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. Taking Malaysia as the first case study of Taiwan's soft power in the region, Dr. Lee is developing the third intervening variable correlating both Taiwanese soft power resources and outcomes, in his course of providing a dynamical explanation for such phenomenon. For the coming years, his research focus and publications will be on the different areas featuring Taiwan-Malaysia and Taiwan-Southeast Asia cooperation such as digital social innovation (DSI) for climate change, industry-based education/training programmes, smart cities, tourism, digital democracy, agriculture, public health and medicine, ornamental aquaculture and aquascape. 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) (2018-10992019), 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, Taiwan's soft power in Southeast Asia and Taiwan-Malaysia DSI cooperation for climate change. He is also willing to discuss with potential doctoral candidates on proposals related to the Chinese sub-state (provincial) diplomacy toward ASEAN, China's soft power in ASEAN, Southeast Asian sub-state diplomacy, comparative cases of sub-state diplomacy around the world and conceptual innovation of sub-state diplomacy as well as soft power. 

Associate Prof. Sr Dr. Brennan Brit Anak Kayan is a lecturer at the Department of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and a Visiting Professor at College of Architecture and Energy Engineering, Wenzhou University of Technology (WZUT), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. He has graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Building Surveying) (Hons) in 1999 and received a Master of Science (Building) in 2003, both from the University of Malaya and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (Construction Management) from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK) in 2013. Brit has over 20 years of experience as an academician and two years in industrial practice, latterly specializing in ‘Green Maintenance’, sustainable materials and repair and building conservation. Professionally, Brit is a full Member of the Royal Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia (MRISM) (since 2007) and a Registered Conservator of the Department of National Heritage, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Malaysia (since 2015). Brit has been delivering high-quality teaching in building conservation, professional practice, construction technology, university-community engagement, multi-disciplinary studio-based and building surveying subjects.  Brit undertakes research and consultancy activities within the Faculty of Built Environment and Sustainability Science Research Cluster of the University of Malaya (SusCi); in low carbon building materials, building dilapidation, Environmental Maintenance Impact (EMI), sustainable repair approach of ‘Green Maintenance’ using  Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach in heritage buildings conservation. Brit’s previous research works give insight into how ‘Green Maintenance’ is essential for the retention of embodied energy (CO2 emissions reduction or lowering carbon) and cost saving that relates directly to the longevity of the repair materials and techniques (low carbon-cost).  He also employed construction technologies to stimulate university-community engagement in achieving sustainable maintenance and repair of vernacular houses. His current research establishes the correlation between intervention and embodied carbon expenditure in terms of environmental sustainability. Brit has attained PI status for grant funding totalling RM 224,300.00 and Co-Researcher status for RM 158,000.00 and has the publication of more than 20 academic reviewed journals, two(2) books entitled  Heritage Buildings Conservation: Current and Emerging Perspectives and Green Maintenance of Heritage Buildings-A Sustainable Repair Approach [published by University of Malaya Press, a member of Majlis Penerbitan Ilmiah Malaysia/Malaysian Scholarly Publishing Council Council  (MAPIM)] in 2022 and 2020 respectively, two chapters in a book, more than 20 conference or proceedings papers, 3 technical reports and 7 other publications. He was awarded the RISM Excellence Award 2006 for Best Article on Surveying, Web of Science (WoS) Incentives Award for Quartile 1/Tier 1 journal publication in 2012 and Gold Medal in the National Research and Innovation Expo in 2004. Brit has been actively involved in consultancy projects with the role as registered conservator/consultant under the UMConsult (formerly known Unit Perundingan Universiti Malaya i.e. UPUM), working with various organisations such as the Department of National Heritage (Jabatan Warisan Negara Malaysia, JWN), Ministry of Home Affairs (Kementerian Dalam Negeri Malaysia, KDN), Think City, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), National Department for Culture and Arts (Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, JKKN). Brit was also awarded the 2016 Excellence Service Award and the 2015 and 2006 Excellence Service Certificate. In July-August 2014 Brit has involved as a resource person and moderator in The Development of Asean Youth Heritage Leaders: Through Volunteerism and Community Engagement (AYVP 2014), jointly organized by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), University of Malaya (UM), Ministry of Education, Malaysia, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia, ASEAN, UNESCO, Melaka and George Town World Heritage Site and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Brit also has also involved as a co-instructor in Liverpool John Moores (LJMU) Inbound Programme since 2014 and UM Post Disaster Reconstruction Team in 2015 and a co-coordinator of Program Penelitian Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka (PMBKM) in 2021-2022 and Implementation Agreement of Joint Academic and Research Activities for the period of 2022-2025 between Department of Architecture and Planning, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia (USK) and Department of Building Surveying, Universiti Malaya (UM). Brit is a Editorial Board Member of Journal of Design and Built Environment (JDBE), RAUT Journal, and Editorial Board as Regional Advisory Editorial for Europe and Africa/Reviewer of JoDA-Journal of Digital Architecture, co-editor Journal of Surveying, Construction and Property (JSCP) and a reviewer for KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, the Journal of Cleaner Production, World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development (WJSTSD) and, International Journal of Building and Adaptation (IJBPA), Energy and Buildings, International Journal of Real Estate Studies, International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and Practice, KEMANUSIAN-The Asian Journal of Humanities, Cities, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE), Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Facilities, Construction Innovation, and has written articles for the Structural Survey: Journal of Building Pathology & Refurbishment,  RICS Building Conservation Journal, Smart and Sustainable Build Environment (SASBE), Journal of Cultural Heritage Management (JCHMSD), Journal of Surveying, Construction and Property (JSCP), Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Environment Management (JTHEM), Chemical Engineering Transactions (CET), The Malaysian Surveyor, International Journal of Technology (IJTECH), The Australian Journal of University-Community Engagement (AJUCE), Journal of Design and the Built Environment (JDBE), in diverse subject of ‘greening maintenance’, sustainable repair and materials, life cycle assessment, sustainable maintenance management, sustainable development of historic property and environment and and etc. Currently, he is a supervisor to 4 PhD students (3 completed and 1 ongoing) in conservation framework and policy of traditional urban settlement conservation framework and policy of traditional urban settlements, low carbon-cost repair, quantification of embodied carbon expenditure for repair, cultural landscape of hill stations, and evaluation of building dilapidation and 4 Master students (completed) in the built heritage maintenance and performance, digitization of heritage museum, facilities management and pest control in public property. Administrative duties in which Brit has been involved include Co-ordinator of Master of Facilities & Maintenance Management (MFMM) (2022-2024), Committee Member of Undergraduate Programme and Building Surveying Promotion (2014-2016), Member of Examination Boardlist (2017-2018) & (2019-2020), Faculty of Built Environment's Graduate Employability Coordinator (2021-2023) and Thinking Matters: Mind and Intellect Cluster of Student Holistic Empowerment (SHE) Coordinator (since 2022).  Previously, Brit has been appointed as reviewer of UM Postgraduate Research Grant for 2014-2015 and appointed as scientific committee cum reviewer for IBCC 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2022, and IBSC-BEURC 2025.

As an educator, researcher, and innovator in Software Engineering, I treat values and purposes with topmost priority. I believe individuals and organisations guided by righteous values and noble purposes make the difference in the world; realistically making the world a better place to live for all. Thus, in my 20 years of career life, I have devoted my time contributing to education, research, and innovation in and beyond Software Engineering, benefiting the current and future generations. My total grants from research, consultancy, and software development projects amounted to nearly RM3,000,000. In recent year, I started a few future education initiatives such as innovation and work-integrated learning lab (iWILL) in response to the changes brought about by disruptive technologies.