Lena Bendiksen is a Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law, UiT The Arctic University of Norway. She specializes in child law, human rights, and family law, with a focus on children's constitutional rights, child welfare measures, and methodological challenges in legal research. She holds a Cand. jur. (1997) and a Dr. juris (PhD, 2007) from UiT, and completed pedagogical training in 2010. She has served as Dean of the Faculty of Law (2018–2021) and led several initiatives, including the 'Fyrtårnsprosjektet' to enhance learning outcomes. Her research emphasizes children's rights implementation and legal frameworks. Her teaching excellence is recognized through the UiT Teaching Award (2017) and Merited Lecturer status (since 2018). She contributes to national and international committees, including the Norwegian Adoption Committee (2008–2009) and the Tannhelseutvalget (2022–2024). Her publications span child welfare law, adoption, and constitutional rights, with key works like Children's Constitutional Right to Respect for Family Life in Norway (2019) and Children's right to care and family life (2024). Her articles reflect a focus on legal reform, child protection, and interdisciplinary approaches. Awards include UiT’s highest teaching honor and sustained recognition for educational innovation. Leadership roles in research groups and academic evaluations highlight her contributions to legal education quality and policy development.
Dr Nikhil Gokani is a Lecturer at the University of Essex, specializing in Global Public Health Law and Consumer Protection. His research focuses on legal mechanisms to address non-communicable disease risk factors (diets, alcohol, air pollution) and health inequities, bridging public health, EU/international law, and consumer rights. He serves as Chair of the Alcohol Labelling and Health Warning International Expert Group at Eurocare and WHO Europe Technical Advisory Group member on alcohol labelling. Public Health Law Consumer Protection Food/Nutrition Labelling Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Health Inequalities Human Rights Commercial Determinants of Health His publications analyze EU nutrition labelling harmonization challenges, alcohol health warnings, and corporate influence on policy. Recent projects include developing international alcohol labelling standards with the Codex Alimentarius Commission and WHO-funded research on sexual and reproductive health accountability. He is funded by the Medical Research Council and Socio-Legal Studies Association. Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health Medical Research Council Grant (2022) WHO European Office Grant (2021) Dr Gokani teaches Contract Law, Consumer Law, and Commercial Law at Essex Law School, while co-designing a postgraduate module on 'Law and the Commercial Determinants of Health' (2024/25). He leads the Health and Medical Humanities Hub and serves as Student Conduct Chair. Professional roles include advisory positions at the University of Liverpool's Law & NCD Unit and membership in WHO/NICE committees.
Paloma Krõõt Tupay is an Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Tartu’s School of Law, Faculty of Social Sciences. She holds a Doctor’s Degree in Law from the University of Cologne, focusing on comparative constitutional analysis. Her career includes roles as Legal Adviser to the President of Estonia (2016–2018), Chair of the EU Council’s Working Party on Fundamental Rights (2017), and Legal Secretary at the Ministry of Justice (2014–2016). She is a member of the Management Board of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and the Supervisory Council of the Estonian Human Rights Centre. Her research emphasizes constitutional law, human rights, EU law, and digital governance. Key interests include the intersection of technology and law, particularly in e-governance and AI’s impact on public administration. She leads projects like the development of a constitutional law textbook and a risk-prediction tool for social care support. Her work bridges legal theory with practical policy, addressing challenges in digital constitutionalism, data protection, and democratic governance. Publications span constitutional reviews, GDPR compliance, and Estonia’s digital governance model. Notable contributions include analyses of the Estonian Supreme Court’s dynamics and the impact of AI on fundamental rights. Awards include recognition for public engagement in constitutional issues (2022) and the University of Tartu’s Law Lecturer of the Year (2020). Her involvement in grants includes leading projects on public administration legal aspects and volunteering service reforms. She collaborates on international initiatives, such as the JUDICON-EU project analyzing judicial-legislative relations across Europe, and contributes to conferences on AI governance, human rights, and constitutional design.
Dr Patrycja Rozbicka is a Lecturer in Politics, History and International Relations at Aston University, affiliated with the Aston Centre for Europe (ACE) and the Centre for Migration and Forced Displacement. She holds a PhD from the European University Institute and has held academic positions in Germany, Canada, and Belgium. Her research focuses on interest group influence in EU and national policymaking, live music industry regulation post-Brexit/Covid, and migration policy. She leads the Birmingham Live Music Project and the IR-Aesthetics initiative, examining cultural policy intersections. Dr Rozbicka has published over 50 articles and received the 2018 Innovations in Teaching Politics Award. Her work bridges policy analysis with cultural and economic impacts, emphasizing democratic accountability and stakeholder participation. Education: PhD in Political and Social Sciences, European University Institute (2011) MRes in Political and Social Sciences, European University Institute (2007) MA in Analysing Europe, Maastricht University (2006) BA in International Relations, University of Warsaw (2005) Research Interests: Central themes include: Interest group lobbying strategies and policy influence Live music industry regulation in post-Brexit UK/EU contexts Migration policy and refugee integration Environmental policy dynamics Her work employs comparative frameworks, with recent focus on Global South interest groups and pandemic impacts on cultural sectors. Awards & Media Engagement: Recipient of the 2018 teaching award. Active in media commentary on music industry challenges, Brexit effects, and refugee crises, featured in outlets like Grapevine Birmingham and multiple policy reports. Grants & Collaborations: Leads interdisciplinary projects including the Birmingham Live Music Project and Comparative Interest Group Survey (CIGS), collaborating with institutions across Europe. Serves as EuroSim European Associate Director (2018-2021).
Kathleen A. McKee is an Associate Professor at the Regent University School of Law since 1999. She has held leadership roles including Director of Experiential Learning, Director of the LL.M. in Human Rights (2016–2017), and Director of the Center for Advocacy (2015–2016). Her academic background includes an LL.M. in Labor Law from Georgetown University, a J.D. from Catholic University Columbus School of Law, and a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. Her research focuses on human rights law, legal education, and policy analysis, with notable work on human trafficking, access to justice, and international parental abduction. Her publications span decades, reflecting expertise in both contemporary issues like modern slavery and longstanding challenges in legal aid accessibility. McKee is an admitted attorney in Virginia, D.C., North Carolina, and the U.S. Supreme Court, with extensive prior experience in legal aid organizations, including roles as Managing Attorney at Tidewater Legal Aid Society and Executive Director of Lumbee River Legal Services. She is also a Certified General and Family Mediator in Virginia.
Vents Silis is an Assistant Professor at Riga Stradins University (Latvia) and Executive Secretary of the Central Medical Ethics Committee of Latvia. His work bridges academic research ethics and national policy implementation. Specializing in bioethics and medical ethics, Silis focuses on ethical frameworks for human research, truth-telling in healthcare, and regulatory challenges in post-Soviet contexts. His contributions include developing Latvia's national guidelines for research ethics and analyzing asymmetries in end-of-life communication practices. Key publications address Baltic states' ethical review systems and the evolution of research governance structures. Research interests emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical ethics, with particular attention to clinical trials, public health ethics, and the intersection of cultural norms with medical practice. He collaborates internationally on projects such as the TRREE e-learning initiative for research ethics education. As a thought leader, Silis has contributed to regional discussions on ethics documentation centers and participated in CIOMS guidelines development. His writings critically assess ethical challenges in emerging research ecosystems while advocating for transparent, patient-centered practices.
Mareike Brehmer is a Senior Lecturer in Pedagogy at the Department of Pedagogy , Faculty of Humanities and Education , University of Agder, Norway. She serves as the study program director for the master's program in education and coordinates courses on democracy and human rights in education. Her teaching focuses on quantitative research methods at both bachelor's and master's levels, and she supervises academic theses. PhD Project : Investigated socio-cognitive, emotional, and moral determinants of bystander behavior in higher education bullying via the Theory of Planned Behavior. Research Interests center on democratic education, social psychology, and quantitative methodologies. Her work explores bystander interventions in university bullying, moral norm influences, and comparative curriculum analysis for democratic competencies across Germany, Poland, and Norway. Publication Trends highlight applications of behavioral theories to bullying dynamics, cross-cultural educational frameworks, and quantitative studies on prosocial intentions in academic settings. Scientific Awards : Best of JURE 2022 - Best Roundtable Award for bystander behavior research. Collaborative Efforts include co-developing the VALIDE international project for democratic education and comparative studies on teacher training curricula. She contributes to academic discourse through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.
Claudia Allemani is Professor of Global Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), where she leads the Cancer Survival Group within the Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology in the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health. With over 20 years of experience in cancer epidemiology, she serves as co-Principal Investigator for the global CONCORD cancer surveillance program and Principal Investigator for the ERC-funded VENUSCANCER project studying worldwide inequalities in cancer survival. Her educational background spans applied mathematics to public health, with degrees including an MSc in Mathematics from the University of Turin (1996), MSc in Statistical and Informatic Methods from the University of Milan (1998), a PhD equivalent in Medical Statistics (2001), and a PhD in Public Health and Education (2006), all from Italian institutions. Professor Allemani's research focuses on international comparisons of cancer survival trends, high-resolution studies on patterns of care, and estimation of avoidable premature deaths with direct impact on cancer policy. Her work encompasses multiple cancer types across more than 70 countries, examining how healthcare systems, socioeconomic factors, and policy interventions affect cancer outcomes globally. She has pioneered methodologies for population-based cancer survival analysis that have become standard in the field. Her extensive publication record demonstrates consistent focus on global cancer surveillance, with particular attention to breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers, as well as pediatric malignancies. The research shows clear evolution from European-focused studies (EUROCARE) to truly global population-based analyses (CONCORD), reflecting growing recognition of cancer as a worldwide health challenge requiring international comparative approaches. Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2012) Honorary Member of the UK Faculty of Public Health (2014) UK Faculty of Public Health's inaugural Global Public Health Award (2016) European Research Council Consolidator grant recipient (2017) Member of The Lancet Oncology International Advisory Board (2021-2024) Co-Chair of the CONCORD-Lancet Global Commission on Cancer Professor Allemani actively supervises PhD students and teaches across multiple MSc programs at LSHTM, particularly in epidemiology and medical statistics. Her grant portfolio includes major funding from the European Research Council, Cancer Research UK, CDC, WHO, and other international bodies supporting the CONCORD program's expansion to include 22 adult cancers and all childhood cancers diagnosed from 2000-2019 across 70+ countries. She leads a dedicated team of five researchers in the Cancer Survival Group, collaborating with major international health organizations including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, WHO, International Atomic Energy Agency, and numerous national cancer institutes to translate survival data into actionable cancer control policies worldwide.
Maria John serves as Assistant Professor of History and Director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) Program within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She joined UMass Boston in 2017 after completing an Indigenous Studies Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Wesleyan University. Her academic credentials include a PhD and MA/MPhil in History from Columbia University, and an MA and BA (History/Politics) from Monash University in Australia. Professor John specializes in comparative settler colonial histories with emphasis on 20th-century urban Indigenous communities in the U.S. and Australia. Her work critically examines health activism as a framework for Indigenous sovereignty, analyzing community-controlled health clinics as sites resisting colonial non-recognition. Key themes include bodily health as political expression, self-determination beyond territorial claims, and decolonizing historical methodologies. Her publications consistently explore intersections of Indigenous sovereignty, health activism, and urbanization across both nations, particularly between 1950-2000. Recurring analytical frameworks include settler colonial policy impacts, community resistance strategies, and the role of health infrastructure in sovereignty realization. Her scientific awards include: Indigenous Studies Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship Professor John has secured major research funding from the Mellon Foundation, American Philosophical Society Philips Fund for Native American Research, Teagle Foundation for Liberal Arts Education, National Library of Australia, and New York City Anti-Discrimination Center. She actively develops K-12 curriculum through the NYC Stands with Standing Rock Collective and South El Monte Arts Posse's East of East project. She collaborates with the NYC Stands with Standing Rock Collective for digital activism and the East of East project team to integrate ethnic studies into Southern California schools, focusing on Indigenous historical perspectives in public education.
Dana Schmalz is a legal scholar specializing in international law, refugee law, and legal philosophy. She currently serves as a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, working in the department led by Armin von Bogdandy. Her academic career includes teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Jena, Hertie School of Governance, and University of Bremen, where she has held substitute professorships in international and public law. Dana Schmalz's educational background includes: Promotion (summa cum laude) in law from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (2017) LL.M. "Comparative Legal Thought" from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York (2016) Studies in Philosophy at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Heidelberg University (2009-2013) Studies in Law at University of Bonn, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and University of Paris (2006-2011) Dana Schmalz's research focuses on the intersection of refugee and migration law with democratic theory, international human rights, and legal philosophy. Her work critically examines how legal frameworks address population movements, border control mechanisms, and the political rights of refugees. She explores the tension between state sovereignty and human rights obligations, particularly in the European context, while bringing philosophical perspectives to bear on practical legal challenges. Her scholarship often incorporates interdisciplinary approaches, connecting law with literature, political theory, and social sciences to provide nuanced analyses of migration governance. Her recent publications demonstrate a growing focus on demographic discourse and its influence on migration law, as well as continued engagement with foundational questions of refugee protection. Schmalz's work shows a consistent pattern of examining how legal concepts shape and are shaped by societal anxieties about population movements, with increasing attention to historical dimensions of international law's engagement with demographic concerns. Notable scientific awards and fellowships include: Return fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for her project "International law and population growth: An analysis and theoretical inquiry" Senior fellowship at the Columbia Center for Contemporary Critical Thought Dana Schmalz actively contributes to academic mentorship as an external supervisor of master's theses at the University of Amsterdam since 2021. She has served in editorial roles for prominent legal journals including the International Journal of Constitutional Law (ICON) and Verfassungsblog. Her scholarly activities are supported by various research grants, particularly from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which have enabled her to conduct research at institutions including Columbia Law School and the Centre Marc Bloch in Berlin. She has also been involved in collaborative research projects such as the "Internalizing borders" group at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) in Bielefeld. As a founding member and editorial board member of the Völkerrechtsblog (International Law Blog), Schmalz has helped create an important platform for scholarly exchange in international law. She also serves on the editorial boards of Kritische Justiz and the Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht (ZaöRV), contributing to the broader academic infrastructure in her field.
Konstantin Ivanov is an Associate Professor (visiting) at the Academic Department of Social Sciences within the European Humanities University (EHU). He is affiliated with the Center for Constitutionalism and Human Rights. His research focuses on International Commercial Law, EU Law, Competition Law, and Legal History. He holds a PhD in Law from St. Petersburg (2011). His educational background includes studies leading to his doctoral degree in Law. His research interests span International Private Law, EU Contract/Tort Law, and the historical development of legal systems, particularly Lithuania's post-Soviet legal evolution. Ivanov has participated in significant academic exchanges and conferences, including an Erasmus+ program at the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (2022) and an international conference on law's role in emerging countries (2018). His publications analyze legal frameworks in higher education quality assurance, EU corporate law principles, and Lithuania's constitutional development since 1990. No scientific awards are listed, but his work demonstrates expertise in transnational legal systems and EU integration processes. His teaching areas include International Commercial Law and practical legal application.
Sheryl Lightfoot is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and the First Nations and Indigenous Studies Program at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts. She holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Indigenous Rights and Politics and serves as Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Affairs at UBC’s First Nations House of Learning. Her academic affiliations reflect her interdisciplinary focus on Indigenous governance, rights, and political theory. Her research interests center on global Indigenous peoples’ politics , Indigenous political theory , Indigenous diplomacy , Indigenous social movements , and critical international relations theory . She examines how Indigenous rights implementation reshapes state-Indigenous relationships and reconceptualizes sovereignty, self-determination, and human rights globally. Her recent publications, spanning from 2023 to 2025, reveal a consistent focus on Indigenous sovereignty, borders, UN engagement, and the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Themes include transnational Indigenous activism, environmental justice, gender justice, and the paradoxes of state recognition. Her work often employs comparative and critical theoretical frameworks, analyzing cases from Canada, the U.S., Ecuador, Russia, and South Asia. Scientific recognition includes: Best Dissertation Award, American Political Science Association (2010) Sheryl leads and participates in major research initiatives, including SSHRC-funded projects on Indigenous apologies and self-determination, a UBC Catalyzing Research Cluster on Global Challenges to Democracy, and collaborations on environmental injustices and transformative memory. She is building a university-based research network to advance Indigenous rights advocacy. While specific labs or teams are not named, her collaborative projects with scholars like David MacDonald and her leadership in research clusters indicate active team-based scholarship. She advises on policy, as evidenced by her 2021 submission to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs regarding Bill C-15.
Andrew Leon Hanna is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he teaches the "Global Social Entrepreneurship Lab." A first-generation Egyptian-American born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Professor Hanna is also an award-winning entrepreneur, lawyer, and author with significant contributions to social entrepreneurship and refugee studies. Professor Hanna's educational background includes: MBA with honors as an Arjay Miller Scholar at Stanford Graduate School of Business (Knight-Hennessy Scholar, Siebel Scholar) J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School (Harvard Law Review editor, Irving Oberman Memorial Prize recipient) A.B. with highest distinction from Duke University (Robertson Scholar, Senior Class President, Terry Sanford Leadership Award recipient) Professor Hanna's research focuses on entrepreneurship, particularly social entrepreneurship and the intersection of business with human and civil rights. His work examines how refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs create economic opportunities in challenging circumstances, with a special emphasis on women entrepreneurs in refugee camps. He explores how social ventures can provide access to capital, distribution opportunities, product investment, and design support for undersupported small-business entrepreneurs. His research bridges academic theory with practical application through his own social ventures. Professor Hanna's publications reveal a strong focus on refugee entrepreneurship, social impact, and inclusive economic development. His work spans academic, policy, and practical domains, connecting scholarly research with real-world implementation through social ventures like Mona and DreamxAmerica. The interdisciplinary nature of his research integrates business strategy, human rights law, and social innovation. Professor Hanna has received numerous prestigious awards for his work: Financial Times Best Book of the Year (2022) for "25 Million Sparks" Financial Times & McKinsey Bracken Bower Prize (2018) Forbes 30 Under 30 List recognition Chicago Emmy® Award nomination for DreamxAmerica documentary Recognition on Fast Company's World Changing Ideas List As an educator and practitioner, Professor Hanna has advised numerous social ventures and initiatives. He co-founded Mona, an inclusive fintech marketplace connecting underbanked small businesses to over $1 million in affordable loans and grants, and DreamxAmerica, which uses storytelling to highlight immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs. His grant-funded work includes support from Stanford's Center for Social Innovation and Alpine Social Ventures. Beyond his academic role, he has advised senior officials at the White House and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and served in the U.S. Department of Justice. Professor Hanna leads the Global Social Entrepreneurship Lab at Chicago Booth and is actively involved with his social ventures Mona and DreamxAmerica. Through Mona, he has created a global social venture that provides undersupported small-business entrepreneurs with access to capital, distribution opportunities, product investment, and design support. His work connects academic research with practical implementation in the social entrepreneurship space.
Ernst Fehr is a Professor at the University of Zurich and serves as Director of the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics . He is a leading figure in the Behavioral Economics research area at CESifo, focusing on the intersection of economics, psychology, and experimental science. University: University of Zurich Institutional Role: Director, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics Key Affiliation: CESifo Research Network His research examines social preferences , bounded rationality , and decision-making under uncertainty . Themes include fairness norms, trust, risk aversion, and the psychological drivers of economic behavior, with applications to markets, policies, and institutional design. Recent publications address ambiguity aversion , cooperation dynamics , and cognitive development in children . His work often combines experimental economics, game theory, and behavioral modeling to uncover foundational patterns in human behavior. Co-authors in his publications include prominent researchers such as Klaus M. Schmidt , Henning Hermes , and Matthias Sutter . These collaborations highlight interdisciplinary approaches to understanding economic agents' motivations and biases.
Richard Albert holds the prestigious Hines H. Baker and Thelma Kelley Baker Chair in Law and serves as Director of Constitutional Studies at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He is also Professor of Government in the Department of Government within the College of Liberal Arts. With an extensive scholarly record featuring 89 papers and over 69,000 downloads on SSRN, Albert is a leading authority in constitutional law and constitutional amendment studies. Albert's research focuses on constitutional amendment from comparative, doctrinal, historical, and theoretical perspectives. His work spans constitutional design, constitutional dismemberment, unamendability, constitutional conventions, and the relationship between written and unwritten constitutional elements. He has made significant contributions to understanding how constitutions change through both formal amendment processes and informal mechanisms. His recent scholarship reveals several key trends: a growing interest in decolonial constitutionalism, constitutional dynamics in the Commonwealth Caribbean, and the intersection of artificial intelligence with constitutional design. Albert has also edited numerous Global Reviews of Constitutional Law and International Reviews of Constitutional Reform, establishing himself as a central figure in global constitutional scholarship. As Director of Constitutional Studies, Albert oversees a significant research program that brings together scholars from around the world to examine pressing constitutional questions. His work has influenced constitutional design processes in multiple jurisdictions and has been cited by courts and constitutional drafters internationally. Albert frequently collaborates with prominent scholars including David Landau, Pietro Faraguna, and Šimon Drugda on major comparative constitutional projects.
