Associate Professor Dr. Santha Chenayah has demonstrated sustained excellence across academic scholarship, institutional leadership, and societal engagement for over three decades. Her intellectual contributions to the fields of environmental economics, operations research, and sustainability reflect a trajectory of deep expertise, policy relevance, and global impact. Holding a Ph.D. and Master’s in Economics from Osaka University, Japan, and a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from Universiti Malaya, she possesses a foundation rooted in both analytical rigor and regional policy insight.Dr. Chenayah’s research output includes over 40 peer-reviewed publications, many in high-impact journals indexed by Web of Science, Scopus, and ESCI. Her body of work addresses climate change mitigation, green disposal behavior, electric vehicle adoption, and solid waste management, demonstrating her interdisciplinary approach to contemporary environmental challenges. She has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Researcher on more than 20 funded projects supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, University of Malaya, and global institutions such as the World Bank. Her scholarly excellence is recognized through prestigious accolades, including the Outstanding Paper Award by Emerald Literati (2019), multiple Excellent Service Awards from University of Malaya, and the JSPS RONPAKU Fellowship awarded by Japan (2003–2007).Dr. Chenayah has contributed extensively to academic development through course instruction, programme coordination, and postgraduate supervision. She has taught more than 15 undergraduate and postgraduate modules covering macroeconomics, environmental economics, welfare economics, Environmental Management and Planning. Between 2020 and 2025 alone, she was appointed as internal examiner for over 40 postgraduate theses. Her leadership in academic quality assurance includes contributions to curriculum redesign and assessment at faculty and national levels.In addition to her pedagogical responsibilities, Dr. Chenayah has held key administrative roles, including multiple terms as Head of the Department of Economics at Universiti Malaya. She has served on more than 70 institutional and faculty-level committees, ranging from safety and health boards to steering panels on strategic policy and curriculum development. Her editorial leadership includes current appointments as the Chief Editor and Associate Editor of Institutions and Economies, and Associate Editor of the Singapore Economic Review (2024–2026), reflecting her influence in shaping scholarly discourse in economics across the region.A defining aspect of Dr. Chenayah’s professional portfolio is her international engagement and representation. As the Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Economic Association (MEA), she has actively represented Malaysia at Federation of ASEAN Economic Associations (FAEA) conferences across ASEAN countries. These diplomatic assignments underscore her role in promoting regional economic integration, academic exchange, and multilateral collaboration. By fostering intellectual ties and facilitating joint dialogues on policy and development, her contributions have elevated Malaysia’s visibility in regional economics while expanding her own transnational scholarly networks. Such experiences enrich her academic leadership and position her as a regional ambassador of Malaysian economic thought.Complementing her academic and regional roles, Dr. Chenayah has contributed her expertise to national policy development and consultancy initiatives. She has led and participated in advisory projects for key institutions including the World Bank, MB Inc. Perak, and Malaysia’s Ministry of Environment, addressing strategic themes such as circular economy planning, rare earth supply chain resilience, and carbon mitigation. Her consistent engagement with media outlets, webinars, and public policy forums highlights her ability to translate research into actionable insights.Through the integration of research excellence, pedagogical innovation, academic stewardship, and ASEAN-level diplomatic engagement, Dr. Santha Chenayah exemplifies the ideals of a modern scholar whose work transcends borders and disciplines. Her sustained record of contributions aligns with Universiti Malaya’s mission to foster transformative education and globally relevant scholarship.

Dr. Mohd Zaidi Daud is an Associate Professor in the Department of Syariah and Law at the Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya (UM), where he served as Head of the Department from 2019 to 2025. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Syariah (Islamic Law) with Honours, as well as a Master’s and a PhD in Syariah and Law, all from the University of Malaya. Dr. Mohd Zaidi Daud specializes in Islamic Estate Planning—covering Hibah, Wakaf, Islamic Inheritance, and Islamic Wills—as well as Islamic Banking and Finance, Islamic Social Finance, and Contemporary Islamic Law. Currently, he is the Principal Investigator for a project titled "Management of Islamic Trust Assets at the Baitulmal," funded by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (GA022-2024), running from September 23, 2024, to March 23, 2025. Dr. Mohd Zaidi Daud is also collaborating internationally with UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang on the project "Religious Moderation in Higher Education in Indonesia and Malaysia." Previously, he led a Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education-funded project titled "Individual Behaviour in Dealing with Property Distribution Issues: A Study of Muslim Estate Planning" (FP017-2020) under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS). He has also collaborated on various research initiatives, including projects on Islamic Inheritance Management, Islamic Law Practice in Malaysia, Wakaf financing for higher education, and the role of Muslim women’s NGOs in promoting gender equality in ASEAN. Dr. Mohd Zaidi Daud is an active speaker at national and international conferences. Recent notable presentations include "Legal Frameworks in Islamic Social Finance for Promoting Social Welfare in Malaysia: Aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" at the International Conference on Law & Justice, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah in Jakarta (September 27, 2024); "Zakat as Islamic Philanthropy in Malaysia: An Overview from a Legal Perspective" at Karabuk University, Turkey (September 29, 2022); and "Legal Aspects and Management of Islamic Philanthropy in Malaysia" at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (July 25, 2022). He has also recently presented in Vienna, Austria; Malang and Jakarta, Indonesia; and Pattani, Thailand (2024). Previous years included presentations in Salzburg (Austria), Barcelona (Spain), as well as Palembang and Bandung, Indonesia (2023 and 2022, respectively). Beyond teaching and research, Dr. Mohd Zaidi Daud served as a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (August to December 2013), and completed a three-month research fellowship at Cairo University's Kuliyyah Darul Ulum (May to August 2010). His extensive publication record includes articles in national and international journals, contributing significantly to the field of Islamic law. Throughout his career, he has offered expertise to institutions such as JAKIM and MAIS on Islamic law issues and previously served as the Shariah Adviser for ZICOlaw Shariah, providing advisory services to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Malaysia Berhad from 2014 to 2016.    

Originally trained as an algal molecular taxonomist and phylogeneticist, Dr Poong has a diversified research portfolio specializing in gene and metabolites expression studies using omics tools, genetic diversity and population structure of fish and seaweed, algal physiological and biochemical stress response and adaptation to climate changes, and shifts in microbiome using metagenomics. Dr Poong plays a key role in developing research proposals to attract local and international funding, managing research grants, organization of international conferences and workshops. She is an Honorary (Lifetime) Member of the International Society for Applied Phycology since June 2024.