Wei Xu is an Associate Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology's College of Computing and School of Interactive Computing, with affiliations to the Machine Learning Center. Their research bridges machine learning, natural language processing, and social media with focus areas in large language models, cultural bias mitigation, multilingual capabilities, and human-AI collaboration in text evaluation. NSF CAREER and Google Academic Research Award recipient Director of NLP X Lab PhD from New York University, BSMS from Tsinghua University Research interests span: Multilingual Multicultural LLMs addressing representational gaps and cultural adaptation in language models (NAACL 2025, ACL 2024); Robustness and Reasoning through dynamic AGI evaluations (ACL 2024, EMNLP 2024); Interdisciplinary NLP applications in security, healthcare, and law (EMNLP 2024, ACL 2024). Recent publications focus on multilingual alignment (NAACL 2025), privacy risk estimation (arXiv 2025), cultural bias analysis (ACL 2024), and medical text simplification (EMNLP 2024). Key themes include bias mitigation, multimodal processing, and practical LLM evaluation. Scientific Awards : NSF CAREER, Google/Sony/Criteo research awards, ACL'24 Best Social Impact Award, COLING'18 Best Paper Advising 15 PhD/MS/BSMS students including Yao Dou (human-centered LLM evaluation), Tarek Naous (multilingual LLMs), and alumni like Chao Jiang (Apple AI/ML) and Yang Chen (NVIDIA research scientist). Teaches graduate courses on NLP and LLMs.
Prof. Ingmar Posner is a leading figure in applied artificial intelligence at the University of Oxford, where he serves as Principal Investigator for the Applied Artificial Intelligence Lab (A2I) and founding Director of the Oxford Robotics Institute. His work focuses on enabling robots to operate effectively in complex real-world environments through experience-driven learning. Key research areas: robot learning, scene interpretation, data-efficient learning, and transfer learning Applications in manipulation, autonomous driving, logistics, and space exploration His team has produced groundbreaking work in world models, sim-to-real transfer, and constraint-based manipulation systems (e.g., COMBO-Grasp). Notable contributions include the TWIST distillation framework and foundational research in tactile data generation (TactGen). He has received multiple best paper awards at top robotics venues. Publications reveal evolving research themes: 2025 work emphasizes language-conditioned learning (Lumos) and multi-agent decision-making, while 2024 focused on diffusion models for locomotion and differentiable simulators. Earlier work spans from urban scene analysis to physically plausible scene synthesis (RELATE).
Gül Şen is a Senior Lecturer and Privatdozentin at the Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies, University of Bonn, and also serves as a Lecturer at the University of Heidelberg. Her academic work focuses on premodern Ottoman history, historiography, and the dynamics of dependency, particularly in maritime contexts such as galley slavery and war captivity. She is actively involved in major research programs including the DFG-Priority Program 'Transottomanica' and the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies. Her research areas include: Premodern Ottoman historiography and narrative strategies Legitimacy of rule and political transitions Maritime unfree labor and galley slavery War captivity and captivity narratives in the 18th century Dependency and asymmetrical power relations in the early modern Mediterranean Her recent publications reveal a strong thematic trend centered on the interplay between narrative construction and social power, particularly in contexts of slavery and captivity. She investigates how historical actors used storytelling to assert legitimacy, cope with crises, and negotiate identity. Her work bridges literary analysis with social history, offering nuanced understandings of agency within systems of dependency. She frequently collaborates with leading scholars like Stephan Conermann and contributes to major edited volumes and series in Ottoman studies. Her scientific awards include: DAAD Award for outstanding academic achievements (2012) Postdoctoral Scholarship from the Fritz Thyssen Foundation (2012–2013) Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg (2015–2016, 2018–2019) Postdoctoral Scholarship from the University of Bonn (2019–2020) She has supervised numerous B.A. and M.A. theses at the University of Bonn and Heidelberg and has secured third-party funding, including a DFG project (€192,000) from 2016–2018 and Fritz Thyssen Foundation grants. She is co-editor of the 'Ottoman Studies' and 'Otto Spies Memorial Series' book series, and holds leadership roles in the Society for Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies (GTOT) and the International Association for Ottoman Social and Economic History (IAOSEH). Her academic activities are deeply embedded in collaborative and interdisciplinary research environments. She is affiliated with the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies and contributes to the DFG-Priority Program 'Transottomanica,' where she examines mobility dynamics and captivity narratives. Her work is supported by a strong network of international collaborations and editorial engagements.
Andrew Mitchell is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, Monash University, and a member of the WTO Dispute Settlement Panelists Indicative List. He has extensive legal practice experience with Allens Arthur Robinson and consults for governments, international organizations, and the private sector. Mitchell has taught law in Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, and the US. He holds law degrees from the University of Melbourne, Harvard Law School, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on international economic law, public international law, and digital trade governance, with a particular emphasis on the intersection of trade law and public health. Mitchell has secured six major grants, including an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, and has authored over 170 books and articles. He serves as an editor for Edward Elgar’s International Economic Law Series and multiple journal editorial boards. Recent projects include 'Safeguarding Health in International Investment Agreements' (2022–2025) 'Maritime Cooperation for a Sustainable Indo-Pacific' (2021–2022) 'Global E-Commerce and Cottage Industries in India' (2020–2021) He has contributed to policy submissions on bilateral investment treaties and delivered lectures on data sovereignty and digital trade. His awards include editorial leadership roles at journals like the Journal of World Investment and Trade and Asia Pacific Law Review .
Harsha Ram is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on Russian and European Enlightenment, modernist literature, and the cultural histories of the Caucasus region. He holds dual B.A. Honors degrees in Italian and Russian from the University of Sydney and University of New South Wales, and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Yale University. His work bridges literary theory, post-colonial studies, and geopoetics, with a particular emphasis on Georgia's literary modernism and its intersections with Russian imperial culture. Key themes include spatial theory, peripheral modernisms, and the transnational dimensions of cultural production. Recent work examines the role of ritual feasts in Georgian national identity and the geopoetics of Eurasian avant-garde movements. Ram has published extensively on figures like Velimir Khlebnikov and Boris Pasternak, exploring their engagement with imperial legacies and revolutionary aesthetics. His book The Imperial Sublime: A Russian Poetics of Empire (2003) remains a seminal study of Russian imperial poetics. Current projects include studies on Georgian literary encounters with Russian culture and the symbolic dimensions of Caucasus representations. His scholarship frequently appears in leading journals such as Modernism/Modernity , Slavic Review , and Ab Imperio . He has held visiting positions at institutions globally and actively participates in interdisciplinary dialogues between literary studies, history, and cultural geography.
Sıtkı Egeli is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at İzmir University of Economics since 2015. With a PhD in International Relations from Bilkent University, an MA in Security Studies from University of Chicago, and a BA in Political Science from Boğaziçi University, he specializes in defense policy, security studies, and military technology. PhD: Bilkent University, International Relations (1993-1999) MA: University of Chicago, Security Studies (1988-1991) BA: Boğaziçi University, Political Science (1983-1988) His research focuses on weapons of mass destruction proliferation , air and missile defense , nuclear deterrence , space security , and disruptive military technologies . His publications analyze Turkish defense industrialization, Arctic geopolitics, and strategic stability in aerospace warfare contexts. Recent collaborative work (2017-2025) spans: • Balancing defense autarky (2025) • Arctic region involvement (2022) • Historical air power development (2021) • Military space operations (2021) • Turkish missile defense (2019) • Ballistic missile programs (2017)
Prof. Dr. Olena Palko is a historian specializing in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine. She holds the SNSF Professorship at the University of Basel's Department of History, focusing on East European History. Her research emphasizes Soviet minority policies, cultural politics, and national identity formation in interwar Ukraine. She is a leading scholar with notable works including Making Ukraine Soviet (2021), awarded the 2023 Alexander Nove Prize. Her current SNF-funded project, Red Tower of Babel , examines Soviet minority experiments in Ukraine. Education: PhD from University of East Anglia (2017); Kandydat nauk from National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2013). Research Interests: Soviet nationality policy, minority history, Ukrainian twentieth-century history, transnational border dynamics. Her work bridges archival analysis with transnational perspectives, addressing contested borderlands between Poland and the USSR. Key publications include co-edited volumes like Making Ukraine (2022) and Ukraine's Many Faces (2023). She actively contributes to academic governance roles, including co-convening the BASEES Study Group for Minority History and serving on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Council of Europe's history observatory.
Hans Beck serves as Professor of Greek History at the University of Münster (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität) since 2018, with an additional appointment as Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Arts at McGill University. His academic career includes previous positions as Professor of Ancient History and Director of Classical Studies at McGill University (2005-2018), Heisenberg Fellow at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt (2004-2005), and Research Assistant at the University of Cologne (1997-2004). Beck earned his academic training through doctoral studies at the Universities of Erlangen, Canterbury, and Cambridge (1989-1996), followed by a fellowship at the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC (2001-2002). His educational background reflects a strong international foundation in classical studies. His research spans multiple interconnected fields within ancient history, with particular emphasis on the history and culture of ancient Greece, historical geography of Greece, environmental studies of the ancient Greek world, political culture of the Roman Republic, and ancient historiography. Beck's work consistently explores themes of localism, federalism, and political structures across ancient societies, with notable contributions to understanding Greek city-states, regional identities, and comparative political systems. His approach often bridges geographical, historical, and cultural perspectives to examine how ancient communities organized themselves politically and maintained regional identities within larger frameworks. Analyzing his recent publications reveals a sustained focus on local political structures within broader contexts, particularly examining how Greek city-states maintained autonomy while participating in federal leagues. His work increasingly incorporates comparative approaches, connecting Greek political structures with those of Rome and even ancient China, reflecting his editorial work on cross-cultural studies. Beck demonstrates particular expertise in analyzing how physical landscapes shaped political organization and how religious practices reinforced regional identities. Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2018) Anneliese Maier Research Award from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (2014) Heisenberg Fellowship from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (2004) Doctoral scholarship from German Academic Exchange Service (1995) Doctoral scholarship from Hanns Seidel Foundation (1994) Beck has supervised numerous doctoral students including Jordan Christopher (2022), Chandra Giroux (2021), Wentian Fu (2020), Rebecca Robinson (2017), Alex McAuley (2015), and François Gauthier (2015), covering diverse topics from ancient Qin and Macedon to cult practices in ancient empires. His academic leadership extends to directing research projects B3-49 'Belonging in/to Lakonia' and B3-40 'Localism and Religion in Ancient Greece' within the Excellence Cluster focusing on 'Religious Diversity and Legal-Political Unity.' As head of the project 'Belonging in/to Lakonia' and 'Localism and Religion in Ancient Greece,' Beck leads interdisciplinary research teams examining archaeological and historical evidence from the Sanctuary of Apollo at Amyklai and its surroundings. His work integrates textual analysis with material culture studies, creating comprehensive approaches to understanding ancient regional identities and religious practices. Beck's leadership in these projects demonstrates his commitment to bridging traditional disciplinary boundaries in classical studies.
Dr John Stanton is a Reader in Law at City St George's, University of London, with a focus on Constitutional Law and Comparative Constitutional Law. He has held academic roles since 2010, previously at Kingston University and City University, and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Malta since 2018. PhD in Law (Kingston University London, 2010) LLB Law (University of Surrey, 2007) His research spans Maltese constitutional history , local government dynamics , democracy , and central-local relations . Recent projects include Law, Localism and the Constitution (2023) and co-editing The Constitution of Malta at Sixty (2024). John’s publications and conference presentations (e.g., at Melbourne and Texas) address themes like constitutional decay , autocracy , and democratic resilience . He contributes to journals such as Legal Studies , Public Law , and Environmental Law Review . Learning Enhancement Award for Teaching (2017) Fellow, Higher Education Academy He testified before the UK Parliament on devolution and is active in the Society of Legal Scholars , UK Constitutional Law Association , and the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple .
Sebastian Scherer is an Associate Research Professor at the Robotics Institute (RI), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he leads cutting-edge research in autonomous aerial systems and robotics. His work focuses on enabling unmanned rotorcraft to operate safely and efficiently in cluttered, low-altitude, and extreme environments. Education: Ph.D. in Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University (2010) MS in Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University (2007) BS in Computer Science (Minor in Robotics), Carnegie Mellon University (2004) His research interests span robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, SLAM, visual-inertial odometry, energy infrastructure, and public policy . He has made seminal contributions to UAV autonomy, including the first obstacle avoidance for micro aerial vehicles in natural environments (2008) and the first automatic landing zone detection and landing on a full-size helicopter (2010). His recent publications (2023–2025) demonstrate a strong focus on resilient autonomy, multi-robot exploration, foundation models for robotics, and large-scale dataset development. His team has released key datasets like TartanGround , BETTY , and SubT-MRS , and simulation tools like Pegasus Simulator , indicating a systems-level approach to advancing real-world autonomy. The research trends emphasize self-supervised learning, robust perception, risk-aware planning, and multi-modal fusion for off-road and urban environments. Scientific Awards: Popular Science Best of What's New 2010 Award AIAA@Infotech Best Paper Runner-up Award (2010) Siebel Scholar Dr. Scherer has advised numerous students and leads a vibrant research group focused on high-impact robotics applications. He has secured significant grants related to UAV autonomy, energy infrastructure, and urban air mobility. His lab develops experimental infrastructure such as AIrTonomy for testing next-generation autonomous aerial vehicles. He is actively involved in advancing SLAM and localization in extreme environments, notably through participation in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge. His team develops large-scale datasets and benchmarking frameworks to push the boundaries of robustness and generalization in mobile robotics.
Stefanos Zenios is Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business with dual appointments in Entrepreneurship and Operations, Information & Technology . He directs Stanford GSB’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and co-directs the Doerr School of Sustainability ’s Program in Ecopreneurship. His Startup Garage course has launched companies like DoorDash while alumni have raised over $3B in venture capital. He co-authored the foundational Biodesign textbook and previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Operations Research . PhD, MIT Operations Research (1996) MA, University of Cambridge (1996) BA, University of Cambridge (1992) Research Focus Dr. Zenios’ work bridges operations research and innovation management , with significant contributions to: Healthcare operations : Administrative cost reduction, organ allocation optimization, and clinical workflow improvements Entrepreneurship : Venture creation frameworks and experiential education Ecopreneurship : Sustainable business model innovation His Precedents Thinking framework (HBR 2025) has gained global recognition for solving systemic inefficiencies. Current research includes the biennial Search Fund Study with Peter Kelly. Scientific Recognition INFORMS Fellow Multiple Best Paper Awards, INFORMS CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (2000) Dhirubhai Ambani Faculty Fellow (2017–2020) George E. Nicholson Award (1997) He has received extensive media coverage in Fast Company , Time Magazine , and Stanford Business . His research has been featured in over 150 press mentions including JAMA , Harvard Business Review , and Health Affairs .
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.
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.
Dr. Regina Enjuto Martinez is a Lecturer in International Development at King’s College London, based in the Department of International Development within the School of Global Affairs. She joined the university in 2021 and previously held positions at the London School of Economics (LSE), SOAS, and taught at Peking University. Her research focuses on welfare governance in China, particularly disability rights, HIV/AIDS policies, and migrant workers' welfare, examining state-society relations and NGO roles in welfare provision. Education: PhD in Development Studies (LSE, 2016), MSc in Sociology (National Chengchi University, Taiwan). Research Interests: Chinese politics, social welfare, civil society, migration, labor rights, project management and evaluation. Her work bridges international development theory and China’s unique policy contexts, analyzing how authoritarian governance structures influence welfare service delivery through contracting mechanisms. Collaborations with scholars like Yanchu Qu and Janet A. Howell highlight her engagement in cross-disciplinary research. She has contributed to debates on NGO autonomy, labor rights advocacy, and the convergence/divergence of China’s welfare practices with global models.
Melvyn R.W. Hamstra is a Full Professor at IÉSEG School of Management in France since 2023. His academic career includes roles as Associate Professor (2021–2023) and Assistant Professor (2020–2021) at IÉSEG, as well as Assistant Professor positions at the University of Maastricht (2015–2020) and the University of Amsterdam (2013–2015). He holds a Ph.D. in Behavioural and Social Sciences from the University of Groningen (2013), preceded by a Master’s (2009) and Bachelor’s (2007) in Psychology from the same institution. Research Interests : His work centers on organizational behavior, leadership, and employee motivation, with a strong emphasis on regulatory focus theory, employee voice dynamics, and knowledge management. Key themes include how leadership styles (e.g., promotion vs. prevention focus) influence team innovation, conflict resolution, and workplace morale. Publication Trends : Recent publications (2025–2024) explore topics such as gender bias in leadership evaluation, financial stress and counterproductive behavior, ethical conflict in teams, and the dual-edged role of humor in workplace negotiations. His longitudinal studies on religious engagement and life satisfaction, as well as theoretical models on knowledge withholding, highlight interdisciplinary breadth. Teaching : He contributes to bachelor and master’s programs at IÉSEG, focusing on leadership development, positive leadership, and organizational learning.
