In 2008, Professor Dr. Chris graduated from Masters of Orthopaedic Surgery training in University Malaya at the top of the class and was awarded the ‘N. Subramaniam Award’. At the same time, his research project on ‘safety in thoracic pedicle screw’ during his training, under the supervision of Prof Dato’ Dr. Kwan Mun Keong won the ‘Mahmood Merican award’ for top research project among all Masters of Orthopaedic trainee in 2008. The research project was subsequently published in 2 international journals, European Spine Journal and Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy. His research interest is mainly in idiopathic scoliosis with more than 50 publications to date in tier 1 spine journals such as Spine, The Spine Journal and European Spine Journal. His most recent notable publications were on the subjects of dual attending surgeons to increase the safety in scoliosis surgery, accelerated recovery protocol for scoliosis surgery and safety of pedicle screws in scoliosis surgery. His publications have won the “Subir Sengupta Best Published Clinical Award 2017 and 2018” and the “P. Balasubramaniam Best Published Basic Science Award”. He is an active member of the Scoliosis Research Society and is the Fellowship Chairperson for the Asia Pacific Spine Society. He is also in the editorial board for the Asian Spine Journal and is the spine manuscript editor for the Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal. He is also a Committee Member of the Malaysian Spine Society. 

Sharifah Hayaati Syed Ismail is a professor at the Department of Siasah Syar`iyyah (Islamic Political Science), Academy of Islamic Studies, the University of Malaya, after beginning her career as an assistant lecturer in 1992. She received a Bachelor of Sharia with First Class Honours from the University of Malaya in 1992, a Master of Comparative Laws from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 1994, and a PhD in Administration and Policy Studies from the University of Bristol in England (1999). Her primary research interests include Islamic governance, non-governmental organisations, halal governance, integrity, and women's leadership. She was appointed to many administrative roles at the university, including deputy director of undergraduate studies, head of department, and UM panel for SLAB/SLAI. She was appointed Honorary Professor of Infrastructure University Malaysia from October 2022 to October 2023. She is also an adjunct Associate Professor at the Islamic University Sultan Sharif Ali, Brunei Darussalam, for one semester from January to Mei 2023. She published over 300 works, including books, journals (WoS; Scopus, Mycite & International referred journals) chapters in books, Guidelines and newspapers. Her recent publications include Halal Governance, UM Press (2024), Virtual Civil Society in Malaysia: Challenge and Continuity (Eds.), UUM Press (2024), Islam & Governance in Malaysia (Eds.), University Malaya Press (2022), Civil Society in Malaysia: Issue and Challenges (Eds.), University Technology Mara Press (2022) Islam & Dynamics Civil Society in Malaysia (Eds.), University Malaya Press (2021), Effective Governance, Politics & Quality from Islam and Contemporary Perspectives, University Malaya Press (2020), ISO 9000 Quality Manual: Its Application in Civil Service, UPNM Press (2018).Due to her expertise and experience, she is appointed by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and the University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) as an external assessor for the Associate Professor position. She has supervised over 40 postgraduates at the Master's and Doctoral levels in Islamic Political Science. She frequently chaired a PhD and master's board of committees and seminars besides being appointed as an external and internal examiner. She has been a Chief Editor for the International Journal of Islam & Contemporary Affairs from 2019 to the present and an editorial board member in several local and international journals. In recognition of her insights, she has been elected as a panel and government think-tank in several national committees and projects including as a Taskforce for Shariah-based Governance Guidelines, Prime Minister Office, National Project on Maqasid Sharia Index, Syariah Advisor to TV al-Hijrah and Syariah Panel Advisor to the University of Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Appointment and Disciplinary Panel for Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM), Head of Research Cluster on Women & Social Affairs, YADIM Management and Research Centre, 2020-to present, Chairperson National Panel for Issues on Muslim Women (PISWI) 2019-2021 and expert panel for leadership document Qawwam (JAKIM) 2022. Her most recent research project with Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM) resulted in the successful production of a Technical Report and National Guideline for Handling Mental Health Due to Work-Family Issues During the Pandemic and Endemic COVID-19 in Malaysia based on the Dakwah Approach 2022, a blueprint for National Dakwah Plan, (YADIM grant) 2021, and a Modul for Asnaf Development (MAIW (MAIWP, DBKL & UMCARES grant) 2020. At the international level, she was awarded a fellowship at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the University of Oxford. The research was on Islamic governance in Muslim institutions in Britain. The research was granted under the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU Titular Fellowship) and the University Malaya Study Leave Award in 2015. In 2007, she received a Fulbright Visiting Specialist award that sent her to Batavia, New York. Numerous times, she was invited to participate as a keynote speaker and plenary speaker, as well as for professional sharing. Among the most recent and noteworthy is the invitation from the government of the Kyrgyz Republic and being a Malaysian delegate to the International Women Summit in Istanbul in 2018, where she delivered a paper on Islam & women's leadership and work-family balance in Malaysia. She is actively involved as the Principal Investigator (PI) and expert advisor in her field. She received more than 10 research grants for various studies from local, international, and industrial bodies. Including the Ministry of Higher Education (FRGS), University Malaya Research Grant (UMRG & UMCares), International Islamic University Malaysia (Puncak Niaga Holdings), Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM), FAA Consultancy, and Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (SUHAKAM). She was recognised and awarded Pingat Johan Mahkota Wilayah (JMW) in 2019 and Pingat Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) in 2012. While in Dakwah & Charity work, she was awarded Anugerah Tokoh Maulidur Rasul Wilayah Persekutuan, 2018, Tokoh Maulidur Rasul Kebangsaan, 2015, Anugerah Daie Ilmuan Wanita, TV al-Hijrah, 2022, and Anugerah Pendakwah Negara (Sahabat YADIM) Kategori Ilmuan 2024.

Hi, I am an Associate Professor at the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS), Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya (UM), and the Founding Director of the Universiti Malaya Sustainable Development Centre (UMSDC) since 2022. I began my academic career at UM after completing my PhD in Science and Technology Policy at SPRU, University of Sussex, in 2009. My educational background includes a BSc in Ecology from the Insitute Biological Sciences, Universiti Malaya and an MSc in Environmental Management and Policy from the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University, Sweden. My research primarily explores the intersection of science, technology, and innovation (STI) with environmental sustainability, particularly within the context of sustainable development and the challenges faced by late-industrializing countries. Over the years, I have expanded my interdisciplinary approach to contribute to Sustainability Science, engaging in areas such as sustainability transitions, education for sustainable development, participatory watershed management, place-based citizen science, and social innovation. I am actively involved in teaching and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students, integrating environmental sciences with STI policy, management, and governance. My commitment to campus sustainability dates back to my student years and continues today. From 2009 to 2013, I served as Deputy Coordinator and later Principal Coordinator of UM’s ecocampus initiative. In 2014, I became the founding Director of UMCARES, the university’s Sustainability and Community Centre at the time (now rebranded as UM's Community Engagement), and played a key role in shaping the UM Campus Sustainability Living Lab Programme during my tenure.  Within the civil society, space I was the founding principal coordinator of UM’s Water Warriors, one of the university’s pioneering greening movements and Living Lab, focusing on participatory watershed conservation. Today, I continue to contribute as an academic volunteer, working alongside dedicated colleagues and students across generations to promote environmental stewardship, within the UM campus and beyond. Additionally, I serve as an advisor to Inspirasi Kawa, a community-based environmental organization in Kuala Selangor, and Sekitar Kita, a university-based social enterprise. I am also a research associate with the social enterprise Urban Biodiversity Initiative (UBI) Beyond Malaysia, I represent UM in regional and international sustainability networks, including the ASEAN University Network on Ecological Education and Culture (AUN-EEC) and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Malaysia Chapter. Previously, I was a networking fellow under the Universities and Research Council Network on Innovation for Inclusive Development in Southeast Asia (UNIID-SEA) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Asia Core Programme on Asian-Oriented Integrated Watershed Management. For more details, please visit my my full UMEXPERT profile.