Dr. Kishneth Palaniveloo received his early education in Kedah (1991–2003) before obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Marine Science (2007) from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). He is a trained PADI Divemaster and actively participated in teaching, recreational diving, and scientific diving activities that supported educational and research programmes. Thereafter he was briefly attached to the Kota Kinabalu Fisheries Department and Marine Research Foundation (MRF), contributing to research on marine resource management and conservation. He later completed a Master’s degree in Fermentation Biochemistry (2008–2010), followed by a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Advancement of Biodiversity with a focus on Marine Ecological Chemistry at UMS. His doctoral research centred on the isolation, characterization, and structural elucidation of secondary metabolites from marine invertebrates. His work discovered novel compounds and chemical skeletons from soft corals (Alcyonacea) and the sea hare Aplysia dactylomela. During his PhD, he isolated nearly 80 secondary metabolites from both marine and terrestrial sources. His training, which included a research attachment at Jeju National University (Korea), emphasized advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques, linking natural products chemistry with ecological function and pharmaceutical potential. After completing his PhD, Dr. Kishneth joined a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project as a researcher for a research training at Kyushu University (Japan) where he investigated the structure and diversity of soil microbial communities, expanding his expertise from marine chemical ecology to terrestrial microbial ecology and strengthening his capabilities in environmental molecular biology and natural products research. In 2017, Dr. Kishneth joined the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya as a Senior Lecturer. He was appointed Laboratory Coordinator in 2020 and, since 2023, as the Head of the Marine Biotechnology Unit. His research integrates biodiversity, marine chemical ecology, and biogeochemistry, focusing on: (1) soft coral species and chemical diversity; (2) algal metabolites; (3) microbial community profiling using next-generation sequencing (NGS); and (4) carbon stock assessment and mangrove adaptation under environmental and climatic changes, contributing to blue carbon and conservation initiatives. His passion for chemical diversity supports collaborations with pharmaceutical scientists and drives his interest in product development. Dr. Kishneth publishes and reviews for numerous indexed scientific journals, including Ecological Indicators, Journal of Applied Phycology, and 3Biotech, reflecting his multidisciplinary reach across marine biodiversity, chemical ecology, and sustainable bioprospecting. He has secured approximately RM5 million in total research funding as principal investigator and co-researcher. His projects cover soft coral chemotaxonomy, mangrove genetic diversity, bioactive compound discovery, and composting technology, aligning with national priorities for marine resource sustainability. He currently has 25 ISI-indexed publications and an H-index of 12 with over 540 citations. He actively supervises MSc and PhD students and teaches Marine Biotechnology annually. He is also involved in developing the Master’s curriculum for IOES. Beyond academia, Dr. Kishneth plays an active role in professional societies and scientific advocacy. He served three terms as the Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (MSMS), contributing to national task forces and committees on biodiversity conservation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Fisheries Department, resulting to the gazettement of marine protected areas in Melaka. He is also a member of the International Association for Biological Oceanography, the Malaysian Society of Natural Products, and an associate of the Centre for Natural Products Research and Drug Discovery (CENAR), Universiti Malaya. His achievements are recognized through various local and international collaborations and awards, including the Universiti Malaya Excellence Service Award (2022), the JICA Training Award on OTEC and DSW Applications (2022), and several gold awards at research innovation competitions (2009, 2012, 2025). Dr. Kishneth Palaniveloo aims to continue advancing research and teaching in marine science, natural product chemistry, and ecosystem sustainability in line with national and university aspirations for scientific innovation and marine resource stewardship.

Dr. Mumtaz Begum Peer Mustafa received the BSc. and MSc. in Software Engineering from University Putra Malaysia (UPM) and University Malaya (UM) in 2002 and 2006 respectively, and the Ph.D. in Computer Science from University Malaya (UM) in 2012. She was a researcher for a High Impact Research project in the area of Assistive technologies for speech-impaired individuals. Dr. Mumtaz is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Software Engineering, University Malaya. Her research interests include Speech Enhancement methods for Automatic Speech Recognition systems, Speech Processing, Big Data Applications and Technologies and Speech Assistive tools for disabled individuals. She has published her work in many of prestigious international speech conferences and journals. Dr. Mumtaz is also a certified software tester from Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB), a member of International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) and Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE) from Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB), a member of International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB).  

NG Boon Kwee obtained his PhD in Technological Innovation Management from Universiti Malaya in 2011. With over 20 years of university teaching experience, he is a dynamic educator specializing in technological innovation management, technology entrepreneurship, science policy, industrial S&T policy, and science diplomacy. His research is at the forefront of Policy and Management of Science and Technology, focusing on industrial science and technology policies, cluster innovation, innovation for inclusive development, grassroots innovation, and social innovation. His publications underscore the critical roles of social networks and embeddedness in national and regional innovation systems. Recognized for his expertise, Dr. NG has served as a consultant for esteemed international and national agencies, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), International Development Research Centre Canada (IDRC), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Ministry of Economy, and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM). In 2019, he was a full-time seconded Experienced Researcher at Bocconi University and UNU-MERIT under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange programme. His accolades include the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Scholars Award (2019-2020), the Grassroots Science Advice Promotion Award (2023) from the International Network for Governmental Science Advice Asia Regional Chapter (INGSA-Asia), and Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affair (MOFA) Fellowship 2025. Currently, he is the Associate Editor of Technological Forecasting and Social Change (TFSC) and serves on the Editorial Board of the Asian Journal of Technology Innovation (AJTI). He was also the Head of Department of Science and Technology Studies (2020-2025) and the steering committee member of National Collaborative Networks of Science Centres of Malaysia since 2023-2015.