Firuza Begham Mustafa is a Professor at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya. Her research focus is agriculture geography, environmental geography, and aquaculture. She has collaborated with local and international researchers and produced more than 150 publications, including in WOS-ISI journals, books, chapters, conference papers and posters. Most of her papers are published in reputable international journals such as the Journal of Ocean Engineering and Science (Q1, IF 4.803), Soil and Water Conservation Research (Q1, IF 7.481), International Review of Hydrobiology (Q1, IF 1.878), Soil Use and Management (Q3, IF 3.672), Acta Geophysica (Q3, 2.293), and Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography (Q3, IF 2.000). She has also written chapters for many international books published by Springer, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, Pearson Learning Solutions, CRC Press and Emerging Technologies and Research. She has also published nine scientific books in her field of interest and specialization. The books entitled Akuakultur Udang Harimau (Tiger Shrimp Aquaculture) Geografi Pertanian (Agriculture Geography) and Geografi Tanih (Soil Geography), Metodologi Terpilih dalam Geografi (Selected Methodology in Geography) are published by the Universiti Malaya Press. Geografi Pohon Lontar is the most recent book published in 2023 by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. The first-of-its-kind book about palmyra internationally covers the palm's geographical, botanical, and socio-cultural features. Her two books were also published by the International publisher, Springer Nature entitled Methodological Approaches in Physical Geography (2022) and Methodological Approaches in Integrated Geography (2023). The research work has been funded by international and local research grant i.e High Impact Research Grant (HIR), University of Malaya Research Grant (UMRG), KPM Community Research Grant, FRGS, LRGS, and others, with cumulative research funding amounting to at least RM2 million. She has several intellectual property rights (IP), and 10 international and local post-graduates completed their studies under her supervision. She won Gold Medal for Innovation and Creativity Expo (2010), Silver Medal for Learning Improvement and Teaching Enhancement Research (Liter) in 2018, Bronze Medal for Malaysia Technology Expo in 2010, Bronze Medal for Bioinno Awards in 2010, Bronze Medal for PECIPTA in 2009 and Bronze Medal for Biomalaysia in 2009. She also received Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang in 2019 and Sijil Perkhidmatan Cemerlang in 2011, 2018 and 2021. She won Anugerah Cemerlang Universiti Malaya (ACUM) (Universiti Malaya Excellent Award) 2022 for Teaching (non-science). She was also appointed as Visiting Fellow at Qinghai National University, China and Visiting Researcher at Aligarh Muslim University, India. She actively participated Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank of Australia entitled “Stressed ecosystems: better decisions for Australia (2011) and High Flyers Think Tank on Australia’s population: shaping a vision for our future (2012)” organized by the Australian Academy of Science (AAS). Between 2016-2021, she was also a Council Member of the International Geographical Union Commission on Commission Marginalization, Globalization, and Regional and Local Responses- C16.29, a member of the International Geographical Union for Commission on Geographical Education, a member of the Southeast Asian Geography Association (SEAGA) and the Centre for Global Geography Education (CGGE) training by Association of American Geography (AAG). She is an Associate Fellow (AFMSA) of the Malaysian Scientific Association (MSA). She has served on the Editorial Board of the Malaysian Journal of Tropical Geography (MJTG), Editorial Board of Water Conservation Management (WCM), Editorial Board of Geology, Ecology and Landscapes (GEL), Trout Journal of Atatürk, Turkey, Annals of the national of Association of Geographers, India and the International Journal of Creative Industries (IJCREI). She is an active reviewer in ISI-WOS journal reviewer including top-tier journals, the Science of the Total Environment, Frontiers of Earth Science, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Journal of Public Affairs, Quaestiones Geographiceae, Land Degradation & Development, Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, Current Urban Studies and Natural Resources Forum and many others including local journal. She also serves as Auditor for Malaysia Qualification Agency (MQA) since 2009 for Geography and Environmental subjects and had audited program in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, SEGi University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and many other university and private colleges. She acted as the PhD thesis examiner for more than 10 candidates from the University of Madras, Chennai and Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India; the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, Peshawar University in Pakistan and other Malaysian Universities. She had delivered lectures in many national and international seminars and conferences including in Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Egypt, Australia, India, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Philippines, Bangladesh and Korea.    

Khoo Ying Hooi, PhD, is an Associate Professor of International Relations and Human Rights at Universiti Malaya (UM). Her research centres on human rights and democracy in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on civil society, Southeast Asian politics, and the domestic politics of Malaysia and Timor-Leste. She also examines how the geopolitics of Southeast Asia shapes domestic political developments, rights discourses, civic spaces, and institutional contestations. In addition, she works extensively on human rights education and academic freedom. She is the author of “The Bersih Movement and Democratisation in Malaysia” (SIRD/ ISEAS/ Lexington Books, 2020) and “Seeds of Dissent (Gerakbudaya, 2015). Furthermore, Ying Hooi has also co-edited several volumes, such as “Social and Political Deglobalisation: Covid-19, Conflict and Uncertainties in Malaysia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023), “Marginalisation and Human Rights in Southeast Asia” (Routledge, 2022) and “Rethinking Human Rights and Peace in the Post-Independence Timor-Leste through Local Perspectives” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022). Her co-author paper (with C. Leong, I. Faik, F. Tan and B. Tan, 2020), “Digital organising of a global social movement: from connective to collective action," won the 2021 Best Paper Award at the Information and Organization and was Runner-Up in the 2021 Special Interest Group-Grounded Theory Methodology (SIG-GTM).  Ying Hooi is the Editor-in-Chief of the Malaysian Journal of International Relations (MJIR) and sits on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, the Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights (JSEAHR), and the Indonesian Law Review (ILREV).  Ying Hooi has been appointed to the International Advisory Council by the Timor-Leste government for Centro Nacional Chega! (CNC), a public institute tasked to institutionalise memory and promote human rights. She is also a founding member of the Southeast Asian Coalition for Academic Freedom (SEA-CAF). She received several fellowships, including the Mellon/ SAR Academic Freedom Fellowship by Scholars at Risk (SAR), the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC) Curriculum Fellowship, and visiting fellowships at Kyushu University, Mahidol University, Humboldt University of Berlin and Beijing Foreign Studies University. She has served as a judge in several local and international human rights awards, including the Amnesty International Philippines Ignite Awards and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) Human Rights Awards. Between 2013 and 2016, Ying Hooi was involved in the diplomatic training course for the Institute of Diplomatic Studies (IDS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Timor-Leste. Additionally, she has contributed to consultancies for organisations like the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the Democracy Academy of Malaysia, and Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in Southeast Asia (SHAPE-SEA). In addition to her academic roles, Ying Hooi has extensive experience in the field of human rights and democracy in Southeast Asia. These roles include serving as a Scientific Member in the Observatory of Political Alternatives in Southeast Asia (ALTERSEA), Vice-Chair in the Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (PROHAM), and Board Member in the Innovation of Change - East Asia Governance Circle (EAGC). Before entering academia, Ying Hooi garnered experience in corporate sectors and served as the Head of International Issues and Cooperation at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). Her involvements include the ASEAN human rights body (now AICHR) in the ASEAN Charter, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Malaysia in Geneva and the SUHAKAM Amendment Bill 2009.  

Dr. Zeety earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Malaya (UM) in 2011. She spent four years working under the Ministry of Health, with two years in Ipoh, Perak, and two years in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. In 2015, she became a trainee lecturer at UM and later pursued a Doctorate in Clinical Dentistry specializing in Paediatric Dentistry (DClinDent) at Queen Mary University of London, graduating in 2018. As a registered paediatric dental specialist in Malaysia, Dr. Zeety teaches and supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate students. She began her academic career as the coordinator for the undergraduate paediatric dentistry unit and served on the faculty’s Elective Research Committee. In 2019, Dr. Zeety was appointed as the programme coordinator for the newly introduced Master of Oral Science course at the Dental Faculty, a role she held for four years, actively contributing to the accreditation process of the programme. Her clinical and research interests primarily focus on the oral health of craniofacial patients, as evidenced by her involvement with the oro-craniofacial research group (OCRES). She is also engaged in research areas such as dental education, oral health education, and dental age estimation. Dr. Zeety has presented papers at both national and international conferences and was also recognized with a Certificate of Excellence Service in 2022 and an Excellence Service Award in 2023. She is an active member of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD) and the Malaysia Association of Paediatric Dentistry (MAPD).