Dr. Abubakar Abubakar Usman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia, where he specializes in globalization, development, and the politics of Africa and the Middle East. With a multidisciplinary academic background spanning International Relations, Diplomacy, and Islamic Finance, Dr. Usman is a prolific scholar whose work bridges theory and policy. Academic LeadershipDr. Usman currently serves as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, teaching Politics and International Relations of the Middle East. He has also been invited as a Guest Speaker at institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Nile University Nigeria, where he shared expertise on diplomacy, conflict resolution, and strategic studies. His teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking and real-world applicability, honed through roles as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and as an English instructor for Saudi Schools Kuala Lumpur. Research ContributionsA dedicated researcher, Dr. Usman has held prestigious fellowships, including as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at IIUM’s Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), where he explored the intersection of Islamic finance and global development. As a Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Africa Studies Circle at the Asia Middle East Centre for Research and Dialogue (AMEC), he fosters cross-civilizational dialogue and evidence-based policy recommendations. His research has been published in high-impact journals such as South African Journal of International Affairs, Global Society, and Contemporary Islam, and he has contributed chapters to Routledge and Palgrave Macmillan volumes on Islamic finance, African diplomacy, and human rights. Dr. Usman actively engages in peer review for Web of Science-indexed journals, including Security Journal and SN Social Sciences, and is currently developing two book projects: The Political Economy of Africa-Asia Relations (Routledge) and Coups in 21st Century Africa (Palgrave Macmillan). His doctoral thesis on Boko Haram’s media strategies and master’s research on Islamic finance as a development tool reflect his commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. Policy and Public EngagementBeyond academia, Dr. Usman is a sought-after commentator on African geopolitics, contributing to platforms like Africa@LSE, Daily Trust, and The Conversation. His analyses on ECOWAS, military coups, and Nigeria’s foreign policy have shaped public discourse. He has also served as an interpreter and translator for Malaysian government agencies, leveraging fluency in English, Arabic, and Hausa. Education and Honors PhD in International Relations (Globalization & Development), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Master of Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (CGPA: 4.00), UKM Master of Political Science (CGPA: 3.83), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) BA in Arabic/Mass Communication, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria Professional Affiliations Member, International Studies Association (ISA) Associate Member, International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS) For a full list of publications and research projects, visit his Google Scholar or ORCID profiles. Contact:Email: abubakar.usman@um.edu.my | Phone: +60 162417993Address: Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya

Dr. Sabzali Musa Kahn was born in Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia. He graduated with a degree in visual arts from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. He then pursued his Masters in Education from Universiti Putra Malaysia and he obtained his Doctorate (Ph.D) in Architecture Studies from Universiti Putra Malaysia. He started his career as a consultant in government and corporate sectors. He was one of the committee who founded Universiti Industri Selangor, Malaysia (UNISEL). In addition, he was appointed as the secretariat member to develop the master action plan for the Ministry of Unity and Development Community, Malaysia. His participation in various major exhibitions organized by universities, galleries, state and National Art Gallery has greatly enhanced his knowledge and experience as an artist. He is also involved with visual arts research, theatre and workshops in the aspect of creative teaching for the pre-school children, people with disabilities and in curriculum development of visual art studies at the university level. He has won several competitions in art and design. Some of the awards obtained were Main Incentive gift from Art Media exhibition 2006, Special Award Art Media VIII,2009 and Special award Art Media IX,2010. He is the gold medalist for Innovation and Creativity EXPO 2010, University of Malaya, Malaysia. In 2015, he won the national gold medal at Innovation and Invention Competition Through Exhibition (iCompEx) and Cahaya Kasih President’s Award from Maybank, Malaysia. His research on the use of new materials and techniques in visual art production has won him Excellence University of Malaya Award for 2015 under the Arts and Creativity Category. He held position as the head jury for batik art drawing category at the international level which was organized by Rehabilitation Council Malaysia (MCR). He represented Malaysia for visual art category and was the first Malaysian selected to be head jury in the 8th International Abilympic 2011 at Seoul,Korea. His ongoing effort and contribution has brought gold medal to Malaysia in the International Abilympic 2011. This has been a great achievement for the country at the international level to have won a gold medal for the last 32 years. Dr. Sabzali active participation in the social work at local and international level has made great impact to the society. Creativity activities and education based on visual art are incorporated into his social works. He was the Visual Art Coordinator and Deputy Director (undergraduate) at the Cultural Centre, University Malaya. Currently, he is the Dean at Academy of Malay Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dr. Nur Fauziani earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree from University of Otago, New Zealand in 2012. She then pursued postgraduate training and achieved a Master's in Clinical Dentistry (Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology) from Universiti Malaya in 2021. She is now a dental lecturer in the Faculty of Dentstry, Universiti Malaya. Dr. Nur Fauziani is an active committee member of the Malaysian Association of Oral Maxillofacial Pathology and Medicine (MAOPM) and Malaysian Society Of Oral Microbiologists & Oral Immunologists (MYSOMOI). She is also a member of Oral Cancer Research and Coordination Center (OCRCC). Her main areas of expertise include oral mucosal ulcerations, orofacial pain, oral cancerand oral potentially malignant disorders. She is passionate in managing patients with oro-facial pain and oral lesions as well as actively enhancing her knowledge in health digitization and artificial intelligence. She is also interested in multidisciplinary based researches (dental public health,paediatric dentistry and dental education She is currently teaching degree, master clinical and doctor clinical students.