Biography of Prof. Dr. Dawood Abdulmalek Yahya AL-Hidabi
Professor of Education at the International Islamic University Malaysia
Director of the International Institute for Muslim Unity (IIMU)
Prof. AL-Hidabi got his first degree in Physics (BSc & Ed) in 1977), Sanaa University, Yemen. He studied his P.G.C.E in teaching Physics, MEd, and PhD (Education) in the UK (1980-1986). He works at Sanaa University (1987-2015). He was the founding president of the University of Science and Technology, Yemen (1994-2007). He published more than 140 papers, supervised more than 150 master and PhD theses and co-authored several textbooks. Currently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of three academic journals. Al-Hidabi is a member of the advisory boards and reviewer for several national, and international journals in education. Prof. AL-Hidabi, became a Professor of Education at IIUM, Malaysia in 2016–now. He also worked as an Assistant to the Deputy Rector of IIUM for Internationalization. He is the Director of the International Institute for Muslim Unity (IIMU), at the International Islamic University Malaysia. He is also the Chairman of the Islamic Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of the Federation of Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) which is hosted by IIUM. He engaged in consultancy and training for national, and international organizations such as ministries of education and higher education, World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, ISESCO, OIC, IIIT, and others. His areas of interest are Curriculum and Instruction, Quality and Governance, Integration of Knowledge, Strategic Planning, Higher Education Leadership and Universities’ Auditing and Performance Development.
Biography of Dr. Rizal Mohd Nor
Head of the Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity (CoExCyS) and a Lecturer/Researcher at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Dr. Rizal Mohd Nor is the Head of the Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity (CoExCyS) and a Lecturer/Researcher at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Holding a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from Kent State University, an MBA from IIUM, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He operates at the cutting edge of quantum computing, blockchain architecture, and secure IoT systems. A highly accomplished academic and industry consultant, Dr. Nor has secured over RM1.5 million in research funding, published more than 90 papers, and serves on global panels including the ISO Expert Committee for IoT, Smart Cities, and Blockchain. His dedication to integrating emerging technologies into safe, smart campus ecosystems and modern pedagogy makes his insights exceptionally valuable for the 6th International Conference on Educational Studies and Psychology (ICOEPS 2026).