Heather Congdon Fors is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Gothenburg (2006), an M.A. in Economics from the University of Waterloo (1999), and a B.A. (Honours) in Economics from the University of Manitoba (1997). Her research focuses on development economics, education, child labor, and political economy. She has led the research project 'Child labor and school attendance in India' (2014–2018) and serves as a reviewer for journals such as the European Journal of Political Economy and Economic Inquiry. Her teaching expertise includes macroeconomics, statistics, institutional economics, and international economics. She has completed pedagogical training programs including HPE201 to HPE103. Her work explores topics such as the impact of globalization on education, land certification on schooling in Ethiopia, and the persistence of harmful cultural norms like female genital cutting in Africa. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and authored reports on child labor policies, institutional change in post-colonial states, and gender biases in education. Fors has contributed to interdisciplinary projects, including analyses of bureaucrats' use of cost-benefit analysis in environmental policy and the long-term impacts of colonial missions on cultural practices. Her research bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical studies, addressing global challenges such as sustainable development goals and educational inequalities. She is based at Vasagatan 1, Gothenburg, and can be reached at heather.fors@economics.gu.se.
Lars Ulander is a Professor at Chalmers University of Technology specializing in radar remote sensing. His research focuses on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) signal processing, particularly for applications in forest biomass mapping and ground imaging using VHF/UHF-band systems. He is a key proposer for ESA's BIOMASS satellite mission (launching 2025) and leads the BorealScat project, utilizing a 50-meter tower-based tomographic radar to study boreal forest dynamics. His work spans radar system development, SAR tomography techniques, and environmental monitoring of forests and sea surface currents. Current research areas include vegetation water content estimation, bistatic radar configurations, and optimization of SAR data processing algorithms for multi-temporal analysis. Recent publications demonstrate expertise in P-band/L-band SAR for biomass retrieval, passive radar systems, and interferometric techniques. His articles investigate radar backscatter sensitivity to forest structure, moisture parameters, and seasonal changes, while contributing to mission design frameworks like SLAINTE and SESAME.
Martin Jakobsson is a Professor of Marine Geology and Geophysics at Stockholm University's Department of Geological Sciences. His career spans international research expeditions and leadership roles, including Dean of Earth Science (2021) and Head of Department (2012-2018). A key member of the Marine Geology group, he studies Arctic and Antarctic glacial history through sediment analysis and seafloor mapping. PhD from Stockholm University (2000) Academy Fellow, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (2004-2009) Professor II position at University Centre of Svalbard (2011-) His research focuses on marine geological archives to reconstruct glacial cycles, ice-ocean interactions, and bathymetric mapping. As GEBCO Vice-Chair (2013-2020), he led initiatives for global seabed mapping through the Seabed 2030 project. Recent publications reveal expertise in: Arctic Ocean paleocirculation Methane release from thawing permafrost Ice sheet sensitivity to oceanic warming High-resolution bathymetric analysis Scientific recognition includes: Election to Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (2012) 1st Vice President, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (2016-2019) Membership in Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research (2016) He leads international collaborations on polar research vessels, with over a year of cumulative ship time and multiple Co-Chief Scientist roles on Arctic expeditions.
Angelika Sjöstedt serves as Professor and Chair of Gender Studies within the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Mid Sweden University. Her academic leadership spans teaching across Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD programs in Gender Studies and Sociology, while actively contributing to institutional discourse through roles such as delivering the 2024 academic celebration lecture. She maintains significant engagement with contemporary academic freedom debates, notably co-organizing the 2024 seminar series addressing responsible internationalization amid the Gaza conflict. Her research profile reveals deep expertise in intersectional analysis of gender, settler colonialism, and labor precarity, particularly examining how chronic crises manifest in peripheralized regions. Recent work demonstrates acute responsiveness to geopolitical emergencies, with 2024 publications directly confronting academic complicity in genocide. Her methodological approach bridges ethnographic rigor with activist scholarship, evident in long-term collaborations like the Båskoes Sámi research network and Forum for Gender Research. Sjöstedt's scholarly trajectory shows consistent thematic development from early work on flexible knowledge-work subjectivity (2012) through nuanced examinations of rural resilience (2017-2020) to current urgent interventions in academic freedom. Her publications reveal distinctive geographic focus on Norrland's inland regions while maintaining transnational theoretical relevance, particularly regarding mining resistance movements and crisis management frameworks. The 2021-2024 output demonstrates accelerated engagement with acute political emergencies, signaling scholarly adaptation to escalating global crises. Professional networks constitute a critical dimension of her work, with sustained involvement in the Forum for Gender Research since at least 2015 and leadership in the Båskoes network advancing Indigenous research methodologies. Her editorial work on critical anthologies like Aktivism: En antologi om arbete för social och politisk förändring (2022) demonstrates commitment to bridging academic and activist knowledge production.
Max Koch is a Professor at Lund University's School of Social Work, specializing in the intersection of social policy, ecological sustainability, and postgrowth theories. His research explores how capitalist restructuring impacts welfare, inequality, and climate action, with a focus on sustainable welfare systems and degrowth. Current projects: 'Economic Elites in the Climate Change Transformation' (PI, 2023-2028), 'Regulating the Polluter Elite' (2024-2027), 'FLYWELL' (2023-2026). Former projects: 'Postgrowth Welfare Systems' (2021-2025), 'Sustainable Welfare for a New Generation' (2020-2023). He teaches political economy, social inequality, and ecological sustainability at Lund University, directing the 'Social Policy in Europe' course. As a Visiting Scholar, he has collaborated with institutions in Spain, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Chile. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to climate action and reduced inequalities. Scientific award: Atlas Prize (2019) for degrowth research. Editorial roles: Environmental Values, advisory boards for ORSI and Collorative Future Making. Recent publications analyze planetary boundaries, postgrowth welfare models, and climate policy synergies. His research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining social practices with policy innovation.
Johan Eklöf is a Professor at Stockholm University within the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences . His research emphasizes marine ecology , focusing on interactions between marine biodiversity, environmental conditions (including climate), and societal impacts . He teaches courses such as Management of Aquatic Resources in the Tropics , Marine Ecology for the Biogeo Program , and Ecology II . Research Focus: Causal relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem resilience Foundation species as drivers of ecosystem services Optimizing resource management under climate change Projects: Principal Investigator for FORCE (2023-present), a transdisciplinary Baltic Sea recovery project Contributor to NordSalt (climate impacts on Nordic salt marshes) and PlantFish (Baltic Sea vegetation-fish interactions) Scientific Leadership : Supervises 2 current PhD students and co-supervises 6 additional PhD/postdocs Formerly mentored 4 PhD graduates and >40 MSc students Environmental Context: His work spans Baltic Sea and Western Indian Ocean ecosystems, using seagrass beds , mussel beds , and coastal benthic systems as primary models. Recent publications highlight climate change impacts on trophic cascades , habitat connectivity , and policy frameworks for marine conservation .
Mohammad Fazlhashemi is a Professor of Islamic Theology and Philosophy at Uppsala University's Department of Theology (Systematic Theology). His work bridges Islamic intellectual traditions with contemporary issues like democracy, environmental ethics, and interreligious dialogue. Current affiliations: Uppsala University, Faculty of Theology Key research areas: Islamic political philosophy, ecotheology, gender in Islam, and theological responses to modernity Email: mohammad.fazlhashemi@teol.uu.se Recent publications highlight trends in Islamic ecoethics (e.g., Islamic Ecotheology , 2025), critical analysis of classical texts (e.g., Critical-constructive interpretation of Islamic documents , 2024), and political theology (e.g., Justifying political decisions through theological arguments , 2016). His scholarship often engages comparative frameworks, as seen in works like Occidentalism (2005) and Shiʿite Salafism? (2022). Mohammad Fazlhashemi's impact spans both academic and public discourse, with contributions to debates on Islam and modernity in outlets like Expressen and Svenska Dagbladet . His co-authored book Visdomens hus: Muslimska idévärldar 600 - 2000 (2017) demonstrates his interest in Islamic intellectual history across eras.
Dr. Harry T. Conway is the Alternate Permanent Representative of Liberia and Chair of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). He leads global maritime environmental policy initiatives, including the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy. His academic affiliations include guest lecturing at the International Maritime Law Institute's special course on marine environmental protection and opposing a WMU PhD candidate's thesis. Education: PhD in Politics and International Relations (Cardiff University, UK), MA (Distinction) in International Maritime Policy (University of Greenwich, UK), and MBA (Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands). His research focuses on environmental politics, with emphasis on climate agreements and maritime decarbonization. Professional Experience: Policy Officer and Officer-in-Charge of Liberia's IMO Permanent Mission (2012–present), Chief of Staff at Liberia Maritime Authority (pre-2012), and finance roles in Liberian banking institutions. He contributed to the 2050 Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy for the African Union and serves on the International Quality Assessment Review Body (IQARB). Publications include contributions to 'The African Union and the Law of the Sea' and peer-reviewed articles on maritime innovation and decarbonization. He frequently speaks at international shipping conferences and advises on maritime regulatory frameworks.
Maria Johansson is an Associate Professor at the Department of Education, Umeå University. Her work focuses on gender studies, education policy, sustainability, and sociology, with a particular emphasis on labor dynamics in forestry and gender inclusion in sports. She leads the research project 'Towards a gender equal and sustainable wildlife management' (2022–2024), funded by Umeå University. Her research explores themes such as gendered labor divisions in Swedish forestry, cultural practices in martial arts clubs, and policy interventions for sustainability and equality. She is affiliated with Umeå University's Mediagränd 14 campus and can be contacted at maria.johansson01@umu.se.
Nicholas Kamenos is a Professor at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience and Director of the Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF) at Umeå University, Sweden. His research bridges global biogeochemical cycles and ecological responses to climate change, focusing on ecosystem engineers like coralline algae, corals, and seagrass. He works in polar to tropical regions, employing SCUBA, mesocosm experiments, and advanced analytical tools. Role: Director, Umeå Marine Sciences Centre Research Focus: Climate change impacts, ocean acidification, blue carbon, Arctic-temperate-tropical ecosystems His recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to understanding marine ecosystem resilience. Research spans proxy development for historical climate reconstruction, carbon burial dynamics, and the role of calcifying organisms in carbon cycling, with applications to conservation and policy. Key grants include projects like AQUASERV (2024–2029) on service provision in marine ecosystems, Light Harvesting in Coralline Algae (2024–2027), and IRISCC (2024–2026) exploring seawater temperature changes. Collaborative work addresses coastal deoxygenation and socio-political aspects of blue carbon economies. He leads the Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, leveraging facilities like the Marine Mesocosm Facility and advanced tools (laser ablation ICPMS, isotope ratio mass spectrometry). His work integrates biological, geological, and chemical techniques to address multidisciplinary questions.
Paul O'Shea is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University, Sweden. He holds a joint Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield and Tohoku University, Japan (2012), and has held academic positions at the Stockholm School of Economics, Aarhus University, and Lund University. He rejoined Lund in 2016 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2020. Ph.D. in International Relations, University of Sheffield and Tohoku University (2012) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Stockholm School of Economics Lecturer, Aarhus University, Denmark (2013–2016) Associate Senior Lecturer, Lund University (2016–2020) Senior Lecturer, Lund University (2020–present) His research centers on East Asian international relations, particularly Japanese foreign and security policy, US-Japan-China dynamics, territorial disputes, military alliances, and the societal impacts of international politics. He explores how global politics shapes everyday life, including food safety, environmental policy, rural development, and immigration. His work combines theoretical frameworks like punctuated equilibrium theory with empirical analysis of policy shifts in Japan. The recent articles reflect a consistent focus on Japan’s evolving security posture, alliance dynamics with the United States (especially concerning Okinawa), the political and social implications of the Tokyo Olympics during the pandemic, and comparative governance of crises in Japan and Sweden. His publications span academic journals, policy briefs, and public commentary in outlets like The Conversation , The Guardian , and The Diplomat . He has received the Tohoku Creativity Grant and contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in areas related to peace, justice, and strong institutions. His work engages with political science, sociology, and public policy. O'Shea supervises PhD and MA students and teaches courses including International Relations of East Asia, Contemporary Japanese Society, and Politics and Governance in Asia. He has supervised theses on topics such as food risk in Japan and US-Japan security relations. He has also led and participated in multiple research projects, including EU-funded initiatives on the Indo-Pacific and Chinese governance practices. He is active in public engagement, having participated in media debates (e.g., Al Jazeera’s The Stream) and public lectures on WWII memory and East Asian politics. His research is widely cited and has influenced public discourse on Japan and pandemic governance.
Saurabh Amin is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he also serves as the Edmund K. Turner Professor and Undergraduate Officer. He is a Principal Investigator at the Laboratory of Information and Decision Systems and holds affiliations with the Operations Research Center and the Center for Computational Science and Engineering. His educational background includes: B.Tech. 2002, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee M.S. 2004, University of Texas (UT) Austin Ph.D. 2011, University of California (UC) Berkeley Saurabh Amin's research focuses on the design and control of infrastructure systems using game theory and optimization in networks. His work spans three main areas: resilient network control, information systems and incentive design, and optimal resource allocation in large-scale infrastructure systems. By concentrating on critical infrastructure domains including highway transportation, electric power distribution, and urban water networks, his research develops innovative theory and tools to enhance system performance against both stochastic and adversarial disruptions. His approach involves modeling cyber-physical interactions in infrastructures to assess vulnerabilities, developing detection and response tools for failures at various scales, and designing economic incentive schemes that improve aggregate public good while accounting for dependencies and private information among strategic entities. Amin's work bridges mathematical systems theory with practical civil engineering applications, creating a rigorous theoretical foundation for infrastructure resilience that addresses diverse failure mechanisms from natural disasters to deliberate malicious actions. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on decarbonization of energy systems, resilient infrastructure planning under climate uncertainty, optimization methods for complex networked systems, and game-theoretic approaches to sustainable infrastructure management. His work increasingly integrates artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques with traditional control theory to address contemporary challenges in infrastructure resilience and sustainability. The research shows a clear trajectory toward addressing climate change impacts on infrastructure systems while maintaining economic efficiency and operational reliability. Professor Amin has received numerous prestigious awards and honors: Common Ground Excellence in Teaching Award, 2025 HSCC Test-of-Time Award, 2024 MIT CEE, Distinguished Service and Leadership Award, 2023 Samuel M. Seegal Prize (SoE) – inspiring students in pursuing and achieving excellence, 2022 Earll M. Murman for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising, 2022 C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute Research Award, 2020 MIT, Ole Madsen Mentoring Award, 2020 MIT, Energy Initiative Research Award, 2020 National Academy of Engineering, China-America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium speaker, 2019 MIT, Robert N. Noyce Career Development Professor, 2015-2018 Google Faculty Research Award, 2015 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2015 Siebel Energy Institute Research Award, 2015 MIT, Solomon Buchsbaum AT&T Research Fund Award, 2012 Professor Amin has been actively involved in significant research projects including the C3.ai DTI project on Causal Reasoning for Real-Time Attack Identification in Cyber-Physical Systems and another on Learning in Routing Games for Sustainable Electromobility. He serves as the chief scientist on multi-institutional NSF grants, including the $9 million Foundations of Resilient Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) project. His teaching portfolio includes courses such as 1.008 Engineering for a Sustainable World, 1.104 Sensing and Intelligent Systems, 1.020 Engineering Sustainability: Analysis and Design, and 1.208 Resilient Networks. As Undergraduate Officer, he plays a key role in shaping the educational experience for civil and environmental engineering students at MIT. Professor Amin leads the Resilient Infrastructure Networks Lab at MIT, where his team develops theoretical foundations and practical tools for infrastructure resilience. The lab focuses on the intersection of control theory, game theory, and optimization applied to cyber-physical infrastructure systems. Current research directions include pandemic-resilient urban mobility and hurricane-resilient smart grid operations, reflecting the lab's commitment to addressing pressing societal challenges through rigorous systems engineering approaches.
Niklas Salmose is a Professor at the Department of Languages , Linnaeus University , Sweden. His research integrates Nostalgia , Intermediality , and Ecocriticism , focusing on Environmental Humanities and Modernist Literature . PhD in English from the University of Edinburgh (2012) Visiting Professor at UCLA (Autumn 2018) Vice-Chair of Department of Languages (Linnaeus University) Co-coordinator of the graduate school MIDWorld (Swedish Research Council-funded) His recent work explores the intersection of Climate Crisis and Intermediality through monographs like Mediations of Nostalgia: Aesthetics, Intermediality, Ecology (Edinburgh UP, 2024). He co-edits special issues on Ecological Emergencies and Blue-Eco Stories with journals Humanities and Textus . Salmose supervises four PhD projects on topics ranging from Intermedial Ecocriticism to Western Imperialism and Nostalgic Aesthetics . He is a member of the Linnaeus University Centre for Intermedial and Multimodal Studies and leads projects like Future Food Cultures in the Anthropocene and IMS Green . His publications span Climate Crisis , Anthropocene , Nordic Noir , and Sensorial Aesthetics , with notable works in The Palgrave Handbook of Intermediality , The Routledge Handbook of Nostalgia , and Contemporary Ecocritical Methods . Salmose is actively involved in editorial boards for Humanities and Text Matters , and serves on the executive board of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society .
Malgorzata Blicharska is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, affiliated with the Department of Geosciences and the Institute for Research on Conflicts of Interest in Sustainable Social Transformation. Her work spans multiple research domains focused on sustainable natural resource management and policy implementation. Dr. Blicharska's research focuses on sustainable development with expertise in ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, climate change governance, and the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus. She integrates social science perspectives with environmental management, examining policy implementation and stakeholder engagement in conservation initiatives. Her work includes extensive research on urban ponds, recreational fisheries, and nature-based solutions, particularly focusing on ponds and wetlands as key components of sustainable landscape management. Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on transdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges, with growing focus on nature-based solutions, drought vulnerability in forested regions, and governance aspects of implementing the WEFE nexus concept. Her work increasingly addresses justice dimensions in environmental management and stakeholder engagement in policy implementation. LANDPATHS: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency-funded program on multifunctional landscapes (coordinator) PONDERFUL: Horizon 2020 project on pond biodiversity and ecosystem services (WP lead) NEXOGENESIS: Horizon 2020 project on WEFE nexus policy integration (WP lead) Wet-Kit: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency project on wetland optimization PUDDLE-JUMP: Formas-funded project on small artificial waterbodies
Jens Rydgren is Professor of Sociology at Stockholm University, where he holds the Chair in Sociology since 2009. He is affiliated with the Department of Sociology within the Faculty of Social Sciences. Rydgren graduated from Stockholm University in 2002 and has been a visiting scholar at Columbia University, Cornell University, Harvard University, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, Copenhagen University, and Utrecht University. He is a fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters. Professor Rydgren's primary research interests lie in political sociology, particularly the study of radical right-wing parties and their voters, with a focus on explaining variation over time and across countries. He also has a longstanding interest in social networks and how relational and contextual factors influence individuals' beliefs, opportunities, and actions. His additional research interests include ethnic conflict, belief formation processes, collective memory, fanaticism, and sociology through literature. Much of his work combines theoretical insights with empirical analysis to understand complex social phenomena. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on radical right-wing politics, xenophobia, nationalism, and social network analysis. Rydgren frequently employs comparative and multi-method approaches to examine political behavior and social phenomena. His work often intersects political sociology with social network theory to understand how contextual factors shape political attitudes and behaviors. He has made significant contributions to understanding how social networks influence various outcomes, from political attitudes to health behaviors. Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters Rydgren is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) of the research project "Why do working class voters support the populist radical right?" funded by the Swedish Research Council. Previously, he was PI for the ERC Starting Grant project "Individual Life Chances in Social Context: A Longitudinal Multi-Methods Perspective on Social Constraints and Opportunities" (2011-2018), which combined survey data and register data to study the importance of egocentric networks for young adults' life chances. His research has important implications for understanding contemporary political challenges and developing evidence-based policy responses.
