Prof. Ts. Dr. Khairur Rijal Jamaludin is a Professor in Quality and Data-Driven Manufacturing at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). He holds a Ph.D. in Manufacturing Engineering from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, a Master’s degree in Advanced Mechanical Engineering from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Prior to joining academia, he began his engineering career at Proton, Malaysia’s national automotive manufacturer, where he served in the Engine and Transmission Department. His responsibilities included production line planning, capacity expansion, and new engine model implementation, providing him with valuable industrial experience that continues to influence his research and consultancy activities. Since joining UTM in 1997, Prof. Khairur Rijal has established himself as one of Malaysia’s leading experts in Quality Engineering, Lean Operations, Smart Manufacturing, and Applied Artificial Intelligence. His research focuses on integrating AI techniques with Robust Quality Engineering, particularly the advancement of Dr. Genichi Taguchi’s methodologies and the Mahalanobis-Taguchi System for intelligent decision-making, pattern recognition, quality prediction, and manufacturing optimization.