When Professor Wan Izatul Asma Wan Talaat (more fondly known as Prof. WIA) walks into a room, she carries with her both the authority of a seasoned law scholar and the weight of decades of work dedicated to the oceans. A Professor of Law at UMT and an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya, she has built her career at the crossroads of law, science, and environmental policy.

Her academic journey began with an LL.B at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), followed by postgraduate research degrees at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Since then, her trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable: 70 research grants worth MYR10.8 million, 36 projects under her leadership as principal investigator, and more than 200 publications, including books that have shaped discourse in environmental governance. What sets her apart is her ability to translate scientific findings into actionable strategies, bridging the gap between researchers and policymakers.

At home, she heads the Centre for Ocean Governance (COG) at INOS, Malaysia’s Higher Institution Centre of Excellence in marine science, and serves as a Visiting Fellow at the Royal Malaysian Navy Sea Power Centre. Abroad, her voice resonates in international forums. Since 2014, she has been an elected member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, contributing to specialist groups on oceans, coasts, coral reefs, and wetlands. That same year, she represented Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region at the 15th UN Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS) in New York.

She has represented Malaysia in the UNEP COBSEA Working Group on Marine Litter Monitoring, advised on plastic pollution policy for ERIA, and chaired the Marine Environment Session at the ASEAN–Australia Special Summit in Melbourne in 2024. Since April 2025, she has also served as Malaysia’s expert in the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum Pool of Experts, beginning with her role at the 13th EAMF in Port Dickson.

Professor Wan Izatul’s influence is deeply embedded in Malaysia’s national policy. She is a member of the National Technical Working Committee on Seabed Mining Legal Framework, has advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on UN negotiations relating to Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), and spearheaded the National Oceanography Strategic Plan (2018–2027). She has also led Malaysia’s first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiative in Terengganu, which has since informed the National MSP Framework and the MyMPA Blueprint for marine protected areas. Her work extends to supporting the Department of Fisheries (DOF) in revising mariculture regulations and developing community-based fisheries management frameworks.

Her current projects include developing Marine Scientific Research (MSR) guidelines with ANCORS, University of Wollongong; leading the RMK13 project on a Deep Seabed Mining Bill; advising on amendments to the Biosafety Act 2007; and assisting the National Security Council (MKN) in establishing a national maritime affairs agency.