Fumitaka Furuoka is a Japanese economist who has lived in Malaysia since 1987. From 1991 to 1999, he worked as a senior assistant at the Consulate General of Japan in Penang. Fumitaka then moved to academia and has taught economics at three Malaysian public universities, namely, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and Universiti Malaya (UM) for more than 25 years. His academic expertise is in the field of applied economics, which involves applying economic and econometric theories to address real-world critical financial issues and problems. As an applied economist, he aims to provide insights from his research to inform the development of effective policies that foster sustainable development, reduce regional disparities, and move society toward achieving economic and social justice.  In his research in the field of applied economics, he focuses on economic equity between countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of economic development level in different countries), as well as economic equity within countries (i.e., the problem of inequality of income distribution in a specific country). Regarding economic equity between countries, he has conducted extensive research on diverse and pertinent global economic issues, such as poverty reduction, unemployment, economic growth/development, and renewable energy. In 2006, he published a book on Japanese foreign aid titled New Challenges for Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Policy. The book examines how Japan’s aid policy can contribute to reducing poverty and enhancing the well-being of developing countries, particularly those in Southeast Asia. As to economic equity within countries, the primary focus of Fumitaka's research is promoting “employment for all” which is closely aligned with Target 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He firmly believes that employment for all, including people with disabilities, is the basic foundation for a sustainable and more humane economy (Ekonomi Madani). This belief has led him to write a book on employment for people with disabilities entitled Disability and Employment: Towards a Humanistic Economy. The book was published by Springer in 2024. He also wrote another book, co-authored with Dr Yosuke Uchiyama, on employment for people with disabilities, entitled "Youth and Employment: Creating a Productive and Dynamic Society," which was published by the same publisher in 2025. This research direction has a strong practical orientation, and Fumitaka considers work in this area to be of ultimate importance for achieving economic equity and providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities or young people. In short, his research aims to identify barriers and initiate policies that promote and enable economic inclusion, employment, and justice for all.

Dr. Yasmin Kamarudin completed her undergraduate dental studies at University of Western Australia and graduated with honours in 2008. Since then she has completed her specialist training in orthodontics at University of Bristol (UK). She graduated in 2017 with a Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS) and was awarded the prestigious Harry Orton Prize for best academic performance by a postgraduate student in the Bristol University Orthodontic DDS/MOrth programme. She also received a prize for best research poster presentation at the British Orthodontic Conference in 2016 for her study on prolonged antimicrobial properties of a novel mouth rinse. Currently she is an orthodontic lecturer at the University of Malaya where she supervises both the undergraduate and postgraduate dental students. She examines for both the MOrth Part 2 examinations for the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. She is an avid researcher with interest in qualitative studies, social media and e-professionalsm, Illegal orthodontics and Flipped teaching.." Outside of the university setting, Dr Yasmin is an active member of the Malaysian Association of Orthodontists and is currently holding the post of Publicity and Public Relations Subcommittee Chairperson.

Faizuri Bin Abd Latif was born in 1972 in Jerteh, Besut, Terengganu. He holds a Bachelor of Usuluddin (BA Hons) in Aqidah and Philosophy from al-Azhar University, Egypt (1996), a Master’s degree in Usuluddin from the University of Malaya (2003), and subsequently completed his PhD at the University of Malaya in 2009. He is currently serving as an Associate Professor at the Department of Usuluddin and Da'wah, Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya. Throughout his tenure as a lecturer in the Department of Usuluddin and Da`wah, he has been actively writing various articles related to aqidah, Islamic thought, aqidah in the Malay world, and other related areas. In addition, he has been involved in presenting seminar papers at both national and international levels. To date, he has produced more than 50 articles in national and international journals. He has also authored several books, two of which were published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). At the Department of Usuluddin and Da`wah, he has been entrusted with several administrative responsibilities, in addition to teaching various undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as Aqaid al-Islamiyyah, Contemporary Issues in Aqidah and Islamic Thought, Bibliographical Studies in Aqidah and Islamic Thought, Studies on Deviant Teachings in Malaysia, Islamic Philosophy, Introduction to Usuluddin Studies, Works on Aqidah and Islamic Thought, Discourse on Kalam and Islamic Philosophy and others.