O.J. (Oliver) Moore is a Professor and Chair of Chinese Language & Culture at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts. His expertise spans Art History of China, early/modern Chinese history, archaeology, and material culture. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University and has held roles at Leiden University, the British Museum, and Kyoto University. His research integrates historical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of Chinese art and culture, with a focus on photography, printing systems, and classical texts. Education: Studied Chinese at London University (SOAS) and Fudan University (Shanghai), PhD at Cambridge on Tang Dynasty civil service recruitment rituals. Teaching includes modern Chinese language, East Asian art/media, and thesis writing. He supervises PhD projects on Chinese art collecting in the Netherlands and collaborates internationally on courses like 'Chinese Gardens in Europe.' Key publications: Photography in China: Science, Commerce and Communication (2022), translations of Tang-era texts, and studies on Tang art and archaeology. Research emphasizes demystifying Chinese culture through translation and cross-disciplinary approaches. Past roles include Curator at the Netherlands Museum of Ethnology and Visiting Professor at Kyoto University.
Vera Liao is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, where she is part of the FATE (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics of AI) group. She will join the University of Michigan Computer Science and Engineering department as an Associate Professor in fall 2025. Her work focuses on human-AI interaction, explainable AI, and responsible computing. Liao has made significant contributions to IBM products such as AI Explainability 360 and Uncertainty Quantification 360 during her time at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. Dr. Liao received her education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Tsinghua University. Her academic journey has positioned her at the intersection of human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence, with a strong emphasis on creating AI systems that are transparent, accountable, and user-centered. Vera Liao's research primarily centers around human-centered AI explainability and transparency. She investigates how to design AI systems that effectively communicate their capabilities, limitations, and decision-making processes to users. Her work examines the intersection of AI transparency with trust, control, and user experience. Liao has pioneered approaches to bridging the socio-technical gap in AI evaluation and has developed frameworks for contextualized evaluation of explainable AI systems. Her research spans multiple domains including conversational interfaces, data storytelling, and creative work with generative AI. Liao's publications reveal a clear trend toward addressing the challenges of large language models and their impact on human-AI interaction. Her recent work focuses on understanding how uncertainty communication affects user trust, how to design for appropriate reliance on AI systems, and how to create authentic co-creation experiences with generative models. She has been examining the risks in AI-infused information ecosystems and developing methods for human-centered evaluation of language technologies. Her scientific contributions have been recognized with multiple honors: Best Paper Award, Honorable Mention at CHI 2025 (two papers) Best Paper Award at CHI 2024 Best Paper Award, Honorable Mention at FAccT 2023 Best Paper Award, Honorable Mention at HCOMP 2022 Best Paper Award, Honorable Mention at CHI 2021 Best Paper Award, Honorable Mention at CHI 2014 Outstanding Paper Award at IUI 2019 Dr. Liao is an active mentor, having guided numerous research interns from top universities including Cornell, Princeton, CMU, Stanford, and MIT. She serves in editorial roles as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Springer Human-Computer Interaction Book Series and as an Editor for ACM CSCW. Liao has secured research funding through her work at Microsoft Research and previously at IBM, focusing on projects related to AI explainability, transparency, and responsible AI development. As part of Microsoft Research's FATE group, Liao collaborates with a multidisciplinary team of researchers focused on the ethical implications of AI technologies. Her work bridges the gap between technical AI development and human-centered design principles, ensuring that AI systems are developed with user needs and societal impacts in mind.
Professor Helen Finch (University of Leeds) is a leading scholar in German Literature , with a focus on Holocaust Studies , Queer Memory , and German-Jewish Cultural Production . Affiliated with the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies and the Centre for Jewish Studies , she co-leads the LCS Queer Area Studies Network and contributes to equality initiatives through the LGBT+ staff network . Research: Holocaust representation in German works, queer identity in postwar literature, transnational memory studies, curriculum design in German studies Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2014) Academic Output : Her 15 most recent publications span Holocaust poetics , queer life writing , translation ethics , and Sebaldian intertextuality , with a particular focus on intersections between trauma , identity , and intergenerational testimony . Supervision : Currently guides PhD research on topics including transnational transphobia , queer art practices , and LGBTQ+ cross-cultural representation . Her students explore areas from German exile photography to postcolonial queer narratives .
Dr. Noga Ganany serves as University Associate Professor in the Study of Late Imperial China at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge, and holds dual roles as Governing Body Fellow and Director of Studies at Sidney Sussex College. Her scholarship centers on cultural history of Ming-Qing China (1400-1900), specializing in literature, religion, and book history with emphasis on print culture's role in religious practices. Education: PhD, Columbia University (2018) Research Focus: Dr. Ganany investigates the interplay between writing and worship in late-Ming hagiographic literature, examining how commercial publishing reshaped reverence for cultural icons and influenced pilgrimage. Her work extends to conceptualizations of death/afterlife through figures like King Yama, bridging literary analysis, religious studies, and historical context with material culture of the book. Publication Trends: Recent articles (2013-2023) reveal consistent engagement with religious narratives in late imperial China, particularly netherworld journeys, hagiographic texts, and tomb art. Her scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary methodology combining textual analysis with visual/material sources, highlighting print culture's transformative role in religious practices and icon veneration. Academic Leadership: She actively supervises graduate research in late-imperial Chinese literature and religions, currently guiding Ilay Golan's PhD on overseas sailor religious traditions. Dr. Ganany organizes two major sponsored lecture series: 'Book Culture in Buddhism and Beyond' (Glorisun Global Buddhist Network) and the 'Yin-Cheng Distinguished Lecture Series on Buddhism' (Tzu Chi Foundation), fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue in Buddhist studies.
Niamh Pattwell is Associate Professor and Head of School at the School of English, Drama and Film, University College Dublin. She holds a PhD from Trinity College Dublin and has been a faculty member at UCD since 2004, progressing from Lecturer in Old and Middle English to her current role. Her academic leadership extends to curriculum development, postgraduate teaching, and serving on university committees, including the Board of Trustees for UCD Volunteer Overseas. Her educational background includes a BA, H.Dip.Ed., H.Dip.T.Rel.Ed., and MA from University College Cork, and a PhD from Trinity College Dublin. She taught secondary school in Co. Wexford and Co. Cork before transitioning to higher education, holding teaching fellowships at Queen’s University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin. Niamh Pattwell's research focuses on the circulation and transmission of vernacular religious prose in the late Middle Ages. She has developed expertise in codicology, palaeography, and manuscript fragment studies, particularly through her work with Marsh's Library and the Index of Middle English Prose at Trinity College Dublin. Her scholarship explores the production, readership, and theological context of both orthodox and Wycliffite texts. Her recent publications show a consistent focus on Middle English religious prose, manuscript provenance, and the material culture of books. She has contributed to the Year's Work in English Studies and published on fragments, personal notebooks, and devotional texts, reflecting a deep engagement with the material and spiritual dimensions of medieval manuscripts. National Digital Learning Resources Award (2012) Broad Curriculum Post-doctoral Teaching Fellow, Trinity College Dublin (2003–2004) Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences Postgraduate Scholarship (1999–2002) Niamh Pattwell has successfully supervised postgraduate students to MA and PhD completion and has led curriculum innovation at UCD, including the development of research-based modules on medieval manuscript fragments. She has secured internal research grants such as the HoS Research Support Scheme and has been actively involved in organizing major academic events, including the Early Book Society Biennial Conference in 2019 and 2023. Her teaching includes modules on King Arthur, medieval literature, and animal narratives, emphasizing student engagement with primary texts. She collaborates with institutions such as Marsh's Library and Trinity College Dublin and has contributed to public engagement through radio appearances and public lectures. Her work bridges academic research, teaching innovation, and cultural heritage preservation.
Professor Caroline Rae at Cardiff University is a leading scholar in 20th-century French music , with a focus on composers like Debussy, Messiaen, Jolivet, and Boulez. She also specializes in the musical writings of Alejo Carpentier and Franco-Latin American cultural interactions . Her research combines archival studies, performance practice, and pianism. Education : DPhil (Oxford), MA (Oxon), Dipl. Mus (Hanover), ARCM Her research projects include monographs on André Jolivet and Debussy’s Préludes , supported by the British Academy and AHRC . Recent publications span books on Carpentier, Debussy, and Stravinsky’s reception in France. As Co-Director of CFMR , she has organized international symposia with institutions like the Institut Français and Paul Sacher Foundation . Scientific awards include the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2018), Cardiff University Research Fellowship (2018-2019), and a French Government Scholarship (1982-1983). She has served on juries for the BBC Young Musician Competition and Wales International Piano Competition . As a pianist , she studied under Dame Fanny Waterman , Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen , and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling , and performs lecture-recitals linking her research. She has advised orchestras like the Philharmonia Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales on festival programming.
Mustafa Kirca serves as Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Çankaya University in Ankara, Turkey, where he is affiliated with the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies. His academic profile demonstrates extensive engagement with contemporary literary theory, postcolonial studies, and comparative literature, with particular focus on the Turkish context. Kirca's research interests span postmodernist fiction, postcolonial theory, literary translation, gender studies, and cultural identity. His scholarly work consistently examines the intersections between literature, philosophy, and cultural politics, with special attention to how global literary phenomena are received and transformed in Turkish intellectual contexts. He has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between translation studies and comparative literature, advocating for border-crossing approaches that challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries. Analysis of Kirca's publications reveals consistent engagement with postcolonial narrative strategies, particularly textual decolonization approaches that challenge Eurocentric discourses. His work frequently examines how contemporary authors like Murakami, Rushdie, and Carter negotiate cultural hybridity and identity formation. A notable thread throughout his scholarship is the examination of how literary texts engage with philosophical concepts, from Kierkegaardian existentialism to postmodern historiography, often through the lens of translation and cross-cultural reception. Kirca has co-edited several significant scholarly collections including Iris Murdoch and Her Work: Critical Essays (2010), B/Orders Unbound: Marginality, Ethnicity and Identity in Literatures (2017), and Multicultural Narratives: Traces and Perspectives (2018), demonstrating his collaborative scholarly approach and broad intellectual interests. His editorial work has created important platforms for interdisciplinary dialogue in literary and cultural studies. As an active academic, Kirca has contributed to numerous conferences on Language, Literature and Culture, with particular emphasis on how contemporary literature engages with themes of fear, identity, and cultural transformation in the post-millennial era. His work demonstrates consistent scholarly productivity with publications spanning from 2009 to the present, including the forthcoming 2025 work on Murakami's Killing Commendatore .
Dr. Tan Viet Tuyen Nguyen is a New Frontiers Fellow (Lecturer) in AI at the University of Southampton, specializing in Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Social Human-Robot Interaction. His research focuses on multimodal learning for robots to adapt their behavior to human social needs, with applications in healthcare, education, and service environments. Prior to this role, he was a Research Associate at King’s College London and a Research Assistant on the EU-funded CARESSES project, developing culturally-aware assistive robots for elderly support. Education: PhD in Information Science (Robotics) from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He has organized conferences such as the IEEE RO-MAN 2022 special session on nonverbal communication and served as a reviewer for top-tier robotics and AI conferences. Research Interests include: Human-Robot Collaboration, Multimodal Perception, Generative AI for Social Interaction, and Context-Aware Robot Behavior Generation. His work has been recognized with awards including the Best Paper Award at ROMAN 2022 and the Prospective Research Award at ICServ 2023. Teaching Responsibilities include courses on Biologically Inspired Robotics, High-Level Programming, and MSc/Undergraduate project supervision. He currently oversees two PhD students and collaborates on projects like 'Exploring the impact of AI-driven writing of engagement in climate change' and 'Bridging Generations and Cultures through Generative AI.' Labs/Teams: Member of the Agents, Interaction and Complexity Centre and the Centre for Robotics Research at Southampton.
Javier Franco Aixelá **Roles and Affiliations**: Full Professor of Translation and Interpreting at the University of Alicante, Director of the Department of Translation and Interpretation (2017–2021). Coordinates the Master's in Institutional Translation (Legal and Economic). Active in teaching Translation Theory, Professional Ethics, and Advanced Literary Translation. **Education**: PhD in English Philology (University of Alicante, 1996), Licenciatura in English Philology (Complutense University of Madrid, 1986), Expert in Translation (Complutense University of Madrid, 1991). **Research**: Specializes in translation theory, cultural aspects of translation, and bibliometrics. Founded the BITRA database (70,000 entries by 2017), a comprehensive online bibliography on translation and interpreting. Recent focus on bibliometric analysis of translation studies, including advertising translation, open access in academia, and cognitive approaches. **Teaching**: Taught courses like Professional Ethics, Advanced Literary Translation, and Translation of Research Genres. Supervised over 125 theses in the last five years, including high-impact works on medical neologisms (Habiba Chbab El Fakhi) and gender-neutral translation (María López Medel). **Awards**: Coordinator of the University of Alicante's Translation Doctoral Program, which received a quality distinction from the Ministry of Education. His theses have been awarded "Excellent Cum Laude" by the university. **Projects**: Led competitive research projects such as the 2021–2025 bibliometric study on economic translation and the BITRA database expansion (2007–2010). Collaborated on international initiatives like the 5th ICEBFIT Conference (2023). **Publications**: Authored 40+ books (e.g., *La traducción condicionada de los nombres propios*), co-edited *ENTI: Encyclopedia of Translation and Interpreting*, and published widely in journals like *META* and *Translation & Interpreting*.
Dr Emma Bond is a Professor at the School of Modern Languages , University of St Andrews. Her work focuses on transnational literature and visual cultures , particularly the circulation of migration narratives, cultural artifacts, and colonial legacies. Key Affiliations : Academic Lead, Recollecting Empire Exhibition (2022); Co-editor, Transnational Italian Cultures series; Section Editor, Modern Languages Open . Research Themes : Migration, material culture, body studies, psychoanalytic theory, and decolonization in literature and museums. Scientific Awards : Philip Leverhulme Prize (2019), Associate Senior Fellow (2021), Sugaropolis Award (2015). Projects : Research Leave (2020-2022) for Curating Worlds ; Transnational Scotland Network (2019); Carnegie Trust-funded migration study (2017).
Stephen M. Hart is a Professor of Latin American Film, Literature and Culture at University College London (UCL), affiliated with the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS) and the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies. He is a General Editor at Tamesis Publishers and founder-director of the Centre of César Vallejo Studies at UCL. Education: BA (1980), MA (1984), PhD (1985) from University of Cambridge Academic Career: Lecturer at Westfield College (1984-1990), Associate/Full Professor at University of Kentucky (1991-1998), Senior Lecturer/Reader at UCL (1998-present) Specializing in Latin American literature, film, and culture, Hart has published extensively on César Vallejo and Santa Rosa de Lima, including critical editions of their works. His research spans literary theory, art history, and East-West relations, with a focus on documentary film-making and magical realism as a framework for understanding post-truth narratives. Recent publications address colonial sainthood processes, poetic modernism, and China-Latin America connections. He has directed documentary projects in Cuba since 2006 and received honors including the Order of Merit from the Peruvian Government and Honorary Doctorates from Peruvian institutions. Key Awards: Order of Merit for Distinguished Services (Peruvian Government, 2004), Honorary Doctorate (San Marcos University, 2004), Corresponding Member of Academia Peruana de la Lengua (2014) Leadership Roles: Director of UCL's ESRC DTC (2014), Director of Documentary Film-Making Summer School (Cuba, 2006-present) Teaching: Undergraduate courses on Latin American supernaturalism and cultural dilemmas; MA documentary film-making courses
Libby Gerard is an Associate Adjunct Research Professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Education and a Research Director for the Technology-Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) Center. Her work focuses on leveraging innovative technologies to enhance science education through student idea capture, automated assessment, and teacher professional development. Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EdD), Mills College (2008) Bachelor’s in English Literature and Philosophy, Emory University (2000) Her research emphasizes: Automated scoring of student essays using NLP to improve science explanations Real-time instructional customization using embedded assessment data Technology-driven professional development for teachers and principals Social justice integration in science pedagogy Collaborative revision frameworks for inquiry-based learning K-12 education adaptation during the pandemic Recent publications highlight trends in educational technology for science learning, with a focus on NLP applications, interactive inquiry modules, and equitable teaching practices. She has authored studies in journals like Science , Review of Educational Research , and Computers & Education , often exploring how automated systems can enhance teacher-student dynamics. Scientific Awards : Best Paper Award at the AI4EDU Workshop (AAAI Conference, 2020) Libby leads funded projects such as: TIPS (NSF, 2021-2025): NLP for science education ARISE (Hewlett Foundation, 2020-2023): Anti-racism in science education STRIDES (NSF, 2018-2022): Responsive instruction for science teachers PLANS (NSF, 2015-2020): Automated learning support systems She contributes to teacher training through courses like Research Methods for Science Teachers and Apprentice Teaching in Science , emphasizing data-driven pedagogy and inquiry-based instruction.
Panpan Yang is a Lecturer in Arts and Visual Cultures of Modern China at the School of Arts, SOAS University of London. She joined SOAS in 2021 after completing her joint PhD at the University of Chicago under the direction of Wu Hung, Tom Gunning, W. J. T. Mitchell, Judith Zeitlin, and Dana Polan. Her interdisciplinary work bridges art history, screen studies, East Asian studies, and digital humanities, with a focus on innovative methodologies in art historical writing. Dr. Yang earned a dual BA from Peking University, double majoring in art and philosophy, followed by an MA from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and a PhD from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate studies, she served as president of the Society of Dream of the Red Chamber Studies, which informed her secondary academic interest in Redology and the visual material world of the novel Hong lou meng. Panpan Yang's research explores how minor discourses can deterritorialize the terrains of both art history and screen studies. Her work demonstrates a multimethodological approach attentive to archival research, material practices, close visual analysis, computer-aided vision, and cross-cultural theorization. She is particularly interested in Chinese animation history, calligraphic imagination in contemporary art, and the intersections between traditional Chinese art forms and new media. Her publications reveal a consistent focus on Chinese visual culture across multiple media forms, with particular attention to animation, film, and calligraphy. Yang's work demonstrates how traditional Chinese art forms engage with contemporary digital media, creating new hybrid forms that challenge disciplinary boundaries. Her research shows a trajectory from historical analysis of Chinese animation to contemporary explorations of calligraphy in digital contexts, revealing the ongoing relevance of traditional Chinese aesthetics in modern media. Dr. Yang has received several prestigious awards for her scholarly and creative work: China's National Young Screenwriter Award Domitor Essay Award Dean's Distinguished Dissertation Award Nomination Honourable Mention from the Association for Chinese Animation Studies As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Yang leads the AHRC-funded research project "Stroke by Stroke: Calligraphic imagination in contemporary Chinese art and emergent media" (2023-25) with Shane McCausland. She was also a collaborating partner on the NEH-funded "Media Ecology Project." Her research has received additional support from the Getty Foundation and the Sino-British Fellowship Trust. At SOAS, she works closely with faculty and graduate students interested in Chinese arts and cultures, art theory, cinematic arts, and digital art history. Dr. Yang is currently developing innovative research at the intersection of traditional Chinese calligraphy and contemporary digital media through her AHRC-funded project. This work explores how calligraphic imagination manifests in contemporary art and emergent media contexts, creating new pathways for understanding Chinese cultural heritage in the digital age.
Filipa Melo Lopes is a Lecturer in Social and Political Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, affiliated with the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. She currently directs the Scottish Feminist Philosophy Network. Her research focuses on feminist philosophy, social theory, sexual ethics, and the work of Simone de Beauvoir, with recent attention to incel extremism, fashion ethics, and gender-based violence. Education: B.A. from Simon Fraser University (Canada), Ph.D. from University of Michigan (USA). Teaching includes undergraduate courses like 'Advanced Topics in Feminist Philosophy: Gender and Beauty' and PhD supervision in feminist ethics and political theory. She has supervised several doctoral students, including Lilith W. Lee (now Assistant Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). Publications analyze themes such as misogynistic dehumanization, feminist fashion ethics, and Beauvoirian critiques of incel ideology. Her work bridges academic philosophy with public discourse on topics like sugar dating and incel violence. Active in feminist knowledge networks, she also writes for broader audiences on fashion, misogyny, and cultural criticism.
Seth Koven is the G.E. Lessing Distinguished Professor of History and Poetics at Rutgers University since 2017. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Harvard University and has been affiliated with Rutgers since 2006. His research spans gender, social, economic, and cultural history of Europe (1750–present), with a focus on modern Britain, its empire, women's history, and the history of sexuality. His work explores intersections of ethics, altruism, and social welfare, exemplified in Slumming: Social and Sexual Politics in Victorian London (2004, 2006) and The Match Girl and the Heiress (2014, 2016), which won the Stansky Prize and NAVSA Best Book awards. His current projects, including Conscience Wars , examine the history of humanitarianism, anti-humanitarianism, and conscientious objection in the British Empire. Recent publications analyze race, religion, and vaccination resistance in Natal, conscience and Christianity in 19th-century India, and passive resistance movements across the British Empire. He co-directed the Mellon-funded "Ethical Subjects" research project (2015-17) and directs the Rutgers British Studies Center, supporting interdisciplinary scholarship and graduate initiatives. Scientific Awards : Guggenheim Fellowship (2021), Stansky Prize (2015), Sonya Rudikoff Prize (2004), Veritas Award (2004). Supervision : Supervises Ph.D. students (18th–20th centuries) and collaborates with scholars like Judith Surkis and Thomas Laqueur. Grants : Multiple NEH Fellowships, Spencer Fellow, Whiting Fellow, and Mellon Foundation funding.
