Maria serves as a Senior Lecture in the Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya. She obtained her PhD in Public Policy from Universiti Malaya under the University's Scholarship Award (SLAB). Her research interests encompass several domains, including policy and governance, public administration and urbanization. She also engages in researching Artificial Intelligence (AI) in relation to emotions and behaviours. Maria specializes in qualitative research, where she emphasizes the significance of human-centric understanding, particularly in conducting research within the social sciences. 

BIOGRAPHY : Dr. Chong Pan Pan holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Microbiology, a Master of Science in Biochemistry, and a Ph.D. in Tissue Engineering. Following the completion of her doctoral training, she served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow before being appointed as a Senior Lecturer at the National Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence in Research and Learning (NOCERAL), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya (UM), Malaysia. Dr. Chong is actively involved in translational orthopaedic and regenerative medicine research, with a particular emphasis on tissue engineering and orthobiologic therapies. She has played a key role in the development and clinical translation of platelet-derived extracellular vesicle (P-EV)–based therapies, which have been implemented as clinical services for musculoskeletal conditions such as lateral epicondylitis, plantar fasciitis, osteochondral defects, delayed union, and knee osteoarthritis at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and University Malaya Specialist Centre (UMSC). Her research interests focus on adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their application as biological therapies for poorly regenerating tissues, particularly articular cartilage. Her work investigates MSCs derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, and adipose tissue, with an emphasis on directing chondrogenic differentiation for cartilage repair and joint regeneration in patients affected by trauma or degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. Dr. Chong has published extensively in high-impact, Q1 peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research at numerous international scientific conferences. In recognition of her contributions, she has received multiple prestigious awards, including Young Investigator Awards, Young Investigator Best Paper Award, L’Oréal Malaysia for Women in Science, as well as Best Poster and Oral Presentation awards and competitive travel fellowships. She has also actively participated in biotechnology exhibitions and innovation-driven business competitions, earning several innovation awards for her work on MSC- and P-EV-based regenerative therapies. In addition, Dr. Chong has successfully developed and secured intellectual property, with patents granted for her novel innovations in regenerative medicine and orthobiologic therapies.

  Gs. Dr. Rosilawati Zainol is a Professor in Urban Analytics at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya (UM). Since joining UM in 2004, she has published quite a number of articles, chapters in books, and books related to sustainable urban development and tourism development. Her research interest is in urban analytics (the use of information technology in urban and regional planning and urban studies, especially in geographic information systems), spatial analysis and statistics, and the circular and informal economy. Her recent publications include Navigating challenges in the sustainable development of urban brownfields: A PLS path modeling perspective, A systematic literature review of brownfield sustainability: Dimensions, indicators, and stakeholders, Satisfaction of International and Domestic Tourists in Malaysia’s Oldest National Park: Taman Negara Pahang, A Review of Child-Friendly City Assessment Tools – Are We Really Planning Cities for Children? and Aplikasi Sistem Maklumat Geografi (GIS) dalam Perancangan Bandar.