Prof. Dr. Sakibe Nalan BÜYÜKKANTARCIOĞLU is a Professor at Çankaya University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies (English). She previously served as Professor (2007–2019), Associate Professor (2000–2007), and Assistant Professor (1997–2000) at Hacettepe University, Department of English Linguistics. PhD in English Linguistics (Hacettepe University, 1991) MA in English Language Teaching (Middle East Technical University, 1985) BA in English Teaching (Istanbul University, 1978) Her research spans Linguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Translation Studies , with a focus on figurative language, interjections, political discourse, and endangered languages. She received the European Language Award (2011) and has supervised numerous PhD and MA theses, including work on Turkish idioms, gender representation, and language awareness. A prolific editor and conference participant, she has contributed to interdisciplinary projects and publications on Turkish sociolinguistics.
Professor Anna Korhonen is a leading academic at the University of Cambridge, holding positions as Professor of Natural Language Processing, Co-Director of the Language Technology Laboratory (LTL), Director of the Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA), and Fellow of Churchill College. Her work bridges computational linguistics, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary applications. Her research focuses on human-centric NLP with core interests in multilingual/low-resource systems, conversational AI, and responsible technology development. She emphasizes applications for social and global good, including healthcare, climate science, and equitable language technologies. Her methodology integrates cognitive modeling with machine learning to create interpretable, fair NLP systems. Key projects include ERC-funded initiatives like MultiConvAI (multilingual conversational AI) and Towards Globally Equitable Language Technologies , alongside Innovate UK's ESG RoboFactory and EPSRC's Modeling Idiomaticity project. Her work spans biomedical text mining ( PheneBank , LION ), educational technology ( EF Education First Research Lab ), and cross-lingual transfer learning. Fellow of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) Fellow of ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) Royal Society University Research Fellow (2005-2014) Google Faculty Award recipient EACL Chair Elect Korhonen actively supervises PhD/MPhil students in Computation, Cognition and Language programs and leads interdisciplinary collaborations across computer science, linguistics, and domain sciences. Her lab (LTL) develops foundational NLP techniques while addressing real-world challenges through partnerships with healthcare, environmental science, and education sectors. Current strategic initiatives include the Institute for Technology and Humanity and CHIA's human-inspired AI framework.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Clare Hemmings is a Professor of Feminist Theory at the Department of Gender Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she has been since 1999. Her work bridges feminist theory, queer studies, and sexuality studies, with a focus on how these fields are institutionalized and narrated. She holds a PhD and has authored seminal works like Why Stories Matter (2011) and Considering Emma Goldman (2018), which explore feminist historiography and political ambivalence. Her research emphasizes interdisciplinary methods, including archival interventions and creative writing to challenge dominant narratives. Hemmings’ research interests include feminist epistemology, queer of color critique, and anarchist thought. She has been active in countering 'anti-gender' movements and is currently developing a project on 'Feminist Knowledge Struggles.' Her work is marked by attention to form, affect, and the intersection of nationalism, feminism, and sexuality. She supervises PhD students Senel Wanniarachchi and Rawda Elaskary and has received the FWSA Book Prize 2012 for Why Stories Matter . Hemmings’ articles span feminist theory, political mobilizations, and affect studies. Her recent work engages with family memory archives and decolonial methodologies. She is a prolific scholar, contributing to journals like Memory Studies , Feminist Studies , and Radical Philosophy . Her interdisciplinary approach integrates literary criticism, sociology, and activism, offering transformative frameworks for feminist praxis.
Roger Giner-Sorolla is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent's School of Psychology, where he has been a faculty member since 2001 after completing his PhD at New York University in 1996. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology from 2016-2022 and currently leads a Leverhulme Foundation grant examining moral heroism across professions. His academic journey includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia and has established him as a leading figure in social and moral psychology. Professor Giner-Sorolla's research focuses on the social role of emotions, particularly moral emotions including self-condemning emotions (guilt and shame) and other-condemning emotions (anger, contempt, and disgust). His work extends to intergroup apologies, dehumanization, emotionally driven prejudice, and collective moral roles, with a notable side interest in the ironic enjoyment of music and aesthetic experiences. He is a strong advocate for transparency in scientific reporting, having written extensively on improved reporting guidelines, pre-registration, and open science practices. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on moral psychology with expanding interdisciplinary reach. His work bridges traditional social psychology with emerging areas including cross-cultural emotion research, replication science, and historical memory. The trend shows increasing attention to methodological rigor while maintaining core interests in emotion and morality, with growing emphasis on practical applications in conflict resolution and intergroup relations. Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science Member of Rising Stars selection committee (2023-2024) Promising Scholars Award (University of Kent, 2006) Vacation Research Scholarship (Wellcome Trust, 2005) Multiple ESRC grants totaling over £400,000 European Science Foundation Workshop Award (2004) Professor Giner-Sorolla has supervised an impressive number of PhD students, with 17 doctoral candidates listed in the documentation including both current and past students. His grant portfolio demonstrates significant research impact with funding from major organizations including ESRC, Wellcome Trust, and Leverhulme Foundation. His supervision style appears to encourage students to pursue research that aligns with his core interests in moral emotions while allowing exploration of novel applications and contexts. While the documentation doesn't specify laboratory or research team structures, his extensive collaborative work suggests leadership of research groups focused on moral psychology and emotion research. His numerous international collaborations and invited workshops indicate an active research program with global reach, likely involving multiple research teams working on interconnected projects related to his core interests in moral psychology and scientific methodology.
Marlon Dumas is a Professor of Information Systems at the University of Tartu's Faculty of Science and Technology, with a 20-year academic career spanning Estonia and Australia. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Grenoble 1, France, and has served as Head of Chair and Programme Director in Software Engineering programs. Specializes in Business Process Management (BPM) and Process Mining Current research focuses on prescriptive process monitoring, simulation modeling, and data privacy Recipient of 25+ scientific awards, including multiple Test of Time Awards and the Estonian National Research Award in Technical Sciences Editorial leadership: Area Editor for Information Systems (Elsevier) and ERC Starting Grant Panel Chair His work bridges theoretical advancements in BPM with practical applications in financial services and anti-money laundering. He has developed tools like SIMOD, Kronos, and Kairos for process optimization and analysis. His research integrates AI/ML techniques (reinforcement learning, causal inference) with traditional process modeling. Key trends in his recent publications include: Prescriptive monitoring systems combining causal inference and machine learning Privacy-preserving process mining techniques (differential privacy, anonymization) Resource availability modeling and multi-objective process optimization LLM applications for process analysis and intervention policies Scientific honors include: 2024 BPM Best Paper & Prototype Awards 2023 ICPM Best Prototype Award 2019 ERC Advanced Grantee 2017 Estonian National Research Award in Technical Sciences 2019 MODELS Test of Time Award 2017 BPM Best Prototype Award He has mentored PhD candidates as thesis examiner and contributed to 30+ conference program committees, including General Co-Chair roles at ESEC-FSE 2019 and CAiSE 2018. His work has been supported by European Research Council grants and Estonian Science Foundation projects.
Gilbert Fridgen is Full Professor in Digital Financial Services and holder of the PayPal-FNR PEARL Chair at the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). He leads the FINATRAX research group focusing on blockchain, digital identity, and sustainable digital solutions. His research explores decentralized technologies in finance, energy systems, and public administration. Current projects investigate blockchain applications in industrial demand response, NFT markets, EU digital identity wallets, and DeFi institutional adoption. Prof. Fridgen examines the intersection of technology with regulatory frameworks and user behavior in energy and financial systems. He collaborates extensively with industry partners including PayPal and Spuerkeess. Prof. Fridgen actively contributes to EU digital policy discussions, particularly regarding the European Digital Identity Wallet framework and decentralized finance governance.
Professor Maarten Prak is a distinguished scholar of Economic and Social History at Utrecht University, where he has been a faculty member since 1992. He is affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities and the Department of History and Art History. Prak serves on the governing board of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and All European Academies (ALLEA), having previously chaired the Humanities Board of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) from 2014-2016. Prak's research spans social history, urban history, guild systems, citizenship, global history, and early modern European history, with particular focus on the Dutch Golden Age. His scholarly trajectory evolved from local Dutch social history to national history, then to comparative European history, and finally to global historical perspectives. His work demonstrates how urban citizenship, guild structures, and social organization shaped political development across Europe. His publication record reveals consistent engagement with long-term historical processes, particularly examining how citizenship evolved from urban contexts to national frameworks. His research connects economic structures with political institutions, showing how guilds, urban governance, and social hierarchies influenced the development of modern political systems across Europe. Member Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2008) Teacher of the Year, Universiteit Utrecht (2014) Winner of the 2015 book award of the American Ceramic Circle Winner of the 2019 Prix Dix-Septième Siècle Prak has maintained an active teaching career alongside his research, earning recognition as Teacher of the Year in 2014. His academic governance responsibilities have included serving as research director for his department and faculty, chairing the Humanities Board of NWO (2014-2016), and participating in the governing boards of KNAW and ALLEA. He has organized numerous international workshops and conferences and has been a visiting scholar at prestigious institutions including the University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, and École des Hautes Études in Paris.
Professor Elaine Fahey is a leading scholar in EU law and global governance at the City Law School, City St George's, University of London, where she serves as Professor of EU Law and Deputy Head of Department (academic programmes). She is co-convener of the Institute for the Study of European Law (ISEL) and the UACES James Madison Trust EUFUtures initiative (2022–2025). Her academic career includes visiting professorships at Washington College of Law (American University), Keio University, and NYU, as well as fellowships at the European University Institute and the University of Graz. LLB, Trinity College Dublin LLM, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge PhD, Trinity College Dublin Barrister-at-Law, Honorable Society of King’s Inns, Ireland Attorney-at-Law, State of New York Senior Fellowship, Higher Education Authority UK Her research focuses on the intersection of EU law with global governance, digital regulation, transatlantic relations, and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. She explores how the EU navigates legal frameworks beyond the nation-state, particularly in digital trade, cybersecurity, and data protection. Her work critically examines the EU’s role as a global regulatory actor and its interactions with international institutions. Her extensive publication record includes the monograph The EU as a Global Digital Actor (Hart, 2022) and numerous articles on digital sovereignty, data transfers, and transatlantic cooperation. Recent research analyzes the EU–US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), the evolution of the Privacy Shield, and strategic litigation in digital rights. Her work reveals a strong trend toward understanding how soft law, institutional design, and judicial decisions shape EU external relations and digital governance. Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Chair in Law & Transatlantic Relations (2019–2022) Emile Noël Fellow, NYU Law School Max Weber Fellow, European University Institute Senior Land Steiermark Fellow, University of Graz Senior Fellowship, Higher Education Authority UK Professor Fahey has supervised multiple PhD students, including Isabella Mancini, Giulio Kowalski, and Christos Karetsos, on topics such as algorithmic collusion, digital markets, and investment law. She has led significant research projects, including the ESRC-funded TRILATTRADE grant and the Marie Curie ITN on EU and Transatlantic Investment and Trade (EUTIP). She previously held leadership roles as Associate Dean (International) and interim Associate Dean (Research) at the City Law School. She is an elected member of the EU Studies Association (EUSA) Executive (2021–2025). She has also contributed to public policy through briefings for the Welsh Parliament and reports on CJEU litigation in Ireland. She is associated with research initiatives such as the Institute for the Study of European Law (ISEL) and has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects on Facebook regulation, transatlantic relations, and EU technological sovereignty. Her work bridges legal scholarship, policy, and international academic collaboration.
John B. Whitman is a Professor of Linguistics at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on language variation, syntax, historical linguistics, and East Asian languages, particularly Japanese and Korean. He explores typological universals, syntactic variation, and diachronic developments, contributing to debates on configurationality and structural universals. Whitman has published extensively on topics ranging from Japanese historical phonology to comparative syntax across East Asian languages. His work often integrates cross-linguistic analysis with neuroscientific insights, as seen in studies on semantic number processing. He has received grants for projects including language revitalization initiatives and syntactic research, and he teaches courses on Japanese language history and language endangerment. Whitman collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and actively engages in linguistic fieldwork and historical text analysis, maintaining affiliations with the East Asia Program and research labs at Cornell. Research interests include syntactic variation, historical syntax, and the interaction between language structure and diachronic change. His recent work examines the evolution of verbal conjugations in Japanese/Korean and the typological implications of syntactic reanalysis. Whitman's publications also address methodological questions in glossing practices and comparative lexicography, bridging historical linguistics with modern computational analysis. Grants and projects include funding from the New Frontier Grants for collaborative research on language documentation and historical syntax. He advises graduate students in the linguistics program and contributes to Cornell's language revitalization efforts, such as Cayuga language preservation initiatives. Whitman's work frequently intersects with cognitive science, as seen in neuroimaging studies of linguistic structures.
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Conrad holds the Chair of Modern History at Freie Universität Berlin , specializing in Global History , (Post-)colonial History , and Intellectual History . He joined the faculty in 2010 after teaching at European University Institute in Florence and serving as visiting scholar at institutions including NYU Abu Dhabi and The New School, New York. Director of MA "Global History" (FU Berlin/Humboldt University joint program) Director of Graduate School "Global Intellectual History" Principal Investigator, Cluster of Excellence "Temporal Communities" (2024) Research Interests focus on transnational historical frameworks , globalization of historical narratives , and postcolonial historiography . His latest book Die Königin: Nofretetes globale Karriere (2024) analyzes cultural globalization through Nefertiti's iconography, while his current project explores global history of bodily aesthetics and identity formation since the 19th century. Recent Publications include: 2022: "Empire and Nationalism" (American Historical Review) 2021: "Globalizing the Beautiful Body" (Journal of World History) 2020: "Greek in Their Own Way" (American Historical Review) Scientific Honors : Elected member, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (2024) Elected member, Academia Europaea (2024) Finalist, German/NDR non-fiction book awards (2024) for Nefertiti study Academic Leadership includes editorial roles at Geschichte und Gesellschaft , Past & Present , and Globalgeschichte book series (Campus Verlag). His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary debates on memory, identity, and global cultural dynamics.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Prof. Jean-Philippe Thiran is a Full Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he serves as Director of the Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5) and Director of the Institute of Electrical and Micro Engineering. He also maintains a part-time Associate Professor position with the Department of Radiology of the University Hospital Center (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL). Born in Namur, Belgium in 1970, he received his Electrical Engineering degree and PhD from the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium, in 1993 and 1997 respectively. He joined EPFL in 1998 and has established himself as a leading researcher in computational imaging. His research focuses on computational imaging , with significant contributions to medical image analysis (particularly diffusion MRI, ultrasound imaging, and digital pathology) and computer vision . His recent work integrates advanced modeling, simulation, and machine learning techniques to extract microscopic tissue information from macroscopic MRI signals. This approach combines hyper-realistic synthetic tissue models, advanced Monte-Carlo simulations, and ML-based estimation techniques for brain microstructure analysis with potential applications to other tissues. Senior Member of IEEE Fellow of the European Association for Signal Processing (EURASIP) Prof. Thiran has authored or co-authored 1 book, 9 book chapters, 250 journal papers and over 270 peer-reviewed conference papers, and holds 12 international patents. He previously served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Signal Processing journal (2001-2005) and associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Image Processing. He has chaired major conferences including EUSIPCO 2008 and IEEE ICIP 2015. His laboratory at EPFL brings together interdisciplinary researchers to develop innovative imaging techniques that bridge macroscopic measurements and microscopic tissue properties, with significant potential for medical diagnostics and treatment planning applications.
Gerald L. Neuman is the J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School (HLS), where he serves as Director of the Human Rights Program. His expertise spans human rights, constitutional law, immigration law, and international legal frameworks. Previously, he taught at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1984-1992) and Columbia Law School (1992-2006). Research Interests: Neuman's work focuses on: Human rights in populist and pandemic contexts Transnational constitutionalism Immigration law and extraterritorial constitutional rights Age discrimination as a human rights violation Impeachment's role in human rights protection Indirect discrimination analysis Selected Trends: His recent articles examine pandemic-era immigration policies ( Title 42 ), impeachment mechanisms for human rights violations, and age discrimination frameworks. Publications show consistent engagement with: Constitutional law intersections Comparative legal analysis Administrative law critiques Human rights treaty body applications Scientific Contributions: Neuman's work appears in leading journals like Harvard International Law Journal and Harvard Human Rights Journal . He has organized workshops on indirect discrimination related to: Sexual orientation/gender identity Chronological age Religious practice Disability rights Pandemic policy impacts He has served as a UN expert workshop organizer and contributed to international human rights literature through edited volumes and treaty analysis.
Lisbeth Aggestam is an associate professor at the Department of Political Science and an associate researcher at the Center for European Research (CERGU) at the University of Gothenburg. She serves as the editor-in-chief of the international journal Foreign Policy Analysis , published by the International Studies Association (ISA) and Oxford University Press. Aggestam's research focuses on several interconnected areas: Political leadership and foreign policy Diaspora and foreign policy Foreign policy role theory The European Union as a global actor Her scholarly work demonstrates a consistent focus on leadership dynamics within European foreign policy, particularly examining how the EU navigates its role as a global actor amid shifting geopolitical landscapes. She has developed significant theoretical contributions to role theory in foreign policy analysis, creating frameworks for understanding how states and international organizations perform specific roles on the global stage. Aggestam's publication record reveals several important trends in contemporary foreign policy studies. Her work increasingly examines the intersection of domestic politics and international relations, particularly how diaspora communities influence state foreign policies. Her recent research addresses European strategic autonomy in the context of US foreign policy shifts and the implications of Sweden's NATO membership decision, reflecting her ability to connect theoretical frameworks with pressing real-world issues. As an educator, Aggestam serves as course manager and instructor for several key programs: EU2215: Europe in the World (MA, 15 hec) SK1136: Foreign Policy Analysis (BA, 7.5 hec) EU1145: The European Union in International Affairs (BA, 7.5 hec) Through her leadership of the Swedish Research Council project 'Transnational civil society and foreign policy' (2022-2025) and her editorial role at Foreign Policy Analysis , Aggestam plays a significant role in shaping contemporary discourse on international relations and European foreign policy.
Professor Agnieszka Zabłocka-Kos is a faculty member at the Institute of Art History, University of Wrocław, specializing in Central European architectural history and urbanism. Her work focuses on 19th-20th century architecture, with particular emphasis on Wrocław/Breslau, including post-war reconstruction, national identity construction, and sacred space design. Professor, University of Wrocław Specialist in 19th-20th century Central European architecture Director of postdoctoral internships (NCN FUGA III) Recipient of multiple Rector's awards for research and teaching Research Themes: Urban development in Central Europe, political architecture in Poland/Germany, sacred architecture of the 19th century, post-war modernism, industrial architecture revitalization. Her students have produced award-winning theses on topics like Wrocław urban blocks, Silesian architects, and post-industrial adaptations. Scientific Contributions: Notable works include the edited volume Architecture in the 'long' 19th century (2019), multiple articles on Breslau's architectural conflicts, and international projects on Central European sacred architecture. She has supervised 33 master's and 5 doctoral theses, with several student works published as books. Dettloff Prize for dissertation (1992) Rector's awards for research and didactic achievements International projects with universities in Berlin, Freiburg, and Leipzig Advisor for Wrocław's Monument Office and City Development Bureau Her teaching integrates interdisciplinary approaches, linking art history with political, economic, and social contexts. She promotes student research popularization through conferences, exhibitions, and publications.
Michael O'Boyle is a Professor at the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics, where he serves as Director of the ARM Research Centre of Excellence and the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Pervasive Parallelism. Holding an EPSRC Established Career Research Fellowship, he leads pioneering work in compiler technology for heterogeneous architectures, bridging theoretical advances with practical high-performance computing applications. Professor O'Boyle's research spans multiple cutting-edge areas including heterogeneous code discovery and optimization, neural machine translation for program synthesis, deep neural network system stack optimization, software-defined hardware, and compiler/architecture co-design. His approach integrates constraint analysis, program synthesis, and machine learning to address complex challenges in high-performance computing across diverse hardware platforms. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating machine learning with traditional compiler techniques, particularly in neural program synthesis, tensor optimization, and architecture-aware compilation. This work represents a paradigm shift in compiler design, moving from rule-based systems to learning-based approaches that can automatically adapt to diverse hardware targets. IEEE/ACM CGO 2025 Distinguished Paper Award for 'Tensorize: Fast Synthesis of Tensor Programs from Legacy Code' IEEE/ACM CGO 2024 Test of Time Award ACM GPCE 2023 Best Paper Award for 'C2TACO: Lifting Tensor Code to TACOM' ACM ASPLOS 2021 Distinguished Paper Award IEEE HPCA 2021 Best Paper Award for 'Prodigy: Improving the Memory Latency of Data-Indirect Irregular Workloads' Professor O'Boyle has successfully mentored numerous PhD students who have secured prominent positions in academia (including at Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, and McGill) and industry (including Meta, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Huawei, and Microsoft). His research is supported by significant funding from EPSRC, ARM, and European projects including Bonseyes and Transmuter, demonstrating strong international recognition and industry impact. He leads the influential Compiler and Architecture Design (CArD) Group at the University of Edinburgh and is a founder of the HiPEAC Network of Excellence, which has grown into a major European initiative connecting researchers and practitioners in high-performance and embedded computing.