Dr. Syakirah Rifa’in@Mohd Rifain is a Senior Lecturer for Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Languages at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, UM. She graduated from Islamic Science University of Malaysia in Arabic Language and Communication Studies. She obtained her Master in Modern Language Studies in Arabic Language, Universiti Malaya. She completed her PhD in Arabic Language at Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, UM. Her research interest area includes Balaghah, Pragmatic and Semantic. Currently, she is involved in research related to Arabic for Specific Purpose in University Malaya.

Firuza Begham Mustafa is a Professor at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya. Her research focus is agriculture geography, environmental geography, and aquaculture. She has collaborated with local and international researchers and produced more than 150 publications, including in WOS-ISI journals, books, chapters, conference papers and posters. Most of her papers are published in reputable international journals such as the Journal of Ocean Engineering and Science (Q1, IF 4.803), Soil and Water Conservation Research (Q1, IF 7.481), International Review of Hydrobiology (Q1, IF 1.878), Soil Use and Management (Q3, IF 3.672), Acta Geophysica (Q3, 2.293), and Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography (Q3, IF 2.000). She has also written chapters for many international books published by Springer, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, Pearson Learning Solutions, CRC Press and Emerging Technologies and Research. She has also published nine scientific books in her field of interest and specialization. The books entitled Akuakultur Udang Harimau (Tiger Shrimp Aquaculture) Geografi Pertanian (Agriculture Geography) and Geografi Tanih (Soil Geography), Metodologi Terpilih dalam Geografi (Selected Methodology in Geography) are published by the Universiti Malaya Press. Geografi Pohon Lontar is the most recent book published in 2023 by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. The first-of-its-kind book about palmyra internationally covers the palm's geographical, botanical, and socio-cultural features. Her two books were also published by the International publisher, Springer Nature entitled Methodological Approaches in Physical Geography (2022) and Methodological Approaches in Integrated Geography (2023). The research work has been funded by international and local research grant i.e High Impact Research Grant (HIR), University of Malaya Research Grant (UMRG), KPM Community Research Grant, FRGS, LRGS, and others, with cumulative research funding amounting to at least RM2 million. She has several intellectual property rights (IP), and 10 international and local post-graduates completed their studies under her supervision. She won Gold Medal for Innovation and Creativity Expo (2010), Silver Medal for Learning Improvement and Teaching Enhancement Research (Liter) in 2018, Bronze Medal for Malaysia Technology Expo in 2010, Bronze Medal for Bioinno Awards in 2010, Bronze Medal for PECIPTA in 2009 and Bronze Medal for Biomalaysia in 2009. She also received Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang in 2019 and Sijil Perkhidmatan Cemerlang in 2011, 2018 and 2021. She won Anugerah Cemerlang Universiti Malaya (ACUM) (Universiti Malaya Excellent Award) 2022 for Teaching (non-science). She was also appointed as Visiting Fellow at Qinghai National University, China and Visiting Researcher at Aligarh Muslim University, India. She actively participated Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank of Australia entitled “Stressed ecosystems: better decisions for Australia (2011) and High Flyers Think Tank on Australia’s population: shaping a vision for our future (2012)” organized by the Australian Academy of Science (AAS). Between 2016-2021, she was also a Council Member of the International Geographical Union Commission on Commission Marginalization, Globalization, and Regional and Local Responses- C16.29, a member of the International Geographical Union for Commission on Geographical Education, a member of the Southeast Asian Geography Association (SEAGA) and the Centre for Global Geography Education (CGGE) training by Association of American Geography (AAG). She is an Associate Fellow (AFMSA) of the Malaysian Scientific Association (MSA). She has served on the Editorial Board of the Malaysian Journal of Tropical Geography (MJTG), Editorial Board of Water Conservation Management (WCM), Editorial Board of Geology, Ecology and Landscapes (GEL), Trout Journal of Atatürk, Turkey, Annals of the national of Association of Geographers, India and the International Journal of Creative Industries (IJCREI). She is an active reviewer in ISI-WOS journal reviewer including top-tier journals, the Science of the Total Environment, Frontiers of Earth Science, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Journal of Public Affairs, Quaestiones Geographiceae, Land Degradation & Development, Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, Current Urban Studies and Natural Resources Forum and many others including local journal. She also serves as Auditor for Malaysia Qualification Agency (MQA) since 2009 for Geography and Environmental subjects and had audited program in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, SEGi University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and many other university and private colleges. She acted as the PhD thesis examiner for more than 10 candidates from the University of Madras, Chennai and Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India; the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, Peshawar University in Pakistan and other Malaysian Universities. She had delivered lectures in many national and international seminars and conferences including in Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Egypt, Australia, India, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Philippines, Bangladesh and Korea.    

Associate Professor Dr. Yong Adilah Binti Shamsul Harumain is an academic leader in transportation planning and a leading researcher on women’s mobility in Southeast Asia at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya. Her expertise stems from extensive research, policy engagement, and long-standing international collaborations with partners in Japan, Indonesia, Korea, the United Kingdom, and South Asia. She is currently the Coordinator of the Dual PhD Programme, having previously served as Coordinator for the Master by Research Programme (2022). At Universiti Malaya, she plays a significant leadership role as Deputy Head of the Centre of Sustainable Planning and Real Estate (Research Centre) and Deputy Head (Pro-tem) of the Smart Mobility Centre of Excellence, while also contributing as a member of the JK Penasihat MRT Universiti Malaya and the Faculty QS World University Rankings Task Force. Her academic supervision spans ten PhD candidates, with research themes including transportation planning, women’s mobility, safe city initiatives, urban design, and inclusive urban planning. Beyond the university, Associate Professor Dr. Adilah was appointed as a Public Hearing Committee Member for the Kuala Lumpur Draft Local Plan (PTKL 2040) under the Ministry of Federal Territories and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), reflecting her trusted role in national-level planning deliberations and policy review. She is a mentee of the Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Program under the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), engaging in regional leadership development and mentoring women in academia. She is also a mentee of the Women Leadership Foundation Programme and recently involved with AKEPT (Higher Education Leadership Academy), contributing to leadership development, governance discourse, and capacity-building initiatives aligned with strengthening academic leadership and institutional excellence in Malaysia’s higher education sector. Dr. Adilah is recognised for her pioneering and community-centred research. She led the first Malaysian exploration of the Machinoeki (Hentian Komuniti) concept in Taiping, inspired by Japanese community infrastructure traditions. This work earned her the Sumitomo Foundation Research Grant twice (2016; 2021), including support for her flagship Safe City for Children initiative. Her international research leadership is further demonstrated through the AHRC–UKRI Research Networking Grant (2018), facilitating collaboration with Coventry University (UK), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and DesignPAK (Pakistan) on barriers to women’s mobility. Recently she was awarded a grant from the British Council and SEAMEO-Rihed working on projects related to women leadership in collaboration with University of Gadjah Mada and University of West England at Bristol. She is also now working with Majlis Bandaraya Kuantan on understanding the persona of the elderly at the Temporary Relief Centre during disaster with Dr Nik Elyna Myeda and Dr Nur Aulia Rosni and on urban farming and community farming with Associate Professor Dr Nikmatul Adha Nordin.  She actively integrates empirical findings into undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, ensuring their relevance to real-world urban challenges. Her applied work includes close collaboration with the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, community empowerment programs, and advisory roles with the Ministry of Federal Territories, particularly in flood mitigation and urban resilience. She has also secured and contributed to numerous competitive grants, including UMCARES, the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), and the Integrated Research Grant (IIRG) involving cross-faculty collaboration with Engineering and Medicine on active transportation and public health. She authored 2 books, Mobiliti Pengangkutan Wanita and Children in the Built Environment and many other chapters in books.  Her recent accolades include the SATU Grant, supporting collaboration with National Cheng Kung University, IIT Roorkee, and Universiti Sains Malaysia, and the ASEAN University Alliance (AUA) Scholars Grant (2020/2021) for research on women’s mobility with Universitas Indonesia. She contributes to scholarly governance as an Editor for Universitas Indonesia’s in-house journal, and regularly serves as a reviewer and scientific committee member for international journals, conferences, and research platforms. Associate Professor Dr. Adilah is an active member of regional and international professional networks, including the APRU Children and Youth Working Group, the Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Mentorship Programme, and the Women Leadership Foundation. Professionally, she is a graduate of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, registered with the Board of Town Planners Malaysia, a member of the Transportation Science Society Malaysia, and an affiliate of heritage-focused organisations such as the UM Cultural Heritage Research Centre and the Perak Heritage Society. Through her interdisciplinary scholarship, policy engagement, and commitment to leadership development, Associate Professor Dr. Yong Adilah Binti Shamsul Harumain exemplifies a forward-thinking academic leader grounded in strong planning traditions. Her work continues to advance inclusive mobility, safe cities, urban heritage, and community-based planning, reflecting Universiti Malaya’s ethos as a Home of the Bright, Land of the Brave.