Prof. Dr. Esther Daniel Medical Education, Research and Development Unit (MERDU), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya    Areas of Expertise  & Background Science Education (Biology); Environmental Education / Education for Sustainable Development; Science Teacher Education, Medical Education; Integrating Technology in Teaching; Learning and Cognition; Learning Sciences, Metacognition, Pedagogies. Esther is an  educator, formerly with the Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya. With over three decades of experience as a teacher educator, her professional journey began in some of Malaysia’s premier boarding schools—Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak, Seremban; the Malay College Kuala Kangsar; and Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh—where she taught science with distinction. Her academic expertise spans science education, environmental education, technology integration in science classrooms, and learning and cognition. She has conducted numerous workshops and seminars on qualitative research methodologies and pedagogical innovations, serving as a Master Trainer for new lecturers in institutions of higher learning. Her research has primarily focused on science, biology and environmental education, and many of her postgraduate students have successfully completed their studies under her supervision. She has conducted numerous workshops for Qualitative Research Methodologies. Esther has collaborated extensively with WWF-Malaysia, contributing to in-depth research and teacher training initiatives that promote sustainable development education. Her scholarly footprint includes published journal articles, conference presentations (local and international), and the authorship of several teaching and research modules—including those on Science pedagogy, Environmental Education, Sustainable Education and Qualitative Research Methods. Among her notable publications are Biology Education in a Changing Planet and Cognition in Science Education. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including: The UNESCO-Hamdan Award (2016) for effective teacher training, The Venus International Women’s Award (2017) for Lifetime Achievement in Science Education (Biology), The Universiti Malaya Excellence Award (2018) for securing the highest international grant. More recently, she has ventured into Medical Education. She currently serves as an Honorary Professor at the Medical Education, Research and Development Unit, Faculty of Medicine, UM. She played a key role in developing and implementing the MOHRE (Master of Health Research Ethics) programme She is an  affiliated member of the UM-WWF-M Living Planet Centre, having recently completed a nationwide Sustainable Development research initiative. Esther led a nationwide study on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with PPPLS (Pertubuhan Pendidikan Pembangunan Lestari Selangor) from 2022 to 2023. Esther is a senior fellow at the Asia Office of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in Sunway University. She is also involved in the UNESCO-Chair Project for ESD (2022–2025) in collaboration with Asia Pacific University (APU), and serves as a consultant on Mission 4.7: Transformational Learning through ESD, a global initiative by the (SDSN) at the Jeffrey Sachs Centre, Sunway University (2023–2025). She is also the co-researcher for the UNESCO Action Research project for ESD (2025). She is also attached to the Asia – University (AeU) and the Asia Pacific University (APU) of technology and innovation as an Adjunct Professor. She is also a member of the Jawatankuasa Rakan Strategik Pendidikan untuk Pembangunan Mampan dan Kewarganegaraan Global KPM (2025-2026) and involved actively in preparing an action plan for ESD and Global Citizenship.    

Kong Kin Weng holds the position of a senior lecturer in the Department of Molecular Medicine. He joined Universiti Malaya in 2011 as a SLAI Fellow and was honoured with the esteemed Bright Spark Scholarship, which enabled him to pursue his PhD in Molecular Medicine. This marked a turning point as he delved into the molecular intricacies underlying the relationship between food and health. Kong's passion for his field drove him to explore various facets of nutritional sciences, including food analysis, food chemistry, nutritional biochemistry, nutrigenomics (transcriptomics and lipidomics), traditional medicine, and natural products. His work aimed to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern scientific advancements, uncovering the hidden potential of nature's bounty. Kong's dedication to research and commitment to advancing the field did not go unnoticed. During his tenure, he received a travel award for the Japan Medical Innovation Programme (2017) established by Kyushu University that sponsored by the Japan Science and Technology Agency. He experienced as a visiting researcher at the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College sponsored by International Joint Research and Academic Exchanges (One Belt, One Road Project) (2019) and Jeffery Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia (2023). He was the Specially-invited Expert (2017-2020) and the Research Consultant (2019-2024) of Agro-food Science and Technology Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. Kong is actively involved in many international journals, he was the Review Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition (2017-2024) and was the Lead Guest Associate Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition and Frontiers in Chemistry (Research topic: Phytochemical and nutritional properties of underutilised plants, 2017-2018), Guest Associate Editor of Frontiers in Microbiology (Research topic: Discovery of novel plant-derived compounds with antibacterial actions against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, 2018-2019), and Editorial Board Member of Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science (2017-2021). Currently, he is serving as the Associate Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition (2024-Present), Editorial Board Member of Discover Food (2024-Present) and Editorial Board Member of Food as Medicine (2025-Present). Kong is an eminent reviewer for many journals, he was honoured with the Publons Peer Review Awards, attaining the distinction of being among the “Top 1% peer reviewers in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, 2017” and “Top 1% of Reviewer in Agricultural Sciences, 2018”. Kong has acted as an external examiner of PhD/MSc theses from different universities. His research on medicinal and functional foods has been published in many reputable peer-reviewed journals as well as book, chapters and patents.

  Dr. Siaw Yan Li is an Associate Professor from the Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya. She obtained her PhD in Educational Psychology and began her academic career at the Institute of Educational Leadership, Universiti Malaya. She is a Registered Psychologist under Malaysian Psychological Association (PSIMA). Her expertise and research area include educational psychology, sexuality education, special education, adolescent development and psychometric studies. Throughout her career, she has been awarded several grants and impactful publications, which have enabled her to continue her research and contribute to the academic community. She teaches a range of courses, and to date there are a total of 21 graduated postgraduate students under her supervision. These have been recognised for her engaging teaching style and commitment to student success.  Full CV: AP Dr Siaw Yan-Li