I have been teaching Japanese language since 1997. For me, teaching a foreign langauge is like having a good conversation. Students should pick up vocabulary and patterns of the language in linguistically and culturally rich context. I enjoy getting to know my students through actively engaging with them in class. Additionally, I believe that culturally appropriate performance is critical for smooth and comfortable interactions with natives speakers.  I received pedagogical training at Bryn Mawr College, PA, in 1997, through EEP (Exchange Japan Program, currently as known as Allex Japan Program) directed by Dr. Eleanor Jordan, a prominet Japnese educator. After the training I taught Japanese for two years in Kansas City, MO, and my passion for teaching grew more and more. I had an opportunity to study and teach at The Ohio State University (Japanese Literature) and Portland State University (Applied Linguistic) as a grauate student.  My previous teaching post includes; Maison de la Culture du Japon a Paris (Paris, France),Kiev Politechnic Institute (Kiev, Ukraine)Northeast Normal University (吉林省長春)Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)  I also taught at ICU (International Christian University), Portland State University, The Ohio State University as a summer instructor. Academically I am interested in Performance Based Pedagogy, Intercultural Communication, Literature (Modanizumu), Interpretation and Translation, and "Border" crossing. In my free time, I enjoy reading books, urban exploration, and singing Karaoke.  

Dr Jazlan Jamaluddin is a senior lecturer and family medicine specialist at Universiti Malaya (UM), based in the Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine. Before joining UM, he served for more than ten years in the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), working across primary, secondary and tertiary care, and gaining experience in both rural and urban communities. These years of service gave him a strong, practical understanding of how healthcare functions on the ground, how health systems operate and how patient centred care can be strengthened. During his time in MOH, he also conducted research in real clinical settings, adding depth and relevance to his academic work. At UM, he now combines teaching, clinical practice and research, guiding students and trainees while continuing to provide frontline care. His research focuses on chronic disease management, medication optimisation and patient self management in primary care. He has written or co written numerous peer reviewed journal articles and contributes regularly to national and international primary care publications. He has received multiple awards at national and regional scientific conferences and is actively involved in national professional committees, editorial boards and the development of clinical guidelines. His work is relevant to Malaysian healthcare while also aligning with broader global health priorities. He welcomes collaboration with partners who value practical insight and evidence based approaches, drawing on deep experience across healthcare levels, a strong academic platform at UM and access to primary care networks that support meaningful, locally grounded research.

Mashitah Hamidi is an Associate Professor of Migration Studies at the Department of Social Administration and Justice, Universiti Malaya. Her research interest is focusing on migration and displacement groups. She is currently a Head of Department of Social Administration and Justice, and Head of Population and Migration Research Center, Universiti Malaya. She obtained her Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Human Development and Masters in Human Resource Development (MHRD) from Universiti Putra Malaysia. She pursued her PhD in Sociology at La Trobe University, Australia. Her areas of research include development studies, social integration, advocacy and social services systems of transnational labor and gendered migration, stateless and refugee groups. She handled numerous research include Indonesian Women Migrants in Malaysia, Stateless Children in Kuala Lumpur, Rohingya refugee community. She is a committee member of ATIPSOM for the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF). She delivered a Keynote speech at the 1st World Conference on Gender Studies (WCGS) 2019. Mashitah was appointed as a visiting professor at the Sociology Education Department, Faculty of Social Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in 2022 and visiting scholar at the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Nanjing University, 2025.