DR. AHMAD ZAHIRUDDIN MOHD ZABIDI is a Senior Lecturer in the Malay Studies Programme, Academy of Malay Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Before starting service at APM UM, he first served as a lecturer at IIUM Pagoh branch, Johor, and worked as a part-time e-tutor for core subjects such as Tamadun Islam Tamadun Asia (TITAS), Falsafah dan Isu Semasa (FIS) at Open University Malaysia since January 2022. He received his Bachelor of Hons. Public Management from Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah in 2012, MA of Art Malay Studies from Academy of Malay Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur in 2020, and Ph.D. of Islamic Civilization from Institut Islam Hadhari, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor in 2023 with a thesis entitled, "Pendekatan Dakwah Melalui Penulisan Kisah Nabi dan Rasul Menurut Teks Suntingan Hamdan Hassan Berjudul Surat al-Anbiya' (1990)" (Approach of Da'wah Through Writing The Stories of Prophets and Messengers According to Hamdan Hassan's Editing Text Title Surat al-Anbiya' (1990)). His expertise is Malay Socio-Religous Thought, Malay-Islamic Civilization, and the Methodology of Da'wah Writing. Among his academic books are Pemikiran Satira dalam Penulisan Dakwah (Satire Thought in Da'wah Writing) (Kota Bharu: University Malaysia Kelantan Press, 2022), Pengantar Falsafah & Isu Semasa (Introduction to The Philosophy and Current Issues) (Tanjung Malim: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Press, 2022) and a chapter in an edited book entitled Ketokohan dan Sumbangan Pemikir Islam Alam Melayu (Prominence and Contribution of Malay Islamic Thinkers) (Kuala Lumpur: University Malaya Press, 2022). His articles have also been published in several journals such as journal Al-Hikmah, BITARA International Journal of Civilizational Studies and Human Sciences, Jurnal Melayu Sedunia, UFUQ International Journal of Arts and Social Science Research, and Al-Irsyad: Journal of Islamic and Contemporary Issues. Before assuming the role of a lecturer and academician at the University of Malaya, he had over 15 years of extensive involvement in the publishing industry. During this period, he served as a managing editor and acquisition editor at PTS Publishing House, Institut Terjemahan Buku Malaysia (ITBM), Karangkraf Media Group, and IIUM Press. Additionally, he remained actively engaged in writing and publishing creative and semi-academic works through various popular and private publications, including print and online mass media. As a managing and acquisition editor and writer, he managed the publication of over 100 books across various genres, including academic works, authored more than 30 books spanning diverse genres, and contributed hundreds of articles and essays to newspapers, magazines, and online portals. In addition, he was actively invited as a speaker for book writing workshops. He delivered lectures in universities, mosques, and government/private office premises related to his field of studies, which focuses on socio-religious thought in Malay society, the Malay world, and Malay history.

Dr Mohammed Rizman bin Idid is an evolutionary biologist and molecular ecologist, whose scientific research projects mainly focus in providing baseline information on biodiversity and ecology of various terrestrial and marine organisms in Malaysia. His initial research projects were focused on freshwater fishes, before expanding towards the marine and coastal environment investigating jellyfish, marine fungi, and mangroves. These studies employ molecular genetic techniques, such as DNA sequencing of biological resources, species assemblages and communities in natural ecosystems. Elements of DNA barcoding and phylogenetics are utilized for species identification, detection and monitoring that facilitate conservation and management of natural ecosystems. He also applies ‘omics’ technologies to study organismal responses and adaptations to environmental stressors in the context of climate change. He is also considered as a pioneer and authority of jellyfish biodiversity and ecology in Malaysia, thus contributing his expertise towards jellyfish studies in Southeast Asia. He is active in polar research looking into the response and adaptation of climate change on fungi and the phylogenetics of marine and polar fungi. As environmental changes may elicit chemical changes, he is also interested in the bioactivity of compounds derived from fungi and marine organisms. He is currently a senior lecturer attached to the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, where he is the Coordinator for Course Development of Academic Program and IOES Risk Coordinator. In IOES, he previously served as the Head of Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Studies Research Unit (2013-2018) and was the Coordinator of Bachok Marine Research Station (2012). He was also Coordinator for Bioinformatics Programme in the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya (2008-2012). At a national level, he represents the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences as Executive Committee of the Confederation of Scientific and Technological Associations in Malaysia (2022-2024). He was also President of Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (2012-2014). Since 2008, he has secured national and international research grants as Principal Investigator and as Co-Investigator totalling to RM 1,205,304 and RM 765,400, respectively. His expertise in the field of jellyfish taxonomy and ecology has earned regional recognition through regular invitations under ‘IOC-Westpac Harmful Jellyfish Workshops’ and as reviewer of international journals. His jellyfish photos have even been immortalised by Pos Malaysia as a postage stamp under Malaysia-Thailand joint issue ‘Marine Creatures’. Being a scuba-diver, he has led several national and internationally organized expedition surveys of marine parks and protected areas in Malaysia. Findings from the 2018 ‘Biodiversity Expedition in Melaka and Negeri Sembilan’ have led to the gazettement of three islands in Melaka as marine protected areas. As a polar fungi scientist, he has contributed towards many workshops and several ‘Malaysian International Symposium on Antarctica’ conferences. He is also a research grant recipient of the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation (YPASM). He was Data Deputy Advisor for Ocean Hackathon Kuala Lumpur 2022, organized by the French Embassy, Malaysia.        To date, he has H-index = 10  and published over 40 peer-reviewed articles, 4 books and 6 book chapters, with over 400 citations. He has supervised 4 PhD students and 10 master students to completion and currently oversees 6 ongoing students (2 PhD and 4 MSc). 

Dr Nurul Shamsinah is currently a senior lecturer and a plant microbiologist at the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya (UM). She graduated with Bac. in Agriculture Science from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2009 and obtained her PhD from UM in 2017. Currently, she is an active member of the Malaysian Agroecology Society for Sustainable Resource Intensification (SRI-Mas), Malaysia and the Malaysian Society for Microbiology. Her field of interest is in plant disease diagnostics which is rooted in the intention to contribute to the enhancements of farmers’ ability to properly detect, manage and recover from the devastating consequences of plant disease outbreaks. Besides that, she is also actively doing research on soil microbiome analysis to improve soil health which will subsequently increase agricultural productivity and sustainability.