SPEAKERS

Prof. Dr. Syawal Gultom, M.Pd., is a distinguished professor of Mathematics Education at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan. He was born into a disciplined, persistent, and hardworking family in North Tapanuli on February 3, 1962. The guidance of his parents instilled in him a life principle of relentless effort in achieving his dreams and a bright future, with the hope of bringing happiness to his family.

He served as an Expert Staff to the Vice Rector I of IKIP Medan from 1993 to 1998. From 1999 to 2003, he led the IKIP Medan/Unimed Project. He held the position of Vice Rector II of Unimed for the period 2003-2007 and was appointed as the Rector of Unimed for the period 2007-2011. He also served as a member of the KPU Sumatra Utara Selection Committee for the period 2008-2013. Additionally, he was the Head of the Center for Development of Education Personnel and Quality Assurance (BPSDMPK and PMP) at the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia from March 2011 to 2015. He then resumed his position as the Rector of Unimed for the period 2015-2019.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zubir Azhar is the Head of Accounting and a Senior Lecturer at the School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). He is a Board Member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), a Fellow Member of CPA Australia, a Chartered Accountant (CA) with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), and an ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountant (ACPA). He earned his PhD from the University of Manchester, UK, in 2015. Dr. Zubir teaches a range of subjects, including management accounting (both fundamental and advanced), integrated case studies, and public sector accounting. With over 14 years of academic experience, he also brings practical accounting experience from the industry, dating back to 2002.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anwar Allah Pitchay is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia. He joined the university after completing his PhD in 2015 from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). His research interests focus on Islamic Banking and Finance, as well as Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) within Islamic finance. Dr. Anwar has published numerous articles related to Waqf, Islamic Banking, and governance in various indexed and refereed journals, both locally and internationally. He currently holds several international research grants, such as the Sumitomo and Indonesia Education Grants, as well as local grants like FRGS and university-level grants such as the Short-Term Grant in philanthropy. His achievements are reflected in numerous awards, including Best Paper Awards, the Emerald Literati Awards, and postgraduate scholarships.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shih-Wei Wu is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Business Management at the National Taipei University of Technology, and serves as the Director of both the IMBA and IMFI Programs. He earned his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Southampton, UK, along with two Master's degrees from the same institution. His primary areas of expertise include Behavioral Finance, Financial Management, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Dr. Wu actively teaches various finance and management courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and publishes research in leading international journals. His proficiency in both Mandarin and English enables him to contribute globally in academic and research fields. Dr. Wu's extensive experience and expertise make him a significant figure in education and research in finance and international business management.