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

Feng-Hsu Lee, a Taiwanese composer, has received numerous awards, among them, the first prize of the Washington International Competition for Composition (2012), the runner-up of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute (2010), the Anthony and Carolyn Donato Prize of the Eastman School of Music (2008), the second prize in the Literature and Arts Creation Award of the Ministry of Education in Taiwan (2008), the first prize of the Taipei Percussion Composition Competition (2002), the first prize of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra International Composition Competition (2001), etc. Until now, he has accepted commissioned works from the Council for Cultural Affairs Taiwan, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, YinQi Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Association of Vocal Artists of R.O.C., Central Connecticut State University Chamber Players, Performance 20/20 of the Hartt School, Taipei Century Choir, Tabernacle Women’s Choir, Taiwanese Choral Society of Rochester, Chiasong Ensemble, Sharing Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Youth String Orchestra, Lien Percussion, Sylvanus Ensemble, Composition VII Saxophone Quartet, Ensemble Yeon, The Woven Sounds, and Oboe Duo Agosto. Currently he works as a senior lecturer in Department of Music, Faculty of Creative Arts at Universiti Malaya. He holds the degrees of music composition from The Hartt School (DMA), Eastman School of Music (MM), National Taiwan Normal University (MFA) and Soochow University (BL, Music), studying with Larry Alan Smith, Stephen Michael Gryc, Robert Carl, David Macbride, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez, and Gordon Shi-Wen Chin. For more information, please visit his website: http://fenghsulee.com

Dr. Chui Pin Leaw is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya. Her research pertains to marine protistology and phycology, focusing on the studies of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Her research spans ecology, taxonomy, molecular systematics, evolution, and the genetics and toxigenesis of harmful toxic microalgae. She commenced her academic career at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in September 2008 as a senior lecturer DS51 in the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation (IBEC). She obtained her First Class BSc. (H), in Marine Science from the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) and subsequently earned her MSc. and Ph.D. in Marine Science from the same institution. She is affiliated with professional organizations pertinent to her field of study, including the International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA), the Phycological Society of America (PSA), and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). She is actively engaged in editorial responsibilities, having been appointed as a reviewer for high-impact factor journals (BMC Evolutionary Biology, PlosONE, Harmful Algae, Scientific Reports), and has served as a regional editor on the editorial board of Harmful Algae News. Throughout her academic tenure, she has mentored over 40 undergraduate students, six Ph.D. candidates and 16 MSc students who have completed their studies under her guidance.