Dr Rusni Hassan is an associate professor and the deputy dean at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). She graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree (Honors), a Bachelor of Laws degree (Shariah) (First Class), a Master of Comparative Laws degree and a PhD in law. She is a member of the following: Shariah Advisory Council for Bank Negara Malaysia, Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia, Shariah Committee for HDFC and HDC Maldives. She is a registered Shariah advisor with the Securities Commission Malaysia and is the secretary for the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance Malaysia and the International Council of Islamic Finance Educators.

Dr Rusni has spoken extensively in seminars, workshops, conferences and trainings on various Islamic finance issues. Her publications include books on Islamic banking and Takaful, Islamic banking under Malaysian law, corporate governance of Islamic financial institutions and many articles in local and international journals. She has received awards such as ‘Promising Researcher’ at IIUM in 2012. Her works and contribution to Islamic finance have also been recognized internationally when she was listed among the ‘Top 10 Women in Islamic Finance’ by CPI Financial in 2013. She also received the award of ‘Most Talented Women Professional in Islamic Banking’ at the Asia Islamic Banking Excellence Awards, CMO Asia in 2014.

Johan is the managing partner of J. Lee & Associates, a legal firm in Malaysia. He graduated with LLB (Hons) degree from International Islamic University Malaysia. He also holds a Master of Comparative Laws degree, a post-graduate Diploma in Shariah and Legal Practice both of which from International Islamic University Malaysia and, an MA in Economics for Competition Law from King’s Collage London. He is currently a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK as well as a mediator of the Malaysian Bar. He is an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. Proficient in English, Malay language, Mandarin, he is also the first Chinese origin Shariah practitioner ever admitted by the Shariah court. His current practice includes corporate and commercial law, competition law, compliance and Islamic corporate finance related matters. He is instrumental in developing Islamic banking, Takaful and Islamic corporate finance documents and exercises for several financial institutions as well as corporate and governmental entities in Malaysia. Johan lectured in the law faculty of International Islamic University Malaysia since 1999 for both undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes. He has taught for a special exclusive diploma programme in Islamic Banking, jointly offered by IIUM and the Bar Council. He also lectures occasionally in various other local universities, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), as well as Institute Latihan Kehakiman (ILKAP) and Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia (JKSM) for both civil courts and Shariah courts judges concerning Islamic banking. In 2006, he was a visiting scholar to the Asian Law Centre of the University of Washington. He is currently a Shariah consultant to governmental agencies as well as government-funded banks. He is the author of the book ‘Legal Documentation for Islamic Banking’ published by the IBFIM, and co-author of an upcoming book ‘Islamic Financial Services Act 2013: Commentaries’ to be published and launched by the Current Law Journal. Johan is now a member of the Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) of the Association of Islamic Banks Malaysia (AIBIM and is a consultant to new law practices in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and the UK.

Dr Aishath Muneeza is one of the key founders of Islamic finance in the Maldives, a small island nation with a 100% Muslim population. She has experience in multiple aspects of the Islamic finance industry and is a Shariah advisor, an Islamic finance consultant, an attorney and a deputy minister, among others. She was the driving force behind the establishment of Maldives Hajj Corporation, the ‘Tabung Haji’ of the Maldives and structured the first corporate Sukuk offered in the Maldives. She also structured the Islamic treasury instruments for the Maldivian government and the Islamic capital market framework of the country was shaped under her guidance.

Dr Aishath’s contribution to the Islamic finance industry has been recognized by the government of the Maldives which conferred on her the prestigious ‘Rehendhi Award’ – the highest award for women. She was the first to publish books on Islamic finance in the Dhivehi language and co-authored the winning essay at the 2010 Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum.

Dr Aishath is an associate professor at the International Center for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) and the chairwoman of the Maldives Center for Islamic Finance which was set up by the government to position the Maldives as the hub of Islamic finance and the Halal industry in the South Asia region.