Professor Jennifer Payne is Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and a leading authority in company law, corporate finance law, financial regulation, and corporate insolvency. She has authored numerous influential books and articles, and holds significant editorial and advisory roles in the academic and policy-making spheres. Research Interests: Company law and corporate governance Corporate finance and securities regulation Financial regulation and policy Corporate insolvency and debt restructuring Comparative and European financial law Her work spans both theoretical and practical dimensions, with a strong focus on regulatory frameworks, legal reforms, and cross-border financial issues. She has contributed extensively to policy debates and legal developments in the UK and EU. Scientific Awards & Honors: Elected to membership of the International Insolvency Institute (2016) Member of ESMA’s Securities and Markets Stakeholders Group (2016–2018) Member of ESMA’s Corporate Finance Standing Committee Consultative Working Group (2015–2017) Law Delegate of Oxford University Press (2020–present) Expert Advisory Panel member to the Law Commission on Intermediated Securities and Digital Assets Editorial & Advisory Roles: Founder editor, Journal of Corporate Law Studies Founder editor, Oxford Business Law Blog Review Articles editor, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies Contributor to Palmer’s Company Law Visiting Positions: She has held visiting professorships at Melbourne Law School, National University of Singapore, and the University of Auckland, reflecting her international academic influence.
Lucas Chancel is an Associate Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, affiliated with the Centre for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) and the Department of Economics. He is Co-Director of the World Inequality Lab at the Paris School of Economics (PSE), a Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), and Senior Advisor at the European Tax Observatory. He has held visiting positions at the London School of Economics (2021) and Harvard Kennedy School (2022). His research focuses on global income and wealth inequality , climate change , and tax policy , with a particular interest in the interplay between ecological transitions and social justice. He uses tax data, household surveys, and national accounts to analyze inequality trends across countries and over time. His recent publications span high-impact journals such as Nature Climate Change , Nature Sustainability , and the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics . Leading reports like the World Inequality Report (2018, 2022) and Climate Inequality Report (2023) reflect his role in shaping global discourse on inequality and sustainability. His work increasingly explores carbon inequality, wealth taxation, and climate finance, especially for the Global South. Selection of best books in economics – Financial Times (for 'Unsustainable Inequalities') Selection of best science books – Nature (for 'Unsustainable Inequalities') He supervises PhD students including Eulalie Saïsset, Philipp Bothe, and Yannic Rehm. His research is supported by collaborations with institutions like PSE, IDDRI, and the European Tax Observatory. He regularly contributes to public debate through op-eds in Le Monde and Time , and participates in international forums such as the World Economic Forum.
Yochai Benkler is the Berkman Professor of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies at Harvard Law School and faculty co-director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He specializes in Law and Political Economy, Technology Law and Policy, Communications Law, and Access to Knowledge. His work bridges academia and activism, focusing on the intersection of technology, collaboration, and societal structures. Benkler's research emphasizes decentralized collaboration, information commons, and the impact of technology on democracy. He has advised governments and international organizations on innovation policy and telecommunications. His notable works include The Wealth of Networks (2006), which explores social production in the digital age, and Reconstructing Class Analysis (2024), co-authored with Talha Syed, which rethinks class dynamics within capitalism. He has received numerous awards, including the Oxford Internet Institute Lifetime Achievement Award (2012), Ford Foundation Visionaries Award (2011), and Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award (2007). His work is publicly accessible at benkler.org . Benkler serves on the boards of the Open Society Foundations and the Freedombox Foundation. His research spans law, political economy, and technology, addressing issues like fake news, network propaganda, and the role of the internet in governance.
Clemens Otto is a Full-time Associate Professor of Finance at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University. He holds a Ph.D. (Finance) from London Business School (2012), an M.Res. (Finance) from London Business School (2009), and a CEMS Master (International Management) and Dipl.-Kfm. (Business Administration) from the University of Cologne and HEC Paris (2006). His research focuses on Financial Contracting, Corporate Disclosure Practices, Behavioral Finance, and Strategic Investment Decisions. Key research interests include analyzing how disclosure policies impact capital markets, the behavioral drivers of corporate investment, and the effects of regulatory frameworks on firm behavior. His work integrates theoretical finance with empirical evidence from supply chains, healthcare disclosures, and debt markets. Notable awards include the Michael J. Brennan Award (2022) and the SAC Capital Ph.D. Award (2012). His publications span journals such as the Review of Financial Studies , Management Science , and The Accounting Review . Current research explores disclosure externalities in supply chains and the strategic implications of peer disclosures in clinical trials. Prof. Otto has been affiliated with SMU since 2017, advancing through roles from Assistant Professor (2017–2021) to his current position. His expertise aligns with SMU’s strategic priorities in Asia-focused finance and sustainable living through informed corporate governance frameworks.
Tim G. J. Rudner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto, a Faculty Member at the Vector Institute, and a Title A Fellow at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He was previously an Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow at New York University. University: University of Toronto School: Faculty of Arts and Science Department: Department of Statistical Sciences Affiliation: Vector Institute, Trinity College (Cambridge) He holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MSc in Statistics from the University of Oxford, where he was advised by Yee Whye Teh and Yarin Gal, and a BS in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Yale University. PhD: Computer Science, University of Oxford MSc: Statistics, University of Oxford BS: Applied Mathematics and Economics, Yale University His research focuses on building robust, transparent, and trustworthy machine learning systems, particularly for high-stakes applications. He develops probabilistic models that improve generalization under distribution shifts, provide reliable uncertainty estimates, and enable fair and interpretable predictions. His work spans generative models, large language models, healthcare, and biomedical discovery. The recent publications highlight a strong trend toward function-space modeling, Bayesian regularization, and AI safety. Tim's work emphasizes principled uncertainty quantification, robustness to subpopulation and semantic shifts, and the development of frameworks for AI governance and specification. His research bridges theoretical advances with real-world applications, especially in safety-critical domains like medicine and defense. Tim has received numerous accolades including being named a Rhodes Scholar, Qualcomm Innovation Fellow, and 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI. He was awarded a $700,000 Foundational Research Grant and a $30,000 Apple Seed Grant for improving LLM trustworthiness. Rhodes Scholar Qualcomm Innovation Fellow AISTATS Notable Paper Award (2024) Outstanding Paper Award, ICLR GenAI4DM Workshop (2024) Apple Seed Grant ($30,000) Foundational Research Grant ($700,000) NeurIPS Spotlight Talk 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI He actively mentors students, particularly first-generation and low-income scholars, and has contributed to major policy frameworks including the OECD AI Classification Framework and a series of CSET issue briefs on AI safety. His work demonstrates a strong commitment to responsible AI development, combining technical rigor with societal impact. Tim leads research efforts at the intersection of machine learning theory and practical deployment, with ongoing projects in generative modeling, reliable LLMs, and AI governance. His lab produces high-impact work regularly published at top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, and AISTATS.
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.
Anders Søgaard is a Professor at the University of Copenhagen , affiliated with both the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Communication. His research bridges Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning with a focus on AI ethics , explainability , and human-AI interaction . Primary Affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen Secondary Affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen Email: soegaard@di.ku.dk, soegaard@hum.ku.dk Research Interests His work spans Natural Language Processing , Machine Learning , and AI ethics , with recent studies addressing: Trustworthiness in AI systems Explainable AI (XAI) frameworks Multilingual model fairness and alignment Human-AI collaboration in reasoning tasks Ethical implications of social robots Mental health analytics using ML Recent Publications His 2025 output highlights trends in: AI ethics (e.g., fairness metrics, trustworthy systems) Multilingual model analysis (knowledge retention, cross-lingual transfer) Human-centric AI (gaze data, cultural considerations) Applications in healthcare and social good
Janina Dill holds the Dame Louise Richardson Chair in Global Security at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. She is also a Professorial Fellow at Trinity College and Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict (ELAC). Her academic work focuses on the intersection of law, morality, and international relations in the context of war. Her research spans three interconnected strands: the legal requirements for military operations under international law; theoretical frameworks for understanding how international law serves as an instrument of morality in war; and empirical investigations into how moral and legal norms affect real-world military decision-making and public opinion in conflict zones. Professor Dill's work has particular relevance to contemporary conflicts, with extensive analysis of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. She has examined how international humanitarian law applies to these conflicts, the moral arguments employed by different parties, and the practical challenges of implementing legal constraints in complex warfare environments. Her research has been recognized with the prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2021, which she has used to advance her work on the moral psychology of decision-making in war. She is currently leading multiple significant research projects, including a three-year ESRC/NSF-funded study on "Cumulative Civilian Harm" and an expert process with the ICRC on military objectives under international humanitarian law. Professor Dill is frequently consulted by international media outlets including The Guardian, The Economist, BBC, CNN, and major European publications. Her expertise is regularly sought on matters related to the laws and ethics of war, particularly regarding the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. She has received recognition for her contributions to the field through numerous speaking engagements, media appearances, and her influential research that bridges theoretical legal scholarship with practical applications in contemporary conflicts.
Laverne Jacobs, PhD, is a Full Professor at the University of Windsor's Faculty of Law where she holds the Research Chair in Disability Equality & Administrative Justice. She serves as the founder and Director of the Law, Disability & Social Change Project, a research and public policy center dedicated to fostering inclusive communities. Notably, Professor Jacobs was elected to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2022, becoming the first Canadian to serve on this UN Human Rights Treaty Body. She also serves as Co-Director of the Disability Rights Working Group at Berkeley Law's Center for Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law and previously held the position of Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies) for the Faculty of Law from 2018-2021. B.A. (Honours), McGill University, 1994 LL.B., McGill University, 1999 B.C.L., McGill University, 1999 Ph.D., Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 2009 Professor Jacobs' research sits at the intersection of disability equality law and administrative law and justice, characterized by an interest in the everyday work of the administrative justice system and the lived experiences of people who use it, particularly persons with disabilities. Her work spans disability rights, administrative justice, human rights law, socio-legal theory, and empirical research methodologies. She has made significant contributions to understanding accessibility legislation, transportation inequality, post-secondary education access for students with disabilities, and the implementation of disability equality principles in administrative decision-making. Her scholarship bridges theoretical legal frameworks with practical applications, emphasizing citizen participation in policy development and the importance of inclusive design in legal systems. Analysis of Professor Jacobs' recent publications reveals a consistent focus on how administrative law can better serve persons with disabilities through inclusive design and accessible processes. Her work demonstrates growing attention to intersectional issues, particularly how women with disabilities experience administrative systems, and increasingly examines the implementation challenges of accessibility legislation across Canadian jurisdictions. She frequently employs empirical research methods to ground her legal analysis in real-world experiences of marginalized communities. Scientific Awards and Honors: Canadian Bar Association Touchstone Award (2021) Canadian Association of Law Teachers (CALT) Academic Excellence Award (2022) Hummingbird Award from the Disabled Women's Network of Canada (DaWN), 2022 Election to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2022) Professor Jacobs has held significant leadership roles including service on the Board of Directors of the Income Security Advocacy Centre and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice. Through her role as Director of the Law, Disability & Social Change Project, she has secured research funding to support policy-relevant scholarship on disability rights and administrative justice. Her work has influenced accessibility legislation development across Canada, particularly through her annotated version of the Accessible Canada Act. She provides expert consultation to government bodies and international organizations on disability rights implementation. The Law, Disability & Social Change Project serves as Professor Jacobs' primary research hub, bringing together interdisciplinary scholars, disability advocates, and policy makers to develop practical solutions for creating more inclusive legal and administrative systems. The project has produced numerous research reports, policy briefs, and public resources that translate academic research into actionable recommendations for improving accessibility and disability equality in Canadian society.
Dr Alison Powell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), serving as Programme Director for the MSc Media and Communications (Data and Society). Her research focuses on technology design, public sector technology, and digital futures. She is known for her book Undoing Optimization: Civic Action in Smart Cities (2021) and her participatory research method, data walking. From 2019–2023, she directed the JUST AI network, supported by the Ada Lovelace Institute and UKRI, advancing AI ethics research. Her work integrates critical theory, participatory methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Education: PhD in Communication from Concordia University (Canada), MA in Media Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University, and postdoctoral research at the Oxford Internet Institute. Prior to academia, she worked in the film and TV industry. Research interests include civic engagement in data-driven governance, ethical AI, and participatory urbanism. She has advised projects like Africa Just AI and Operationalising Ethics for AI, funded by Horizon Europe, AHRC, and the Open Society Foundations. Her articles address topics such as AI governance, urban light ecology, feminist research praxis, and the ethical implications of technology for marginalized communities. She contributes to blogs like Media@LSE and leads initiatives at Polis and the LSE’s Digital Futures for Children project. Grants and collaborations include work with Projects by IF, Open Rights Group, and the Human Data Interactions Network (EPSRC). She explores intersections of technology, justice, and sustainability, emphasizing equitable and inclusive innovation.
Elisabeth Jean Wood is a Professor of Political Science at Yale University and holds a concurrent professorship at the Santa Fe Institute. Her research focuses on political violence, particularly sexual violence during war, civil war dynamics, and social movements. She is renowned for her work on insurgent transitions in South Africa and El Salvador, as well as her analysis of variation in wartime sexual violence. Wood has authored influential books including Forging Democracy from Below (2000) and Insurgent Collective Action and Civil War in El Salvador (2003). Her recent work examines the Myanmar military's sexual violence against the Rohingya, emphasizing ideological motivations and institutional frameworks. Wood teaches courses on comparative politics, political violence, and qualitative research methods at Yale. She serves on editorial boards for Politics and Society , American Political Science Review , and the Contentious Politics series. Her research emphasizes ethical fieldwork practices and transparency in qualitative studies, addressing challenges in conflict zones. Her work bridges theoretical contributions with policy implications for understanding and preventing conflict-related atrocities.
Dr Borge Bakken is a Researcher affiliated with the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences at The Australian National University. His work focuses on Chinese governance, criminology, and socio-legal systems with particular emphasis on corruption dynamics, criminal justice reforms, and socio-political structures in modern China. He has conducted extensive research on topics including wrongful convictions, rural criminal networks, and institutional corruption mechanisms. Research Interests: Dr Bakken's expertise spans Chinese legal frameworks, socio-political governance, and criminological studies. His work critically examines how social norms intersect with punitive measures in contemporary China, particularly in areas like anti-corruption policies and judicial transparency. Recent studies include analyses of 'criminal villages' and evolving corruption forms within state-owned enterprises. Publications: His 2021 article on corruption in China explores land management and state asset misappropriation. Earlier works address wrongful convictions and the socio-legal challenges in rural crime networks. His research demonstrates a focus on institutional accountability and systemic governance issues. Labs/Teams: Not explicitly mentioned, but his collaborative work with co-author Wang, J. (2021) suggests interdisciplinary engagements within ANU's China studies networks.
Arvind Karunakaran is an Assistant Professor at Stanford University in the Department of Management Science and Engineering. He holds affiliations with the Center for Work, Technology, and Organization (WTO) , Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) , Stanford Institute for Human-centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) , and the Digital Economy Lab (DEL) . His research focuses on authority and accountability in the workplace , particularly under technological change and human-AI augmentation. Education: Ph.D. from MIT Sloan School of Management (2018) His work employs ethnographic and field-based methods to study empirical puzzles in workplace dynamics, complemented by comparative-historical analysis and quantitative/textual data analysis . Key research areas include social/algorithmic evaluation of workers , human-AI reskilling , and conflicts in symmetrical relations . Recent publications analyze AI's impact on workplace inequality , platform governance , and crowd-based accountability . His findings are published in top journals like Administrative Science Quarterly and Organization Science . Scientific Awards & Recognitions: Best Published Paper Award (ASA, 2025) Gerard J. Tellis Best Junior Faculty Paper Award (AIM Conference, 2025) W. Richard Scott Article Award (ASA, 2024) Responsible Research in Management Award (RRBM, 2024) Future of Organizations Fellowship (2024) Professor Karunakaran advises doctoral and master's students in areas related to technology and organizations , and teaches courses on organizational behavior , organizational theory , and innovation management .
Erik Gordon is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies and Area Chair at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He holds degrees in economics and law, with prior roles including Associate Dean and Director of the Graduate Division of Business & Management at Johns Hopkins University, and leadership positions at the University of Florida’s Center for Technology & Science Commercialization Studies. His research focuses on entrepreneurship, venture capital, private equity, corporate governance, and FinTech. He frequently contributes to media outlets like The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Marketplace, offering insights on business trends and corporate strategy. His teaching spans advanced topics in business strategy, with a focus on real-world application and interdisciplinary approaches. Notable engagements include commentary on the pandemic’s impact on education and virtual teaching methodologies. He advises initiatives like the Wolverine Venture Fund and Zell Early-Stage Fund, emphasizing practical experience for students.
Professor Brent Mittelstadt is a leading academic in data ethics and AI governance at the University of Oxford's Oxford Internet Institute (OII), serving as Professor of Data Ethics and Policy and Director of Research. He coordinates the Governance of Emerging Technologies (GET) programme, focusing on ethics, law, and technology interplay. His work bridges academic research with policy impact, contributing frameworks like 'counterfactual explanations' and fairness metrics ('Conditional Demographic Disparity') used globally. He leads high-profile projects such as Trustworthiness Auditing for AI and A Right to Reasonable Inferences in Advertising and Financial Services. Research interests span AI ethics, medical ethics, technology governance, and non-discrimination law. He has pioneered ethical frameworks addressing algorithmic bias, GDPR compliance, and AI accountability. His work has influenced policy bodies like the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and the European Commission, and is implemented by tech giants such as Google and Microsoft. Awarded O2RB Excellence in Impact Awards (2018, 2021) and PLSC Best Paper (2019) Funded by Wellcome Trust, Sloan Foundation, and others Advisory roles for NHSx, GSK Consumer Healthcare, and regulatory bodies Recent work focuses on AI regulation (EU AI Act), generative AI ethics, and healthcare AI governance. He co-leads the OxonFair toolkit for algorithmic fairness and investigates societal impacts of deepfake proliferation and large language models.
