Rajendra Akerkar is a Professor and coordinator of the Big Data and Emerging Technologies subgroup at the Western Norway Research Institute. With over 30 years in academia across Asia, Europe, and North America, he specializes in combining theoretical AI research with practical applications for societal benefit. Research Focus: Artificial Intelligence for crisis management (resilient communities, situational awareness) Social cybersecurity (hate speech prevention, misinformation) Urban transport systems optimization Energy analytics through data-driven approaches Semantic technologies and intelligent information systems Scientific Awards: DAAD Exchange Fellowship BOYSCASTS Young Scientist Award Leadership & Publications: Associate Editor for International Journal of Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies and Editor for Web Intelligence . Published 16 monographs, 154 scientific articles, and coordinated international networks like ISO15926 Semantic Web Technologies Network.
Duk-Jae Oh serves as Professor in the Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology at Sejong University since 2001, with additional leadership roles including Dean of Planning and Budgeting (2008-2009), Chair of AFOB's Financial Committee (2010-present), and Korea's Representative Delegate for ISO/TC276 Biotechnology Working Group 4 (2015-present). Education: Ph.D. from KAIST (1992) M.S. from KAIST (1988) B.S. from Seoul National University (1986) Research Focus: Professor Oh pioneers animal cell technology for biopharmaceutical production including gene therapy vectors, cell therapies, and therapeutic proteins. His expertise spans bioreactor engineering , cell culture process optimization , and recombinant cell line development , with major contributions to perfusion systems and single-use bioreactor technologies. Publication Trends: Recent 2024 work demonstrates innovation in orbital rocking motion bioreactors (CELBIC®) and funnel-type fluidized bed systems, advancing adherent cell culture scalability. Earlier studies (2014-2020) systematically address glycosylation control in antibody production and gas-permeable membrane devices, establishing foundational principles for bioprocess consistency in therapeutic protein manufacturing. Scientific Recognition: With 30 research outputs and 420 citations (h-index 14), his work is referenced in 1 patent though no formal awards are documented. Research Leadership: His administrative roles in AFOB and ISO/TC276 reflect international standing in bioprocessing standards development, though specific grant funding details and student mentorship records are not provided in available materials. Technical Infrastructure: Research activities center on bioprocess engineering facilities at Sejong University, with fingerprint analysis indicating deep specialization in perfusion systems (100%), recombinant antibody production (76%), and Chinese hamster ovary cell technologies (55%).
João Eduardo Quintela Alves Sousa Varajão is an Assistant Professor with Habilitation at the School of Engineering, University of Minho, where he teaches information systems and project management. He is a Senior Researcher at the ALGORITMI/LASI research center and a member of the IST and ISTTOS R&D groups. His academic journey began at the University of Minho, where he earned his Graduate (1995), Masters (1997), and Doctorate (2003) degrees in Technologies and Information Systems, followed by a Habilitation from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (2012) in Informatics/Project Management. Varajão's research focuses on Information Systems Project Management, IS Development, and IS Management, with particular emphasis on project success factors in both public and private sectors. His work examines how project management tools, digital transformation initiatives, and organizational factors impact the success of information systems projects. He has developed frameworks for evaluating project success and has extensively researched ethical considerations in information systems. His publication record shows a consistent focus on project management methodologies, with recent work exploring the intersection of digital transformation and project success. He has made significant contributions to understanding success factors in public sector IS projects, particularly in developing countries, and has developed frameworks for evaluating project success criteria. UM School Merit 1993, 1994 EEUM Pedagogical Merit 2021, 2022, 2024 EEUM Scientific Publication Merit 2022, 2023 AIS SIG ITProjMgmt Leadership Excellence Award 2022 AIS Distinguished Member 2023 Varajão has supervised over 125 MSc and 15 PhD theses and currently co-supervises students at multiple institutions including the University of Minho, ISCTE, University of Oviedo, and NOVA University of Lisbon. He has been actively involved in numerous research projects such as PAFSE (Horizon 2020), iFactory, VSC, and PLAYER. As a recognized expert, he coordinates the NP ISO 21504 update project and serves as an ISO TC258 International Project Management expert. He also coordinates the UMinho/DSI Museums of Informatics and Smartphone projects.
Paulo Sampaio is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Production and Systems, School of Engineering, University of Minho. As Senior Researcher at ALGORITMI Research Centre's IEM group, he focuses on Quality and Organizational Excellence. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering (2008) and has authored 138 publications with an h-index of 26. Born in Braga, Portugal (1978) Graduated in Industrial Engineering (2002) PhD in Industrial Engineering (2008) Visiting Scholar at MIT (2015) His research spans Quality 4.0, Supply Chain Management, Risk Analysis, and Integrated Management Systems, with particular emphasis on Industry 4.0/5.0 transformation and agile organizational models. Articles demonstrate increasing focus on machine learning applications, sustainability taxonomy development, and cross-cultural SME studies. Scientific recognition includes: Feigenbaum Medal (ASQ 2012) Best Paper Awards (2006-2009) International Academy for Quality Academician (2014) Top reviewer recognition (2015) As an advisor, he has successfully mentored 6 PhD candidates and over 100 Master's students while leading major EU-funded projects like INNOVCAR (€12.75M) and iFACTORY (€9.25M). Current leadership roles include Department Head, Doctoral Program Director, and Scientific Council member.
Professor Masahiko Munechika is affiliated with Waseda University's School of Creative Science and Engineering as a faculty member. He holds a Doctor of Engineering from the University of Tokyo and has been actively involved in quality management, safety engineering, and healthcare systems research for over 30 years. Current academic rank: Professor Primary research domains: Quality Management, Healthcare Safety, Social Systems Engineering Research focus spans multiple disciplines: Healthcare Safety Engineering: Systematically analyzing medication incidents, developing error-proofing methodologies, and establishing business continuity protocols during disasters Quality Management Systems: ISO 9001 implementation in healthcare, standardization frameworks, and cross-industry application of quality principles Kansei Engineering: Investigating how package design elements influence consumer perception and product evaluation Article trends demonstrate consistent focus on medical error prevention (2013-2021), disaster response systems (2016-2021), and quality management methodologies (2014-2024). Recent publications extend quality control principles to architectural coatings evaluation (2024) and process standardization in healthcare. Scientific recognitions include: Deming Prize Committee membership (2004-2024) Multiple Best Paper Awards (2012-2019) Nikkei Quality Control Literature Award (2010, 2015) Industrial Standardization Commendation (2015) As an educator , he has contributed to medical safety education and developed standardized clinical training tools including Kiken Yochi Training sheets and PCAPS (Patient Condition Adaptive Path System). His work spans both theoretical and applied domains across healthcare , manufacturing , and public infrastructure sectors.
Fernanda Torre is a Visiting Teacher at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), affiliated with the House of Innovation, where she lectures on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the MBA program. She also serves as Design Industry Leader at Hyper Island's Content Developer program and CEO of Next Agents, a consulting firm specializing in future thinking and strategic design. Her educational background includes an MBA from SSE (President’s List distinction), an MFA in Experience Design from Konstfack, and a BA in Graphic Design from Porto University. Torre's research bridges AI governance, sustainable innovation, and strategic design through her leadership in the Vinnova-funded 4Boards.ai project. Her notable recognitions feature: Red Dot Design Award (2014) Beam me up, Scotty! award (Helsinki Design Fair 2013) Stora Enso Innovation Award for Intelligent Packaging (2016) President’s List for academic excellence (SSE MBA) Torre actively shapes Sweden's innovation landscape as board member of Innovationsledarna and Swedish Expert in ISO standard development for Innovation Management. She founded Frames – the Portuguese Film Festival in Sweden – demonstrating her commitment to cultural innovation beyond academia.
Omar Iraqi Houssaini serves as a full-time Lecturer in the School of Science and Engineering at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, where he has taught computer science and cybersecurity courses at undergraduate and graduate levels since 2003. His institutional roles include prior service as IT Manager (2005-2009) and IT Director (2009-2012) at the same university. His academic credentials include: Ingénieur d'Etat from EMI (Ecole Mohammadia d'Ingénieurs) in Rabat MSc in Computer Networks from Al Akhawayn University (2003) Ph.D. in Computer Science from Mohammed V University in Rabat (defended 2022) Dr. Houssaini's research centers on collaborative self-protecting software , unsupervised machine learning , and application-level intrusion detection . His work develops autonomous cybersecurity systems that detect and neutralize threats without human intervention, merging theoretical computer science with practical security implementations. Professional certifications form a critical component of his expertise: CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) ISO 27000 standards certification These industry credentials complement his academic role, providing students with real-world security management perspectives alongside theoretical instruction.
Hermann J. Thomann serves as an Honorary Professor in the Department of Energy Technology at Aachen University of Applied Sciences, maintaining a part-time academic appointment while working as a Quality Management Consultant at TÜV Rheinland. His role bridges industrial quality certification standards with energy technology education. His research interests focus on Quality Management within energy systems, particularly quality assurance protocols for renewable energy infrastructure and ISO-compliant risk assessment frameworks. This specialization aligns with the department's applied engineering focus on power generation and grid technologies. As an industry-academia liaison, Prof. Thomann contributes practical certification methodologies from TÜV Rheinland's operations to curriculum development. His teaching emphasizes real-world implementation of quality standards in energy technology contexts rather than theoretical research. Professional affiliations include: Aachen University of Applied Sciences (Honorary Professor) TÜV Rheinland (Quality Management Consultant)
Carlos Joaquim Farias Cândido is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, where he has built a distinguished academic career since 1992. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the CEFAGE (Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics) branch at the University of Algarve and Director of the MSc in Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. His extensive institutional involvement includes previous roles as director of the Bachelor's degree in Business Management and membership on the Board of Directors of both the Faculty of Economics and the PhD program in Quantitative Methods Applied to Economics and Management. Professor Cândido's educational journey includes a Habilitation title in Management from University of Algarve (2023), a PhD in Strategic Management from Sheffield Hallam University (2001), an MSc in Management and Strategy from ISCTE-IUL (1996), and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from University of Algarve (1992). His academic progression at the University of Algarve reflects steady advancement from Monitor (1991-1992) to Assistant (1992-2002), Assistant Professor (2002-2024), and finally Associate Professor (2024-present). His research primarily focuses on business strategy implementation, quality management systems, and ISO 9001 certification processes. Professor Cândido has developed the StrategISO framework for managing the ISO 9001 certification lifecycle and has published extensively on why organizations maintain, decertify, or recertify their quality management systems. His work bridges theoretical strategic management concepts with practical applications in Portuguese organizations, particularly in the hospitality and healthcare sectors. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory centered on quality management systems, with particular emphasis on ISO 9001 certification dynamics. His work spans multiple disciplines including operations management, strategic implementation, and service quality, with increasing focus on decertification processes and the financial implications of quality system maintenance in recent years. Best student prize Best conference paper prize Three excellent reviewer awards in international journals Professor Cândido has supervised 1 doctoral thesis and 20 master dissertations, with recent supervision focusing on ISO 9001 decertification, innovation management systems, and strategic implementation. He serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Operations Management and has reviewed for nearly 40 international scientific journals. His research has been supported by projects including CEFAGE (UIDB/04007/2020 and UIDP/04007/2020) and the BLUE ROUTE project (PT-INNOVATION-0072). As Coordinator of the CEFAGE branch at the University of Algarve, Professor Cândido leads a research team focused on strategic management and quality systems. His research group has produced significant insights into the lifecycle of quality management certifications, particularly examining why organizations maintain, decertify, or recertify their ISO 9001 standards. The team regularly collaborates with Portuguese businesses to translate research findings into practical management applications.
Desislava Georgieva is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Informatics at New Bulgarian University (NBU), where she has been a full-time faculty member since 2005. She holds a PhD from Technical University of Sofia (2014) and dual Master's degrees in Architecture and Computer Technologies. Her research spans image processing , computer graphics , and 3D animation , with applied work in medical imaging, telemedicine, and cybersecurity. Recent publications demonstrate collaborations on medical device software, adaptive imaging algorithms, and educational methodologies. She teaches courses including Game Design , Animation Techniques , and Computer Animation , and has supervised multiple diploma students. Administrative roles include serving as program director and consultant at NBU. Contact: Office hours Tuesdays/Wednesdays (18:00-20:00, Room 712A) or email dvelcheva@nbu.bg .
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Denecke is a Professor at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) in the Engineering and Computer Science department, where she co-leads the Institute for Patient-centered Digital Health (PCDH). She maintains an affiliate position at the University of Victoria's School of Health Information Science and has conducted research visits at Canadian and New Zealand institutions. Her academic journey includes leadership roles in national and EU research projects, heading the 'Digital Patient Model' research group at Leipzig University prior to joining BFH in 2015. Dr. Denecke's research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare, with particular expertise in natural language processing, conversational agents, and patient-centered digital health solutions. Her work spans multiple clinical domains including mental health interventions, radiology documentation, and suicide prevention. She employs participatory design methodologies that actively involve healthcare professionals and patients in the development process. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on the practical application of large language models in clinical settings, ethical considerations in healthcare AI, and the development of taxonomies for conversational agents. Her research demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward making AI tools clinically usable while addressing real-world healthcare challenges. Young Talent Award of the Friedrich Wingert Foundation for outstanding approaches in medical linguistics and semantics Best Poster Award at MIE 2021 for 'Crowdsourcing for Creating a Dataset for Training a Medication Chatbot' Professor Denecke actively supervises bachelor, master, and PhD students, with current doctoral candidates working on medical text classification, social media chatbots for physical activity, and NLP applications in radiology. Her research is supported by multiple active grants including Innosuisse-funded projects on generative AI for clinical documentation. She leads the PCDH/AI for Health research unit which develops practical AI solutions for healthcare challenges while maintaining strong connections with clinical partners. The Institute for Patient-centered Digital Health under her co-leadership focuses on developing human-centered digital health solutions that address real clinical needs through interdisciplinary collaboration between computer scientists, healthcare professionals, and patients.
Dr. Qunfen Qi is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol's School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, where she leads groundbreaking research at the intersection of mathematics, informatics, and manufacturing. With over 13 years of experience, she specializes in developing smart decision-making tools for product design and inspection using category theory as a foundational mathematical language. Her work bridges multiple disciplines to create more intelligent and transparent manufacturing systems that can 'think' like human experts. Dr. Qi's research focuses on knowledge modeling for manufacturing, with particular emphasis on smart information systems, abstract mathematical theory (category theory), Geometrical Product Specifications and Verification (GPS), Additive Manufacturing, surface design, and metrology. Her unique approach applies category theory to simplify complex relationships in manufacturing data, enabling better decision-making in digital manufacturing environments. This work has become increasingly relevant as manufacturing embraces advanced digital technologies like cyber-physical systems, IoT, and AI, where managing multiple levels of abstraction is critical. Her publication record shows a clear trajectory toward more sophisticated applications of mathematical frameworks in manufacturing, with growing integration of category theory with AI approaches, particularly in explainable AI for manufacturing contexts. Recent work demonstrates increasing practical applications in additive manufacturing, quality control, and digital twin development, with strong emphasis on how these systems can explain their decisions at multiple levels of detail. Scientific Awards and Recognition UKRI EPSRC Innovation Fellow (2018-2022) EPSRC Peer Review College Member (ranked top 4% for participation in 2020/21) Project lead for ISO/TR 24331-2 Geometrical Product Specification development ISO Technical Committee Expert (TC 213, TC 184 WG26, JWG 21) BSI Technical Committee Member (AMT_4, TPR1/1, TPR1/8, TPR1/9) Co-Chair of CIRP CAT 2024 (18th International Conference on Computer-Aided Tolerancing) Dr. Qi actively recruits PhD students interested in explainable machine learning, mathematical AI foundations, and smart manufacturing applications. Her research portfolio includes four major projects totaling significant funding, including an EPSRC Innovation Fellowship for 'A semantic infrastructure for advanced manufacturing' and a Royal Society International Exchanges project on mathematical foundations for digital manufacturing systems. She maintains strong international collaborations, particularly with Italian institutions like Politecnico di Milano and CNR-STIIMA, reflecting her global impact in advancing the mathematical foundations needed for next-generation intelligent manufacturing systems.
Prof. Dr. Olaf Neumann is a Professor for Methodical Action in Social Work at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin (ASH Berlin) since 2015. Previously, he served as Visiting Professor for social medicine and health-oriented social work at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences for Social Work Berlin (2013-2015). His academic career is complemented by extensive practical experience in crisis intervention and psychosocial support services, including establishing and managing the Eastern Region of the Berlin Crisis Service (1999-2011) and the outpatient crisis service Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (1996-1999). Dr. Neumann's educational background includes: Doctorate at the Free University of Berlin, Department of Psychology (2008) PSU management function (additional qualification at the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (2007)) Licensed as a child and adolescent psychotherapist (1999) Permission to practice medicine in the field of psychotherapy (1998) Play and Theatre Pedagogue (additional studies at the Berlin University of the Arts) (1997) Graduate social worker (FH) (1994) Professor Neumann's research focuses on connecting theory and practice in methodological action, with practice understood as the site of theory creation and development. His primary research interests include Intervention Research, Social Psychiatry, Community Psychology, Organizational Development, Quality Management, and Personnel Development. He approaches these areas through the lens of psychosocial crisis management, resilience building, and community-oriented interventions. His work emphasizes the importance of time in therapeutic processes, network collaboration in emergency situations, and the integration of theory and practice in social work education. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on post-pandemic educational adaptation, psychosocial emergency response systems, and community resilience. Particularly notable is his research on network functionality in psychosocial emergency services following the 2016 Berlin Christmas Market attack. His work bridges academic theory with practical applications in crisis intervention, demonstrating how community psychology principles can be operationalized in real-world emergency contexts. He has also made significant contributions to understanding quality management in psychosocial organizations and the temporal dimensions of crisis intervention. Professor Neumann has received recognition through his leadership roles including: Member of the working group "Fachberater PSU" in Berlin (2006-2012) Member of the Network for Participatory Health Research (since 2007) Member of the board of the Gesellschaft für gemeindepsychologische Forschung und Praxis (since 2009) Member of the board of St. Hedwig-Krankenhauses Berlin (since 2010) Chair of the Budget Committee (2017-2018) Member of the University Leadership as Vice President for Research, Cooperation, and Digitalization (2018-2023) Currently, Professor Neumann leads significant research initiatives including the Transfer_Hub project (2023-2027), which aims to connect university organizational development with local community needs, and the EQuiP project (2024-2027) on network-oriented quality in psychosocial crisis management. He also serves as scientific lead for the KliBUp project (2025-2028) focusing on climate health resilience strategies. These projects demonstrate his commitment to bridging academic research with practical community applications, particularly in crisis situations and community development contexts. Professor Neumann is actively involved in the Transfer_Hub project, which is part of the CampusTransferale initiative aimed at transforming ASH Berlin into a transfer campus. This work involves creating connections between the university's organizational development and local community development needs, particularly in the areas of urban development and the creation of public spaces around the Alice-Salomon-Platz. The project includes dialogical workshops with practitioners, students, and transfer-strong faculty members to facilitate knowledge exchange between the university and the broader community.
Marco Zago serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Trento, Italy. His teaching responsibilities encompass three core courses: Design Methods for Industrial Engineering, Industrial Drawing (Disegno industriale), and the 3D Modeling and Design Laboratory across multiple degree programs including Materials Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, and Industrial Engineering. His expertise centers on Industrial Engineering with specialized focus on Mechanical Design methodologies, CAD systems implementation, sustainable Product Development frameworks, and advanced 3D Parametric Modeling techniques. Through his courses, he trains students in UNI-ISO technical drawing standards, Autodesk Inventor parametric modeling, Ansys Workbench mechanical analysis, and Robust Design principles for industrial product lifecycles from manufacturing to recycling.
Gheorghe Badea serves as a University Professor and Dean at the University of Civil Engineering Bucharest (UTCB) since October 2015, having previously served as Vice-Dean from 2012-2015. He is affiliated with the Faculty of Geodesy, Department of Topography and Cadastre, and also serves as doctoral supervisor in Geodetic Engineering within UTCB's Doctoral School. Additionally, he holds associate teaching positions at Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism (Faculty of Urbanism, since 1998), University of Bucharest (Faculty of Geography, since 2012), and Ferdinand I Military Technical Academy (Faculty of Integrated Weapon Systems, Engineering and Mechatronics, since 2022). Professor Badea's research focuses on cadastre systems, geospatial data infrastructures, and land administration. His expertise spans the development of normative and informational frameworks for cadastral operations, geospatial data integration in GIS, spatial data standards (including ISO 19115 Metadata and 19152 Land Administration Domain Model), and advanced 3D modeling techniques (BIM, GIS, CAD). He has extensive experience in technical documentation for property registration in integrated cadastral systems and spatial data acquisition/processing for infrastructure projects. With over 32 years of academic experience, Professor Badea has authored or co-authored 8 books and book chapters published by central publishers, 6 university textbooks and guides through UTCB Press, and over 100 scientific articles (including more than 30 ISI-rated publications). He has participated in over 50 research contracts and projects as member, responsible person, or project director. Expert evaluator for ARACIS (Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) Expert evaluator for UEFISCDI research projects Trainer in internal quality assurance Trainer in study program development Professor Badea serves as President of Commission 7 "Cadastre and Territory Administration" within the Union of Geodesists of Romania (UGR) and is a member of the Romanian Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (SRFT). He collaborates with the National Agency of Cadastre and Real Estate Publicity (ANCPI) as an authorized category D person, technical norms consultant, and board member. His professional activities include coordinating doctoral theses in Geodetic Engineering and Civil Engineering fields, and leading research at the Center for Engineering Geodetic Measurements and Spatial Data Infrastructures.
