Dr. Raja Ahsan Aftab completed his PhD and Master in Clinical Pharmacy from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia and Pharm.D  from the Riphah International University, Pakistan.  He Joined Universiti Malaya in March 2023 as a senior lecturer under department of clinical pharmacy and practice. Patient outcome research with emphasis on chronic diseases management and patient health outcome optimization are research areas where Dr Raja Ahsan Aftab's expertise revolves around. His research expertise also extends to various research domains such as epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, clinical trials, health economics, and digital health. To date, he has successfully supervised post graduate research students and has published a number of research high impact manuscript at prestigious journal. He is also an recipient of Taylor’s emerging research grant scheme and Industrial grant  from Santen Pharmaceuticals. He is also a proud author of peer reviewed books and book chapters. Based on his expertise he was appointed as chairperson of ethics Committee and Interprofessional education. He awarded with Exemplary meritorious academic staff award (EMAS) for his contribution on teaching innovation.

Biografi Telah berkecimpung dalam kegiatan kesenian seawal tahun 1988-1995 sepenuh masa, iaitu sebagai koreografer, penari dan artistik pementasan di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya dan Shah Alam. Telah juga mewakili negara ke festival-festival antarabangsa tarian tradisional sebagai koreografer/penari ke negara Eropah seperti United Kingdom, Perancis, Sepanyol, Portugal, German, Turki; ke Asia Barat seperti Jordan, Mesir; ke China, Vietnam, Kembodia, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei dan Singapura. Manakala sebagai pengarah teater dan artistic/koreografer telah mementaskan ke festival teater di Indonesia, Thailand, Singapura. Pada tahun 1988 – 1990 menyandang tugas sebagai Pegawai Kebudayaan di Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (sekarang Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya) dan bertanggungjawab menubuhkan Unit kesenian dan kebudayaan MPPJ. Tahun 1990 sehingga 1993 telah berkecimpung sebagai koreografer bebas dalam industri seni persembahan dan televisyen sepenuh masa sebelum menyertai Universiti Malaya pada tahun 1993. Telah menjadi sebagai Pegawai Kebudayaan di Pusat Kebudayaan Universiti Malaya (1993-2000). Penyertaan sebagai staf di Universiti Malaya merupakan pengembangan pesat dalam kerjaya kesenian pentas. Di mana telah menjadikan fokus penggarapan kepada 3 bidang pengkhususan iaitu tari/koreografi, pengarahan teater dan konsep artistik. Telah mempersembahkan konsep teaterikal di dalam persembahan pentas di dalam festival tari kampus, festival tari kebangsaan dan pelbagai persembahan di bawa produksi pelajar dan staf melalui kumpulan kesenian KESUMA UM. Tahun 1996 – 1998 telah melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat Sarjana di London dalam bidang koreografi dan teater. Setelah kembali telah bergiat secara aktif dalam bidang teater yang berkonsepkan muzikal, eksperimen, fizikal, avant garde dan juga teater tradisioanal (Makyung, Randai dan Bangsawan) dan menjawat jawatan pensyarah teater pada tahun 2000. Menyertai pelbagai festival teater kampus, festival teater ipta dan universiti luar negara, festival teater peringkat negeri, zon dan kebangsaan melalui genre teater ekesperimental, avant garde dan muzikal. Penyertaan festival teater berbentuk pertandingan telah beberapa kali menyandang Johan dengan pengarahan terbaik di dalam kampus dan peringkat negeri dan Kebangsaan. (Umexpert, 2020). Telah terlibat sebagai pengarah artistik, pengarah persembahan dan Penulis kertas konsep bagi pembukaan dan penutupan Sukma Terengganu 2008, Konsert Merdeka di Dungun Terengganu, Konsert muzikal Tabung 1 Bilion Pendididkan UiTM, Muzikal Tangga dan sebagainya. (Umexpert, 2024) Memperolehi Phd pada tahun 2012 Universiti Malaya dalam fokus bidang Koreografi/Teater. Berkecimpung segara giat dalam produksi teater tradisional seperti Makyung, Bangsawan dan Randai dalam pementasan di dalam dan luar kampus.  Bergiat aktif dalam penyelidikan dan penulisan yang berkaitan dengan seni teater tradisional dan kontemporari. Kajian dan kegiatan terkini adalah mengaitkan kesenian pentas di dalam produksi dan program yang melibatkan komuniti, alam sekitar, latihan minda kreatif dan program CSR syarikat korporat. Biography: Has been involved in arts activities as early as 1988-1995 full time, as a choreographer, dancer, and staging artist around Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Shah Alam. Has also represented countries to international dance festivals as choreographers/dancers to European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Turkey; to West Asia such as Jordan, Egypt; to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. While as a theater director and artistic / choreographer has staged a theater festival in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore. Serves as a Cultural Officer at the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (now Petaling Jaya City Council) in 1988 - 1990 and was responsible for establishing the arts and culture unit of MPPJ. Experience as an independent choreographer in the performing arts and television industry from 1990 - 1993 before joining the University of Malaya in 1993 has forged the opportunity to build a network of career opportunities. A career as a Cultural Officer at the University of Malaya Cultural Center (1993-2000) is rapid development in the performing arts career. Current career development at UM makes the focus of creative cultivation work expand into 3 areas of forte specialization in the presentation. 3 fields such as dance/choreography, theater direction, and artistic concepts have shaped various theatrical concepts in stage performances in campus dance festivals, national dance festivals, and various performances around the country under production involving students, staff, and professional groups through art groups Kesuma UM. 1996-1998 was a year of continuation of Master's degree learning in London in the field of choreography and theater. Upon graduation, various activities in the field of theater with the concept of the musical, experimental, physical, avant-garde, and traditional theater (Makyung, Randal, and Bangsawan) began to be actively mobilized, and after that held the position of theater lecturer in 2000. Participated in various campus theater festivals, Ipta and university theater festivals abroad, state, zone, and national level theater festivals through experimental, avant-garde, and musical theater genres. Participation in theater festivals in the form of competitions has several times won first place with the best director award at the campus level (Karviter), Federal Territory, and National. Has been involved as an artistic director, performance director, and concept paper writer for the opening and closing of Sukma Terengganu 2008, Merdeka Concert in Dungun Terengganu, UiTM Tabung 1 Billion Education Concert musical, "Tangga" Musical and so on. (Umexpert, 2024) Obtained a Ph.D. in the 2012 University of Malaya in the focus of the field of Choreography / Theater. Engaged in traditional theater productions such as Makyung, Bangsawan, and Randai on staging inside and off-campus. Active in research and writing related to traditional and contemporary theater arts. Recent research and activities are related to performing arts in production and programs involving the community, the environment, creative mind training, and corporate CSR programs.

Dr. Sharifah Muhairah Shahabudin is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies at the Faculty of Business & Economics, University of Malaya. She earned her PhD from the same university’s Faculty of Economics and Administration in 2014, following a Master of Science in Administration from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM) and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Canterbury University, New Zealand. Her research focuses on socioeconomics, social stratification, gender, youth development, and entrepreneurship, with numerous publications in both local and international journals, as well as media contributions in these areas. She is also an active member of the Gender Budget Group, an initiative led by Engender Consultancy and Women’s Aid Organisation to advance gender-responsive budgeting in national policy. Before joining academia, Dr. Sharifah spent a decade in various professional roles, including as a Research Assistant with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Malaysia, where her work on the *Empowering Women Through Entrepreneurship* project sparked her interest in research, ultimately leading to her doctoral studies. Her commitment to development issues continues to drive her research and publications today.