People & Expertise
Our Team
SMRC brings together leading scholars, policy experts, and project management professionals from Malaysia and around the world. Our team combines strong academic backgrounds with extensive practical experience, covering key areas such as global security, technology and the future, human rights and society, economy and sustainable development, and regional studies.
The leadership team consists of seasoned strategic experts, while our research fellows focus on cutting-edge issues. The advisory board provides international perspectives, and the administration and operations team ensures the smooth execution of research and activities.
Leadership
Dr. Kamarul Zaman Yusoff
Executive Director
Education: Ph.D. in International Relations, University of Malaya; B.A. in Political Science, University of Malaya.
- Professional Experience: Served as Security Advisor at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); former Associate Professor at the National Defence University of Malaysia; participated in multiple regional security architecture research projects.
- Research Expertise: International security, Southeast Asian regional cooperation, major power competition.
- Selected Publications: Security Architecture in a Multipolar Asia; ASEAN and Strategic Choices Amid Major Power Competition.
- International Engagement: Invited speaker at the Shangri-La Dialogue and United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) conferences.
Dr. Adrian Tan
Deputy Director
Education: Ph.D. in Public Policy, Harvard University; M.Sc. in International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
- Professional Experience: Former Regional Project Consultant at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), focusing on sustainable development and climate governance; Policy Analyst at the World Economic Forum (WEF), contributing to global technology governance and economic security issues.
- Research Expertise: Global governance, climate policy, international economic security.
- Selected Publications: Regional Pathways for Global Climate Governance; Southeast Asia’s Strategic Role in the Reshaping of Global Supply Chains.
- International Engagement: As a Singaporean policy scholar, Dr. Tan has represented Singapore in various international forums, including the UN Climate Conferences (COP) and APEC policy dialogues, where he regularly contributes to discussions on sustainability, governance, and regional cooperation.
Dr. Nur Aisyah Abdullah
Deputy Director
Education: Ph.D. in Social Policy, London School of Economics (LSE); B.A. in Sociology, University of Malaya.
- Professional Experience: Senior Policy Officer at the International Labour Organization (ILO), leading research on migrant worker rights and gender equality; Advisor to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.
- Research Expertise: Labour rights, migration policy, digital rights.
- Selected Publications: Assessment of Migrant Worker Protection Mechanisms in Southeast Asia; Human Rights Governance in the Digital Era.
- International Engagement: Invited participant at the United Nations Human Rights Council and ILO East Asia Labour Policy Roundtables.
Research Fellows
Dr. Siti Rahmah
Education: Ph.D. in Political Science, Australian National University (ANU); M.A. in International Relations, University of Malaya.
- Professional Experience: Lecturer at the National Defence University of Malaysia; participated in a World Bank-funded research project on energy governance in Central Asia.
- Research Expertise: Central Asian geopolitics, energy security, regional cooperation mechanisms.
- Selected Publications: Central Asian Energy Corridors and Global Energy Security; The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Regional Governance.
- International Engagement: Presented research at the SCO Think Tank Forum and Eurasian Economic Forum.
Dr. Muhammad Arif
Education: Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Tokyo; B.A. in Social Work, University of Malaya.
- Professional Experience: Project Manager at international NGOs, overseeing cross-border minority rights and digital rights initiatives; provided policy research support for Amnesty International.
- Research Expertise: Minority rights, digital rights, social equity.
- Selected Publications: Southeast Asian Minorities and Digital Governance; Models and Challenges of Cross-Border Human Rights Cooperation.
- International Engagement: Participated in the UN Forum on Minority Issues and the Asia-Pacific Digital Rights Summit.
Dr. James Lee
Education: Ph.D. in Science and Technology Policy, Imperial College London; B.Sc. in Computer Science, University of Melbourne.
- Professional Experience: Consultant for EU AI Ethics and Regulatory Projects; former Researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute.
- Research Expertise: AI governance, technology policy, AI security.
- Selected Publications: Policy Pathways for AI Governance; AI and Social Impact Assessment in Southeast Asia.
- International Engagement: Presented at OECD AI Policy Roundtables and UNESCO AI Project Workshops.
Dr. Ali Hassan
Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Oxford; B.A. in Economics, University of Malaya.
- Professional Experience: Regional Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), focusing on cryptocurrency and sustainable development; provided financial governance consulting for the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
- Research Expertise: Cryptocurrency, global financial governance, SDGs, and economic development.
- Selected Publications: New Trends in Cryptocurrency and Financial Regulation; Green Economy and Equitable Growth Strategies.
- International Engagement: Delivered presentations at the G20 Financial Stability Forum and the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit.
Advisory Board
Prof. Fatima Khan
Pakistan
Education: Ph.D. in International Relations, University of Cambridge.
- Professional Experience: Professor of International Relations, National University of Pakistan; Advisor to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
- Research Expertise: South Asian and Central Asian strategy, cross-regional security cooperation.
- Selected Publications: Geostrategy and Major Power Competition in South Asia.
- International Engagement: Frequent speaker at the Munich Security Conference and United Nations Regional Security Forums.
Prof. Jonathan Smith
United Kingdom
Education: Ph.D. in International Political Economy, University of Oxford.
- Professional Experience: Former Expert on the Policy Advisory Committee of the UN Security Council; currently Professor at King’s College London.
- Research Expertise: Global governance, international security mechanisms.
- Selected Publications: The New Order in Global Governance.
- International Engagement: Participated in high-level policy consultations for the G7 and G20.
Administration & Operations
Ms. Lina Chan
Program Operations Manager
Education: Master’s in Public Administration, University of Malaya.
- Professional Experience: Regional Project Officer, The Asia Foundation, overseeing multinational project implementation and coordination; internship at UN Women.
- Research Expertise: Public policy implementation, international cooperation mechanisms, gender equality.
- Selected Achievements: Led policy research on the Southeast Asia Cross-Border Education Cooperation Framework.
- International Engagement: Participated in the ASEAN Young Leaders Program and Asia-Pacific Development Forum.
Mr. Daniel Wong
Publishing & Communications Manager
Education: Master’s in Media, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
- Professional Experience: Editor at Asia News Network; later served as Publishing Manager at the Malaysian Strategic Research Institute.
- Research Expertise: Policy communications, academic publishing, public opinion analysis.
- Selected Achievements: Led the publication of multiple research reports on regional security and development.
- International Engagement: Participated in the International Publishers Association (IPA) and ASEAN Think Tank Publishing Network.
Our Team at a Glance
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Join Our Team
SMRC team members are active in international conferences and United Nations forums and play key roles in multinational collaborative projects. They are committed to translating high-quality research into actionable policy recommendations, contributing to regional and global peace, development, and a sustainable future.