Prof. Gopal Pathak graduated in Civil Engineering from BIT Mesra in 1977. He completed his master’s in civil engineering and Ph.D. from the same institute. In 1980, he joined the Department of Civil Engineering at BIT Mesra as a faculty member and rose to the position of Professor in the year 2000. Apart from his experience in the academic field, he has also held many administrative positions, including HOD of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dean of Student Welfare, Dean of Faculty Development, Dean of Administration and Campus Development, and others. He has also served as Acting Vice Chancellor of the institute. Prof. Pathak has published and presented many technical papers in various national and international journals and conference proceedings in places such as China, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Australia, Iran, South Africa, the USA, and others during his professional career. He has also been a visiting professor and scholar at many prestigious foreign universities. To name a few: University of Technology, Sydney, Australia (1997); University of Ningbo, China (2006); Princeton University, USA (2009); International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering, Burkina Faso, Western Africa (2009); and Stanford University, California (2011). He served as Vice Chancellor of Jharkhand University of Technology, Ranchi, from June 15, 2017, to December 14, 2020, and as Vice Chancellor of Sarala Birla University from December 15, 2020, to July 31, 2024. He has been heading Sarala Birla University as Director General since August 1, 2024.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rosazlin Abdullah is a lecturer at the Institute of Biological Sciences (ISB), University Malaya. She has over 18 years of experience in various national and international agricultural-environmental based projects and has demonstrated outstanding research achievement in the field of sustainable soil management, one of the national challenges and is currently at the forefront of research in the field of biochar. She currently serves as the President of the Malaysian Soil Science Society, National Focal Point for the Global Soil Partnership, a Technical Committee of the Centre of Excellence for Soil Research in Asia (CESRA) and a Committee member of Biochar Malaysia Association. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles in international scientific journals with a Scopus H-index of 22. She actively contributes to the development of national guidelines and frameworks aimed at advancing sustainable agriculture in Malaysia. Her multifaceted contributions underscore her role as a distinguished figure in academia, research and community engagement.

Prof. Dr (Mrs.) G.A.S. Ginigaddara is a senior academic and higher education specialist with over two decades of experience in environmental studies, sustainability, educational governance, and research leadership. She has served in senior academic and administrative roles, including as a Vice Chancellor of a national public university. She has extensive experience in quality assurance, curriculum development, and research evaluation across multidisciplinary domains. Her academic and professional work spans climate-related policy studies, sustainability education, and institutional capacity building, with a strong focus on bridging research, policy, and practice in developing country contexts. Prof. Ginigaddara has contributed as a national-level academic reviewer, consultant, and evaluator for higher education and development initiatives, including internationally funded programs. She actively engages in international academic collaborations and serves on scientific and editorial committees, contributing to the advancement of rigorous, policy-relevant research in climate change and sustainability