Started his research career in the think tank sector, Dr. Lee Chee Leong (Karl) is attracted to the rise of non-traditional diplomacy in the international order today. Such appeal has taken Dr. Lee into new research horizons that started with his Monash University's doctoral research on the Chinese sub-state diplomacy in China-ASEAN economic cooperation. With constructive supervision by Professor Helen Nesadurai and Associate Professor Kuik Cheng Chwee, Dr. Lee completed his doctoral thesis that unravels how a faraway and least developed sub-state of Guangxi managed to overcome its own hurdles, navigate the complexities within the Chinese state and become the frontline actor in China-ASEAN economic cooperation. Following his doctoral completion, Dr. Lee's research on non-traditional diplomacy has expanded into Taiwan’s quasi-state diplomacy in Southeast Asia. Such quest has led him spending at great length in comprehending the concept of soft power, a concept that finds its relevance to Taiwan, which has no official diplomatic with Southeast Asia but is heavily connected to the region and has to rely on soft power in its engagements with these Southeast Asian nations. Taking Malaysia as the first case study of Taiwan's soft power in the region, Dr. Lee is developing the third intervening variable correlating both Taiwanese soft power resources and outcomes, in his course of providing a dynamical explanation for such phenomenon. For the coming years, his research focus and publications will be on the different areas featuring Taiwan-Malaysia and Taiwan-Southeast Asia cooperation such as digital social innovation (DSI) for climate change, industry-based education/training programmes, smart cities, tourism, digital democracy, agriculture, public health and medicine, ornamental aquaculture and aquascape. To date, Dr. Lee was the recipient of several scholarships and fellowships in Malaysia and overseas: University of Malaya’s Graduate Fellowship (2010-2011); Monash University’s Merit Scholarship (2016-2019); Chinese Government Scholarship (2018-2019); and Taiwan Fellowship (2020). Prior to his appointment as Senior Lecturer at the Institute of China Studies (ICS), he was the Visiting Scholar at Guangxi University for Nationalities (GXUN) (2018-10992019), Taiwan Fellow at National Chengchi University (NCCU) (2020) and Associate Fellow at ICS UM (2016-2019).He welcomes any potential PhD candidate who would like to work on Taiwan-Southeast Asia relations, Taiwan's soft power in Southeast Asia and Taiwan-Malaysia DSI cooperation for climate change. He is also willing to discuss with potential doctoral candidates on proposals related to the Chinese sub-state (provincial) diplomacy toward ASEAN, China's soft power in ASEAN, Southeast Asian sub-state diplomacy, comparative cases of sub-state diplomacy around the world and conceptual innovation of sub-state diplomacy as well as soft power. 

As a statistician and data scientist with a foundation in statistical inference, I have expanded my expertise in time series and forecasting, mortality modelling, spatial statistics, functional data analysis, Bayesian statistics, machine learning and multivariate statistics through extensive research. I have collaborated with physicists, biologists, computer scientists, and experts from various fields to advance interdisciplinary initiatives. I have also conducted training on applied statistics and time series. Outside academia, I am trained in Indian Carnatic music (National champion), completed Grade 8 Piano from the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music, London, and play various musical instruments. I find a close relationship between being musically inclined and mathematics.

Hidayah Mohd Fadzil is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education. She obtained her Science with Education degree from the University of Malaya, in 2008 and pursued her doctoral study under the fast-track program. She received her fellowship, The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) from Nippon Foundation, Japan, for her doctoral degree in Science Education at the University of Malaya and graduated in 2014. She encourages creativity and exploration in each student. Engaging students in scientific discussions and maintaining strong bonds with them are her priorities. Hidayah's research interests include science practical work, scientist-teacher-student partnership, transition in science from primary to secondary school, 21st-century learning skills in science and biology, and STEM education. She has been involved in and headed several researches, particularly in the area of science education. In 2018, she received an international grant (Early Career Academic Grant) from the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). She has authored and co-authored several books and ISI/SCOPUS-indexed articles in the area of science education.  She has also served as an Editorial Board Member for the Indonesia Journal of Biology Education, Editorial Advisory (Asia Region) for Indonesian Journal of Science and Education, Editorial Advisor for Biosfer Biology Education Journal, Editorial Board for Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education (SCOPUS), Editorial Member for International Journal of Modern Education, Editorial Review Board for Shanlax International Journal and Editor of Malaysia Online Journal of Educational Sciences (MOJES).