs. He also served as an Associate Professor of translation and interpreting in the English Language Department at the Faculty of Humanities, Israa University, Gaza, Palestine, from 20 September 2023 to 31 December 2023. Dr. Alaqad has held several academic appointments at the University of Malaya, including: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Hashim Sani Centre for Palestine Studies (July 2024 - August 2025) Universiti Malaya Elite Fellow, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics (December 2024 – December 2025) Visiting Lecturer, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics (February 2023 – February 2024) Lecturer (English & Arabic subjects), Center for Continuing Education (July 2017 – July 2018) Research Assistant, Asia-Europe Institute / The Centre for ASEAN Regionalism Universiti Malaya (CARUM)/ Humanities Research Cluster, IPPP (February 2013 – July 2017) He has been invited as a keynote/guest speaker at more than 40 international conferences and academic events, contributing to global discussions on language, translation, education, and artificial intelligence (AI). He is also a seasoned conference interpreter, having participated in over 150 conferences and events; this experience informs his academic work and deepens his understanding of the practical challenges and complex scenarios in interpretation and communication. His scholarly contributions include numerous peer-reviewed research articles, books, and book chapters. In addition to his research, Dr. Alaqad is the managing editor of The International Journal of Palestine Studies, UM. He also serves on the editorial boards of Cambridge Scholars of Language & Linguistics (UK), the International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (IJALT) (USA), and the Journal of Intercultural Communication Research (a Scopus-indexed Routledge journal) from 2022 to 2025. He is also an editorial board member of The Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development (a Scopus-indexed Q2 journal) in the Philippines from 2022 to 2027.   

Bibliography: Professor Dr Wan Haliza Abd. Majid (2021)   Dr Wan Haliza Abd. Majid graduated with Bachelor in Physics from University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK in 1988. Initially, she worked in the Physics department, University Malaya as a tutor from 1990-91 while she was completing her Master’s Degree. Upon completing her PhD in 1994 from the University of Sheffield (UK), she was attached to the Matriculation Centre (PASUM) from 1994-2000, University Malaya as a lecturer before transferring to the Physics Department in 2000. Currently, her research interest is related to pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties of organic materials, fabrication and device characterization of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and photo-sensing and signal processing of biomaterials, quantum dots, and their applications. She has participated in many seminars, workshops, conferences and community engagement projects related to the Physics education program. Her involvement in research led her to lead (Principle Investigator) various research grants since the year 2000 which include, Short Term Research Fund (PJP-UM), University Malaya Research Grant (UMRG), High Impact Research Grant (HIR-UM), Exploratory Research Grant Scheme (ERGS-MOHE), ScienceFund (MOSTI), Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS-MOHE) and Long Term Research Grant (LRGS-MOHE).  She has been invited as one of the panel reviewers/evaluators for various grants awarded by MOHE and MOSTI at the university and national level since 2012. Internationally, her involvement as one of the panel reviewers for the Slovak Research And Development Agency starts from the year 2016 until recently. Currently, she is the Head of Low Dimensional Materials Research Center (LDMRC) (since 2016), the Chief Editor of Malaysian Journal of Science (MJS) (since 2020), the Chairperson for MASS Chapter of University Malaya (since 2019) and Committee member for Institute of Physics (IFM) (since 2021). She was appointed as Deputy Dean of Research and Higher Degree at the Faculty of Science (2010-2014), Dean (2017-2019) and Deputy Dean (2016-2017) of Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS). She is committed to equipping graduates at the tertiary level with knowledge, technology and values that can be used to interact positively with society at large.