Professor Michael Ben-Gad is a Professor of Economics at City, University of London, where he has served since 2009. He previously held roles as Head of the Department of Economics (2010–2013) and Deputy Head (2008–2010). His research focuses on dynamic macroeconomics, taxation, public debt, immigration economics, and national security, with notable contributions to endogenous growth models and compositional data econometrics. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago (1996) and has taught at institutions including the University of Houston and University of Haifa. Ben-Gad served on the U.S. National Academy of Sciences panel on immigration's economic and fiscal impacts (2014–2016) and received a 2017 Fellowship from the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). His work spans academic journals (Economic Modelling, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control) and media outlets (BBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera), addressing topics like Brexit economics, fiscal policy, and geopolitical challenges. He co-convenes the City Branch of Academics for Academic Freedom and is a founding member of London Universities' Council for Academic Freedom. His research grants include funding from HM Treasury/ESRC on fiscal policy and immigration (2011), the Israel Science Foundation (2007–2008), and the Samuel Ne'eman Foundation (2004). Professional roles include editorial board membership for Economic Affairs and membership of the ESRC Grant Assessment Panel (2021). He is proficient in Hebrew and contributes to policy debates on taxation, macroprudential frameworks, and defense economics.
Dr. Juan Manuel Berbel Pineda is a full Professor at the Department of Business Organization and Marketing at Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain. His academic work focuses on tourism economics, sustainable tourism practices, and international business strategies, particularly within the hotel industry and textile sector. Key research areas: Tourism Economics, Sustainable Tourism, International Business Strategy Affiliated with IMEGS (Innovation and Marketing for a Sustainable Global Environment) research group Doctoral Programs: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Family Business His research explores tourism competitiveness and internationalization patterns through empirical studies on hotel chains in Latin America, fair trade impacts in emerging economies, and post-COVID-19 rural tourism development. Analysis of 15 recent publications reveals strong emphasis on structural equation modeling, cross-cultural comparisons, and market segmentation strategies. Current academic activity includes international collaborations with institutions like Massey University, Varna University of Management, and University of Mauritius. His 2020 work on Ecuadorian chia seed exports demonstrates methodology for EU market selection using 7-dimensional indicators, while his sustainable tourism studies provide frameworks for pandemic-era tourism revival through non-overcrowding strategies.
University of California , Santa Barbara (UCSB)United States
Refet S. Gürkaynak is a Professor of Economics at Bilkent University and a Research Fellow at the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), where he directs the Monetary Economics and Fluctuations Program. He holds a BA in Economics from Bilkent University and a PhD in Economics from Princeton University. His research focuses on monetary economics, financial markets, and international economics, particularly on extracting monetary policy insights from asset prices. His work has appeared in top journals like the Journal of Monetary Economics , Review of Economics and Statistics , and American Economic Review . Research Interests Monetary Policy Transmission Financial Market Reactions Inflation Dynamics ECB Policy Communication Post-Crisis Economic Modeling Scientific Awards & Grants Central Bank of Turkey Award European Central Bank Award Turkish Academy of Sciences Award ERC Grant Consulting & Affiliations Consultant to multiple central banks Director, Monetary Economics and Fluctuations Program at CEPR Former Economist, Federal Reserve Board's Monetary Affairs Division
Jonathan T. Barron is a Researcher at Google DeepMind in San Francisco, specializing in Computer Vision , Neural Rendering , and 3D Scene Reconstruction . He earned his PhD at UC Berkeley under Jitendra Malik and has pioneered advancements in NeRF (Neural Radiance Fields) and diffusion-based 3D generation. Research Interests : Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Generative AI, Image Processing, and 3D Reconstruction via Radiance Fields. His work includes Bolt3D for rapid 3D scene generation, CAT3D/CAT4D for text-to-3D/4D, and Zip-NeRF for anti-aliased radiance fields. He has also developed real-time rendering frameworks like SMERF and NeRF-Casting for reflections. Scientific awards: PAMI Young Researcher Award He has served as Area Chair for CVPR, ICCV, and NeurIPS, and his research is widely adopted in applications like Google's Lens Blur , Portrait Mode , and Jump VR .
Stephen Billings is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, where he holds the Global Real Estate Capital Markets Chair position. He serves as the faculty director of the MS in Real Estate program and research director for the CU Real Estate Center. His work spans multiple research centers including the Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision Making and the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate. Billings received his PhD in Economics from the University of Colorado, a MS in urban planning from the University of North Carolina, and a BS in economics from Georgetown University. Prior to joining CU Boulder in 2016, he was faculty at the University of North Carolina Charlotte with appointments in both economics and public policy, where he also served as faculty director for the real estate center. His research focuses on the intersection of housing, schools, neighborhoods and crime, addressing critical policy issues including the impact of public investment in light-rail transit on neighborhoods, school segregation's influence on academic achievement and crime, neighborhood gentrification causes, lead-based paint in low-income housing, and the effects of sea level rise and natural disasters on neighborhood sorting and household finances. Billings employs sophisticated analysis of large micro-datasets with studies based on data and policies in Charlotte, NC and Denver, CO. His work connects urban economics with public policy, demonstrating how neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes across multiple dimensions. Billings' recent publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on neighborhood effects, school choice impacts, crime economics, and housing market dynamics. His work frequently examines the intersection of race, housing, and economic outcomes, with particular attention to policy implications. He has developed innovative methodological approaches to studying residential amenities and neighborhood spillovers, with increasing attention to climate change impacts on housing markets. His research appears in top journals including The Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review: Insights, and Journal of Urban Economics. As an educator, Billings teaches undergraduate and masters classes in real estate finance and economics, as well as doctoral and masters level courses on cost-benefit analysis and statistical methods. He has extensive consulting experience conducting economic impact studies, including assessments of North Carolina's public higher education system, affordable housing needs in Colorado communities, and the economic effects of marijuana legalization on property markets. His practical policy work complements his academic research, creating a bridge between theoretical insights and real-world applications. Billings leads significant research initiatives through the CU Real Estate Center, where he directs studies examining the impact of business improvement districts and other urban development policies. His work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, making substantial contributions to our understanding of how housing, education, and neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes and community development. His December 2023 memo on the HUD Officer Next Door Program exemplifies his engagement with current housing policy issues.
Professor Haijiang Li is a Chair in BIM for Smart Engineering at Cardiff University's School of Engineering. His roles include leading the Computational Mechanics and Engineering AI Research Group, directing the BIM for Smart Engineering Centre, and overseeing the BIM MSc programme. He holds editorial roles for journals like Construction Innovation and Automation in Construction , and chairs the European Group of Intelligent Computing in Engineering (EG-ICE). Research focuses on smart computational engineering platforms integrating BIM, AI, and big data for sustainable infrastructure. Key areas include digital twins, disaster management, and resilient urban systems. He has secured £40M in research funding, including £9M as PI, and led over 70 research staff and students. Prof. Li is a Standards Committee Technical Executive at buildingSMART, driving international BIM standards. His work includes co-authoring a book on BIM standards across China, the US, and the UK. Awards include Fellowships from the British Computer Society (FBCS) and the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). His research outputs span over 250 publications, covering topics like AI-driven bridge maintenance, ontology-based decision-making, and energy-efficient urban systems. Collaborations with industry and global partners emphasize practical applications of BIM and smart technologies.
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Paolo Gardoni is the Alfredo H. Ang Family Professor and an Excellence Faculty Scholar in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with additional professorial appointments in Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering and Biomedical & Translational Sciences. He also serves as Director of the MAE Center and Editor-in-Chief of Reliability Engineering & System Safety. Education Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (2002) M.A. in Statistics, University of California, Berkeley (2001) M.Eng. in Structural Engineering, University of Tokyo (1997) Laurea (BS+MS equivalent) in Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Milano (1997) Research Interests Gardoni’s scholarship integrates probabilistic methods with large-scale infrastructure systems to advance reliability, risk, and life-cycle analysis. His work quantifies the performance of deteriorating systems under natural and anthropogenic hazards, models societal impacts of disasters, and develops decision frameworks for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. He also examines ethical, social, and legal dimensions of risk, and investigates optimal strategies for hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and climate adaptation. Across more than 250 refereed journal papers, he has advanced sub-fields ranging from probabilistic mechanics and earthquake engineering to catastrophe bond pricing and engineering ethics, leveraging tools such as stochastic differential equations, Bayesian networks, and physics-informed machine learning. Awards & Honors Alfredo Ang Award on Risk Analysis and Management of Civil Infrastructure (ASCE, 2021) Best Paper Awards in ASCE Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment (2019) and Geotechnical Research (2018 Telford Premium Prize) Fellowships and named professorships: Alfredo H. Ang Family Professor, Excellence Faculty Scholar, and courtesy or honorary professorships at Tsinghua, IIT Guwahati, Tongji, Jianghan, and Loughborough universities. Research Leadership & Funding Gardoni has secured over $58 million in research funding from NSF, DHS, NIST, USAID, Qatar National Research Fund, and other agencies. He directs the MAE Center—formerly an NSF Engineering Research Center—focused on multi-hazard engineering approaches, and is Editor-in-Chief of Reliability Engineering & System Safety (Elsevier, IF 9.4). He founded and formerly led the journal Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (Taylor & Francis) and serves on editorial boards of nine additional journals. Advising & Mentorship He has graduated 27 PhD and 35 Master’s students, many of whom now hold faculty positions worldwide. His group maintains an active pipeline of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers working on resilience analytics, infrastructure monitoring, and risk-informed decision-making. Laboratories & Collaborations He leads the MAE Center and is affiliated with the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) and the Biomedical and Translational Sciences group. International collaborations span the UK (Loughborough), India (IIT Guwahati), and China (Tsinghua, Tongji, Jianghan), fostering cross-disciplinary research in reliability and resilience engineering.
Raphael Hauser is an Associate Professor in Numerical Mathematics at the University of Oxford's Mathematical Institute, Director of Graduate Studies - Teaching, and Tanaka Fellow in Applied Mathematics at Pembroke College. His affiliations include membership in the Data Science, Numerical Analysis, and Mathematical and Computational Finance research groups, as well as a fellowship at the Alan Turing Institute. Education: PhD in Operations Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA Dipl. Math. ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Switzerland Research interests span data science, numerical optimisation, medical imaging, distributed computing, and applied probability/statistics. His work integrates mathematical rigor with practical applications, particularly in optimization algorithms, machine learning theory, and medical imaging technology. Publications focus on optimization theory, stochastic processes, medical imaging systems, and computational finance, with recurring themes in non-convex optimization guarantees, PCA variants, and X-ray tomography innovations. Awards: Oxford University Teaching Award (2007) SIAM Optimization Prize (2005) SIAM Student Paper Prize (2000) Advising includes 15+ DPhil students and 40+ MSc students, with projects in optimization, finance, imaging, and machine learning. Current postdocs and students are affiliated with the Alan Turing Institute and industrial partners like Siemens and Macquarie Group. He leads teams in the Mathematical Institute's research groups and collaborates with the Alan Turing Institute on large-scale data science initiatives.
Philip M. Nichols is the Joseph Kolodny Professor of Social Responsibility in Business and Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He holds a J.D. and LL.M. from Duke University and an A.B. from Harvard University. His scholarly and professional work centers on corruption control, institutional change in emerging economies, and ethical business practices. Research Interests: His research spans corruption as a global phenomenon, anti-bribery laws, shared value strategies, and the psychological and legal dimensions of bribery. He has conducted fieldwork in over twenty countries, especially in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. His work integrates legal, ethical, economic, and sociological perspectives. Publication Trends: His recent publications focus on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the moral and cognitive foundations of bribery. He frequently publishes in top law and ethics journals and contributes to authoritative commentaries. His interdisciplinary approach bridges law, psychology, and business ethics. Scientific Awards: Hoeber Award for best article in volume 48 of the American Business Law Journal (2011) Advising and Grants: While specific advisees are not listed, as a full professor and co-editor of major volumes, he likely mentors graduate students and junior scholars. He has served in leadership roles including President of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business and Co-Chair of UN/CEFACT LG, indicating grant and policy influence. His work has shaped discourse on transnational anti-corruption frameworks. Labs and Teams: He is affiliated with the Department of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at Wharton and is part of the core faculty of the Central Eurasian Studies Society at Penn. He co-chairs the Anti-Corruption Law Interest Group, reflecting active collaboration in scholarly networks.
Ricardo Soares de Oliveira is Full Professor of Political Science at CERI Sciences Po and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford . He also co-directs the Oxford Martin Programme on African Governance and serves as joint editor of Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations by Oxford University Press. He is a fellow of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin. Education: While specific degrees are not listed, his academic trajectory includes affiliations with the University of Cambridge, Yale University, and the Woodrow Wilson Center, indicating a robust scholarly background. Research Interests: His work centers on the international political economy of African states , with a strong focus on extractive industries , offshore finance , kleptocracy , African-Asian relations , and post-conflict reconstruction . His fieldwork spans multiple African countries and examines how global financial systems and governance structures interact with African political systems. Publications: His scholarly output includes major monographs such as Magnificent and Beggar Land: Angola Since the Civil War (2015) and Oil and Politics in the Gulf of Guinea (2007), as well as edited volumes like China Returns to Africa (2008). His current book project, Africa Offshore , explores the global offshore economy's impact on African politics. Awards and Fellowships: British Academy Senior Research Fellowship (2023) Leverhulme Trust Fellowship (2011) Grants and Collaborations: He has received funding from leading institutions including the ESRC , Rockefeller Foundation , Volkswagen Foundation , and DFID/FCDO . He has consulted for organizations such as the World Bank , European Commission , UNCTAD , and Oxfam . Labs and Teams: He co-directs the Oxford Martin Programme on African Governance at the University of Oxford, a major interdisciplinary initiative examining governance challenges across the African continent.
Xavier Brusset is a Professor in Supply Chain at SKEMA Business School since 2016, where he also serves as Director of the PRISM Research Center since 2017. Previously, he held professorial positions at Toulouse Business School (2015-2016) and ESSCA School of Management (2009-2015), where he was responsible for the Master 2 in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management program. His academic journey includes a PhD in Management Sciences from Université Catholique de Louvain (2010) and a Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches from Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense (2016). His research spans multiple critical areas in supply chain management, with particular focus on supply chain resilience, blockchain applications, weather risk management, and pandemic impacts on supply chains. Brusset has developed innovative approaches to understanding how supply chain partners interact, how information affects their behavior, and how external disruptions like weather anomalies and pandemics impact operational efficiency. His work bridges theoretical models with practical applications, often developing decision-support tools for managers facing complex supply chain challenges. Brusset's publication record shows a clear evolution of research interests, beginning with foundational work on supply chain contracts and information sharing, then expanding to weather risk management, and most recently focusing on pandemic disruptions and blockchain applications. His 15 most recent publications (2018-2025) demonstrate increasing sophistication in modeling complex supply chain phenomena, with particular emphasis on network effects, ripple effects, and multi-echelon optimization under disruption scenarios. Editorial board member of Logistics Research Editor of International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management (2022-2023) Recognized EU expert for CINEA research projects evaluation Organizer of the Colloquium on European Research in Retailing (CERR) Reviewer for multiple top journals including International Journal of Production Economics As an advisor, Brusset has supervised doctoral students including R. Alkhudary (co-director, Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas) and V. Capocasale (rapporteur). His professional experience extends beyond academia to include industry roles in financial markets and logistics technology, having co-founded WebLogistix, a platform for sharing logistics information in Argentina. His research has practical applications across multiple sectors, particularly in retail, food supply chains, and manufacturing, where he develops tools to help managers mitigate risks and optimize operations under uncertainty.
Dr. Alice Earley is a Researcher at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) within the Division of Urban Studies and Social Policy at the University of Glasgow. Her work focuses on urban regeneration, gentrification, housing inequalities, and community enterprises. Prior roles include Research Fellow at UCL’s Bartlett School of Planning and Tutor in Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow. Education: PhD in Urban Studies (University of Glasgow, 2022) MRes in Urban Research (University of Glasgow) MSc in Urban Regeneration (Bartlett School of Planning, UCL) MA(Hons) in Geography (University of Edinburgh) Research Interests: Alice’s research explores debates on regeneration vs. gentrification, housing inequalities, community asset management, and urban governance. Her work emphasizes structural inequalities and the role of partnerships in policy processes. She advocates for equitable urban development through community-led initiatives and policy reforms. Teaching & Collaboration: At the University of Glasgow, Alice has taught courses on urban policy, public policy, and planning. She also contributed to teaching at UCL. Her collaborations include projects with CaCHE, the Scottish Government, and community organizations like BS3 Community Development. Current projects address housing policy in Scotland and England, including affordable housing strategies and private rented sector regulation. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with CaCHE and the Neighbourhoods, Welfare and Wellbeing Research Group at Glasgow’s Urban Studies department. Engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations across urban studies, public policy, and geography.
Dimitrios P. Tsomocos is a Professor of Financial Economics at Saïd Business School and a Fellow in Management at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. He holds a BA, MA, MPhil, and PhD from Yale University and previously worked at the Bank of England. He serves on editorial boards including Annals of Finance and Economic Theory, and is a Senior Research Associate at the Financial Markets Group at the London School of Economics. His educational background includes: University of Oxford: M.A. by resolution, 2002 Yale University: Ph.D. in economics, 1996 Yale University: M.Phil. in economics, 1992 Yale University: M.A. in economics, 1990 Yale University: B.A. in economics, 1989 Professor Tsomocos is a mathematical economist specializing in Central Banking, Banking and regulation, Incomplete asset markets, Systemic risk, Financial instability, and Issues of new financial architecture. His research focuses on contagion, financial fragility, interbank linkages, and the impact of the Basel Accord using General Equilibrium models with incomplete asset markets, money, and endogenous default. He is working toward designing a new paradigm of monetary policy, financial stability analysis, and macroprudential regulation. His recent publications show a consistent focus on financial stability, banking regulation, and the interaction between monetary policy and financial stability. The research spans theoretical modeling of bankruptcy and default in general equilibrium frameworks, practical applications to bank regulation, analysis of commodity cycles in emerging economies, and policy responses to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. His work frequently employs quantitative methods and general equilibrium modeling to address pressing issues in financial economics. His scientific achievements include: 2004 Bank Sabatell prize for the best work on the economics of banking (for "Book vs. Fair Value Accounting in Banking and Intertemporal Smoothing") Co-development of the Goodhart-Tsomocos model of financial fragility (2003) Testimony to House of Lords for the Economic and Financial Affairs and International Trade Sub Committee's report (2011) Appointment to Research Advisory Board, Central Bank of Russian Federation (2018) Professor Tsomocos has advised numerous PhD students and collaborated extensively with central banks worldwide. He has served as an economic advisor to a major political party in Greece and regularly provides commentary on the Greek economy. His research has had substantial policy impact, with the Goodhart-Tsomocos model implemented by more than ten central banks including the Bank of Bulgaria, Bank of Colombia, Bank of England, and Bank of Korea. He continues to collaborate with researchers from the ECB, Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and Bank of Chile on updated versions of his financial fragility model. He co-developed the Goodhart-Tsomocos model of financial fragility while working at the Bank of England, which has been implemented at various central banks globally. His research group at Oxford continues to refine this model and apply it to contemporary financial stability challenges.
Benjamin J. Keys is a Research Associate at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School within the Public Economics program. His work focuses on public economics, environmental economics, and financial risk management with particular emphasis on housing markets and climate change impacts. University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School Public Economics Department His research explores: Climate risk capitalization in housing markets Mortgage insurance moral hazard Consumer credit card payment behaviors Emergency credit systems Regional economic redistribution through mortgages Email: benkeys@wharton.upenn.edu Scientific awards include: Fellowships on Consumer Financial Management
Arman Eshraghi is a Professor of Finance and Investment at Cardiff Business School , with 15 years of academic and industry experience. He founded the Cardiff Fintech Research Group , leads the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute 's fintech theme, and co-directs the Behavioral Finance Working Group . He serves as Editor-in-Chief of International Review of Economics and Finance and Senior Editor in multiple journals. Key academic appointments: Cardiff University (2018–present), University of Edinburgh (2013–18) International fellowships: Development Bank of Japan, University of Canterbury (New Zealand), UCL Industry engagement: Federal Reserve Bank (NY), Alan Turing Institute, CFA Society UK, CityUK Research Focus: Behavioral finance, corporate finance, financial technology, and interdisciplinary accounting. His work examines retail investor psychology, fund manager behavior, CEO decision-making, and fintech impacts on financial markets. He has published in Review of Financial Studies , Harvard Business Review , and Financial Times . Scientific Contributions: EFMD Global, Emerald Literati, and European Financial Group awards Keynote speaker at global conferences (New York, London, Mumbai, Frankfurt) Media citations in Financial Times , BBC , Forbes , and Bloomberg Teaching & Leadership: Delivers award-winning MSc/MBA/PhD courses in UK, Europe, and Asia. Holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and Fellow of AdvanceHE. Designed executive programs for firms including Aetna CVS Health and Scottish Widows. Research Leadership: Co-organizes international conferences like the Cardiff Financial Technology Conference and European Financial Management Association Meeting . Supervises PhD students on topics spanning fintech, behavioral finance, and CEO lifestyle impacts.
