Manuel Fontaine Campos serves as Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP), where he has held directorial responsibilities since 2013 and previously served as Vice-President of UCP's Porto Regional Center (2017-2021). His academic journey includes a Law degree (1996), Master's in Political Science (1999), and Doctorate in Law (2012), all from UCP. His research focuses on Public Law , European Union Law , and International Trade Law , with particular expertise in State Aid regulation, constitutional interpretation, and EU competition policy. His publication record spans over two decades, including commentaries on Portugal's Civil Code and Constitution, analyses of EU regulatory frameworks, and historical studies of international trade regulations. Professionally, he has held visiting positions at universities in Mozambique, Macau, Spain, and Portugal, and contributes to legal discourse through scholarly publications and expert opinions. His teaching portfolio includes International Trade Law, Public Law, and European Economic Law modules across multiple UCP degree programs. As both academic and practitioner (having worked as a lawyer and legal consultant), Campos bridges theoretical scholarship with practical legal application, particularly in EU regulatory compliance and constitutional interpretation. His current work continues to influence Portuguese legal scholarship through ongoing publications and institutional leadership.
Suren Gomtsyan is an Assistant Professor at the LSE Law School, specializing in corporate law, corporate governance, and empirical legal analysis. He holds a PhD and LLM (cum laude) from Tilburg University and has held academic roles at the University of Leeds School of Law (2016–2023) and visiting positions at Fordham University and Tilburg. His research explores institutional investor behavior, shareholder engagement, and private legal ordering, with notable work on FIFA's governance and corporate environmental accountability. Education highlights include a PhD in Law (2016) and LLM Research Master (2012, cum laude) from Tilburg University, Netherlands. He is affiliated with the Amsterdam Center for Law & Economics (ACLE) and Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC). Research interests center on corporate governance structures, institutional investor strategies, ESG compliance, and the interplay between private legal systems and public regulation. His work bridges empirical analysis with doctrinal research, addressing topics like executive compensation, debtholder rights, and regulatory frameworks for asset managers. Awarded the Research Talent Grant (NWO, 2013–2016), Brenno Galli Award (2016), and multiple young scholar prizes for legal economics contributions (2015–2018). His research on shareholder engagement was shortlisted for the Society of Legal Scholars' Best Paper Prize (2018). Advising and grants include roles as Research Associate (ACLE) and Extramural Fellow (TILEC). His work has been cited by the Delaware Court of Chancery and the U.S. Court of Appeals (4th Circuit). Labs/Teams: Active in ACLE and TILEC research networks, focusing on law and economics interdisciplinary projects.
Professor Runming Yao is a leading academic in building and urban sustainability at the University of Reading's School of Construction Management and Engineering. He holds roles as Director of Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environments and Module Convenor for Sustainable Design and Management Principles. His research focuses on energy efficiency, urban microclimates, indoor environmental quality, and thermal comfort, with particular emphasis on UK and China contexts. Yao is an EPSRC College member and serves on editorial boards for journals like the Journal of Building Engineering and Renewable Energy . He has led numerous high-impact projects funded by bodies like the European Commission, EPSRC, and the Chinese government, addressing topics such as low-carbon cities, green building technologies, and climate-resilient urban design. His professional memberships include Fellowships of CIBSE, the Chartered Institute of Building, and FHEA. Yao’s work bridges engineering, policy, and environmental science, with contributions to international standards and guidelines for sustainable construction. Education and Qualifications: BSc, MSc, PhD Research Interests: Yao’s research integrates technical innovation with societal needs, exploring: - Energy-efficient building systems and urban-scale simulations, - Impact of climate change on building design, - Sensor technology for smart building management, - Health implications of indoor/outdoor environmental quality. His work emphasizes cross-disciplinary solutions for sustainable urban development and climate resilience. Projects and Grants: Recent initiatives include: - LoHCool (EPSRC-funded low-carbon heating/cooling of cities), - REELCOOP (EU-funded renewable energy cooperation), - Halton Foundation-funded studies on school ventilation. He has secured over £10M in research funding, spanning academic and industry partnerships. Awards and Recognition: While no formal awards are listed, Yao’s leadership in global sustainability networks and his role in shaping policy frameworks reflect his significant influence in the field. Labs and Collaborations: He leads the Energy and Environmental Research Group and collaborates internationally with institutions like Chongqing University, Cambridge University, and the China Green Building Council. His work frequently involves cross-border initiatives to address climate challenges in rapidly urbanizing regions.
Synnøve Kristine Nepstad Bendixsen is a Professor and Head of Department at the Department of Social Anthropology, University of Bergen (UiB), Faculty of Social Sciences. She is a leading scholar in migration, bordering, and welfare state dynamics, with extensive research on irregular migration, humanitarianism, and belonging in Nordic and European contexts. Her research interests include: Migration and bordering practices Welfare state exclusion and inclusion Irregular migrants' access to healthcare Humanitarian governance and encampment Transnational kinship and mobility Gender, religion, and identity among migrants Digitalization of welfare and borders Her recent publications (2022–2024) reflect a strong focus on the Nordic welfare model’s role in controlling migration through bordering practices, the moral economies of healthcare for irregular migrants, and the lived experiences of displacement. Themes across her work include precarity, slow violence, deservingness, and the paradoxes of egalitarian societies producing hierarchical belonging. Scientific contributions and outreach include: Keynote speaker at international conferences (e.g., University of Iceland, EASA) Invited lectures at Princeton, Oxford (COMPAS), Humboldt University, and others Public engagement through op-eds (Bergens Tidende, Morgenbladet), podcasts, and media interviews Documentary film co-creation: Birthdayparents (2018) She has advised PhD candidates such as Elina Niinivaara and Signe Aarvik and has led major research projects including: PrecaNord (2022–2025): Tackling Precarious and Informal Work in the Nordic Countries EQUALPART (2021–2025): Migrant Women’s Participation in Labour Supercamp (2019–2022): Genealogies of Humanitarian Containment Energethics (2015–2019): Norwegian Energy Companies Abroad She has organized academic events such as the Bergen Summer Research School and participates in public discourse on deep sea mining, inclusion, and migration policy. Her work bridges academic research, policy critique, and public anthropology.
Sébastien TOUZÉ is a Professor of Public Law at Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, serving as Chairman of the Department of Public Law and Political Science and Director of the Master 2 Human Rights and Humanitarian Law program. He is affiliated with the Center for Research on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (CRDH) and directs the René Cassin Foundation – International Institute of Human Rights. His academic credentials include a Doctor of Law and Associate of Law Faculties qualification. Professor TOUZÉ's research centers on public international law, international human rights law, and European human rights law, with specialized expertise in the European Convention on Human Rights and cross-border protection of fundamental rights. His work critically examines the role of supranational courts in human rights enforcement and normative interactions between European Union law and international legal frameworks. His extensive publication record reveals sustained focus on evolving human rights challenges, including international humanitarian law developments, death penalty abolition, and institutional trust in human rights bodies. These works consistently integrate comparative legal analysis with practical implementation concerns across multiple jurisdictions. As Director of the René Cassin Foundation, he actively shapes human rights discourse while leading the Department of Public Law and Political Science. His administrative leadership extends to supervising the Master 2 Human Rights and Humanitarian Law curriculum, training future human rights practitioners. The Center for Research on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (CRDH) serves as his primary research hub, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration on urgent human rights issues through academic conferences and policy-oriented research initiatives.
Dr. Maciej Jarota is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Labor Law and Social Security within the Faculty of Law, Canon Law and Administration at the Catholic University of Lublin. His academic career focuses on collective labor law, occupational health and safety, and the intersection of technology with labor ethics. He teaches courses on work environment protection, labor law, and mediation practices. Research Areas: Collective Dispute Resolution, Occupational Health and Safety, AI in Workplace, Polish Diaspora Media Studies Key Contributions: Publications on social arbitration, mediation frameworks, and nanoethics in labor law Jarota's publications span topics from collective dispute mechanisms to ethical implications of AI in occupational health. His awards include recognition from the District Chamber of Legal Advisers in Lublin for contributions to legal self-government. Active in scientific organizations like the World Council for the Study of Polish Diaspora, he has pursued grants for research on European labor dispute resolution methods.
Professor Michaela Benson is Professor of Public Sociology at Lancaster University's School of Social Sciences. She is internationally recognised for her leadership in Migration Studies and Urban Sociology, with her work critically examining Brexit and migration, lifestyle migration, class, space and place, and self-build housing. Since 2022 she also serves as Chief Executive of The Sociological Review , a charitable foundation advancing public sociology. Education & Recognition: Michaela holds a PhD and was elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) in 2025. Research Interests: Her research agenda centres on the intersections of migration, citizenship, and urban life, with a particular focus on how these phenomena are reshaped by Brexit. She explores lifestyle migration as a lens on class, coloniality, and identity, and interrogates the meanings of home and housing through self-build practices. Her work is marked by a commitment to reflexive, empirical methodologies and public engagement. Scholarly Output: Across more than 60 publications, her recent articles span critiques of post-Brexit bordering practices, the colonial legacies shaping UK migration regimes, and innovative pedagogies in sociology. A consistent theme is the biopolitical and geopolitical dimensions of migration governance, analysed through ethnographic and multi-sensory methods. Awards & Fellowships: Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) – 2025 British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship – 2020-2021 Research Funding & Projects: Brexit, citizens’ rights and British Citizens in the EU-27 5 years on – ESRC consultancy (2025) Rebordering Britain and Britons after Brexit (MIGZEN) – ESRC (2021-2024) BrExpats: Freedom of Movement, Citizenship and Brexit in the lives of Britons resident in the European Union – ESRC (2017-2019) PhD Supervision & Research Groups: She welcomes doctoral researchers working on migration and citizenship, Brexit, class, home and housing, and urban sociology, especially those employing qualitative or ethnographic methods. She is affiliated with the Centre for Alternatives to Social and Economic Inequalities and the Centre for Health Futures .
Piotr Witkowski is a Professor at the Department of World Economy and European Integration, Faculty of Economics, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin. He holds a habilitation degree in humanities (political science, 2017) and has taught at multiple institutions since 2004, including the University of Entrepreneurship and Administration in Lublin and the University of International Relations and Social Communication in Chełm. Education: Master's in Political Science (1986), Inter-university Institute of Political Sciences, UMCS Postgraduate studies in Administration and Management (1997), Faculty of Law and Administration, UMCS PhD in Political Science (2001), UMCS Postgraduate studies in Transport-Forwarding-Logistics (2014), University of International Relations and Social Communication in Chełm His research focuses on customs policy , international trade , and EU integration , particularly analyzing Poland's customs strategies post-1989, Schengen Agreement implications, and transnational logistics. He has published extensively on topics like EU customs law, border control, and economic security. Key article trends include customs procedures (EU-Ukraine trade regulations), logistics frameworks , and cross-border cooperation . His work bridges law , political science , and economics , emphasizing practical trade facilitation and policy harmonization. He has organized conferences on Schengen challenges, EU customs code harmonization, and transnational security, including roles in academic councils and Senate memberships. Collaborations with institutions like the Polish Customs Chamber and Frontex-related studies highlight his policy-oriented contributions.
Dr. Irene Fubara-Manuel is an Associate Professor in Digital Media Practice at the University of Sussex's School of Media, Arts and Humanities. Their work bridges media art, animation, game design, and critical theory, focusing on race, migration, surveillance, and queer futurities. They hold a PhD from Sussex (2016-2019) and a PgCert in Higher Education (2020-2022). Their research interrogates biometric surveillance systems, digital colonialism, and intersectional feminist praxis in technology. Key research areas include: Algorithmic governance of migration Data colonialism and global south perspectives Feminist digital infrastructures Queer media representation Intersectional methodologies in digital humanities Recent projects include the AHRC-funded Full Stack Feminism initiative (2021-2024), exploring anti-racist feminist tech ecosystems. Their creative practice spans installations addressing border control algorithms and queer digital futurisms. Notable works include the Full Stack Feminism Archive and Manifestations exhibition. Awards include the JUST AI Fellowship (2020). Teaching focuses on critical media production and digital culture. Their publications span peer-reviewed journals, edited collections, and creative-critical exhibitions, demonstrating a commitment to interdisciplinary praxis.
Thomas Spijkerboer is Full Professor of Migration Law at the Faculty of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he has been employed since 2000. He also holds positions at the Kooijmans Institute and established the Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law, which has grown to become one of the largest research groups on migration worldwide. His academic career includes significant appointments as Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Professor of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at Lund University (2017-2020) and International Franqui Professor at Ghent University (2020-2021). His educational background includes law studies at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Before his academic career, he gained practical experience working at the Rechtswinkel Amsterdam legal clinic (1982-1986), specializing in housing law, and at Advokatenkollektief Zaanstreek (1986-1993), where he specialized in asylum cases. He completed his dissertation Gender and Refugee Status at the Catholic University Nijmegen, where he worked as a lecturer in Migration Law from 1993 to 2000. Professor Spijkerboer's research centers on the intersection of migration law, human rights, and border policies, with particular emphasis on the right to life of irregular migrants and the human costs of border control. His work critically examines European migration policies, especially their externalization and the resulting mortality among migrants attempting to reach European territory. He has pioneered research on border deaths, developing databases that document migrant fatalities along European borders, and has extensively analyzed the legal and moral implications of European border policies. His scholarship combines legal analysis with sociological and empirical approaches, addressing issues such as gender in refugee status determination, LGBTQ+ asylum claims, and the impact of migration policies on family life. His extensive publication record, including over 450 research outputs, demonstrates a consistent focus on the human rights dimensions of migration control. Recent work explores the bifurcation of migration law in Europe, asylum systems as instruments of containment, and the legal frameworks governing European border enforcement. His publications reveal a trajectory from detailed legal analysis of Dutch asylum procedures toward broader critiques of European and global migration governance. Scientific Awards and Distinctions: Praemium Erasmianum Studieprijs (2001) for his dissertation Gender and Refugee Status Elected member of the Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (2016) Elected member of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Academie van Wetenschappen (2017) Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Professorship at Lund University (2017-2020) International Franqui Professorship at Ghent University (2020-2021) Professor Spijkerboer has supervised 17 PhD theses and led multiple major research projects funded by NWO and the EU, including the significant five-year project Border Policies and Sovereignty. Human rights and the right to life of irregular migrants (2013-2018) and Fleeing Homophobia. Asylum claims related to sexual orientation and gender identity in the EU (2010-2011). His research has been instrumental in establishing the field of border death studies, influencing both academic discourse and policy debates on migration. He serves on the editorial boards of the Nederlands Juristenblad and the European Journal of Migration and Law, contributing significantly to the scholarly discourse in his field. He directs the Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law, which functions as a hub for interdisciplinary research on migration law, bringing together legal scholars, sociologists, and political scientists. The center has become internationally recognized for its innovative approach to migration law research, particularly its focus on the human costs of border policies and the intersection of migration law with other legal domains such as family law and human rights law.
Robert Marquez is a Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis, where he joined the faculty in July 2012. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on banking and corporate finance, with expertise in financial intermediation, industrial organization, and the mechanisms underlying financial institution behavior. A key area of investigation is how low interest rates impact bank leverage and risk-taking behavior. Previously, Marquez held academic positions at Boston University, Arizona State University, and the University of Maryland, and worked at the Federal Reserve in San Francisco. Marquez's publications consistently appear in top finance journals including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, and Management Science. His work demonstrates recurring themes of banking regulation, risk management, corporate governance, and market competition. Recent articles focus on innovation financing, asset transactions, and regulatory impacts on financial stability. He maintains active research collaborations across institutions and advises doctoral students in finance disciplines. His laboratory focuses on empirical finance with strong computational infrastructure for large-scale financial data analysis.
Dr. Inken Bartels is a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at the University of Osnabrück, Germany. Since 2019, she has specialized in the politics of statistical knowledge production about migration and its impact on governance in West Africa. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Sociology from Humboldt University of Berlin (2018), a diploma in political science from Freie Universität Berlin and Université de Provence Aix-Marseille I, and visiting research at the European University Institute in Florence (2013-2014). Research Interests Migration and Border Regimes Knowledge Production on Migration International Organizations (especially IOM) Return Migration North and West Africa Practice Theories Science and Technology Studies Qualitative Methods Her recent book The International Organization for Migration in North Africa (Routledge 2022) analyzes IOM's role in shaping migration governance through information campaigns, voluntary return programs, and anti-trafficking initiatives. Her publications span topics like EU-IOM cooperation, contested migration terminology, and the moral economies of migration research. She has taught courses at the University of Hamburg, University of Osnabrück, Humboldt University, and Kiel University on subjects including Bourdieusian theory, migration policy, and border studies.
Florian Trauner is a Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Brussels School of Governance at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). He specializes in EU migration, asylum, and internal security policies, with a focus on governance dynamics and external policy impacts. He co-founded the VUB's Brussels Interdisciplinary Research centre on Migration and Minorities (BIRMM), uniting over 100 researchers across 11 disciplines. His work bridges academic research and policy, including ERC-funded projects on coercive EU mobility rules and EU-West African migration cooperation. Education: PhD (2008, Vienna and Copenhagen) and Habilitation (2015, Political Science). He has held visiting positions at institutions like the College of Europe (Warsaw) and University of Renmin (China). His research appears in journals like West European Politics and Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies , addressing topics such as EU deterrence messaging, bureaucratic migration politics, and the impact of crises on asylum systems. Key projects include analyzing EU migration cooperation with West Africa and the role of supranational institutions in Justice and Home Affairs. He has advised the European Commission, Parliament, and IOM, contributing to policy debates on return policies, border management, and the rule of law. Recent media engagements address Frontex oversight, Greek pushbacks, and EU migration hubs. Teaching includes EU immigration policy at the College of Europe. Supervised student theses include analyses of EU-Turkey cooperation, economic sanctions, and China’s diplomatic strategies. His awards include the EU Consent PhD Award (2007) and recognition for special issue curation (2011).
Violeta Moreno-Lax is a Full Professor of Law (on special leave) at Queen Mary University of London and holds a prestigious Ramón y Cajal Senior Research Fellowship at the University of Barcelona. She is also a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe (Bruges) and will serve as Senior Emile Noël Fellow at NYU in 2024. Her primary affiliation is with Queen Mary’s Immigration Law programme, where she founded the (B)OrderS: Centre for the Legal Study of Borders, Migration and Displacement . She has also co-directed the Centre for European and International Legal Affairs (CEILA) and coordinates the SAROBMED consortium documenting human rights violations during Mediterranean migration interdictions. Education: No explicit details provided, but her extensive academic appointments (Oxford, Louvain, EUI, etc.) indicate advanced legal training. Her research focuses on EU and international law intersections with migration, border violence, and security. She advises EU institutions and has published widely on refugee law, extraterritorial rights, and meta-border governance. Research Interests: She investigates how migration controls impact refugee rights, particularly through 'remote control' mechanisms like sea interdictions and visa restrictions. Her work critiques legal frameworks that externalize migration management while eroding accountability—e.g., 'meta-borders' enabling state evasion of human rights obligations. Recent focus includes criminalization of humanitarian aid to migrants and systemic 'crisis governance' normalizing non-access to asylum in the EU. Awards & Recognition: Fernand Braudel Senior Fellowship (EUI), Max Planck Directors’ Grant, and leadership roles in European Law Observatory , Equal Rights Beyond Borders , and the Migration and Law Network . Her work has been cited in ECtHR cases and EU policy debates. Grants & Labs: SAROBMED (EU-funded multi-stakeholder project), CEILA (EU legal affairs hub), and the (B)OrderS Centre. Her 2024 NYU fellowship examines legal mobilization against migrant solidarity criminalization.
Dr. Robert Lane is a Senior Lecturer in EU Law at the School of Law, University of Edinburgh. His expertise spans EU constitutional and administrative law, the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), internal market law, and competition law. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD in Law. **Research Interests**: Dr. Lane's work focuses on the constitutional dynamics of the European Union, particularly the administrative and judicial frameworks governing EU institutions. He examines the methods and reasoning of the ECJ, the evolution of competition law post-Lisbon Treaty, and the interplay between EU law and national legal systems. His research also addresses contemporary issues such as the legal implications of the Scottish Independence Referendum and the impact of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic on EU legal frameworks. **Education**: PhD in Law MA in Law BA in Law **Advising and Grants**: No formal advisees or grants are listed in the provided information. His academic contributions are primarily through research publications and books. **Labs/Teams**: No specific research labs or collaborative teams are mentioned in the profile.
