The Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Chair

WASHINGTON, 6 AUGUST 2026 —

Headline: The Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Chair Lead: The Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Chair was established in 2021 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the foreign ministers of Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. The chair will promote track-two dialogue between Malaysia and the UAE while fostering greater collaboration between Southeast Asia and the Gulf Arab countries. The chair aims to bridge the gap in knowledge and research betwee Body: The Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Chair was established in 2021 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the foreign ministers of Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. The chair will promote track-two dialogue between Malaysia and the UAE while fostering greater collaboration between Southeast Asia and the Gulf Arab countries. The chair aims to bridge the gap in knowledge and research between Middle East and North Africa and Southeast Asia. It will contribute to the development of policies and provide scientific recommendations to authorities, decision-makers, civil organisations and the youth in both regions. The Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Chair at ISIS Malaysia is looking for authors who would like to contribute a chapter towards a book on UAE-Southeast Asia Relations . The book seeks to map the history and trajectory of the UAE’s relationship with Southeast Asian nations and document the emerging economic and cultural cooperation between the Gulf nation and its Southeast Asian counterparts. Subject specialists are expected to articulate their understanding and ideas of UAE-Southeast Asia relations as well as provide an accessible and fundamental guide to the topic. ➡️ Interested authors should submit a 200-300-word abstract by Friday, 11 October . Guidelines are available here Al Murr is the inaugural holder of the Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Chair. He is the chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation and a former speaker of the UAE’s Federal National Council. He is regarded as one of the UAE’s most influential political and cultural innovators, renowned for being a custodian and resource of Emirati culture and heritage. With years of experience and study in literature, culture, poetry, Arabic calligraphy and art in its various forms, Al Murr introduced pioneering cultural projects, such as the Etihad Museum, Dubai Opera, Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Culture and Scientific Association and Huroof Arabiya , a magazine focused on Arabic calligraphy. He is the author of more than 10 books and novels, including The Wink of the Mona Lisa , and Other Stories from the Gulf and Dubai Tales . Prof Faiz leads the institute’s policy development and Track 2 diplomacy, including through the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies and Pacific Economic Cooperation Council. He is also the Malaysian representative to the ASEAN Regional Forum Experts and Eminent Persons meeting, co-chair of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Good Governance. Farhana presents AWANI International, Astro’s flagship English news segment analysing global power shifts and geopolitical rivalries shaping the international order. She also hosts the weekly talk show It’s About Youth, leading discussions with diverse guests on issues central to young Malaysians. Her expertise extends across the organisation, contributing to major programmes, including AWANI Global, Agenda AWANI and Dialog ASEAN25. Marweena oversees strategic trade negotiations, and the advancement of Malaysia’s bilateral and regional economic frameworks at MITI. She is the former director of the Digital Economy Division, where she spearheaded the digitalisation of trade and investment policies. Her experience includes roles as director of the Investment Policy Section; economic counsellor in Brussels and as a pioneer secretariat member of the Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (PEMUDAH). Thomas has more than a decade’s experience in foreign policy and security analysis. His work focuses on how major-power dynamics impact on the strategic-security considerations of Southeast Asia. Within this scope, he mainly looks at the South China Sea dispute, political-security cohesion within ASEAN and Malaysia’s security and foreign policies. He also focuses on policies towards refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia and ASEAN’s response to the Myanmar crisis. Fairuz Adli assumed the current position in January, following his tenure as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Malaysia in Washington, DC. He joined the administrative and diplomatic service in 2002. His previous stints include assistant director at the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat and principal assistant director at the Coordination and Implementation Department. He has also served as second secretary at the Embassy of Malaysia in Kuwait, counsellor and minister-counsellor at the Embassy of Malaysia in the Republic of Korea. Dr Rogers has taught at the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College and the Malaysian Defence Armed Forces College. His area of specialisation includes political science, international relations and history (China and Central Asia). His research interests are government and politics of the Central Asian republics in Xinjiang. Dr Jung is a scholar of Southeast Asian media, cultural diplomacy and the expanding global influence of K-culture. He is currently serving as secretary-general of Asia Vision Forum (AVF), South Korea’s first private think-tank focused on ASEAN and wider Asian regional cooperation. AVF advances dialogue, cultural exchange and strategic understanding between Korea and its Asian counterparts. He is also a research fellow at the Institute for Hallyu Studies at Dongguk University, where he leads research on K-content strategy, soft power and digital fandom. Dr Lee is a member of the advisory group for the Korean Coast Guard and previously served in an advisory capacity for the Presidential Committee for New Southern Policy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His research focuses on ASEAN, Southeast Asian politics and regionalism. He is also interested in the superpower competition in the Indo-Pacific region. His publications include ‘South Korea and the South China Sea: A Domestic and International Balancing Act’, ‘What Asia Wants from the US: Voices from the Region’ and ‘Southeast Asian Perspectives of the United States and China: A SWOT Analysis’. Norhaslinda has vast experience in the public sector, having served various ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Finance; Economic… (AI-assisted rewrite, based on the original source)

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