Institute of Malaysian and International Studies
Adjunct Professor
Dato' Jamaiyah Mohamed Yusof
H.E. Dato’ Jamaiyah Mohamed Yusof is currently Adjunct Professor at Pusat ilmu Kajian Amerika Latin (iKAL), Institut Kajian Malaysia dan Antarabangsa (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Prior to being appointed a member of iKAL, she was formerly an Ambassador of Malaysia to Mexico (2011-2015) and Ambassador of Malaysia to Senegal (2007-2011). Dato’ Jamaiyah received her postgraduate educations at Master’s level in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Wisconsin and a Diploma in Public Administration from INTAN or the National Institute of Public Administration Malaysia. She also received her first degree from the University of Malaya. She is the author of a book titled Compilation of Manual and Etiquette for Palace Protocol (2006) and a chapter in a book called “In the Land of Terangga” in Malaysian Diplomats: Our Stories, Vol. 1 (2011). Both were published by the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR). Dato’ Jamaiyah received the Darjah Datuk Paduka Mahkota Perak (D.P.M.P) in 2007.
Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari
Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari joined the Malaysian Public Service in 1981. In his distinguished diplomatic career in the Foreign Service of Malaysia, he served as Malaysia’s highest envoy in Qatar, Brunei, Egypt and Palestine. He was Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Malaysia in Vientiane, Laos, Zagreb, Croatia as well as in Amman, Jordan. He also served in different diplomatic Missions in different capacities. In addition, He is also serving as Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia and in the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) and Research Center of the Middle-East, the National University of Malaysia and Member of the Advisory Panel of the National University of Malaysia.
At the Foreign Office of Malaysia, Ambassador Ku Jaafar worked in bilateral, multilateral and academic Wings. He overhauled and undertook major works on the restructuring of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) during his office as Undersecretary. He also developed and guided the professional aptitude programme of the Malaysian Diplomats during his office at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) as its Director-General.
He hold B.A. (Hons) from the University of Malaya and a Diploma in Public Administration.
Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari holds two honorific titles namely, Ahli Mahkota Kedah (AMK) and Dato’ Setia DiRaja Kedah (DSDK) conferred upon him in 2001 and 2006, respectively. He is married and they are blessed with three children.
Ambassador Dato’ Muhammad Noor Yacob
Current positions: Board Member, Malaysia Productivity Corporation; Member, National Wages Consultative Council; Adjunct Professor, IKMAS; Chairman APEC Study Centre, UKM
Previous Positions: Executive Director, APEC Secretariat (2010-2012); Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to WTO (2003-2009); Chairman WTO General Council (2007); Chairman WTO Dispute Settlement Body (2006); Chairman WTO Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation (2004-2005)
Education: Muhamad Noor is alumnus of University of Malaya, University of Wisconsin at Madison and Harvard Business School.
Royal Awards: Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang; Kesatria Mangku Negara
- Former Permanent Representative of Malaysia to WTO
- Former Executive Director of APEC secretariat
Datuk Dr. Sabirin Jaafar
Datuk Dr Sabirin Ja’afar is the Director-General of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA), the premier government think tank for maritime policy matters. Experienced in law and the judiciary, he has contributed to academia, research, and the community.
He was born in Masjid Tanah in 1963. He entered into the pioneer batch of Sekolah Menengah Sains Melaka (currently known as MOZAC) and completed his Form 6 year at Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak (SDAR), Seremban. He then entered into another pioneer batch when he enrolled in the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 1983 and graduated with a Bachelor of Law (LL. B Hons) in 1987.
Upon graduation, he was appointed as a Magistrate to the Malaysian Judicial and Legal Service. He worked as a Senior Assistant Registrar, Deputy Registrar of the High Courts in Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown, and Head of the Federal Court Research Division before being appointed as a Sessions Court Judge Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Chief Justice YAA Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Haji Abdullah later named him his Special Officer.
He went on to serve as a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Kuala Lumpur, Senior Federal Counsel (International and Advisory Division), as Legal Advisor for the Ministry of Defence, and as Director of Legal and Investigations for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) under the Attorney General’s Chambers. He was seconded to the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority (MTJA) as its Legal and Administration Manager before retiring in early 2011.
During his tenure in government service, he lectured part-time and studied under the prestigious Chevening Scholarship by the British government for his PhD in maritime studies at Greenwich Maritime Institute in London. He also interned at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
After his optional retirement, he pursued academia, beginning with his post as Professor of Business Law and Ethics at the International Business School (IBS), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. He taught business classes and supervised PhD students while presenting highimpact papers at numerous local and international conferences, including the Riphah University, Pakistan; Tokai University, Japan; and the Malaysian Bar Council. He researched the corruption indices in Berlin and Switzerland with the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM) and was an active speaker with the Institute.
Datuk Sabirin was appointed the Judicial Commissioner at the High Court, Johor Bahru, by Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2014 for a two-year term. Finally, he joined a legal firm, Messrs A Raman Saad, as a partner in Johor Bahru for a year before venturing into business.
After leaving the judiciary, he founded a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Muafakat Masjid Tanah in 2018. Dedicated to social welfare activities, the NGO is open to all political parties and races.
He is also actively involved in the London-based Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI) Association, championing maritime worker’s rights worldwide and representing Malaysia at the 2018 Manila SRI conference for the Asia and Pacific regions.
He was the Constituency Coordinator for Masjid Tanah, and currently a member of several boards –Chairman of the Crime Prevention Council at the Ministry of Home Affairs (POTA), Director of the Board of Directors of Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB), and former Director of the Board of Directors of Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Melaka (PKNM). He is also the Director at Perlindungan & Indemniti (P&I) Malaysia.
Datuk Sabirin is passionate about history, Islamic civilization, international politics, and the economy, particularly the maritime sector. He is also a prolific writer and translator. Menyebar Kalam Tuhan: Cerita Qari, Qariah, dan Al Hafiz Malaysia (2018) showcased his research findings from the Al-Quran. He also co-wrote Dari Sudut Pandangan Islam (1991) with Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr Zambry Ab Kadir. On the side, he keeps a blog, Barang Yang Lepas Mesti Dikenang, where he chronicles his predictions and observations about current events.
He has recently been working on a vision for Malaysian maritime development that fully incorporates IR4.0. He is interested in the future of maritime industries, and the importance of early incorporation of maritime education and maritime technology is at the top of his list of priorities.
He is married to an IIUM academician, Datin Rizq Fairuz Mohd Ramli, and they have three children.
Dr Roberto Echandi
Roberto Echandi is the Investment Policy Global Lead of the Investment Climate Unit of the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice of the World Bank Group. Prior joining the World Bank Group, he was Director of the Program on International Investment at the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern. Echandi is also a member of the Faculty of the Masters in International Law and Economics (MILE) at the WTI, and of the Masters in International Economic Law (IELPO) at the University of Barcelona, a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Economic Law (JIEL), and the Journal of World Investment and Trade (JWIT).
Roberto Echandi undertook his doctoral and LL.M. studies in International Trade Law at the University of Michigan School of Law at Ann Arbor, Michigan; his M.Phil. in Latin American studies with emphasis in economic integration at the University of Oxford; Licenciado en Derecho, at the University of Costa Rica and specialized negotiation courses at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.
Appointed Ambassador of Costa Rica to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union (2007-2010). During the same period he also was the Chief Negotiator of Costa Rica to the negotiations of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America, where he lead the negotiation process on behalf of Costa Rica and in many occassions for the whole Central American region.
Mr. Juergen Keitel
Throughout his career, Juergen Keitel has gained a vast international experience in the aviation industry in strategy and development, international affairs and commercial operations.
His initial roles were dedicated to Customer Services, Commercial Operations and Business Development at Airbus covering North and South America. Later in his career Juergen developed a strong expertise in International Affairs, Market Development and Digitalisation. He directed global multi-stakeholder projects covering Travel Facilitation & Security, Aviation Policy Development and Digital Transformation at the World Economic Forum in New York City followed with his engagement at AirAsia leading Global Affairs and Development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with focus on the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Single Aviation market. Today Juergen serves on the Board as Advisors of IKMAS for international policy matters and provides advisory services to the international aviation, travel and tourism community.
Juergen holds a MSc in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University and a BEng in Air Transport Engineering from City University London. He concluded a fellowship at the World Economic Forum with an Executive Masters in Global Leadership in 2017. In addition, Juergen attained a Certificate in International Development at SAIS in Washington DC in 2012 and successfully completed an Executive Management Program in Strategy and Innovation at the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2015.
Ms. Eleanor Mak
Eleanor Mak is a regional expert in international business relations with an emphasis on improving graduate employability and mobility, strengthening entrepreneuship ecosystems and advancing regional economic integration across cultures and borders. She is a recognised leader and advocate for deeper strategic engagement between Australia and ASEAN entrepreneurs, businesses, governments and universities to capitalise on trade, investment and entrepreneurship opportunities for mutual benefit across the region.
Eleanor Mak is President of the Australia-ASEAN Business Council, as well as Co-founder and Managing Director of Venturenauts, an Australian consultancy company focused on international business development across the Australia-ASEAN region.
Under her leadership, the Australia-ASEAN Business Council has established a regional platform of working relationships and networks with key business and entrepreneur organisations and universities across the region and launched a number of ‘Australia-ASEAN first’ initiatives. A focus is improving policy environments across the region for better business connectivity and growth.
Mr. Peter Mc Kenna
Peter is a business growth consultant. He helps companies – startups, SMEs, multinationals – develop markets and workforce capabilities across Australia and Asia regions. He focuses on market introductions and getting teams working effectively across disciplines, cultures and borders to maximise growth success.
Peter’s core strengths are:
1. International business strategy and execution skills
2. Regional networks in business, government and academia
3. Ability to work regionally across borders, at strategic and operational levels, adapting to different economies, cultures, business practices and legal frameworks.
Peter’s current positions are:
1. Co-founder and managing director of Venturenauts (international business development consulting and services)
2. Co-founder and chief strategist of Guru Advantage (global professional immersions and workforce development consulting and services)
3. Adjunct Professor at the National University of Malaysia (Institute of Malaysian and International Studies).
Other international positions include former vice-president of the Australia-ASEAN Business Council (2016-2022) and senior international consultant and team leader with the Asian Development Bank.
Specialities: Business innovation and growth. Market development. Workforce development. Australia and Asia regions. Global professional immersions. Executive education. Policy design. Regulatory Reform. Coaching. Mentoring.