Dr Petrina Tan is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya (UM). She holds a PhD and an LL.M (Corporate & Financial Services Law) from the National University of Singapore (NUS) as well as an LL.B (Hons)(Distinction), equivalent to a First Class Honours degree, from UM. She was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue a PhD at NUS and was conferred the PhD in July 2023. Her doctoral thesis examined the regulation of the alternative market listing regime by selected stock exchanges in Asia. Her prior research on retail investor protection and institutional investor stewardship has been published as journal articles in the Erasmus Law Review, Asian Journal of Comparative Law and the Journal of Malaysian and Comparative Law as well as a book chapter in the edited volume ‘Global Shareholder Stewardship’ published by Cambridge University Press. She has presented at various international and regional conferences. Her research interests include capital market law and policy, company law and corporate governance and regulatory theory more generally. She was previously a corporate lawyer, federal counsel at the Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers, senior manager at Bursa Malaysia, adjunct research fellow at the National University of Singapore Centre for Banking & Finance Law and Postdoctoral Fellow at the EW Barker Centre for Law & Business, NUS. She was also a sessional tutor at the School of Business, Monash University Malaysia, where she taught Malaysian company law.

Dr. Abubakar Abubakar Usman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia, where he specializes in globalization, development, and the politics of Africa and the Middle East. With a multidisciplinary academic background spanning International Relations, Diplomacy, and Islamic Finance, Dr. Usman is a prolific scholar whose work bridges theory and policy. Academic LeadershipDr. Usman currently serves as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, teaching Politics and International Relations of the Middle East. He has also been invited as a Guest Speaker at institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Nile University Nigeria, where he shared expertise on diplomacy, conflict resolution, and strategic studies. His teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking and real-world applicability, honed through roles as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and as an English instructor for Saudi Schools Kuala Lumpur. Research ContributionsA dedicated researcher, Dr. Usman has held prestigious fellowships, including as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at IIUM’s Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), where he explored the intersection of Islamic finance and global development. As a Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Africa Studies Circle at the Asia Middle East Centre for Research and Dialogue (AMEC), he fosters cross-civilizational dialogue and evidence-based policy recommendations. His research has been published in high-impact journals such as South African Journal of International Affairs, Global Society, and Contemporary Islam, and he has contributed chapters to Routledge and Palgrave Macmillan volumes on Islamic finance, African diplomacy, and human rights. Dr. Usman actively engages in peer review for Web of Science-indexed journals, including Security Journal and SN Social Sciences, and is currently developing two book projects: The Political Economy of Africa-Asia Relations (Routledge) and Coups in 21st Century Africa (Palgrave Macmillan). His doctoral thesis on Boko Haram’s media strategies and master’s research on Islamic finance as a development tool reflect his commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. Policy and Public EngagementBeyond academia, Dr. Usman is a sought-after commentator on African geopolitics, contributing to platforms like Africa@LSE, Daily Trust, and The Conversation. His analyses on ECOWAS, military coups, and Nigeria’s foreign policy have shaped public discourse. He has also served as an interpreter and translator for Malaysian government agencies, leveraging fluency in English, Arabic, and Hausa. Education and Honors PhD in International Relations (Globalization & Development), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Master of Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (CGPA: 4.00), UKM Master of Political Science (CGPA: 3.83), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) BA in Arabic/Mass Communication, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria Professional Affiliations Member, International Studies Association (ISA) Associate Member, International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS) For a full list of publications and research projects, visit his Google Scholar or ORCID profiles. Contact:Email: abubakar.usman@um.edu.my | Phone: +60 162417993Address: Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya

Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr. Mohd. Hamdi Abd. Shukor received his Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with Honours from Imperial College, London, England; a Master of Science degree in Advanced Manufacturing and Management Technology from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, United Kingdom; and a Doctor of Engineering degree from Kyoto University, Japan. His academic career commenced in 1995 in Universiti Malaya (UM) as a tutor and he later became a lecturer in the Department of Engineering Design and Manufacture in 1997. He was then appointed as the Head, Department of Engineering Design and Manufacture (2003-2006). He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006 and then served as a full Professor (Professor C) in 2010. He was promoted to a Senior Professor (Professor B) in 2014 and in 2019 as Senior Professor (Professor A). In 2021, he was promoted to the distinguised post of Senior Professor Turus III.   Prof Hamdi was the former Dean, Faculty of Engineering, (2009-2011) and the former UM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) (2011-2013). He was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Jan 2019 and in November 2020, he assumed the role of leading Universiti Malaya as the 13th Vice-Chancellor until Oct 2023. At the national level, he hold top leadership positions of great repute including as Chairman of the Public Universities Rectors/Vice-Chancellors Committee; Chairman of the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC), Board Member of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and Council Member of the Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM). He was a Visiting Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2015-2016. He was appointed as the Executive President of Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) from 2021-2022 and was a Steering Committee Member of Asia Pacific Rims Universities (APRU) 2022-2023. He is currently a Council Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) 2022-2025 and the Administrative Board Member of the International Association of Universities (IAU) 2022-2026. He is also being appointed a member of the Board of Trustee of The University of Sarjah, UAE (2023-2025). In addition to producing more than 220 impactful publications in journals indexed by the Web of Science, he also has recorded a WoS h-index of 43 with total citation of over 7,571. In recognition of his outstanding service and contribution, Dato' Mohd. Hamdi was conferred the Darjah Johan Mangku Negara (J.M.N.) by KDYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2019 and also Darjah Dato’ Paduka Negeri Sembilan (D.P.N.S.), which carries the title of Dato' by DYMM Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan in 2020.                                                                                                   ---------------------------