Dr. Jean Claude Autrey, CSK, BSc (London), MSc, PhD, DSc (Exeter), FTWAS, FMAST, FRSB, CBiol, was previous Director of the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute where his career spanned over 40 years. He is the Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, Past President of the Mauritius Academy of Science and Technology, General Secretary of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists and Chair of ACP Sugar Research Programme and Chair of the ACP Scientific Advisory Group on Sugar, Chair Board of Directors, Bonsucro Ltd, London. He has served on various national and international bodies many of which he has chaired. He is a Member of The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS). He is an appointed member of the Conservatoire Board since May 2015.He is Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (CSK) and Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

Djimde received a pharmacy doctoral degree from the Ecole Nationale de Médecine et de Pharmacie of Bamako, Mali in 1988. He conducted post-doctoral research at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the supervision of Thomas E. Wellems in the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases. While at the NIH, he started new training under the supervision of Christopher V. Plowe for a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA, which he obtained in 2001. During his PhD project he conducted seminal studies describing the first reliable molecular marker for chloroquine resistance and proposing a model for field monitoring of drug resistance using molecular markers, resulting in first-author publications on the New England Journal of Medicine and on The Lancet. He returned to Mali to start his own laboratory at the Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC-Parasito), at the University of Science, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali. The primary goal of his research is antimalarial drug resistance, genetics, antimicrobial resistance and clinical drug development. With his team and collaborators he conducts field and laboratory based studies.

Sokona (PhD, 1981, Ecole nationale supérieure des mines de Paris, Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris VI, France), with over 40 years of experience addressing energy, environment and sustainable development in Africa, has been at the heart of numerous national and continental initiatives. He is currently a Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) after serving as Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III, following being a Lead Author since 1990. He has a proven track record of organizational leadership and management, for example as Inaugural Coordinator of the African Climate Policy Centre and as Executive Secretary of the Sahara and the Sahel Observatory. He is affiliated with numerous boards and organizations, including, as Honorary Professor at the University College London, member of the African Academy of Sciences, and of the Science Advisory Committee of the International Institute for Applied System Analysis. In short, Sokona is a global figure, with deep technical knowledge, extensive policy experience and an unreserved personal commitment to African led development.

After retirement from WHO on 1st July 2014, Touré is researcher in medical entomology and professor of cell biology and genetics at the Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-stomatology (FMOS) of Bamako, Mali. He was the disease vector research Manager for WHO/TDR from June 2001-June 2014. Before joining TDR, he was a researcher in medical entomology and professor of cell biology and genetics at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (FMPOS), Bamako, Mali; director general of the National Research Council (CNRST) of Mali; and head of the Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), FMPOS. He holds a PhD (1985) in life sciences (vector population ecological genetics) from Université de Droit, d'Economie et des Sciences d'Aix-Marseille III, France. His honours include: Etoile d'argent du Mérite National du Mali avec effigie Abeille. He was a member of several WHO and WHO/TDR steering committees and technical advisory committees of research institutes in Mali and West Africa.

Abd Rahman obtained her PhD in organic synthesis from Cambridge University in 1990 and subsequently joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Malaya. From 2006–2014, she was the director of the Institute of Research Management and Monitoring, and in 2015 she was appointed deputy vice-chancellor (research & innovation) of University of Malaya, until her official retirement in November 2021. In 2014, she was named a Fellow of the Malaysian Academy of Sciences (ASM) and was bestowed the Top Research Scientist Award (TRSM). In 2018, she was elected Fellow (ChM) of the Institut Kimia Malaysia and, in 2024, she was named a Fellow of The World Academy of Science. She chairs the Malaysian Open Science Alliance (MOSA) that oversees the implementation of the national open science initiatives (MOSP) since 2019. In 2024, she was elected as the Secretary-General of ASM.

Das studied at the University of Queensland, Australia, where he obtained his BSc (Hons.) in Chemistry in 1965, Dip Ed in 1966 and PhD in 1969. He was previously: Foundation Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Malaya (UM) (1980-98); Head, Chemistry Department, UM (1987-90); Dean, Faculty of Science, UM (1990-98); Senior Professor & Director of Advanced Materials Characterization Allied Laboratories, UM (1998-99); Founding Vice-chancellor, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science & Technology University (2001-2007) and Founding Vice-chancellor, QUEST International University Perak ( 2007-2013). His awards include the National Science Award, 1988-89; the Gold Medal Award, Institute of Chemistry, Malaysia, 1993 and the Malaysian Scholarly Publications Council-Ministry of Education Award for his 2014 book "Tin in Applications: Meeting the green challenge". Now in a retired capacity, he volunteers his services as Emeritus Professor (UM), Senior Fellow or Academician (Academy of Sciences Malaysia), and Vice-President of the Malaysian Research & Development Organization (an NGO). In 2005, he was honored with the civil award of 'Dato Setia Di-Raja Kedah' from the State of Kedah.

Daud obtained BEng First Class Honours in chemical engineering from University of Monash, Australia (1978), and PhD degree in chemical engineering from University of Cambridge, UK (1984). He is Principal Research Fellow at University of Malaya. He was Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)-Petronas Professor of Sustainable Hydrogen Energy at Fuel Cell Institute, UKM (2019–2021); Professor of Chemical Engineering at Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, UKM (1996–2019); Founding Director and Principal Research Fellow of Fuel Cell Institute, UKM (2007–2021); Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia 2012. He won the Merdeka Award in 2016, Malaysia’s top award for scientist; Anugerah Tokoh Akademik Bahasa Melayu (2020) for advancing Malay as language of science; and Highly Cited Researcher Awards 2015–2022. His research areas are on green hydrogen energy, e.g. photoelectrochemical cells, electrolysis and microbial electrolysis cells; fuel cells technology, e.g. proton exchange membrane, solid oxide, direct methanol and microbial fuel cells; and sustainable industrial drying technology.

Hamid is a distinguished social scientist and a pioneering figure in gerontology, renowned for her contribution to gerontology education, research, and policy development in Malaysia and the surrounding region. She established a multi- and trans-disciplinary research institute at Universiti Putra Malaysia, in 2002, and was appointed as its founding director. The Institute was awarded the national status of Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, in 2015, and Hamid remained as its first director until 2020. The institute spearheaded research programmes and established postgraduate programmes in social gerontology, medical gerontology, and gerontechnology, which attracted local and international students. As a professional in the field of gerontology, Hamid sits in several national and international committees related to population aging. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Science Malaysia and is actively involved in civil society organisations related to older persons and social welfare development in Malaysia. She was an independent director of the Private Pension Administration Malaysia (2020–2024), and was appointed as chairperson from 25 June 2024 until 2026.

Heong is Qiushi Chair professor Zhejiang University and Sr. Advisor, Center for Agricultural Biosciences Internatl. (CABI), Malaysia . He obtained his BSc (zoology) from U. of Malaya; his MSc, PhD and DSc from Imperial College, London. He is recognized internationally as an authority on science, technology and the implementation of pest ecology, biodiversity, ecological engineering, farmers' decision-making and pest management. He has served as a snr. res. off., Malaysian Agric. Res & Development Inst, and principal scientist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines. His honors include: Medal for Agriculture Development, Medal for Scientific Excellence from the Govt. of Vietnam; St Andrews Prize, US Council of Agric S and T Charles Black Award, TWAS Prize for agriculture, WB Marketplace Award, COM+Award for communication, Intern Plant Protection Award of Distinction and Zhejiang Westlake Friendship Award, Research Star Award. He is fellow of Academy of Science, Malaysia.

Ideris, a renowned scientist in avian medicine, pioneered animal vaccines development in Malaysia. Her research interest is in avian respiratory and immunosuppressive diseases. She plays an instrumental role in advancing efforts towards food security and sustainable food production in developing countries. As a distinguished scientist, Ideris was elected to various fellowships, such as, Senior Fellow Academy of Sciences Malaysia (FASc), Fellow Islamic World Academy of Sciences (FIAS), Founding Fellow Malaysian College of Veterinary Specialists (FMCVS), Fellow Malaysian Scientific Association (FMSA), Fellow Malaysian Institute of Marketing (FMIM), and also elected as an Inaugural Member Hall of Honour, World Veterinary Poultry Association, for her contributions in scientific research and outstanding leadership. Ideris has won various national and international awards. She sits on various councils. She has a wealth of experience in administration as well as an educator. She was the eighth vice-chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia (2016–2020) and is currently the pro-chancellor of the International Medical University Malaysia, since 2021.

Prof. Emerita Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail is a woman of many firsts. She was the first female Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia,the country’s first female Director-General of Higher Education, first female President of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the first woman to be the National Science Advisor to the country. She has a BSc (Biology) from the University of Nevada Reno (UNR), USA, M.A. (Microbiology) from Indiana University, USA and a Ph.D (Cellular and Molecular Biology) from UNR. She was also awarded Honorary Doctoral Degrees from the University of Glasgow, Keele University and Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS). She was elected to the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2003, The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) in 2010 and The Islamic World Academy of Sciences in 2016. Asma has 16 patents and commercialized world-wide the rapid diagnostic test for typhoid called TYPHIDOT. She received numerous awards including the National Academic Laureate, the most prestigious national award to a Malaysian academic in 2022.

Salit is a professor (Grade A) of composite materials at the Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He is also head of the Advanced Engineering Materials & Composite Research Centre, and chief executive editor of Pertanika journals in office of deputy vice-chancellor, both at UPM. He earned a BEng in mechanical engineering at University of Newcastle, Australia, a Master of Science in engineering design at Loughborough University (UK), and a PhD in material engineering at De Montfort University (UK). He is a professional engineer, and Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers International, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, International Society for Development and Sustainability, Plastic & Rubber Institute Malaysia, Malaysian Scientific Association, International Biographical Association and Institute of Material Malaysia. He is an honorary member of the Asian Polymer Association and founding chairman and honorary member of the Society of Sugar Palm Development & Industry, Malaysia. He was the recipient of a TWAS Award in engineering sciences, and of the William Johnson International Gold Medal.

Sekaran, head of research and development at UCSI Hospital, is a Fellow of the Academy of Science Malaysia (since 2017) and of the Royal Society of Pathologists, London (since 2019). Her main expertise is in infectious diseases, with more than 270 published papers, over 6,000 WoS citations, and a h-index of 42. To date, 24 Masters and 23 PhDs have graduated under her supervision. The main areas of investigation are on Dengue and other infectious organisms. She has received multiple awards for kits developed, owns more than 20 patents, and was awarded Woman Bioinnovator of the year (2008) and “Anugerah Innovasi Negara 2009 for Molecular Diagnostics of Dengue Infections". She investigates the effects of diabetes and obesity on severe dengue, setting up serological assays to differentiate flaviviruses and vaccine development. Recently, she ventured into stem cells for regenerative medicine. She directed the WHO collaborating centre (2003–2007), a member of the faculty committee for postgraduate degrees, counsellor and coordinator for various degree programmes. Sekaran was also the head of the virology diagnostic laboratory at the University Malaya Medical Centre (2001–2007).

Ramesh T Subramaniam is a material scientist well known for his outstanding scholastic contribution on solutions for energy storage and harvesting devices for clean energy and sustainable smart cities of tomorrow. He received the Pacifichem Young Scholar Award from the American Chemical Society, the Young Scientist Award from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the Established Scientist Award by the Royal Society, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - China Scholar Award, and the Science and Technology Award from the Malaysia Toray Science Foundation. He was selected as an InterAcademy Partnership Young Scientist, and is a member of the Global Young Academy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK, and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. He is also a recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship at Princeton University, USA, and of the International Senior Research Fellowship, and Visiting Senior Fellowship of the Institute of Advanced Studies, Durham University, UK, where he is also a distinguished Fellow. He was recognized as one of the world's top 2% scientists for career-long citation Impact.

Yusoff is a Senior Professor of microbiology at the Faculty of Biotechnology at the Universiti Putra Malaysia. In 2010, La Trobe University awarded her DSc (honoris causa). Her research on the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) won her many awards including the 2005 Carlos J. Finlay UNESCO Prize for Microbiology, the National Young Scientist Award in 1990 by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, and the Malaysian Merdeka Award in 2015. Her current research interest is in the development of NDV as a therapeutic oncoviral vaccine through the use of reverse genetics. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and Vice-President of TWAS for East and South-East Asia, as well as of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences. She also sits on the Council of Science Advisers of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). She was formerly a Board of Trustee member for the International Livestock Research Institute and a member of the Board of Governors for SEAMEO-BIOTROP. She is the Acting Chairperson for Greentech Malaysia, and a member of the Board of Directors for VentureTech and the Steinbeis Malaysia Foundation.

Zakri is presently the Chairman of Atri Advisory, a consultancy company advising governments, regional bodies and international organisations on science and technology for sustainable development, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Other current positions include being pro-chancellor, Multimedia University (MMU);pro-chancellor, Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI); Vice-Chair, Governing Council of the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries (Turkey); member of the Scientific Advisory Board to the President of the Islamic Development Bank (Jeddah) (IsDB), and member, Governing Board, Science and Technology for Society Forum (Kyoto). He was also recently appointed the Ambassador and Science Adviser to the Campaign for Nature led by Wyss Foundation and National Geographic Society. Previously, he was the science advisor to the Prime Minister for Malaysia (2010-2018). Recipient of numerous awards include recently; Zayed International Prize for the Environment (2014); the Academy of Science of South Africa Distinguish Visiting Scholar Award (2015); Merdeka Award for the environment category (2015); Midori Price for Biodiversity Award (2018).

Andriambololona (PhD, CNRS, France, 1967) is former founding director general of the National Institute for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (INSTN), Madagascar. He returned to Madagascar in 1968. He was former member of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); scientific adviser to the President, Madagascar Republic; national coordinator for African regional Agreement (AFRA) in Nuclear Energy since 1989; and developer of INSTN (1992). He was awarded the Grand Croix de l’Ordre National Malgache and Commandeur de l’Ordre de Mérite de Madagascar. He is former founding vice president of the African Academy of Sciences, member of Académie Malgache, founding president TWAS Madagascar Chapter and part of many other professional associations including the IAEA and Intl. Radiation Protection Assoc. Executive President of Commission Raoelina Andriambololona pour la Nanotechnologie (CORANANO) (2013). Member of International Energy Foundation. Former member of Pan African-Pugwash Group. Member of Society of African Physicists and Mathematicians (Accra, Ghana).

Ratsimbazafy (PhD, 2002, State University of New York, USA and French Habilitation, 2011, University Antananarivo, Madagascar) is a faculty lecturer at the University of Antananarivo. He has published over 200 research papers, review articles and book chapters. Furthermore, he is the co-vice chair, Madagascar section, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) Primate Specialist Group; the director of Houston Zoo, Madagascar Program; and the president of the Madagascar Primate Research Group. Additionally, he is a member of Malagasy Academia and African Academy of Sciences. He has won many international awards and prizes such as: the Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship (1998); the Galante Award (2002) of the International Primatological Society; and the Disney’s Hero Conservation Award (2015). Recently, he received from the Council of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) the Lifetime Honorary Fellow 2019, which is the highest honor awarded by ATBC. He also received the African Primatological Society Award 2019. In February 2020, he was elected the president of the International Primatological Society.

BouJaoude joined the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1993 where he is now professor of science education. At AUB he served as chairman of the Department of Education, director of the Science and Math Education Center, and is now director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. He has published in local, regional, and international education journals, written chapters in books in English and Arabic, and co-edited a book on science education in the Arab States. He serves on the editorial boards of regional and international science education journals and has been a presenter at local, regional and international science education conferences. He has also served as international coordinator, National Association for Research in Science Teaching, and is a member of the executive board, Supreme Education Council, State of Qatar.

AlMomin is a Senior Research Scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and Vice President of TWAS for the Arab partner since 2020. She contributed to the establishment of a Kuwaiti national biotechnology program and leads a Government initiative to establish a National Centre of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. She initiated the inclusion of KISR as an affiliated centre with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), being also Kuwait's Liaison Officer at ICGEB. AlMomin is a certified risk management professional from the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBSA) and is a member of several entities, including the Commission of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development, the International Council for the Life Sciences, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World. Her research interests are genetic engineering, diagnostics, population genetics, biodiversity, and biosafety. She led several pioneer projects and introduced several scientific innovations in her country and MENA region. She serves as a chair and member of several national and international committees.

Hussain is professor in the electrical engineering department at Kuwait University in Safat, Kuwait. He has done significant work in advancing the emerging technology, utrawide band impulse radar and radio communications, through basic design principles, and array beam forming and self-steering array antenna systems. In addition, he has also provided solutions to modified Maxwell equations for signals. He is a senior member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award and the Kuwait Prize for the Advancement of Science.

S. Omar (PhD, 1990, California, Berkeley) is Principal Research Scientist at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and Director General (2016-2021). She is Research Fellow for Agriculture in TWAS and former Treasurer. She was Executive Board Member and Vice President of the Arab States of OWSD, Regional Councilor for West Asia Region, IUCN, and former Member of Board of Director Asia Region of the Society for Ecological Restoration International (SER), USA. She has fifty years of Research and Development, managerial, strategic planning, technical experience and project leadership for 27 contractual research projects. She is advisor and consultant to many local, regional and international organizations. She has been awarded by TWAS and many international organizations. She holds a PhD in Wild Land Resource Science, MS in Range Management and BSc in Botany and Chemistry.

Aster Gebrekirstos (PhD, Gottingen University, Germany, 2005) is senior scientist and head of the dendrochronology lab, World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya, and affiliated with Erlangen University, Germany. Her research is in the area of forest ecology, dendroclimatology, climate change, applications of stable isotopes, land restoration. She led and participated in research projects across Africa and Asia. She set up dendrochronology labs in Ethiopia (2009) and in Nairobi (2013). She taught at Alemaya and Wondo Genet University, Ethiopia; as visiting professor at WASCAL, and Dresden University in Germany. She trained 20+ PhD students, published 80+ journal articles and book chapters. Her awards include: African Climate Award for excellence in climate change research (2014), Special Award for Groundbreaking Science (2009). Fellow of African Academy of Science (AAS), International Academy of Wood Science, conferred Eleonore Trefftz Visiting Professorship Dresden University. She is a vice-president of International Union of Agroforestry, chair of Environment Committee at AAS, member of science leadership at Past Global Changes (PAGES) and Mountain Research Institute (MRI).

Khan (PhD 1980, Indian Agric. Res. Inst.) is principal scientist and leader of the widely-reputed push-pull programme at the Intl. Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Kenya. He is Thomas Odhiambo Dist. Res. Fellow of icipe. He is a fellow of the African Acad. of Sciences, the Entomological Soc. of America and the Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Soc., UK. He is an adjunct prof. of entomology at Cornell U., USA, and extraordinary prof. at the North-West U. in South Africa. Khan is a council member of the Intl. Congress of Entomology. In 2010 he received the Nan-Yao Su Award for Innovation and Creativity in Entomology and the ESA Distinguished Scientist Award, and in 2011, the TWAS Prize in Agricultural Sciences and in 2015 Louis Malassis International Prize for Outstanding Career in Agriculture for his contribution in the field of agriculture and food

Ngila (PhD,1996, University of New South Wales) holds MSc in Chemistry (1992), Bachelor of Education in Science (1986), Kenyatta University (KU). Her research is in water quality monitoring and nanotechnology for water treatment. She taught at KU (1989-1997); University of Botswana (1998-2006); University of KwaZulu Natal (2006-2011); and University of Johannesburg (2011-2017) as a Full Professor of Analytical/Environmental Chemistry. She was Head of Applied Chemistry Department (2013- 2016) and Ag. Director of the Water Node of the Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (2015) at the University of Johannesburg; Deputy Director at Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas, (April 2017- Feb 2020) and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Riara University, Kenya (Feb 2020-current). She has over 200 journal articles. She trained over 30 Doctoral Students, 33 Masters and 22 Honours Students and 18 Postdoctoral Research Fellows. Awards include 2017 African Union Kwame Nkrumah and 2016 South Africa Distinguished Women in Science. Member of Academy of Science of South Africa; African Academy of Science. Currently Co-Chair of the 2021 Commonwealth Science Conference hosted by Royal Soc. and AAS.

Olago is Professor of Geology, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, and Research Director, Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Nairobi. He has BSc and MSc degrees in Geology from the University of Nairobi and a DPhil degree in Physical Geography from the University of Oxford (Kenya Rhodes Scholar for 1990). His research interests are broadly in Quaternary and environmental geoscience, water resources and climate change. Olago has been involved in multi-disciplinary research, training and capacity building activities on global environmental change in sub-Saharan Africa for over 25 years. He has also contributed, as lead author, to the fourth and sixth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports. He is a fellow of the Kenya National Academy of Sciences, the Geological Society of Kenya, and the African Academy of Sciences.

Al-Nimr is Distinguished Professor at Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan. He obtained his Ph.D. (1991) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan/Ann Arbor - USA. He has published about 277 articles in different fields of energy and heat transfer. He was awarded the World Academy of Sciences Award (TWAS) in Engineering Sciences (2013), the Khalifa Award for Education (2012), the Khwarizmi International Award (2012), King Abdullah II Award for Innovation (2010), Scopus Award (2009), the Abed-Alhameed Shoman Award for Arab Scientists (1994) and many others. He is acting as an Editor-in-Chief of Energy Conversion and Management Journal – Elsevier since 2013. He is acting now as an Associate Editor for 12 other journals.