2018: PhD in Social Anthropology at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Since 2011: Lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, different teaching subjects including Social Sciences. Member in various research groups.

2010 – 2011: Tutor and Research Assistant at Universiti Brunei Darussalam in Sociology/ Anthropology

2007 – 2010: Teacher at Riam Institute of Technology (Miri, Malaysia)

1998: M.A. in Ethnology, University of Heidelberg, Germany. After that work in the family business

Alexander Stark is an anthropologist with over a decade of experience working in Malaysia. His research focuses primarily on traditional medicine and local wisdom in both Malaysia and Sumatra. In addition to his role as a university lecturer, he actively participates in various qualitative research initiatives across the region. His ethnographic work has taken him to diverse communities, where he explores cultural practices and indigenous knowledge systems. He is also a committed member of several professional bodies, including the Qualitative Research Association of Malaysia, reflecting his strong engagement in the field of qualitative research.

Selected Journal Articles:

Pradipta, Andamar, and Alexander Stark. 2025. “When Magic Makes Sense: Public Perceptions of Modern Esoteric Practices in Urban Indonesia.” e-Bangi Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 22 (1): 45–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2025.2201.04.

Stark, Alexander, and Ariezal Afzan Hassan. 2023. “The Manifoldness of Traditional Knowledge: The Example of the Minangkabau Society in West Sumatra, Indonesia.” KEMANUSIAAN: The Asian Journal of Humanities 30 (2): 39–55. https://doi.org/10.21315/kajh2023.30.2.3.

Stark, Alexander, and Khairul Hisyam Baharuddin. 2023. “Hamka’s Contribution to the Field of Anthropology: Another Perspective on Hamka’s Work.” Al Itqan: Journal of Islamic Sciences and Comparative Studies 8 (Special Issue 5): 83–97.

Stark, Alexander, and Balazs Huszka. 2022. “100 Years Sitti Nurbaya: A View on the Social Criticism in the Novel Sitti Nurbaya.” Asian Culture and History 14 (1): 8–16. https://doi.org/10.5539/ach.v14n1p67.

Stark, Alexander. 2019. “Traditional Medicine in West Sumatra: Some General Features.” Studies on Ethno-Medicine 13 (3): 131–137. https://doi.org/10.31901/24566772.2019/13.03.587.

Stark, Alexander, and Fatan Hamamah Yahaya. 2018. “The Body Concept of Traditional Healers in West Sumatra.” International Journal of Asian Social Science 8 (12): 1180–85.