I’m a Senior Lecturer at the International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA), Universiti Malaya. Before I was appointed a senior lecturer, I was a visiting fellow under the UKM–Nippon Foundation Programme at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), UKM, where I also served as a junior research fellow. Following my tenure at UKM, I was appointed as a Special Task Officer to the then-President of the Senate, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Utama Dr Rais Yatim, at the Parliament of Malaysia. In this role, I gained invaluable first-hand experience in policy discussions, bill drafting, governance processes, and diplomatic engagement. My primary research focuses on national security and foreign policy, Latin American politics, and the development and cultivation of a culture of peace in Costa Rica, examined through a constructivist framework. I have spent significant time conducting fieldwork, attending conferences, and establishing networks in Mexico and Costa Rica to deepen my understanding of Latin American politics and its wider implications for international relations. My academic interests also extend to global political dynamics from a postcolonial perspective, with a particular emphasis on debates surrounding Orientalism and Occidentalism. My work bridges theoretical insights with practical applications, fostering a nuanced understanding of the interplay between history, culture, international relations, and public policy. I am eager to supervise students within these areas of research and interest as well as those who seek to explore connections between Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Amira Firdaus is an Associate Professor at Universiti Malaya’s Department of Media and Communication Studies, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Amira's core expertise is Positive/Constructive Communication with practical and conceptual applications across three fields: Communication, Higher Education, and Positive Psychology. Within these areas, Amira's interest in positive/constructive communication is implicitly integrated into her work in digital ethnography, e-learning, constructive journalism, positive education, positive organizations, and active ageing.   Amira's current multidisciplinary foci include: Adult ADHD/ADD media and communication; faculty wellbeing & happiness; online learning instructional design & communication; empathetic/inclusive instructional communication. Amira recently completed her term as Deputy Director for Professional Development / Head for Teaching & Learning at UM's Academic Development & Enhancement Centre (ADEC) (2014-2022). Amira holds a PhD in communication from the University of Melbourne. *Students seeking PhD or MA supervision with Amira Firdaus are kindly encouraged to email amira_firdaus@um.edu.my before submitting your application online.  ______________________________________________________________________    

Muhammad Safwan Harun is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Fiqh Usul & Applied Sciences, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Fiqh and Usul with distinction in 2016 and earned his PhD from Universiti Malaya in 2019, specialising in Islamic jurisprudence and contemporary applications of Shariah. At the international level, he has served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya (2024) and a Research Fellow at Marmara University, Türkiye (2025). He sits on the editorial boards of FIKRI: Jurnal Kajian Agama, Sosial dan Budaya, Jurnal Khazanah Pendidikan and Jurnal Fiqh (Scopus). His global engagements include coordinating student mobility programmes to Türkiye and Indonesia, research collaboration with IAIN Madura, delivering a plenary lecture at the International Seminar on Maqasid Shariah in Bandung (2022), serving on the organising committee of ICONWAT Türkiye (2025) and completing a specialised fatwa training programme at Dar al-Ifta’, Egypt (2022). At the national level, he serves as a Reference Expert Panel for the Maqasid al Shari‘ah Division at JAKIM, an Executive Committee Member of the Maqasid Institute Malaysia and a Panel Expert in Shariah for the Malaysian Examinations Council. He is regularly consulted by ILIM, JAKIM, INTAN, the Ministry of Digital and IKIM, and has been featured on the national television programme “Selamat Pagi Malaysia”. His expertise is further applied through his roles as Expert Panel for OUM’s curriculum review, the Malaysian Maqasid Shariah Governance Index (JAKIM), the Gagasan Kalimah Tayyibah Document (JAKIM) and as a Panel Expert for the review of fatwa papers at the Kelantan State Mufti Department. Within Universiti Malaya, he has contributed through multiple academic and administrative roles, including Coordinator of the Student Lajnah, Outbound Advisor, Managing Editor of al Basirah Journal and Secretary for major academic programmes such as the 3rd Prof Emeritus MZAM Premier Lecture and SHIS 2024. He also serves on key university committees, including Curriculum Review, Timetabling, ICON IMAD, Corporate Video, MITA 2024, APIUM Canteen, the Surau Committee, the 2024 Research Load Taskforce and JK Ikhtisas. As of November 2025, he has been involved in 27 research grants, produced nearly 130 scholarly and professional publications and completed over 90 expert evaluations as a book reviewer and postgraduate examiner. These achievements highlight his sustained contribution to Shariah scholarship at the international, national and institutional levels.