Dr. Anna Maria Nikodemska-Wołowik is a Professor and Head of the Department of Sustainable Market Processes at the University of Gdańsk's Faculty of Economics. She specializes in consumer behavior, family enterprises, and corporate identity. Her research explores ethical consumerism, cross-cultural marketing, and the role of family businesses in modern economies. She holds a habilitation (doctorate) and has received multiple awards, including the Bronze Cross of Merit (2005) and the Silver Medal for Long Service (2020). Education: She graduated from Gdańsk University's Institute of Foreign Trade, specializing in International Trade Economics. She has completed advanced programs at prestigious institutions like IESE Business School (Spain) and Harvard Business School (USA). Her research focuses on consumer decision-making, family enterprise dynamics, and intellectual property rights. Recent articles analyze E-bike adoption psychology, counterfeit goods consumer behavior, and fair trade coffee markets. She leads the OPUS 11 project on consumer perceptions of family enterprise trademarks. Scientific Leadership: Directed 5 doctoral theses (2019-2023) and serves on ethics committees. Grants: Managed a National Science Centre (NCN) project (2017-2019). Professional Memberships: International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA), FaBeRNET Network, and Polish Economic Society (council member since 2021).
Henry Pearce is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Portsmouth’s School of Law, part of the Faculty of Business and Law. He specializes in data protection law and policy, law and emerging technologies, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Computer Law & Security Review . His research focuses on data protection frameworks, anonymization challenges, and the intersection of law with technologies like AI and big data. Education: PhD in Law, University of Southampton (2020) LLM in Regulation and Technology, King’s College London (2012) LLB in Law, University of Reading (2011) Research Interests: Data protection law evolution, anonymization risks, IT law, freedom of information, and ethical challenges in posthumous medical data donation. His work addresses global regulatory frameworks and emerging technologies’ legal implications. Advising & Grants: Supervises multiple PhD students in data protection law and participates in the EU-funded WAge project on workplace health. Leads the AI Leadership Skills Bootcamp funded by Portsmouth City Council (£144,000). Labs/Teams: Member of the Future of Law, Innovation and Technology Research Centre, focusing on technology law and policy innovation.
Professor Paul Trott holds dual academic appointments as Professor of Innovation Management at the University of Portsmouth's Portsmouth Business School and Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands . His research focuses on innovation policy, corporate innovation strategies, and the management of technological change. With over £500,000 in research funding secured, his work includes projects such as analyzing product development opportunities for UK-based UPS manufacturing firms and aiding steel tube manufacturers in diversifying their customer base. Education: Holds a PhD from Cranfield University. Teaching experience spans universities in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. He has supervised over ten PhD students, contributing to academic mentorship in innovation disciplines. Research Interests: Innovation management, new product development (NPD), corporate foresight, technology management, and public sector innovation. His influential book Innovation Management & New Product Development (now in its 5th edition) is a global standard text. Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator for studies on UPS product development and steel tube diversification. Projects emphasize practical applications of innovation theory, including failure analysis, risk mitigation, and strategic foresight. Affiliations: Member of the Food Cultures in Transition research cluster and the Future of Law, Innovation and Technology Research Centre , demonstrating interdisciplinary engagement in innovation ecosystems.
Alejandra Michel is a legal scholar at the University of Namur's Faculty of Law, where she serves as a member of the Research Center in Information, Law and Society (CRIDS). She concurrently holds an Assistant Professor position at Haute école HENALLUX and serves on the Journalistic Ethics Committee in Brussels. Her work bridges academic research and practical policy development in digital law. Education: Bachelor of Laws, University of Namur (2014) Master of Laws, Université Catholique de Louvain (2016) Master of specialization in Information and Communication Technologies Law, University of Namur (2017) Michel's research centers on the legal challenges of digital transformation, with particular expertise in Intellectual Property, Media Law, Privacy, and Data Protection. She investigates web archiving frameworks, smart city data governance, and online content regulation, focusing on the tension between technological innovation and fundamental rights. Her work analyzes how legal deposit systems apply to digital publications and examines citizen data usage in urban mobility solutions. Recent publications reveal a sharp focus on EU regulatory responses to digital challenges, particularly the Digital Services Act's impact on freedom of expression, political speech on social media, and disinformation governance. Her scholarship consistently connects technical developments with human rights frameworks. Projects: PROMISE II: Analyzing Belgium's legal framework for web archiving from cultural/historical perspectives Wal-e-cities: Developing smart city solutions with subprojects on mobility (MOB), living (LIV), and ecology (ECO) BESOCIAL: Creating sustainable social media archiving strategies for Belgium Michel actively disseminates research through CRIDS webinars on European digital legislation and contributes expert commentary to media on surveillance technologies, platform regulation, and electoral integrity in digital spaces.
Silke von Lewinski serves as a Scientific Advisor at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition and holds the position of Extraordinary Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb since 2020. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as a leading authority in intellectual property law, particularly in copyright and related rights. Her work bridges academic scholarship with practical policy development at national, European, and international levels. Dr. von Lewinski earned her Doctor of Law (Dr. jur.) from the Free University of Berlin. She completed her legal clerkship (Assessorin) in Munich before joining the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition as a scientific staff member. Since 1995, she has served as Head of Department for International Law and Special Problems of Developing Countries at the Institute. Her academic credentials were further recognized in 2020 when she was appointed as an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Law. Her research interests focus on intellectual property law with particular expertise in copyright law, international copyright treaties, European copyright harmonization, digital copyright challenges, and the protection of traditional knowledge. She has extensively examined the intersection of copyright law with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital platforms. Her scholarly work addresses critical issues such as cross-border licensing, collective rights management, exceptions and limitations in the digital environment, and the implementation of the Digital Single Market Directive in Germany. Dr. von Lewinski's publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with evolving copyright challenges. Her recent work shows increasing focus on platform liability (particularly Article 17 implementation), artificial intelligence and copyright, performers' remuneration in digital environments, and the practical implications of CJEU case law. She has maintained a strong scholarly output through her editorial work on the comprehensive 'Copyright Throughout the World' series while producing timely analyses of specific copyright developments in Germany and Europe. The Hosier Distinguished Visiting IP-Scholar, DePaul University, Chicago (2005) First Distinguished Visitor to the Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia (IPRIA) (2002) First Walter Minton Visiting Scholar, Center for Law and the Arts, Columbia University School of Law, New York (1998) Heinrich-Hubmann-Preis für die beste Monographie im Urheberrecht (1991) Dr. von Lewinski has advised numerous governments and international organizations on copyright matters. She has served as legal advisor to the European Commission, participated in WIPO diplomatic conferences that led to the Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties, and provided expertise to countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Asia through PHARE, TACIS, and other programs. Her extensive conference presentations across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia demonstrate her global influence in copyright scholarship and policy development. At the Max Planck Institute, Dr. von Lewinski contributes to one of the world's leading research centers in intellectual property and competition law. She collaborates with an international team of scholars and participates in major research projects examining the future of copyright in the digital age. Her work with organizations like ALAI (where she serves as Vice President) and ATRIP connects her research to broader international intellectual property discourse.
Tejas Gokhale is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where he directs the Cognitive Vision Group and serves as Affiliate Faculty at the UMBC Center for AI. His research focuses on perception, learning, reasoning, and communication, with particular emphasis on conceptual characterization of visual scenes. Ph.D. from Arizona State University M.S. from Carnegie Mellon University B.E. from BITS Pilani Dr. Gokhale's research explores interpretation of visual data with incomplete information, recognizing and adapting to novelty and variations, leveraging external knowledge for generalization across contexts, and communicating visual knowledge to machines and humans. His work spans computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence with applications in text-to-image generation, spatial reasoning, and domain generalization. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on improving spatial understanding in text-to-image models, concept learning in diffusion models, and enhancing robustness in vision systems. His research has been recognized with a Best Paper Award at CVPR 2024 and featured in AI Magazine. Best Paper Award at VDU Workshop @ CVPR 2024 AI Magazine Article summarizing his work (2024) Tutorial Chair for ICCV 2025 Co-PI for DARPA SciFy program grant (2024) Dr. Gokhale actively mentors students, currently supervising seven Ph.D. students and one M.S. student at UMBC, while also collaborating with students at Arizona State University and other institutions. He has received multiple funding awards including CIDER funding, Cybersecurity Institute funding, START funding, and SURFF funding from UMBC. His teaching includes courses on Computer Vision, Neural Networks, and Robust Machine Learning. He leads the Perception, Prediction, and Reasoning Seminar at UMBC and has organized tutorials at major vision conferences including ECCV 2024 and WACV 2024. His lab, the Cognitive Vision Group, focuses on developing reliable and robust computer vision systems that can understand and reason about visual content.
Dr. Sahar Milani is the R. Sheldon ’68 and Virginia H. Johnson Associate Professor of Economics at St. Lawrence University, specializing in Economics of Innovation. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, an M.S. in Management Science (Finance Analysis) from the same institution, and a B.B.A. in Finance, Investment, and Banking from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Ph.D. Economics - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee M.S. Management Science (Finance Analysis) - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee B.B.A. Finance, Investment, and Banking - University of Wisconsin - Madison Her research focuses on environmental economics, macroeconomics, and the financing of innovation. She has contributed to journals like Research Policy and Environmental & Resource Economics , with recent work analyzing sanctions' effects on global R&D, environmental macroeconomics pedagogy, and financial constraints in corporate innovation. She also explores cultural economics through her blog Metalnomics , where she examines heavy metal music from a social science perspective. Dr. Milani has taught courses in personal finance, environmental economics, natural resource economics, macroeconomics, and the economics of innovation. During the 2025–2026 academic year, she is on sabbatical leave but remains accessible via her booking page for appointments.
Prof. Tomislav Galović is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business (EFRI), University of Rijeka, specializing in international economics and business strategies. He teaches courses on international trade, innovation & competitiveness, cross-cultural negotiation, and global business management. His research focuses on FDI drivers, economic security, and the impact of geopolitical factors on investment flows. He has published extensively on topics like EU competitiveness in Industry 4.0, cybersecurity risks in digital markets, and the influence of terrorism on global capital movements. His academic work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, analyzing how R&D investments, intellectual property systems, and negotiation tactics shape business competitiveness. He contributes to policy discussions on regional integration in Southeast Europe and emerging markets, emphasizing data-driven analysis of trade performance and institutional quality. Galović holds a PhD and advises on economic liberalization policies in transition economies. His teaching integrates case studies from multinational corporations and policy institutions, focusing on contemporary challenges like cyber threats to international trade and sustainable urban development strategies.
habil. Dr. Siegfried Fina is affiliated with the Department for Legal Studies and International Relations at the University for Continuing Education Krems . His work focuses on European Union law, antitrust regulations, intellectual property rights, and data protection. He has led numerous research projects, including studies on the EU's investment competence, digital privacy in the context of Big Data, and comparative analyses of patent licensing frameworks. His research interests span: EU legal frameworks for digital commerce and e-commerce Antitrust implications of exclusive patent licenses Protection of intellectual property in international agreements Data privacy regulations in the digital age Key contributions include: Principal investigator for over a dozen projects (2007–2016) Publications on EU investment law, data protection, and comparative antitrust He has presented lectures on Brexit implications and EU global relations at institutions like Stanford Law School.
Ueli Grüter is a Lecturer at the Lucerne School of Business, part of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He specializes in International Business Law, Communication Law, Digital Law, Intellectual Property & Competition Law, Licensing, Legal Tech, AI and Law, and Educational Tech. He holds an LL.M. in International Business Law and is an attorney at law with experience at firms like Keller Schneider Patent- und Markenanwälte AG and Schneider Feldmann Ltd. Education: Studies in Law at the Universities of Fribourg (CH), Zürich (CH), and Boston (USA). Research focuses on the intersection of law and technology, including AI applications in legal frameworks, digitalization impacts, and e-learning platforms. Projects include AdvoLab (AI & Law laboratory), Technology Assessment in Art and Digitalization, and Smart Contracts in Organizations (SCORG). He co-founded the e-learning platform digilaw.ch , edits the legal blog Juristenfutter , and contributes to books like kommunikationsrecht.ch . No specific scientific awards mentioned. Advising and grants: Extensive legal practice roles include Counsel at Keller Schneider and Of Counsel at Die Advokatur Sury AG. Active in legal tech and educational initiatives. Labs/Teams: Co-founder of AdvoLab (AI & Law) and involved in multiple research projects addressing digitalization challenges in law and culture.
Dr. Patricia Abril serves as Professor of Business Law at Miami Herbert Business School and Interim Dean of the School of Law at the University of Miami. Her scholarship examines digital privacy, technology law, and business ethics in evolving technological landscapes. Research investigates legal frameworks for emerging technologies including generative AI attribution systems, privacy tort standards, and social media rights. Recent publications analyze unauthorized legal practice implications of AI systems and disclosure frameworks for AI-generated content. Professional service includes editorial contributions to business law education resources. Authored textbooks provide foundations for business law curricula nationwide.
Reda BELLAFQIRA is an Enseignant Chercheur (Researcher) at IMT Atlantique's Data Science Department, based in Brest. His work focuses on securing sensitive data processing in distributed systems, combining cryptography with machine learning techniques. Key areas include federated learning, homomorphic encryption, and watermarking for intellectual property protection. He has contributed to privacy-preserving frameworks in healthcare and IoT applications, emphasizing secure collaborative data analysis without compromising confidentiality. Research Interests: Secure federated learning architectures and robustness against adversarial attacks Cryptography applications in AI, including homomorphic encryption for encrypted data processing Watermarking techniques for model integrity and ownership in distributed environments Privacy-preserving methods for healthcare data (e.g., EHRs, genomics) IoT cybersecurity and embedded system security for medical devices Key Contributions: His 2025 work on blockchain-enhanced watermarking for federated learning and 2023 research on automated EHR de-identification exemplify his focus on practical security solutions. Recent trends show increasing emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches merging cryptography with healthcare informatics and IoT systems. Labs/Teams: Active in IMT Atlantique's Data Science Department research groups, collaborating on EU-funded projects related to federated learning in healthcare and secure IoT ecosystems.
Professor Irene Stamatoudi serves as a Law Professor and Head of Department at the University of Nicosia (Cyprus), while also practicing as a lawyer at the Supreme Court in Athens (Greece). She holds a Ptyhio Nomikis from the University of Athens and an LL.M and Ph.D from the University of Leicester. Her expertise spans copyright law, EU intellectual property policy, and digital rights. Professor Stamatoudi has led the Greek National Copyright Office (2007-2018) and chaired the EU Council IP (Copyright) Working Group during Greece's 2014 EU Presidency. She co-developed the WIPO Academy's copyright specialization course and teaches in their distance-learning programs since 2001. Her research focuses on digital copyright challenges, collective management systems, and EU legal harmonization efforts. Her publications include authoritative texts like Collective Management of Copyright (2020) and European Union Copyright Law (2014). She contributes to international legal education through collaborations with institutions in Europe, Turkey, and North America.
Philippe Jougleux is an Associate Professor at the Department of Law, European University, Cyprus, specializing in EU Law, Internet Law, and Digital Rights. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Aix-Marseille III and has taught at multiple institutions including the Open University of Cyprus and the National School of Judges (Greece). His research focuses on cybersecurity, intellectual property, data protection (GDPR), and the intersection of technology with legal frameworks. He has authored/co-authored over 20 books and numerous articles on topics like cybercrime, copyright law, and open justice. Key achievements include the 2016 EUC research award and advisory roles in EU projects like MANDOLA and INSPEC2T. He serves on editorial boards for journals like Chronicles of Computer Law and chairs the law journal ENTHA at EUC. Education: PhD in Law (Aix-Marseille III, 2002) Postgraduate in Media Law (Aix-Marseille III, 1999) LL.B. (Lille II, 1993) Research: Explores digital transformation impacts on justice systems and privacy Expert on EU legal harmonization challenges in cybercrime and intellectual property Grants & Projects: EU-funded cybersecurity initiatives (e.g., Center of Excellence for Cybercrime) Advisory roles in GDPR training and hate speech moderation Labs/Teams: Founder of the EDPI organization promoting copyright law Member of the Digital Rights Foundation’s evaluation board
Dr. Jocelyn Bosse is a Lecturer in the School of Law at Queen's University Belfast, part of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD from the University of Queensland (2023) and teaches intellectual property law, including patents, trade marks, and plant variety rights. Her research focuses on the intersection of intellectual property rights with biodiversity, Indigenous rights, and plant innovation, with notable work on the Plant Patent Act of 1930 and the protection of geographical indications. She has advocated for policy reforms in Queensland's Biodiscovery Act, emphasizing Indigenous knowledge engagement. Dr. Bosse has received the 2023 Dean's Award for Outstanding HDR Theses and was shortlisted for the 2024 ALRA PhD Award. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and actively contributes to legal blogs like IPKat. Her recent publications explore IP protection for plant innovation and Soviet inventor certificates.
