Speakers

Keynote Address on Tropical Sciences

The Hon Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia

Investing in the Tropics

Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO

Founder and Chairman, Sunway Group

Keynote Speaker – Tropical Medicine

Dr Peter Daszak

President, Ecohealth Alliance

Panellist – Dialogue on Sustainable Development in the Tropics

Prof Muhammad Yunus

Founder - Grameen Bank

Panellist – Climate Change in the Tropics

Climate Change in the Tropics

Prof. Dr Joy Jacqueline Pereira, FASc

Professor - SEADPRI, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Panellist – Sustainable Use and Health of Tropical Biodiversity

Governance of Nature Areas: Impact on the Community and Livelihood

Dr Ramesh Boonratana

Regional Vice Chair, IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group

Panellist – Smart People- First Cities in the Tropics

Art and Culture in Tropical Cities: A Joyful Chaos

Gaetan Siew

UN Habitat Special Envoy, United Nations

Moderator – Smart People- First Cities in the Tropics

TPr. Ts. Norliza Binti Hashim

Chief Executive Officer - Urbanice Malaysia

Panellist – Frontier technologies in Tropical Agriculture

Disruptive technologies in Agriculture

Jack Bobo

Chief Executive Officer, Futurity

Panellist – Frontier technologies in Tropical Agriculture

Blockchain for Agriculture in the Tropics

Azizi Meor Ngah

Head of Business Development, Asia, Foodchain spA, Como, Italy

Panellist – Sustainable Use and Health of Tropical Biodiversity

Challenges and Opportunities in Transboundary Management of Natural Resources

Dr Theresa Mundita S. Lim

Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

Panellist – Frontier technologies in Tropical Agriculture

How Smallholders Can Adapt to Frontier Technology

Chandrashekhar Bhadsavle

Successful Farmer and Founding President, Saguna Rural Foundation

Panellist – Digital Innovations for Public Health in the Tropics

AI Utilisation for Outbreak Surveillance and Forecasting in the Tropics

Dr Helmi Zakariah

Chief Executive Officer - AIME

Moderator – Frontier technologies in Tropical Agriculture

Dr Surina Ismail

Group Head of Sustainability - IOI Corporation Bhd

Panellist – Climate Change in the Tropics

Sustainable Tropical Agriculture in a Climate of Change

Prof. Mark Howden

Director - Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions, Australian National University.

Panellist – Climate Change in the Tropics

Decolonisation and Climate Change

Prof. Renzo Guinto, MD DrPH

Associate Professor and Inaugural Director - Planetary and Global Health Program, St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine, Philippines

Moderator – Neglected and Vector-borne Tropical Diseases

Prof. Dr Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, FASc

Professor - Department of Parasitology Faculty of Medicine Universiti Malaya

Panellist – Climate Change in the Tropics

Climate Change and Tropical Biodiversity

Prof. Richard Corlett

Professor - Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Panellist – Changing Agriculture Landscape in the Tropics

Reform to Agricultural Policy Landscapes

Prof. Gbolagade Ayoola

President - Farm & Infrastructure Foundation

Moderator – Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Tropics

Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan

Global Coordinator - International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA)

Panellist – Frontier technologies in Tropical Agriculture

Tumaini: Mobile App to Enhance Crop Health

Dr Michael Gomez Selvaraj, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist (Digital Agriculture) - International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

Moderator – Leading Edge Material Development in the Tropics

Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad

Chief Executive Officer - NanoMalaysia Berhad

Panellist – Dialogue on Sustainable Development in the Tropics

Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs

University Professor and Director - Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University

Keynote Speaker – Tropical Architecture and Engineering

Prof. Dr Wong Nyuk Hein

Professor and Vice Dean (Research) - School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore

Panellist – Dialogue on Sustainable Development in the Tropics

Dr Njuguna Ndung'u

Executive Director - African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)

Moderator – Sustainable Development in the Tropics

Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid

Chairman - CARI ASEAN Research and Advocacy

Moderator – Open Science for Tropical Biodiversity

Prof. Emerita Dato’ Seri Dr. Mazlan Othman FASc

Senior Fellow - Academy of Sciences Malaysia

Panellist – Neglected and Vector-borne Tropical Diseases

Snakebite Envenomation

Emeritus Prof. José María Gutiérrez

Emeritus Professor, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, School of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica

Panellist – Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Tropics

The Impact of Climate on Livestock in the Tropics

Emeritus Prof. Lindsay Falvey

Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne

Panellist – Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Tropics

Impact of Climate Change on Seaweed Aquaculture in the Tropics

Dr. Anicia Hurtado

Chair, Integrated Services for the Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries (ISDA) Inc. Iloilo City, Philippines

Panellist – Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Tropics

Epigenetics/Genomics for Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Tropics

Prof. Rob Martienssen, PhD, FRS

Chair, Division of Genomics and Plant Biology Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory New York 11724

Panellist – Natural Product Development and Trade: The Future is in the Tropics

Integrated, Sustainable Approaches to Tropical Forest Development and Traditional Medicine Quality Control in the 4IR

Prof. Emeritus Dr. Geoffrey A. Cordell

President - Natural Products Inc

Panellist – Natural Product Development and Trade: The Future is in the Tropics

Natural Product Research within the Current Regulatory Framework

Dr Ami Fazlin Syed Mohamed

Head of Centre - Herbal Medicine Research Centre (HMRC), Institute for Medical Research (IMR) National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia

Panellist – Natural Product Development and Trade: The Future is in the Tropics

Education, Collaboration and Regulation in an Alternative Model for Commercial Use of Medicinal Plants in Human Health

Prof. Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, FRS, N.I. H.I. S.I., T.I.

UNESCO Science Laureate Professor Emeritus - International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences University of Karachi

Panellist – One Health in Action: Tales of Emerging Pathogens and Things to Come

One Health Lessons from SARS and MERS

Prof. Malik Peiris

Professor of Virology - School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong

Panellist – Open Science for Tropical Biodiversity

The Need for Comprehensive Biodiversity Data Sharing in the Tropics

Dr Alice Hughes

Professor - Chinese Academy of Sciences

Panellist – Natural Product Development and Trade: The Future is in the Tropics

Botanical Drugs Development and Commercialization : The Malaysian Biotechpreneur Experience

Abdul Razak Mohd Isa

Herbal Product Development Advisor - Centre for Natural Products Research and Drug Discovery (CENAR), University Malaya

Panellist – Leading Edge Material Development for the Tropics

Bamboo: A Re-Emerging Material in the Tropics

Ewe Jin Low

Founder - TENTEN Design

Panellist – Open Science for Tropical Biodiversity

GBIF: Towards Open Data for Tropical Biodiversity

Tim Hirsch

Deputy Director, Head of Participation and Engagement - Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Moderator – One Health in Action: Tales of Emerging Pathogens and Things to Come

Prof. Dr Latiffah Hassan

Professor - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UPM and Malaysia One Health University Network (MyOHUN)

Moderator – Sustainable Use and Health of Tropical Biodiversity

Dr. Rahimatsah Amat FASc

Fellow - Academy of Sciences Malaysia

Moderator – Green Energy in the Tropics

Prof. Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua

``Associate Dean (Research & Postgraduate Studies) - Head, Research Centre for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilisation (CCDCU), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, Malaysia

Panellist – Climate Change in the Tropics

Oceans, Climate, and Human Health: Cholera, COVID-19, and the Next Pandemic

Prof. Dr Rita R. Colwell

Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland College Park and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Keynote Speaker – Tropical Agriculture

Prof. Dr Shenggen Fan

Dean and Policy Chair Professor, Academy of Global Food Economics, China Agricultural University

Moderator – Sustainable Blue Economy in the Tropics

Prof. Narnia Bohler-Muller

Divisional Executive - Developmental, Capable and Ethical State Human Sciences Research Council

Panellist – Dialogue on Sustainable Development in the Tropics

Prof. Stewart Lockie

Director - The Cairns Institute, James Cook University

Panellist – One Health Approach to Tropical Health

Health Security for the Tropics

Prof. David Heymann

Professor, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Panellist – Green Energy in the Tropics

Green Energy Opportunities in Tropical Countries

Prof. Shaharin Anwar Sulaiman

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Panellist – Green Energy in the Tropics

Energy Policy for the Tropics

Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo

Chairman, Nigerian Member Committee of the World Energy Council

Panellist – Sustainable Blue Economy in the Tropics

Policy Framework pertaining to Blue Economy in the Tropics

Cheryl Rita Kaur

Head - Centre for Coastal and Marine Environment, Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA)

Panellist – Leading Edge Material Development for the Tropics

Innovating High Value Biomass-based Advanced Materials

Dr Annabelle V. Briones, PhD

Director - Industrial Technology Development Institute Department of Science and Technology

Panellist – Sustainable Use and Health of Tropical Biodiversity

Sustainable Development and Management of Tropical Forests

Dr. William F. Laurance

Distinguished Research Professor, James Cook University, Australia & Singapore

Panellist – Sustainable Blue Economy in the Tropics

Innovative Seaweed Farming Techniques for Communities in the Tropics

Dr Flower Msuya

Senior Researcher - University of Dar es Salaam

Panellist – Smart People- First Cities in the Tropics

Urban planning for Indonesia’s New Capital: East Kalimantan

Dr Galuh Syahbana Indraprahasta, PhD

Chair - Socio-Economic Development and Innovation Studies (SEDIS) Research Group, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) or now National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)

Panellist – Sustainable Blue Economy in the Tropics

Working with the Private Sector towards Sustainable Seafood Production and a Healthy Ocean

Dr Henrik Österblom

Professor and Science Director - Stockholm Resiience Centre, Stockholm University

Panellist – Sustainable Blue Economy in the Tropics

Coastal Communities and the Blue Economy in the Tropics

Prof. Mel Austen

Professor - University of Plymouth

Panellist – Neglected and Vector-borne Tropical Diseases

Innovative Treatments and Prevention Methods for Dengue Infection

Prof. Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar FASc

Director - Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC) and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus Research and Reference (Dengue and Severe Dengue), Universiti Malaya

Panellist – Leading Edge Material Development for the Tropics

Taking Advantage of Natural Resources towards Development of 4IR Technologies

Prof. Dr Nurul Taufiqu

Founder and Advisory Board - Nano Center Indonesia Group

Panellist – Smart People- First Cities in the Tropics

Art and Culture in Tropical Cities: A Joyful Chaos

Dr Limin Hee

Director of Research - Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), Ministry of National Development (MND)

Panellist – Leading Edge Material Development for the Tropics

Localising and Diversifying Downstream Mining Outputs for Sustainable Economic Growth

Prof. Mohamed Sani Haruna

Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive - National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI)

Moderator – Open Science for Tropical Biodiversity

Dr Simon Hodson

Executive Director - CODATA

Moderator – Climate Change in the Tropics

Alizan Mahadi

Senior Director of Research - Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.

Panellist – Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Tropics

Luke Tay

Independent Food Futurist, Singapore

Keynote Speaker – Tropical Natural Resources

Academician Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid FASc

Chairman, Atri Advisory

Panellist – Dialogue on Sustainable Development in the Tropics

Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram

Fellow - Academy of Sciences Malaysia

Panellist – One Health Approach to Tropical Health

One Health Approach to Tropical Health

Emeritus Professor Dr. John MacKenzie

Emeritus Professor, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

Panellist – Digital Innovations for Public Health in the Tropics

Diagnosis and spatial modeling of diseases in low-resourced countries at the conference

Dr Rose Nakasi

Dr - Makerere AI Lab , Makerere University

Panellist – One Health Approach to Tropical Health

Role of Wildlife in Emerging Diseases in the Tropics

Prof. Dr Wang Linfa

Professor, Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke-NUS Medical School

Panellist – Changing Agriculture Landscape in the Tropics

Demographic Changes in the Agrarian Population

Prof. Paul P.S. Teng, Ph.D., Hon.D.Sc.

Managing Director & Dean - NIE International Pte Ltd | National Institute of Education

Panellist – Sustainable Use and Health of Tropical Biodiversity

Sustainable Natural Resource Planning and Management in the Tropics

Prof. Hugh Possingham

Professor, Queensland Chief Scientist

Panellist – Youth Resilience in the Tropics

Youth in the Tropics: Evidence from the Global Youth Development Index

Dr Clarissa Rios Rojas

Research Associate - Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge

Panellist – Changing Agriculture Landscape in the Tropics

Community-supported Agriculture in Tropical Forests

Patrick Anderson

Policy Advisor - Forest Peoples Programme

Panellist – Changing Agriculture Landscape in the Tropics

Political Landscape of Palm Oil

Dr Ahmad Parveez Bin Ghulam Kadir, FASc.

Director General - Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB)

Moderator – Natural Product Development and Trade: The Future is in the Tropics

Prof. Dr Khozirah Shaari, FRSC FASc

Professor Chm. - Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory (NaturMeds) Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Panellist – Changing Agriculture Landscape in the Tropics

Changes in the Rubber Industry Landscape

Salvatore Pinizzotto

Secretary-General - International Rubber Study Group

Panellist – Changing Agriculture Landscape in the Tropics

Designing Sustainable People-first Buildings in the Tropics

Dato’ Dr Ar Ken Yeang

APAM, FSIA, RIBA, Hon FAIA, Dist. Plym Professor - Illinois University

Panellist – Youth Resilience in the Tropics

Youth in the Tropics: Evidence from the Global Youth Development Index

Dr. Terri-Ann Gilbert-Roberts

Research Manager - Economic Youth and Sustainable Development Commonwealth Secretariat

Panellist – Youth Resilience in the Tropics

EMPLOYMENT – Youth Employment trends in the Tropics

Kee Beom Kim

Macroeconomic and Employment Policies Specialist - International Labor Organisation (ILO)

Panellist – Digital Innovations for Public Health in the Tropics

An Overview of Digital Transformation in Healthcare in the Region

Dr Anurag Agrawal

Digital Transformation in Healthcare - Partner & AD, Boston Consulting Group

Moderator – Digital Innovations for Public Health in the Tropics

-Tengku Datuk Dr Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen FASc

Senior Fellow - Academy of Sciences Malaysia

Moderator – Youth Resilience in the Tropics

Dr Vellapandian Ponnusamy

Chief Executive Officer - IYRES

Moderator – Changing Agriculture Landscape in the Tropics

Dr Ruslan Abdullah

Director - Science, Environment and Sustainability, MPOC

Panellist – Green Energy in the Tropics

The Potential of OTEC for the Tropics

Prof. Yasuyuki Ikegami

Professor, Leader - OTEC Division, Institute of Ocean Energy, Saga University

Panellist – Digital Innovations for Public Health in the Tropics

Digital Solutions for Disease Elimination in the Tropics

Lakshmi Balachandran

Senior Director - Digital Health. Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).

Panellist – Youth Resilience in the Tropics

CLIMATE CHANGE – Youth resilience grassroots to address climate change

Zawad Alam

Team Lead - Project WE & Movers Envoy