Started his research career in the think tank sector, Dr. Lee Chee Leong (Karl) is attracted to the rise of non-traditional diplomacy in the international order today. Such appeal has taken Dr. Lee into new research horizons that started with his Monash University's doctoral research on the Chinese sub-state diplomacy in China-ASEAN economic cooperation. With constructive supervision by Professor Helen Nesadurai and Associate Professor Kuik Cheng Chwee, Dr. Lee completed his doctoral thesis that unravels how a faraway and least developed sub-state of Guangxi managed to overcome its own hurdles, navigate the complexities within the Chinese state and become the frontline actor in China-ASEAN economic cooperation.  Following his doctoral completion, Dr. Lee's research on non-traditional diplomacy has expanded into Taiwan’s quasi-state diplomacy in Southeast Asia. Such quest has led him spending at great length in comprehending the concept of soft power, a concept that finds its relevance to Taiwan, which has no official diplomatic with Southeast Asia but is heavily connected to the region and has to rely on soft power in its engagements with these Southeast Asian nations. By comparing different case studies of Taiwan's quasi-state engagement within Southeast Asia, Dr. Lee has developed the soft power diffusion process to explain how such phenomenon operates in the real world. His ongoing and incoming research projects include Unpacking ‘De-risking’ China in the Indo-Pacific Region: Economic Statecraft (ES) & Geoeconomics, Taiwan's New Southbound Policy (NSP) and NSP+: The Domestic-International Dichotomy, The Taiwanese Connections in Nvidia's Global AI Supply Chain and Taiwan and Ireland: The Story of Two Tech Powerhouses.  To date, Dr. Lee was the recipient of several scholarships and fellowships in Malaysia and overseas: University of Malaya’s Graduate Fellowship (2010-2011); Monash University’s Merit Scholarship (2016-2019); Chinese Government Scholarship (2018-2019); and Taiwan Fellowship (2020). Prior to his appointment as Senior Lecturer at the Institute of China Studies (ICS), he was the Visiting Scholar at Guangxi University for Nationalities (GXUN) (2018-2019), Taiwan Fellow at National Chengchi University (NCCU) (2020) and Associate Fellow at ICS UM (2016-2019). He welcomes any potential PhD candidate who would like to work on Taiwan-Southeast Asia relations, comparative cases of ES between Asia and Europe, US-China-ASEAN semiconductor geoeconomics and case studies of donut economies in Asia. He is also willing to discuss with potential doctoral candidates on proposals related to the Chinese sub-state (provincial and city) diplomacy toward ASEAN, comparative cases of sub-state diplomacy between Asia and Europe as well as conceptual innovations of sub-state diplomacy vis-a-vis soft power.     

Dr. Ng Wei Leik is a primary care physician and senior lecturer at Universiti Malaya. His academic interests include pharmacogenomics and digital health, with a focus on applications relevant to primary care. In pharmacogenomics, Dr. Ng has been involved in studies exploring the role of genetic testing—particularly HLA-B*58:01 allele screening—to reduce adverse drug reactions in patients with gout. These efforts are part of broader collaborations with national health agencies to explore the integration of genomic tools into routine primary care. In parallel, Dr. Ng has contributed to digital health and e-learning initiatives aimed at supporting clinical practice and medical education. In the area of digital health, he has worked on symptom monitoring systems for COVID-19 and dengue, as well as decision support tools for managing low back pain. Dr. Ng is also part of an international research initiative focused on respiratory health, where he contributed to the development of a mobile-based early alert system aimed at improving asthma control using high-resolution air quality forecasts. His work in e-learning includes involvement in virtual patient simulations, interactive web-based modules, and regional e-learning collaborations. He has also participated in the development of evidence-informed e-learning resources for primary care physicians in Malaysia and Singapore. He is one of the coordinators for the university’s postgraduate Family Medicine training program, where he is actively involved in teaching, curriculum development, and assessment. He also serves as a regular research mentor with the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia.

Dr. Lim Einly is an internationally recognized leader in cardiovascular biomedical engineering and currently serves as Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universiti Malaya. She is the founder and principal investigator of the Asian Cardiac Engineering Group, an interdisciplinary research team that advances personalized cardiovascular modeling, medical image analysis, physiological control of cardiac assist devices, and telehealth technologies. Her work has played a central role in bridging engineering innovation with clinical practice, contributing significantly to the convergence of medicine, engineering, and digital health. Dr. Lim earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of New South Wales under the prestigious Australian EIPRS scholarship. She has authored over 70 Web of Science–indexed journal articles, secured more than RM3 million in competitive research funding, and received numerous accolades, including the Royal Society (UK) Newton Advanced Fellowship and the 2023 Chairpersonship Award from the Asia-Pacific Society for Artificial Organs (APSAO). In 2023, she chaired the 7th Annual APSAO International Congress in Kuala Lumpur, which brought together over 80 delegates from 9 countries—demonstrating her leadership in fostering international scientific collaboration and elevating Malaysia’s profile in cardiovascular research. A significant component of Dr. Lim’s academic leadership is her prominent role in establishing the Dual PhD program between Universiti Malaya and the University of New South Wales (UM-UNSW). She has been instrumental in shaping its structure, mentoring students across institutions, and nurturing cross-border research ecosystems. The program has allowed students to benefit from exposure to two world-class research environments. To date, four students have successfully graduated under this initiative, with three currently in progress—making it a sustainable model for international research training and capacity building. As a dedicated research mentor, Dr. Lim has supervised nine PhD and ten Master by Research students to completion and currently oversees seven PhD candidates working across advanced cardiovascular engineering topics. Her research team collaborates with global leaders including Imperial College London, University of Queensland, Texas Heart Institute, and the National University of Singapore. Her translational work, which includes two patents, extends to industry and clinical settings through active projects with B Braun Medical Industries and the National Heart Institute (IJN), among others. Dr. Lim also contributes substantially to university governance and academic quality. She serves as Final Year Project Coordinator and sits on key curriculum review, academic quality, and procurement committees. She regularly chairs PhD proposal and candidature defenses and serves as an external examiner at both local and international universities. She is also an active reviewer for national and international research grants, including for the Australian Research Council and Austrian Science Fund. As a Chartered Engineer (UK), Professional Engineer (Malaysia), and Council Member of The Asia-Pacific Society for Artificial Organs APSAO, Dr. Lim continues to lead in research, education, and professional service. Through her sustained contributions in innovation, academic leadership, and international engagement, she plays a vital role in advancing biomedical engineering across Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region.