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.

Dr. Wahib M. Atroosh, hailing from Yemen, is a senior lecturer in the Department of Parasitology at Universiti Malaya (UM), where he has been a faculty member since 2019. He began his academic journey in the same department, completing his Master's degree in 2012, and subsequently pursued a PhD, which he earned with Distinction in 2017. Dr. Wahib's research focuses primarily on Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the majority of severe malaria cases and deaths in humans, known for its high mortality rate and increasing resistance to antimalarial drugs. His expertise includes monitoring antimalarial drug resistance through in vivo clinical trials and the application of molecular gene markers of drug resistance. In addition to his primary research on malaria, Dr. Wahib collaborates with local and international research teams, including partnerships with the Medical Research Center at Jazan University in Saudi Arabia, the School of Biological Science at Universiti Sains Malaysia, and the College of Health Sciences, Nigeria. These collaborations explore the epidemiology, genotyping, and molecular characterization of antimalarial drug resistance in P. falciparum isolates from both Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. Dr. Wahib's contributions to the field of parasitology extend to other areas, including research on leishmaniasis, intestinal protozoa, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths (STH), and parasite-related health education programs. Dr. Wahib has also been involved in developing a novel gene marker aimed at differentiating P. falciparum isolates, enhancing the correctness of the malaria therapeutic efficacy studies outcome. Throughout his career at UM, Dr. Wahib has successfully secured internal and external research grants and contributed to 44 publications in indexed journals with an h-index of 18 and a total of 1,615 citations. He was also awarded the Universiti Malaya Excellent Service Award (APC) for the year 2023. Dr. Wahib actively contributes to the academic community as a member of scientific and technical committees and serves as a judge at international conferences. He is also a peer reviewer for several esteemed journals, including Scientific Reports, PLoS ONE, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Parasites & Vectors, Malaria Journal, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, BMC Medicine, Pathogens and Global Health, and Tropical Biomedicine. His involvement in these roles underscores his commitment to advancing research and fostering collaboration in the field of parasitology.

Nurul Asmaa Akmal is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Academy of Malay Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. She completed her PhD at Universiti Malaya. Her research interests encompass waste management, Malay cleaners, 3D workers, and Malay socio-cultural studies. She has published several journal articles focusing on waste management and the dynamics of 3D workers. Her current research endeavors are related to social labelling, quality of life, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).