Dr Luke Garrod is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Loughborough University's Loughborough Business School. He holds a PhD, MPhil, and BA from the University of East Anglia. His research focuses on industrial organization, competition policy, consumer policy, and behavioral economics, with a particular emphasis on modeling firm incentives in imperfectly competitive markets. He received the International Journal of Industrial Organization Best Theoretical Paper Award 2019 for his work on collusion mechanisms. His book on hub-and-spoke cartels provides critical insights into antitrust enforcement strategies. Teaching responsibilities include Principles of Microeconomics (ECA002) and Industrial Economics (ECC005). He serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of the Economics of Business and contributes to economic consultancy through his role at Economic Insight. His research has explored topics such as cartel damages quantification, digital market regulation, and the interplay between consumer protection and competition policies. Key awards include the 2019 Best Theoretical Paper Award, reflecting his contributions to advancing antitrust and competition policy frameworks. His work bridges theoretical economic modeling with practical regulatory applications, addressing emerging challenges in global competition dynamics and digital economy policies.
Abhijit Banerjee is the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT and Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). A 2019 Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences, his research focuses on development economics, political economy, and poverty alleviation. He co-authored influential books like Poor Economics and Good Economics for Hard Times , emphasizing evidence-based policies and randomized controlled trials. Banerjee’s work addresses global challenges such as education, health, and social welfare, with notable contributions to microfinance, public health interventions, and anti-poverty programs. He holds leadership roles in global initiatives like the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel and has advised governments worldwide. His research spans topics from police resource allocation in India to the impact of information during crises like demonetization and the pandemic. Education: Bachelor’s in Statistics, Presidency College, Kolkata M.A. in Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University PhD in Economics, Harvard University Key Contributions: Co-founder of J-PAL, promoting evidence-based poverty reduction strategies. Pioneer in using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for policy evaluation. Research on microfinance, education reforms, and health interventions in developing countries. Awards: Nobel Prize in Economics (2019), Infosys Prize in Social Sciences (2009), Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). Grants/Advisory Roles: Collaborations with institutions like the World Bank, UN, and governments on poverty, health, and education policies. Labs/Teams: J-PAL global network, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab.
Professor Elaine Fahey is a leading scholar in EU law and global governance at the City Law School, City St George's, University of London, where she serves as Professor of EU Law and Deputy Head of Department (academic programmes). She is co-convener of the Institute for the Study of European Law (ISEL) and the UACES James Madison Trust EUFUtures initiative (2022–2025). Her academic career includes visiting professorships at Washington College of Law (American University), Keio University, and NYU, as well as fellowships at the European University Institute and the University of Graz. LLB, Trinity College Dublin LLM, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge PhD, Trinity College Dublin Barrister-at-Law, Honorable Society of King’s Inns, Ireland Attorney-at-Law, State of New York Senior Fellowship, Higher Education Authority UK Her research focuses on the intersection of EU law with global governance, digital regulation, transatlantic relations, and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. She explores how the EU navigates legal frameworks beyond the nation-state, particularly in digital trade, cybersecurity, and data protection. Her work critically examines the EU’s role as a global regulatory actor and its interactions with international institutions. Her extensive publication record includes the monograph The EU as a Global Digital Actor (Hart, 2022) and numerous articles on digital sovereignty, data transfers, and transatlantic cooperation. Recent research analyzes the EU–US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), the evolution of the Privacy Shield, and strategic litigation in digital rights. Her work reveals a strong trend toward understanding how soft law, institutional design, and judicial decisions shape EU external relations and digital governance. Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Chair in Law & Transatlantic Relations (2019–2022) Emile Noël Fellow, NYU Law School Max Weber Fellow, European University Institute Senior Land Steiermark Fellow, University of Graz Senior Fellowship, Higher Education Authority UK Professor Fahey has supervised multiple PhD students, including Isabella Mancini, Giulio Kowalski, and Christos Karetsos, on topics such as algorithmic collusion, digital markets, and investment law. She has led significant research projects, including the ESRC-funded TRILATTRADE grant and the Marie Curie ITN on EU and Transatlantic Investment and Trade (EUTIP). She previously held leadership roles as Associate Dean (International) and interim Associate Dean (Research) at the City Law School. She is an elected member of the EU Studies Association (EUSA) Executive (2021–2025). She has also contributed to public policy through briefings for the Welsh Parliament and reports on CJEU litigation in Ireland. She is associated with research initiatives such as the Institute for the Study of European Law (ISEL) and has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects on Facebook regulation, transatlantic relations, and EU technological sovereignty. Her work bridges legal scholarship, policy, and international academic collaboration.
Tim Conley is Professor and Chair at the Department of Economics, University of Western Ontario. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (1996). His research focuses on applied econometrics with emphasis on spatial dependence, cross-sectional analysis, and empirical industrial organization. His primary research interests include methodological development in econometrics, particularly around dependence modeling in cross-sectional data and spatial analysis techniques. He has made significant contributions to understanding technology adoption in developing economies and detection of collusion in market mechanisms. Professor Conley's publications demonstrate consistent focus on developing robust statistical methods for economic applications, with recent work emphasizing practical applications in policy evaluation and market analysis. His methodological innovations have been implemented in statistical software packages used by researchers worldwide.
Nihar B. Shah is an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University with joint appointments in the Machine Learning and Computer Science departments within the School of Computer Science. His research focuses on developing theoretically grounded algorithms for evaluating scientific work, with applications in peer review, fairness, and human-AI collaboration. His work has impacted over 100,000 research papers and grant evaluations. Education: Ph.D. in EECS, UC Berkeley M.E. in Telecommunications, Indian Institute of Science B.Tech. in Electronics, NIT Karnataka Research Interests: Shah's group investigates the science of evaluation through machine learning, optimization, and large-scale experiments. Key areas include peer review systems, algorithmic fairness, LLM applications in science, and human-AI collaboration frameworks. Research addresses fundamental questions about research validity, funding allocation, and equitable assessment. Publication Trends: Recent work focuses on improving peer review through randomized controlled trials, security against collusion, LLM-based review systems, and bias mitigation. Publications consistently appear in premier venues (NeurIPS, PLOS ONE, AAAI) with growing emphasis on real-world deployments. Awards & Honors: Young Alumnus Medal (IISc 2024) NSF CAREER Award (2020-2025) Google Research Scholar Award (2021) Multiple best paper awards (HCOMP, ICLR) Research Group & Funding: Leads a focused research team with NSF, Google, and JP Morgan support. Alumni hold positions in academia and industry. Current projects involve large-scale evaluations of scientific work and algorithmic fairness.
Mushtaq Khan is a Professor in the Department of Economics at SOAS University of London . His research focuses on governance, corruption, industrial policy, and structural transformation in developing countries, with particular emphasis on Bangladesh, Nepal, and Nigeria. Research Interests : Corruption and Anti-Corruption Strategies Political Settlements and Governance Industrial Policy Design Climate Adaptation and Public Health Systems Policy Contributions : His work addresses challenges such as collusive contracting in energy sectors, doctor absenteeism in rural healthcare, and dual-use climate projects as anti-corruption tools. Advising : He has supervised theses on industrial policy in Nigeria, economic transformation in Rwanda, and federalism in Nepal.
Rama Cont is Statutory Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Head of the Oxford Mathematical and Computational Finance Group. He holds additional positions as Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking and Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Systemic Resilience. Cont's research focuses on stochastic analysis and mathematical finance, particularly modeling extreme market risks, systemic risk, and developing pathwise approaches in stochastic analysis. His recent work explores causal functional calculus, fractional Ito calculus, and analysis of deep neural networks. His publications demonstrate consistent development of mathematical frameworks for financial risk analysis, including recent advances in causal transport theory and market microstructure modeling. Cont received the Louis Bachelier Prize in 2010 and was elected SIAM Fellow in 2017 for contributions to stochastic analysis and financial modeling.
Brent Waters is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin , where he has been since 2008. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Princeton University (2004) and held a postdoctoral position at Stanford University (2004-2005). His research focuses on cryptography and computer security, with groundbreaking work in Identity-Based Encryption, Functional Encryption, Attribute-Based Encryption, and code obfuscation. He is a founder of Functional Encryption and Attribute-Based Encryption. Education Ph.D., Computer Science, Princeton University (2004) Research Interests Cryptography, Security Protocols Functional Encryption, Attribute-Based Encryption Indistinguishability Obfuscation, LWE-Based Systems Zero-Knowledge Proofs, Key-Dependent Message Security Selected Publications Trends Recent work (2025) addresses adaptive security in broadcast encryption, SNARGs, and multi-authority ABE systems using LWE and bilinear maps. Key themes include collusion resistance, witness encryption, and optimizing cryptographic assumptions like CRS size reduction. Scientific Awards IEEE Fellow (2025), IACR Fellow (2024), ACM Fellow (2021) Simons Investigator (2019), Grace Murray Hopper Award (2015) Presidential Early Career Award (2011), Packard Fellowship (2011) Advising Current Ph.D. students: Shafik Nassar, George Lu Past Ph.D. students: Rachit Garg (2024), Satya Vusirikala (2021), Rishab Goyal (2019), Venkata Koppula (2018), Yannis Rouselakis (2013), Allison Bishop (2012) Contact Email: bwaters@cs.utexas.edu Phone: (512) 232-7464 | Office: GDC 6.810
Yusupova Guzel Fatehovna is an Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Economics within the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), where she has been working since 1998 with 28 years of scientific and teaching experience. She also serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Enterprise and Market Analysis, specifically in the Laboratory of Competition and Antimonopoly Policy. Her research interests focus on Industrial Organization, Competition Policy, Antitrust Economics, Digital Markets, Market Analysis, and Economics of Network Effects, with particular attention to Russian industrial markets. Her professional expertise stems from her Candidate of Economic Sciences degree (2007) in Economics and Management of the National Economy, with a dissertation on "Boundaries of Russian markets and competition," and her Associate Professor title awarded in 2013. Dr. Yusupova's publication record shows a consistent focus on competition policy and market analysis, with her most recent work examining AI applications in cartel detection, digital platform competition, and the nuances of antitrust enforcement in specialized markets. Her research demonstrates progression from foundational industrial organization topics to increasingly complex digital market challenges. Honorary certificate of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (November 2022) Gratitude of HSE (March 2022) Gratitude of the Faculty of Economic Sciences HSE (January 2021) Winner of the Competition for the best Russian-language scientific works of HSE employees - 2021 Multiple academic bonuses for publications and contributions to HSE reputation (2010-2024) As an educator, Dr. Yusupova teaches graduate and undergraduate courses including Analysis of Industry Markets and Competition Policy, Introduction to the Economy of Digital Platforms, and Theory of Industrial Markets. Her teaching reflects her research expertise, bridging theoretical industrial organization concepts with practical antitrust applications. She has participated in numerous international conferences and research projects focused on competition policy effectiveness, with particular emphasis on Russian market contexts and transition economy challenges.
Meg Rithmire serves as the James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration within the Business, Government, and International Economy Unit at Harvard Business School. She holds concurrent faculty affiliations at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Fairbank Center for East Asian Studies, and Harvard Faculty Committee on Southeast Asia, where she convenes the Chinese Economy Seminar. Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Government from Harvard University, establishing her expertise in comparative political economy with regional specialization in China and Southeast Asia. Education: PhD in Government, Harvard University Professor Rithmire's research investigates the volatile intersection of concentrated political power and market mechanisms within authoritarian contexts. She pioneers analysis of mutual endangerment dynamics where distrust between business and political elites—coupled with financial liberalization—creates destabilizing relationships, as documented in her award-winning book Precarious Ties: Business and the State in Authoritarian Asia . Her scholarship spans Chinese land politics, outward investment patterns, and the geopolitical risks threatening US-China economic interdependence. Recent work increasingly focuses on business risk management frameworks for navigating national security threats in global operations. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a sharp pivot toward geopolitical risk governance, with 60% of her 2022-2025 output addressing business resilience in deteriorating US-China relations. While maintaining deep historical analysis of China's political economy, her contemporary work integrates security studies frameworks, reflecting the securitization of economic policy. This evolution demonstrates how authoritarian capitalism's global expansion forces multinational corporations to develop sophisticated risk assessment protocols beyond traditional market analysis. Awards & Honors: 2023 HBS Student Association Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Elective Curriculum 2020 Greenhill Award for Outstanding Service to the HBS Community 2015 Charles M. Williams Award for Teaching Excellence 2015 HBS Student Association Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Required Curriculum Professor Rithmire advises executive education programs on geopolitical risk management while co-chairing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Business Geopolitical Risk and Resilience initiative. Her research receives institutional support through Harvard's Fairbank Center and Weatherhead Center affiliations, with editorial leadership roles at The China Quarterly and The China Journal amplifying her influence. Current grant activities focus on developing corporate risk assessment frameworks for national security threats, particularly regarding Chinese market operations. She leads the Business Geopolitical Risk and Resilience initiative with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, convening multinational executives and policymakers to develop practical risk management protocols. Through the Fairbank Center's Chinese Economy Seminar, she facilitates interdisciplinary dialogue among economists, political scientists, and area specialists examining China's evolving economic governance structures. These platforms bridge academic research with real-world business and policy challenges in an era of strategic competition.
Alberto Salvo is an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS), holding a PhD from the London School of Economics. His research spans environmental economics, industrial organisation, and applied microeconomics, with a focus on urban pollution, consumer behavior, and climate action. Environmental Economics & Policy (Undergraduate) Economics of the Environment (PhD) Advanced Industrial Organisation (PhD) His work examines air pollution impacts on health and productivity, fuel switching dynamics in megacities, and behavioral responses to environmental stress. Recent publications analyze particulate pollution in China, temperature effects in tropical cities, and plastic waste patterns linked to food delivery. Notable awards include the JAERE Best Paper Award (2020), Robert Mundell Prize (2010), and Antitrust Policy Award (2007). His collaborations span institutions in Brazil, China, and Singapore.
Martin Pesendorfer is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He specializes in Industrial Organization, Auctions, and Information Economics, with significant contributions to applied microeconomics. His research focuses on dynamic games, auction mechanisms, and strategic interactions in markets. He holds a PhD in Economics from Northwestern University and teaches advanced courses such as EC313 Industrial Economics and EC536 Economics of Industry for Research Students. Key research areas include the design of auctions, consumer demand modeling, and equilibrium analysis in dynamic settings. His work has been published in top journals like the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, Econometrica, and the Review of Economic Studies. He has also contributed to practical applications such as analyzing mergers, procurement auctions, and retail pricing strategies. Pesendorfer’s teaching covers topics from industrial economics fundamentals to advanced microeconomic theory. His research spans theoretical and empirical methods, with recent emphasis on equilibrium multiplicity in dynamic games and omitted variable biases in demand models. He maintains an active presence in academic circles, contributing to research centers like STICERD's Economics of Industry Programme.
Abhinav Goyal is a Professor of Finance and Director of Global Engagement at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. He is affiliated with the Department of Finance and plays a leadership role in shaping the school's international strategy. His research is widely published in premier finance journals, and he serves on editorial boards including as Associate Editor for British Accounting Review . Education: PhD in Banking and Finance, University College Dublin, Ireland (2013) MA in Financial Risk Management, Simon Fraser University, Canada (2007) BE (Hons) in Computer Science, India (2006) His research focuses on corporate finance , particularly IPOs, corporate governance, privatization, and dividend policy, with a strong emphasis on institutional and emerging market contexts. His work explores how legal, political, cultural, and media factors influence corporate financial decisions, especially in initial public offerings and payout policies. Using empirical methods, he investigates global patterns in financial markets, often drawing on cross-country datasets to assess the impact of governance reforms, ownership structures, and socio-political events. The recent articles reflect a consistent focus on IPO pricing dynamics, influenced by democracy, media, terrorism, board reforms, and legal frameworks. His research integrates insights from political economy, behavioral finance, and institutional theory, demonstrating a multidisciplinary approach to understanding financial markets. A recurring theme is the role of transparency, governance, and external shocks in shaping corporate financial behavior. Scientific Awards and Editorial Roles: Associate Editor, British Accounting Review Area Editor (Frontier Markets), Research in International Business and Finance Dr. Goyal has advised doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in finance, though specific names are not listed. He has secured research funding through collaborative projects reflected in his co-authored publications with international scholars. His past academic appointments include positions at University College Cork and the University of Liverpool, along with visiting roles at Monash University, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, and Manipal University, indicating a strong global academic network. He teaches advanced courses such as Contemporary Topics in Banking and Finance (MBA) and Private Equity and Venture Finance (MSc), contributing significantly to graduate education. He leads no named research lab or center in the provided text, but his editorial roles and global engagement position suggest active participation in research communities and international academic collaborations.
Mauro Conti is a Full Professor at the University of Padua, Italy, where he serves as Editor-in-chief of IEEE TIFS, UniPD Academic Advisor for Entrepreneurship Development, Study Program Coordinator of the MSc degree in Cybersecurity, Head of the SPRITZ Security and Privacy Research Group, and Director of the UniPD node of CINI Cybersecurity National Lab. He also maintains affiliations with TU Delft (NL) and the University of Washington (USA). Additionally, he is the CEO and co-founder of CHISITO and co-founder of DYALOGHI. His research focuses on security and privacy for wireless resource-constrained mobile devices (WSNs, RFIDs, and smartphones), computer system security, computer forensics, access control, and distributed and networked systems. Professor Conti has published extensively in top security venues including ACM CCS, IEEE S&P, NDSS, and USENIX Security, with recent work covering topics such as battery authentication, federated learning privacy, private set intersections, USB peripheral fingerprinting, and ATM PIN inference. He has received numerous prestigious awards including IEEE Fellow, Young Academy of Europe Fellow, EU Marie Curie Fellow, and DAAD Fellow. Professor Conti has advised over 100 students at various levels including PhD, MSc, and BSc, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. His research has been supported by multiple European Commission projects, university grants, and industry collaborations with companies like Cisco and Intel.
Prof. Dr. ir. BJ (Jeroen) de Kloet is a Professor of Globalisation Studies and Director of the Amsterdam Centre for Globalisation Studies (ACGS) at the University of Amsterdam 's Faculty of Humanities, Department of Media Studies. He has held visiting positions at institutions including Hong Kong Baptist University and has been actively involved in international academic collaborations across Asia and Europe. Key Research Areas: Globalization, Chinese cinema, urban studies, postcolonial theory, cultural politics Awards: Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) in Social Sciences and Humanities (2023) Teaching: Engages in critical reflection on academic labor through seminars like 'How to survive the university?' His recent publications explore topics such as platformization, digital intimacies, and the politics of heritage-making. He has presented at major conferences in Venice, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei, focusing on the intersection of creativity, control, and urban transformation.
