Dr. Abubakar Abubakar Usman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia, where he specializes in globalization, development, and the politics of Africa and the Middle East. With a multidisciplinary academic background spanning International Relations, Diplomacy, and Islamic Finance, Dr. Usman is a prolific scholar whose work bridges theory and policy. Academic LeadershipDr. Usman currently serves as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, teaching Politics and International Relations of the Middle East. He has also been invited as a Guest Speaker at institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Nile University Nigeria, where he shared expertise on diplomacy, conflict resolution, and strategic studies. His teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking and real-world applicability, honed through roles as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and as an English instructor for Saudi Schools Kuala Lumpur. Research ContributionsA dedicated researcher, Dr. Usman has held prestigious fellowships, including as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at IIUM’s Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), where he explored the intersection of Islamic finance and global development. As a Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Africa Studies Circle at the Asia Middle East Centre for Research and Dialogue (AMEC), he fosters cross-civilizational dialogue and evidence-based policy recommendations. His research has been published in high-impact journals such as South African Journal of International Affairs, Global Society, and Contemporary Islam, and he has contributed chapters to Routledge and Palgrave Macmillan volumes on Islamic finance, African diplomacy, and human rights. Dr. Usman actively engages in peer review for Web of Science-indexed journals, including Security Journal and SN Social Sciences, and is currently developing two book projects: The Political Economy of Africa-Asia Relations (Routledge) and Coups in 21st Century Africa (Palgrave Macmillan). His doctoral thesis on Boko Haram’s media strategies and master’s research on Islamic finance as a development tool reflect his commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. Policy and Public EngagementBeyond academia, Dr. Usman is a sought-after commentator on African geopolitics, contributing to platforms like Africa@LSE, Daily Trust, and The Conversation. His analyses on ECOWAS, military coups, and Nigeria’s foreign policy have shaped public discourse. He has also served as an interpreter and translator for Malaysian government agencies, leveraging fluency in English, Arabic, and Hausa. Education and Honors PhD in International Relations (Globalization & Development), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Master of Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (CGPA: 4.00), UKM Master of Political Science (CGPA: 3.83), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) BA in Arabic/Mass Communication, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria Professional Affiliations Member, International Studies Association (ISA) Associate Member, International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS) For a full list of publications and research projects, visit his Google Scholar or ORCID profiles. Contact:Email: abubakar.usman@um.edu.my | Phone: +60 162417993Address: Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya

Faridah Che Husain, is a Senior Lecturer at the Academy of Malay Studies, Universiti Malaya. She obtained all her academic qualifications from Universiti Malaya, namely a Bachelor’s Degree in Japanese studies, a Master of Arts in Civilizational Studies, and subsequently a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Islamic Studies. Her areas of expertise encompass civilizational studies, ethics, philosophy and contemporary issues, ethnic relations, as well as Malay and Islamic arts. In addition, she also examines aspects of ethics, morality, and character from an Islamic perspective, with particular emphasis on the integration of cultural and religious values within a plural society. As a scholar, she is actively engaged in academic writing, teaching, and research, adopting a multidisciplinary approach grounded in humanistic values. Her expertise not only contributes to the advancement of knowledge at the university level but also strengthens academic discourse on Malay-Islamic civilization in the global context.

Dr. Ong Tze Chin received her PhD and LLM from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) under the scholarship of the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia. Prior to her academic career, she was a practicing lawyer in litigation after obtaining her LLB(Hons) Degree from University of Northumbria, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. She was called to the UK Bar as Barrister-at-Law by the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn in 2005 and Malaysian Bar as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2007. She started her academic career in 2010 and has been actively involved in teaching and research. She is a passionate researcher and has been actively involved in many research writings and projects. She has published over 20 publications both national and internationally including journal articles, chapters in books and proceedings. She specialises in consumer protection law, comparative legal research, contract law, law of remedies, sale of goods and alternative dispute resolution. Her research area is in consumer protection law, particularly in the current consumer issues related to e-commerce and competition law. She is currently the project leader for FRGS research project of "A Framework for Competition Law on Digital Market of E-commerce Platforms in Malaysia." She completed 2019 FRGS research project on building guidelines for avoidance of fraudulent online sale for consumer protection. She had been involved in competition law research project funded by Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) and successfully completed the research project on Behavioural Insights of Voluntary Tax Compliance of Malaysian E-commerce funded by Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN). She also consulted on the OPSS UK Product Safety Review: Call for Evidence Response of the Product Liability Forum in 2021 on issues related to product safety on IoT. Her recent consultation projects include ASEAN Guidelines on Consumer Protection in E-Commerce and ASEAN Guidelines on Unfair Contract Terms of Consumer Protection in ASEAN (PROTECT I) and (PROTECT II) project implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany. She is also the consultant for KK IT Research Art, Japan on the research project awarded by Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI) on laws and regulations in Malaysia common to IoT products.