Anders Högberg is a Professor of Archaeology at Linnaeus University and an affiliated researcher at the University of Johannesburg. His research explores heritage futures studies, human migration, and cognitive evolution. Högberg critically examines how heritage management practices impact future societies, advocating for enhanced future-conscious approaches in archaeological preservation. His work analyzes the disconnect between heritage policy rhetoric about 'future generations' and actual professional practices, proposing methodologies to bridge this gap. Research emphasizes long-term effects of conservation strategies in diverse cultural contexts.
Jesus Canduela is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University. He holds a PhD, MSc, and BSc (Hons) and specializes in labor market policy, employee ownership, and workplace inclusion. His research addresses intersectional fair work frameworks, pandemic impacts on equality, and consumer behavior in digital contexts. He has collaborated internationally, including at the International Labour Process Conference and Australian/New Zealand Academy of Management. Education: PhD (Discipline unspecified) MSc (Discipline unspecified) BSc (Honors, Discipline unspecified) Research Interests: Canduela focuses on labor market dynamics, inclusive employment practices for neurodiverse populations, and the socio-economic impacts of employee ownership models. His work integrates policy analysis with real-world applications, such as autism-inclusive workplace frameworks and pandemic resilience strategies. Recent studies explore 'leaveism' (workplace overwork culture) and trust mechanisms in digital consumer platforms. Grants & Collaborations: Leads projects funded by organizations like the Equality Commission Northern Ireland and Scottish Government. Collaborates with institutions on topics ranging from pub industry impacts to cross-border M&A negotiations. Labs/Teams: Engaged in interdisciplinary teams addressing labor policy, employee wellbeing, and digital marketing dynamics.
Anne Kaun is a Professor in Media and Communication Studies at Södertörn University's School of Culture and Education. Her research focuses on algorithmic culture, automated decision-making, media activism, and the digital welfare state. She holds a Magister degree from the University of Leipzig, a European Studies degree from Kaliningrad Technical University, and a PhD from Örebro University/Södertörn University (2012). Her postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania explored historical media participation during crises. Her research interests include mediated temporalities, media memories, and the intersection of technology with social justice. She has investigated protest media practices (e.g., Occupy movements) and how digital platforms reshape memory and public discourse. She leads projects like the Swedish Network on Automated Decision-Making in the Public Sector and collaborates on EU-funded initiatives like 'Narratives of Europe.' Her work critiques the paradoxes of digital disconnection, automated governance, and the ethical implications of data-driven welfare systems. She serves as Vice-Chair of ICA's Activism, Communication, and Social Justice group and ECREA's Communication and Democracy section. Key networks include projects funded by Riksbankens jubilieumsfond, STINT, and the German Research Council. Her publications span algorithmic ethics, digital frictions, and the temporal dimensions of technological change.
Andrea Braides is a Full Professor of Mathematical Analysis at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He holds a dual affiliation with SISSA, Trieste. His research focuses on Calculus of Variations, Homogenization, and Discrete Systems, with applications to materials science and fracture mechanics. He has authored influential books like Gamma-convergence for Beginners and contributed to over 200 publications. His work bridges discrete and continuous models, addressing problems in phase transitions, lattice systems, and geometric measure theory. Affiliations: University of Rome Tor Vergata (Department of Mathematics), SISSA, Trieste. Education: Laurea in Mathematics (University of Pisa, 1983), PhD in Mathematics under Ennio De Giorgi at Scuola Normale Superiore. Research Interests: Braides' work emphasizes variational methods, Γ-convergence, and homogenization. He explores energy relaxation in discrete systems, phase transitions in Ising models, and microstructure analysis in materials. His recent studies include long-range interactions, anti-phase boundaries, and stochastic homogenization. Publications: His 150+ articles span topics like non-local energies, discrete-to-continuum limits, and ferromagnetic systems. Notable recent work includes studies on modulated phases in Ising systems (2025) and closure theorems for Γ-convergence (2024). Awards: Tullio Levi Civita Prize (2015), Timoshenko Fellowship (2004), Invited Speaker at ICM 2014. Advising & Leadership: Supervised 11 PhD theses, including those by R. Alicandro and M. Cicalese. Organized major conferences like the School on Multiple-scale Problems (2001) and the EMS Summer School (2018). Served on editorial boards of Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis and Networks and Heterogeneous Media . Labs/Teams: Coordinates research groups on variational problems, homogenization, and discrete systems at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and SISSA. Collaborates internationally, including with Oxford and TU Munich on multiscale phenomena.
Dr Ellen Larsen is a Senior Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), School of Education. Her work focuses on mentoring, teacher professional development, and early career educator challenges. She holds qualifications including a PhD from Griffith University and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research addresses education policy, teacher identity, and systemic barriers in mentoring. Education: Diploma in Teaching (BrisbaneCAE) Bachelor of Education (Griffith University) Master of Education (University of Tasmania) PhD (Griffith University) Key Research Interests: Professional learning, mentoring efficacy, early career teacher retention, education policy analysis, and the intersection of professional identity with systemic accountability. Recent Research Trends: Her 2023-2025 articles emphasize collaborative mentoring frameworks, teacher wellbeing in high-accountability environments, and systemic barriers faced by parents of dyslexic children. She explores innovative mentoring models and the disconnect between academic research and teacher practice. Awards & Recognition: Nominated for 2020 Ray Debus Award for Doctoral Research in Education 2020 ATEA Early Career Researcher Grant Leadership & Advocacy: Served on AARE and ATEA executives as ECR representative (2020-2023), convenor of Teachers' Work and Lives SIG (2022-present), and founder of TEECRAA advocacy group at USQ (2020-2023). Active in policy advocacy for ECRs and teacher wellbeing initiatives. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with schools to design future-focused mentoring programs through partnerships emphasizing practical professional development.
Alexandre Benzari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at MBS Education. He holds an affiliation as Associate Researcher at the Observatoire Amarok. He earned his PhD in Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Montpellier (2023), focusing on technostress and mental health of small business owners during the pandemic. Education PhD in Management and Entrepreneurship (2023), University of Montpellier Research Focus : His work examines the health and well-being of entrepreneurs and small business owners, particularly analyzing the dual impacts of ICT technologies on burnout and mental health. Key themes include technostress, pandemic-era challenges, digital overload, and SME management strategies to mitigate negative outcomes. Publications : Recent work highlights trends in technostress mediation mechanisms, cross-country entrepreneurial resilience during crises, and digital technologies' paradoxical effects on well-being. His research consistently bridges organizational behavior with public health concerns in SME ecosystems. Awards/Grants : No awards listed. Active in collaborative research projects with international co-authors. Advising/Teams : No formal advisees listed. Collaborates with Observatoire Amarok and co-authors like O. Torrès, R. Thürk, and J. Mukerjee on interdisciplinary studies. Labs/Teams : Affiliated with MBS's Strategy & Entrepreneurship department and Observatoire Amarok's research networks.
Pedro Ferreira is an Associate Professor at the IT University of Copenhagen, specializing in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of technology and human experience. His work critically examines digital technologies' societal impacts, particularly in global development contexts and everyday cultural practices. Research focuses on ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development), affective health, mobile technologies, and repair cultures. Notable themes include postcolonial perspectives in technology design, digital disconnection practices among cyclists, and the role of play in technological interventions. Ferreira's studies often combine ethnographic methods with critical theory to analyze how technologies shape and are shaped by human behaviors. His publications explore topics ranging from algorithmic systems critique to sustainable mobility practices, emphasizing marginalized voices and alternative technological pathways. While no formal awards are listed, his work demonstrates significant contributions to rethinking technology's role in global contexts. Ferreira advises students including Simy Kaur Gahoonia and Nanna Gorm, fostering research in mobile life studies and development informatics.
Junrong Sheng is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Her research examines gender inequality through comparative China-U.S. studies, focusing on the disconnect between women's public achievements and private sphere compliance with traditional norms. She earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame (2019 cohort), where her dissertation explored intra-household dynamics in China. Her methodological approach integrates quantitative survey analysis with qualitative interviews to capture nuanced gender practices. Research centers on three pillars: Division of unpaid labor showing persistent gender gaps despite women's income gains Intergenerational dynamics where extended families influence household gender relations Historical analysis of pre-reform China's state patriarchy shaping modern gender norms As a new faculty member, she teaches social statistics and is developing grant proposals for longitudinal studies on Chinese family structures. Her work bridges sociology, gender studies, and demography through mixed-method frameworks.
Zachary Spicer is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at York University, part of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario and has held post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance and Wilfrid Laurier University’s Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy. His career includes roles as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Ontario Public Service and Director of Research & Outreach with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. Dr. Spicer’s research focuses on local government innovation, smart cities, data governance, and urban policy. He has received the Susan Clarke Young Scholars’ Award and Norton Long Young Scholars’ Award from the American Political Science Association’s Urban Politics Section. His work examines municipal responses to technological disruption, such as ridehailing regulation, smart city implementation, and digital democracy initiatives. Education: PhD in Political Science, University of Western Ontario MA in Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University BA (Hons) in Political Science, McMaster University His publications explore themes like intergovernmental agreements, municipal fiscal policies, and the intersection of technology and urban governance. Recent articles analyze smart city design challenges, ridehailing jurisdictional conflicts, and crisis-driven policy adaptation during the pandemic. He is actively involved in graduate education and welcomes new students.
Christine Le is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at York University , Faculty of Science. Her research focuses on developing innovative synthetic methodologies, particularly in organic and inorganic synthesis , catalysis , and medicinal chemistry . She leads the Le Lab , which emphasizes sustainable chemical processes and drug discovery applications. Her work integrates mechanism-driven design to create efficient synthesis pathways, often leveraging renewable resources and minimizing hazardous byproducts. Key themes include: Fluorine-containing molecule synthesis Catalytic cross-coupling reactions Heterocyclic compound construction Green chemistry principles Recent research highlights include pioneering studies on carbamoyl fluorides and transition metal-catalyzed fluoroacylation. She actively publishes in leading journals and contributes to advancing synthetic organic chemistry's sustainability goals aligned with UN's Climate Action and Responsible Consumption targets. No academic awards or grants are listed in the provided materials. Her educational background is not detailed in the current text.
Liam Guilfoyle is a Senior Departmental Lecturer in Science Education at the University of Oxford’s Department of Education. He serves as Course Director for the MSc in Learning and Teaching and leads the Advanced Qualitative Research course for doctoral students across the Social Sciences Division. His academic roles include teaching on the PGCE Science programme and MSc in Medical Education, alongside supervising DPhil (PhD) students. Guilfoyle holds a PhD and BSc from the University of Limerick, Ireland. His research focuses on teachers’ engagement with research and epistemic beliefs across disciplines, particularly in science education. He leads the FoSTER Project, mapping school support for teacher research engagement, and contributes to the EU-funded FEDORA project on future-oriented science education. Previously, he conducted postdoctoral research on the Oxford Argumentation in Religion and Science (OARS) project. He is actively involved in professional committees, including the Teaching Council’s Research Engagement Group (Ireland), the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council’s Education and Training Standards Committee, and the Research Committee of NARST. He reviews for journals such as the International Journal of Science Education and Teaching and Teacher Education. Grants & Projects: Capacity for Research Around Teacher Education (CRATE), MEDiC: Medical Education Disciplines in Comparison, FEDORA (Horizon 2020), and FoSTER. Advising: Supervises doctoral students including Lucy Robinson, Anna Donaghy, and Fiona Wood. Labs/Teams: Oxford Research Staff Society (Co-Chair), OARS Project, and interdisciplinary science-religion education collaborations.
Dr. Jonathan Monten is an Associate Professor in Political Science and Director of the International Public Policy Programme at University College London (UCL). His research focuses on international relations, international security, and U.S. foreign policy. He holds a PhD from Georgetown University's Department of Government. Prior to his position at UCL, he held postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University’s Belfer Center and Yale University’s Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. His teaching includes courses on theories of international relations, international security, foreign policy analysis, and 'Big Books in Political Science.' His research has been published in leading journals such as International Security , International Studies Quarterly , and Security Studies . Key research interests include the effectiveness of foreign-imposed regime change, the role of multilateralism in military interventions, and the alignment of U.S. foreign policy elites with public opinion. He has co-authored influential studies on topics like civilian protection norms, U.S.-China policy divisions, and the post-Trump era's foreign policy dynamics. Monten’s work frequently bridges academic theory with policy implications, addressing themes such as democracy promotion, strategic cooperation, and the domestic-political drivers of international conflict.
Oleg Itskhoki is a Professor of Economics at Harvard University, moving there from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he held the Venu and Ana Kotamraju Endowed Chair. Previously, he was a Professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His research focuses on macroeconomics and international economics, particularly globalization, labor markets, currencies, exchange rates, and international relative prices. He earned a BA from Moscow State University, an MA from the New Economic School, and a PhD from Harvard. Notable accolades include the 2022 John Bates Clark Medal, Sloan Research Fellowship, and Robert E. Lucas Jr. Prize. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and serves as an NBER research associate and CEPR research affiliate. His work spans exchange rate dynamics, trade policy, and sanctions, with recent contributions on tariffs, dominant currencies, and the impact of international sanctions. His research often integrates theoretical models with empirical evidence to address global economic challenges. Education: B.A. Economics, Moscow State University M.A. Economics, New Economic School PhD Economics, Harvard University Affiliations: NBER Research Associate CEPR Research Affiliate Associate Editor, American Economic Review His articles frequently explore topics like exchange rate disconnect puzzles, optimal tariff policies, and the macroeconomic implications of sanctions. His research agenda emphasizes understanding how economic policies shape global trade and currency dynamics.
Qinfeng Zhu is an Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts, affiliated with the Research Centre for Media and Journalism Studies. Previously, she held roles including Fulbright Fellow at the University of Michigan and visiting researcher at Danube University Krems. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of media, politics, and societal dynamics, with an emphasis on misinformation, political polarization, and cross-country comparative studies. Zhu's work has been funded by prestigious grants, including the Fulbright Program and NWO (Netherlands). Research Interests: Social and political implications of new media technologies Political participation and affective polarization Strategies for combating misinformation Cross-national comparative research methodologies Publications highlight trends in disconnectivity (e.g., unfriending, blocking), misinformation resilience, and digital safe spaces. Her articles often bridge theoretical frameworks with empirical data, addressing urgent issues like public health debunking efforts and WhatsApp group dynamics. Awards include the Ernst Mach Grant (Austria) and General Research Fund (Hong Kong). Grants and Funding: Zhu has secured support from NWO, the Fulbright Scholar Program, and others. She actively collaborates internationally, contributing to special issues like the 2024 'Disconnectivity in a Changing Media Landscape' thematic edition in Media and Communication . Labs/Teams: Core member of the Research Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on digital media's societal role.
Çigdem Bozdag Bucak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Journalism Studies at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow at the University of Bremen. Her research focuses on digital media literacy, media and migration, intercultural communication, and digital inclusion. She holds a PhD in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Bremen (2013). Bozdag Bucak leads the DigiMig project (NWO Vidi Grant, 2024–2028), exploring digital inclusion among migrant generations in the Netherlands through multi-level analysis. Previously, she conducted the INCLUDED project (MSCA, 2019–2023), developing intercultural digital media education for disadvantaged youth. Her teaching includes courses on Digital Literacy, Media Theory, and Analyzing Media Production. She has published extensively in journals like Global Studies of Childhood and Media and Communication , focusing on topics such as media disconnectivity, multilingual repertoires, and participatory research with marginalized communities. Her work contributes to UN SDGs related to education and social inclusion.
