Dr. Shafa'atussara Silahudin, born in Muar, Johor, is a distinguished Senior Lecturer and Programme Coordinator of Socio-Culture/Malay Arts at the Academy of Malay Studies, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. She was a Guest Researcher (2021-2022) at the Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University, Netherlands. Her academic journey includes a Doctoral Degree from Leiden University, after completing her thesis titled 'Malay Singing in Pahang Villages: Identity and Practice', supervised by Prof. Dr. Bernard Arps and Dr. Suryadi at the Leiden Institute for Area Studies. She also obtained her Master of Malay Studies in Performing Arts and Bachelor of Science in Biohealth (Honors) from Universiti Malaya. Dr. Shafa's academic and community engagement roles span several years. She was an Assistant Fellow (2006-2007) and College Fellow/Secretary (2008-2013) at Kolej Kediaman Tun Syed Zahiruddin (Ninth Residential College) and held a fellowship at Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares) from 2022-2023.  Dr. Shafa specializes in traditional/heritage music, Southeast Asian music history, alternative culture (including punk rock), arts community, popular media and music care. She is actively involved in interdisciplinary research, notably a project on music care for caregivers and older adults, collaborating with faculties of Medicine, Business and Economics, Creative Arts and Education under an IIRG grant (2022-2025). Her ethnographic research covers hybrid online-offline expressive cultural fields involving performers, industry professionals and audiences. As a traditional music practitioner in Malaysia, Dr. Shafa has recorded over 300 songs and has performed across Southeast Asia, China, Australia and the Netherlands. Her music performance videos are publicly accessible online. Dr. Shafa has an extensive publication record that includes: The book 'Malay Singing in Pahang Villages: Identity and Practice' published in 2023 by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) which was also the subject of her doctoral thesis. Co-authoring 'Wacana Pantun Melayu' in 2016, alongside Prof. Dr. Salinah Ja'afar, Associate Professor Dr. Tengku Intan Marlina Tengku Mohd Ali, and Malaysian National Laureate Datuk Dr. Zurinah Hassan, also published by DBP. Additional scholarly works from 2023 to present include topics such as music care for older adults and caregivers, Malay music in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and reflections on music education and music community post-COVID-19.  Dr. Shafa has received multiple prestigious awards acknowledging her artistic and academic excellence: Darjah Paduka Mahkota Perak (P.M.P.) awarded in conjunction with Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah's 68th birthday, recognizing her distinguished contributions to arts and culture. Anugerah Cemerlang Universiti Malaya (ACUM) 2024 for Arts, Culture & Creativity (Academic Staff), highlighting her outstanding academic and creative achievements. Anugerah Penggiat Seni (Seni Berbahasa) Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur in 2023. Anugerah Biduan Syair ASEAN in 2022. Anugerah Bitara Syair Nusantara in 2021. Champion, International Dendang Syair Competition in 2019. Skim Latihan Akademik Fellowships by Universiti Malaya 2008-2011 & 2013-2016. Significance and Impact: Dr. Shafa's body of work consolidates traditional Malay music and cultural heritage with contemporary academic inquiry and community engagement. By marrying ethnographic research with artistic practice, she fosters greater understanding and preservation of Malay cultural identity. Her interdisciplinary approach, involving collaborations across various university faculties and international ties, notably with Leiden University, underlines her impact on music care, cultural sustainability and the arts both within Malaysia and beyond. Her multifaceted achievements illustrate her role as key figure who bridges academia, arts, and community outreach, advancing Southeast Asian music and Malay arts scholarship while promoting cultural care practices and supporting artists and caregivers alike.

Wenn-Chyau Lee received his BSc (Hons) degree in Biomedical Sciences from University of Malaya, Malaysia in year 2011, and graduated with his PhD in Medical Sciences from University of Malaya in year 2014. Subsequently, he joined Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN, A*STAR) as a research fellow in Laurent Renia’s Laboratory. He was appointed as SIgN fellow after receiving OF-YIRG grant awarded by the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) of Singapore in year 2018. He joined the newly formed A*STAR ID Labs as an investigator in year 2021. Not long after that, he joined the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya as a senior lecturer. As a parasitologist, he has involved in studies encompassing a number of medically important parasites and disease vectors. His main research interest revolves around the immuno-pathobiology of malaria. He has been investigating and deciphering the roles of rosetting (a phenomenon where a red blood cell infected with malaria parasite is stably adhered to uninfected red blood cells, forming a flower-like structure called ‘rosette’) in the pathogenesis of malaria. He also involved in research projects that contributed the draft genomes of Brugia pahangi, Toxoplasma gondii, Anopheles cracens and An. maculatus. He has been working as a research fieldworker in different places including the Thai-Burmese Border, China, peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. As different laboratory settings are equipped differently, he enjoys adapting and improvising facilities available in the field sites to conduct experiments. To date, he has published (as first/ corresponding author) in a number of highly reputable journals such as Blood, eLife, EBioMedicine, Frontiers in Immunology, and Frontiers in Microbiology, and has become reviewers for journals such as Scientific Reports, Tropical Biomedicine, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Acta Tropica, Bio-protocols, Journal of Blood Medicine, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, and Frontiers in Medicine. He is also a review editor of Frontiers in Microbiology. 

Saedah Siraj is Professor of Curriculum Development at Faculty of Education, University of Malaya.  She has served as a lecturer for 37 years and the Dean of the Faculty of Education since 2009-2014, and founding Director of the University Malaya Centre for a Family Development which was established in 2003. She received her Ph.D degree in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Pittsburgh, in 1990.  Her research interests include future curriculum design, innovation of models and modules for mLearning curriculum, empirical methods in futures studies, instruction and learning quality, literacy education especially for indigenous group, and education for aging people. Saedah Siraj is the principal author of the books Kurikulum Masa Depan (Future Curriculum), Kajian Masa Depan dalam Pengembangan Kurikulum (Future Studies in Curriculum Development), Rekabentuk Kurikulum: Teori Praktis (Curriculum Design: Teory and Practice), Pendidikan Anak-anak (Children Education), Remaja dan Strategi Penyelesaian Masalah (Adolescent and Problem Solving Strategy), Design and Developmental Research: Emergent Trends in Educational Research. Chief Editor of the book of mLearning: A New Dimension of Curriculum Advancement, and Cognition and Learning: Issues and Strategies. She has published more than 150 articles locally and internationally. Professor Saedah Siraj is a pioneer in research studies and publications in mLearning in Asia beginning with the hosting and chairing of the international conference on mLearning in 2002.  She is also a pioneer in the application of Futures Studies in education.  She has successfully secured approval to establish a HUB for experts in Faculty of Education to facilitate research, development and expert services for the country. She has successfully produce more than 38 Phd graduate studends and secured a number of research grants both university and national level. She is now chairman of the Curriculum Association of Malaysia.