Dr.Junaenah Sulehan is a professor in Sociology of Development and currently on secondment to the University College Sabah Foundation, (UCSF) Kota Kinabalu from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. At USCF, Junaenah is the Director of Center for Research Innovation & Management (CRIM) and Director of the Institute Borneo Studies (IBS). She is also a teaching member of the Faculty of Development and Multicultural Studies at this university. She is actively involved in research concerning development and social transformation in Sarawak and Sabah. Her areas of research include Gender, Women and Development, Urbanization and Social Change, Poverty, Indigenous culture, Social Cohesion of Border Communities in Borneo. At CRIM & IBS, her research concerns the Ethnography of Indigenous Communities, focusing on the communities living within the maritime and terrestrial parks in Sabah and conservation areas of the Sabah Foundation. She publishes in books and journals emphasizing on issues related to her research. Junaenah is affiliated to academic associations, local and foreign NGOs concerning advocacy on women’s leadership and empowerment and actively involved in students’ activities and the yearly global student’s mobility Program at UKM where she had been the founding coordinator.

 Jamal Gabir obtained his Bachelor Degree in Social Science and major in International Relations from Universiti Malaysia Sabah. He is currently attached with the Institute Borneo Studies (IBS), University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF), as a Research Officer. Among the research that he has been involved are Ethnography of Indigenous Communities in Sabah, community based Conservation management and Maritime people of Sabah. He had also been involved in organizing and participating in several Seminars & Workshops related to research at UCSF.

 Dr. Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez is a Research Fellow at IBS and has joined this institute in August 2021. He is a wildlife veterinarian with over 20 years of experience. A native speaker of the Spanish language, he obtained his MSc degree from the El Colegio de la Frontera Sur in Campeche, Mexico in 2011 before obtaining his PhD from Cardiff University, United Kingdom in 2020. Prior to joining the IBS, Dr. Sanchez was a Research Associate at the Danau Girang Field Centre (under the supervision of the Sabah Wildlife Department) where he is also the Co-Leader of the Health at the Edge project (H@EP). He has published in several journals such as Landscape Ecology, Conservation Physiology, Ecological Research and the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. Dr. Sanchez possesses vast experience covering different aspects of veterinary research i.e. from animal handling, sampling and GPS tagging, to ecological tools and analysis applied to animal and disease ecology, as well as BSL2 laboratory management, sample collection, storage and process.

His interest in bats spans 10 years, and it started when he enrolled in the Zoology program at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The bat’s morphological characteristics, complimented by their astonishing services toward the ecosystem, captured his interest. Studying and observing the variety of morphological variations in bats fascinates him, hence he has developed an eagerness to understand these nocturnal flying mammals better. Isham is motivated to continue to find ways to explore the ecological aspects of bats. The experience he gained from prior position as a Research Associate for Institut Penyelidikan Kenyir (Universiti Malaysia Terengganu), and later an affiliate of the Southeast Asian Mammalian Systematic and Evolution laboratory in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak has enhanced his fundamentals of bat research. Another main training experience that has facilitated his growth in bat research is the Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Union (SEABCRU) led by Dr. Tigga Kingston. He was recently appointed as a steering committee member of the new SEABCRU priority on Land-use
Change and Monitoring. Isham had held a faculty position as a lecturer/researcher, as well as the Head of Program for the Foundation in Science at University College Sabah Foundation in Sabah, Malaysia. Currently Isham is pursuing his PhD at Texas Tech University, in Lubbock, Texas, United States. His main research interest is to examine how the impacts of land use changes affect the sociality and microbiome of the bat community.

 Gusniar Nurdin recieved her Bachelor Degree in Development Science and Master of Philosophy in Development Science from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). She has been involved in several research projects while finishing her studies in UKM as Research Assistant in some research areas such as; Woman Online Entrepreneurs in Malaysia, Social Cohesion among Ethnic Groups in Borneo Borders, Women and Top Leadership Positions in Malaysia and Literacy and Education among Indigenous People in Paitan Sabah. The research has focused in the field of sociology and particularly in development studies. Recent work includes a long term study on the Ethnography Research on Maritime Communities of Sabah: Pala’uh Community, Community Conservation Initiative in Kg. Singgaron Baru, Ranau, Sabah and Online Spending Dynamics of Working Women in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Current interests include the community and conservation by emerging and developing knowledge in the context of community development.

 Jennifer Yukin works as a lecturer at the Faculty of Development and Multicultural Studies, University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) Kota Kinabalu. She is a Master’s Degree holder in Sociology and Social Anthropology from University Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Her thesis topic concerned the Local Communities’ Culture and Initiatives In Forest Conservation at Kampung Bundu Tuhan, Sabah (Budaya dan Inisiatif Komuniti dalam Konservasi Hutan di Kampung Bundu Tuhan, Sabah). Before she serves at UCSF in 2015, she had been actively involved with CSR programme under Sabah Forest Industries Sdn Bhd. at Sipitang, Sabah. She also has been involved in research since 2008 and among these are, The Access of Natural Resources by Indeterminate people in Semporna, Sabah. The study had identified strategies and programmes to eradicate poverty and improve employment and equity restructuring in the state of Sabah. Jennifer had also conducted a study on socio-economic assesment of the proposed hydro-electricity in Ulu Pada, Sipitang.

Jain Yassin is a lecturer at University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) and currently a PhD candidate at the Faculty of business, economics, and accounting at University Malaysia Sabah. He has done his Bachelor degree in economics of planning and development and Master in economics (M.Econs) specialization on environmental economics. His primary area of interest includes the economics planning and development, sustainability development, green economics, and economic modellings. His current dissertation work aims to assess and analyses the impact of economics composition, urban economic growth, demographical, and technological changes on pollution emissions in cross-countries analysis. He has presented in several conferences as well published paper with special focus on growth-pollution nexus in Asian Countries. Jain also pursues interests in analyzing the economics sustainability of eco-tourism activities and previously he has joined the research team from University Science Malaysia (USM) in conducting research on the Sabah eco-tourism carrying capacity. Currently at UCSF, he aims to infuse the concepts of sustainability development and environmental impacts through learning experiences in all subject areas.

Andry Chin Yung Tat is a lecturer at faculty of arts and creative media, University College Sabah Foundation, Kota Kinabalu since 2017. However, he is a pioneer staff since 2014.  He is a master holder in Visual Arts from University Malaysia Sabah. The field of research is focusing through culture object made by indigenous people. The research about “Imej geometri dalam anyaman tepo Bajau persisir di daerah Kudat” was conducted by him and finish in 2017. Before he works as a lecturer in 2017, he was an artist in nature inspiration art gallery, University College Sabah Foundation. He had been actively involved in art exhibition mostly in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia. The highest achievement in his field of arts has participated in Art Exhibition in conjunction with the Malaysia Cultural Week Event in Paris, France in 2015.

Mohd Farit Azimuddin Musa works as a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts and Creative Media, University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF). He is a Master’s Degree holder in Visual Arts from University Malaysia Sabah (UMS). His thesis were focused on “Motif and Form of Bajau Sama’s traditional weapon in Kota Belud, Sabah (Motif dan Bentuk Senjata Tradisional Bajau Sama Kota Belud, Sabah). The study was emphasize the element and principle of arts relating with concept, element and principle of arts and intrinsic meaning by research in motif and form of traditional weapons Bajau Sama Kota Belud. He has presented in several conference focus on the motif and form of traditional weapons Bajau Sama communities in Kota Belud Sabah. Before his work as lecturer at UCSF, he was an artist started from 2014 until 2016 in University College Sabah Foundation. He had been actively involved in arts exhibition mostly in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia. The highest achievement in his field of arts was participated Art Exhibition in conjunction with Malaysia Cultural Week Event in Paris, France on 2015.

 Nurrul Fazlina Osman obtained her Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and major in hydrodynamic and water quality from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). She currently attached with the Institute Borneo Studies (IBS), University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF), as Research Officer and she manages the UCSF consultancy unit for CRIM. Before, she involved in EIA assessment with Environmental Protection Department of Sabah as a reviewer and conducting research project on Salut-Mengkabong for ‘Environmental Impact on Aquaculture and Mitigation Method’. Her research involving hydrodynamic simulation using MIKE 21 to assess the vulnerability of Salut-Mengkabong Lagoon towards Eutrophication.

Nao Kaneko is a Lecturer, Department of International Communication and Academic Support Center, Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies. She is also a member of joint research project of Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies on Islam and Cultural Diversity. She obtained her Master’s degree from Kyushu University, Japan. She concentrates on the history of education in Sabah (or North Borneo) particularly in the transition period, namely the 1950s and the 1960s.

Dr. Akamine Jun is a Professor at the Institute for the Study of Global Issues, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. His research interests include Southeast Asian Studies and anthropology of food. He is an author of a book Conserving Biodiversity for Cultural Diversity: A Multi-sited Ethnography of Sea Cucumber Wars (Tokai University Press 2013). He also serves as an adviser for the Japanese Government delegation at the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) since 2007 and member of the Scientific Committee of Greenline Heritage conference series in Portugal since 2008.