Marlenny Deenerwan, holds a doctorate degree in Theatre Performance from Monash University, Australia (2016), Master of Arts (2011) and a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Drama (2007) from the Universiti Malaya, and received a Diploma of Creative Writing of the National Arts Academy currently known as ASWARA (2002). Prior to entering academia, she served as a teacher at SM Shan Tao Kota Kinabalu Sabah (1995-1997) and also was a sub-editor at Daily Express Sabah (1997-1998). As an academic, her research spans the field of Malaysian traditional and rituals theatre; Bobolian rituals in Sabah, the traditional theater of Wayang Kulit, Makyong, and Bangsawan, research on the Minang community in Kuala Lumpur and the Kaul event of the Melanau community in Mukah. Her recent research focusing on developing interactive theater as an alternative to teaching and learning for young children in rural areas by conducting a field work at SK Pekan Ranau, Sabah. An active creative writer since 1999, Marlenny has published over 20 scripts of modern stage dramas and adaptations (Nur, Dari M ke M, Rumah Lama Kampung Baru, Melati & Melur, YB Jee, Lina & Lijah, No Smoking Please etc), dozens television dramas since 2003 (Haryati II, Dilema Wanita, Kasihnya Di Bawah Bayu, Igauan Semalam etc), besides also contributing to documentary writing, tv promos, newspaper articles/ criticism, short stories, poems, and song lyrics. She has also been prolific in producing Bangsawan scripts since 2007 to date.She involves actively as an actor, director, and stage drama producer since 1998. Her play directing works including Rumah Lama Kampung Baru, Melati & Melur, No Smoking Please, Rachel Corrie, The Glass Menageries, The Zoo Story, Bangsawan Anak Raja Anak Papa (The Prince and The Pauper), Zhao Si Anak Yatim, Asiah Samiah and Bangsawan Hikayat Si Miskin Menjadi Raja. She is the co-founder of the theatre group Mekar Budaya since 2002 as well as the Bangsawan Opera Sri Bandaraya group under the organization of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall since 2008. She won the Best Actress award at the Malaysian Theater Festival 2003, Best Director of the Kuala Lumpur Theater Festival 2009, and was the recipient of the Young Theater Artist Award from the Selangor State Government in 2010. She was appointed as the Head of Jury of the Malaysian Theater Festival 2016 by the National Department for Culture and Arts, and served as the Head of Jury for Universiti Malaya's Theatre Carnival (Kaviter UM) since 2017-2020.Marlenny has published a book entitled "Bobolian Seni Teater Etnik Dusun", and is currently in the process of producing a book entitled "Tertib dan Masyhur: Estetika Bangsawan Malaysia". Throughout her activities with NGOs, Marlenny was the former President of the ASWARA Alumni Association 2015-2018, and is currently the Chairperson of the Persatuan Rumpun Seni Mekar Budaya Kuala Lumpur (since 2020), besides maintaining her membership with Ikatan Penulis Sabah since 1992.

VGR Chandran is Professor of Industrial Development at the Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics at University of Malaya. He has also worked as Principal Analyst of Economic and Policy Studies with Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and his research interests are mainly on innovation, technology development, trade and globalization that relate to industrial development. His field research covers sectors such as electrical and electronics, automotive, food, chemical, oil palm, machinery, iron and steel, ICT, and the newly emerging sector - renewable energy. He had extensive fieldwork covering the Asian region that includes countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, India, China, Thailand, and Malaysia. In recent years, his research interest expanded into investigating newly emerging enterprises within the context of social innovation and social enterprises, as well as open innovation. His interest has also expanded in studying the issues of NTMs, mainly regulatory and procedural requirements that serve as a barrier for firms to integrate into the Global Value Chain. He has also worked as a consultant for international organizations such as UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNEP, ERIA, OECD as well as governmental organizations in Malaysia. He has published articles in international journals - Economics of New Technology and Innovation, Policy Modelling, as well as book chapters and books on industrial development and innovation. He is the recipient of various national and international grants – to name a few - European Union Horizon 2020 and IDR, Canada, among others. His work is widely quoted in government policy documents contributing to numerous policy changes. He has contributed to the Malaysian regulatory reform efforts, STI and Industrial policy development at national as well as state level. His work via Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Economic Planning Unit, Academic of Sciences, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, MIGHT, Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysian Productivity Corporation and Institute Darul Ridzuan (state level) was instrumental in making the policy changes. His engagement with the industry are mainly in the form of undertaking studies and providing expert opinions. He has received various awards, e.g., excellence in teaching award and outstanding paper award from Emerald and Elsevier. Details of his current projects as follows: (1) Catching-up along the GVC: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/214786/factsheet/en (2) Regional Economic Corridors: http://www.crisea.eu/researchers/chandran-vgr

Che Zarrina Sa’ari, who graduated from the University of Malaya (Bachelor's and Master's degrees) and Edinburgh University (PhD), is currently the Professor at the Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya, Malaysia, working in the Department of Aqidah and Islamic Thought. She served several times as the Head of the Department of Aqidah and Islamic Thought and as the Deputy Director (Development and Research) at the same Academy, and currently she is the Deputy Director (Research) until December 2024. She was also a visiting scholar at Leiden University (2004) and Edinburgh University (2010). Dr. Che Zarrina’s broad academic and research interests involve Sufism, Islamic Psychospiritual, Islamic Psychotherapy, and Islamic Ethics. She has produced over 300 publications, including books, chapters in books, articles in journals, short articles in mass media, and conference proceedings that were presented nationally and internationally. Dr. Che Zarrina has been invited many times by national as well as international universities to deliver lectures or talks on Islamic Psychospiritual and Psychotherapy. She has also been invited to be a keynote speaker, plenary speaker, or invited speaker in seminars, conferences, and workshops nationally and internationally in her area of expertise. She has presented papers in seminars and conferences and delivered motivational talks as well as religious talks to the public from time to time, and written short articles in magazines and newspapers. Dr. Che Zarrina has produced about 50 master's students and 53 doctorate students in her field. The graduates, national and international, became her successors in the dissemination and enhancement of their expertise and have contributed to the academic world, government, and community, especially in spiritual and mental well-being. In research, she has been awarded about 105 internal and external research grants, for instance, ERGS, FRGS, MAIS Fatwa Research Grant, IIRG, MRUN, JAKIM Fatwa Research Grant, RACE, USM, JAIS Fatwa Research Grant, GP LPPKN, UMRG Project, and UMRG Programme. The outputs of the research could be seen through the graduation of graduate research assistants, publications, curriculum designs, and reviews for new courses or module improvements. In addition, those outputs have also been utilized to assist government institutions. For example, in developing modules, manuals, guidelines, policies, and fatwas. Furthermore, many of the outputs of Islamic Psychospiritual and Psychotherapy have been applied and carried out publicly by the community and non-governmental associations (NGO). To impart this knowledge to the relevant communities, Dr. Che Zarrina has been invited to facilitate the training of the trainers (ToT) workshops and intervention sessions that are usually organized by the government, such as JAKIM, Malaysian Ministry of Health, Jabatan Perpaduan Negara dan Intergrasi Nasional, state religious councils and departments, non-governmental organizations, and the public. In the professional field, based on her expertise and involvement with the stakeholders, she has gained their trust and has been appointed to one of JAKIM’s prestigious committees as an Expert Panel for Aqidah (PPA) with terms of reference to respond to current issues of `aqidah and school of thought in society and give an initial view on the issuance of a fatwa for Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa, Majlis Kebangsaan Bagi Hal Ehwal Ugama Islam Malaysia (MKI). She has been involved in various committees and has been appointed as an expert panel, among others in Expert Panel for Programme Standards: Islamic Studies by Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), Expert Panel of the Field of Aqidah and Sufism, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Top Management Committee for KSKCare Centre JAKIM, and Dini Curriculum Development for Ministry of Education Malaysia. In academic linkage, Dr. Che Zarrina has been involved as an academic advisor for several local universities, journals editor-in-Chief, advisory board member, member of journal editorial boards, postgraduate external examiner, and member of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES). She is the Editor in Chief for AFKAR: Journal of Aqidah & Islamic Thought, indexed in WoS-ESCI and SCOPUS. She has also been appointed Editor in Chief for Qalbu: International Journal of Sufism published by PERTAMA, the advisory board for the Journal of Islamic Theology Pakistan and the Journal of Islamic Research Turkey, and has become a reviewer for WoS and SCOPUS journals. She also contributes to society through her involvement with several national and international non-government organizations (NGO) such as the Islamic Psychospiritual Association Malaysia (IPSA) as Deputy President, Majlis Dakwah Negara, Persatuan Kaunseling Syarie Malaysia, and the International Association of Islamic Psychology. She has obtained several certificates as a certified practitioner, such as Psychological First Aid, Mental Health Coach, and Crisis Intervention and Trauma Counseling. Among her significant contributions to the country is her involvement from the beginning in setting up the KSKCare Centre@MTMZA JAKIM which is a community referral center that provides professional and free services to the community.  Since then, she, who leads the Islamic Psychospiritual Team, has always performed training of the trainers (ToT) managed by JAKIM and others for related persons.