Syahirah is a Malaysian Postgraduate candidate set to obtain her Masters of Strategic & Defense Studies from the University of Malaya (UM) by 2023. She holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science (International Relations) and is the recipient of the ASEAN Masters Scholarship. Her thesis discusses on Malaysian-Saudi diplomatic ties. Syahirah has worked in several sectors, including as a researcher in various research projects. Her focus area lies in domestic politics and International Relations with a research interest in Malaysia and the Middle East, particularly the GCC. Syahirah is passionate in teaching research and is a certified Mendeley Advisor, possessing several research certifications. She is a member of the Malaysian Social Science Association and Sarawak Research Society. She is also passionate in educating Malaysian youth on political literacy – you may follow her project work “The Political Science Podcast Malaysia” on Instagram.