Todd Collins is a Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs at the University of Western Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Georgia, a JD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a BA from the same institution. His research focuses on judicial decision-making, legal system biases, and the intersection of religion, politics, and policy. Key research interests include racial and gender disparities in legal contexts, media’s role in shaping public perception of courts, and religious influences on legislative behavior. Collins has extensively studied Supreme Court dynamics, appellate processes, and the interplay between public opinion and judicial rulings. His work bridges empirical legal studies with sociological and political frameworks, addressing issues such as courtroom fairness, attorney collaboration barriers, and the impact of religious affiliations on policymaking. Notable projects include analyses of case salience metrics and the role of precedent in judicial reasoning.
Allan Sikk is a Professor of Comparative Politics at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London (UCL). He joined UCL in 2007 following a PhD from Tartu University and a tenure as head of the Estonian parliament’s research service. His research focuses on electoral candidates, party switching in parliaments, and party system evolution, with a 2023 co-authored book, *Party People: Candidates and Party Evolution* (Oxford University Press), analyzing party change through candidate data in Central and Eastern Europe. He leads the INSTAPARTY project, a 4-year initiative funded by the Norwegian Research Council, studying party instability in parliaments. Education: PhD, University of Tartu (2006) MA, University of Tartu (2001) BA, University of Tartu (1999) Research expertise spans political science, comparative government, and democratization, with a focus on Europe and Eastern Europe. His work integrates classic comparative models with insights from new democracies. He is fluent in English, Estonian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Russian, and reads multiple languages. Grants and Projects: Co-Principal Investigator, INSTAPARTY: Party Instability in Parliaments (Norwegian Research Council) His publications analyze party system volatility, parliamentary behavior, and electoral dynamics, emphasizing candidate turnover and institutional adaptation. He contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 16 (Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions).
James J. Duane is a Professor at Regent Law School , part of Regent University. He has held visiting roles as Distinguished Visiting Professor at William and Mary Law School and served as a faculty associate at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. His expertise spans Evidence Law, Civil Procedure, Trial Practice, and Appellate Advocacy, with over 30 scholarly articles and co-authorship of Weissenberger’s Federal Evidence . He has been recognized with multiple teaching and scholarship awards, including the Regent Faculty Excellence Awards and the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award from Virginia’s Higher Education Council. Duane holds a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School and an A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. His research focuses on evidentiary rules, procedural law, and legal advocacy. He has lectured nationally on topics such as hearsay exceptions, jury instructions, and constitutional rights, and has testified before the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules. His public advocacy includes a widely viewed YouTube talk advising against police interrogations for innocent suspects. Duane is also a contributing editor to Black’s Law Dictionary and teaches at the National Trial Advocacy College and National Litigation Academy. Key professional milestones include serving as trial counsel in Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network (1997 Supreme Court case) and clerking for federal judges. He is admitted to practice in New York and Virginia, and maintains active roles in legal associations like the Virginia Bar Association. His awards reflect sustained excellence in teaching, scholarship, and contributions to legal education.
Tiffany D. Barnes is a Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a PhD from Rice University and specializes in Comparative Politics with a focus on gender and politics, Latin American politics, and political leadership. Her research examines institutional influences on political behavior through quantitative and qualitative methods. Education: PhD, Rice University Her work has secured over $600,000 in grants and includes authorship of four books: Gendering Legislative Behavior , Working Class Inclusion , The Representational Consequences of Electronic Voting Reform , and Women, Politics, and Power . She co-edits the Elements in Gender & Politics series for Cambridge University Press and serves as editor at the British Journal of Political Science . Scientific awards include the Emerging Scholar Award (2018), Early Career Award (2017), Alan Rosenthal Prize (2017), and Richard F. Fenno, Jr. Prize (2024). She founded The Empirical Study of Gender Research Network (EGEN) and has held prestigious fellowships at Notre Dame and Tulane.
Janina Grabs is Professor of Sustainability Research at the University of Basel, where she heads the subject area of Sustainability Research within the Department of Social Sciences at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is responsible for social science teaching in the Master's program in Sustainable Development and leads a research group investigating sustainability governance in global value chains, particularly in tropical agricultural commodities. Her academic background includes a PhD in Political Science from Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (2018), with research stays at Carleton University in Ottawa and Yale University in New Haven. Prior to her current position since June 1, 2024, she worked as an assistant professor at ESADE Business School in Barcelona (2021-2024) and as a postdoc at ETH Zurich (2019-2021). Professor Grabs' research focuses on transnational sustainability governance in global value chains, examining how states, firms, NGOs and other actors can improve environmental and social sustainability in commodity production. Her interdisciplinary work bridges political economy, regulatory governance, and business in society scholarship to investigate who defines sustainability in the marketplace, what rule-making mechanisms exist, their effectiveness, and potential unintended consequences on smallholders' livelihoods. She places special emphasis on coffee, palm oil, and cocoa sectors, exploring how global production and consumption processes can be steered toward more sustainable directions within market frameworks. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on zero-deforestation initiatives, supply chain due diligence legislation (particularly the EU Deforestation Regulation), jurisdictional approaches to sustainable commodity governance, and the evolving role of various actors in sustainability governance. Her work spans multiple commodities but shows particular depth in coffee and palm oil sectors, examining both environmental and social dimensions of sustainability through field research in Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica and Indonesia. Her significant contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious awards: 2021 Organizations and the Natural Environment Book Award from the Academy of Management 2022 Lynton Keith Caldwell Award for the best book in the field of science, technology and environmental politics from the American Political Science Association Professor Grabs actively mentors doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers including Alexandra Bögner, Charline Depoorter, Lucia Casalegno, Lesly Nassila, and Philipp Dunker. Her research is supported by multiple third-party funded projects such as EXPECT-AGRI (investigating political economy of expectations in agri-food sustainability transformations), PACSMAC (examining paradoxes of climate-smart coffee production), and research on zero-deforestation commitments in the palm oil sector. She also serves as book review editor for the journal Regulation & Governance and participates in professional associations including the ECPR Standing Group on Regulatory Governance and the International Studies Association. She leads the Sustainability Research Group at the University of Basel, which conducts interdisciplinary research on sustainability governance and transformations toward more sustainable socio-economic systems, with particular focus on agri-food, energy, and mobility sectors while addressing critical questions of justice, equity, and inclusivity in sustainability transitions.
Pamela Ferguson is a Professor at Dundee Law School, University of Dundee, United Kingdom. She holds the Chair in Scots Law since 2000, with prior roles as Senior Lecturer (1995-1999) and Lecturer (1989-1995). Her career began in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (1986-1989), followed by roles as an examiner and committee member for the Law Society of Scotland. Education: Doctor of Laws (PhD) from University of Dundee (1994), LLB with First Class Honours from University of Glasgow (1985). Her research focuses on Criminal Law , Criminal Procedure , and Healthcare Law , with notable work on medical liability, clinical trials ethics, and Scots criminal justice reforms. She authored the Draft Criminal Code for Scotland with Commentary (2003) and co-authored Scots Criminal Law: A Critical Analysis (2014). Recent publications highlight trends in Scottish criminal procedure , eyewitness identification , and medical injury compensation . Her scientific awards include the 2023 Chancellor’s Award for Teaching and the 1985 Dr John MacCormick Prize. Scientific Awards: Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching (2023) Joint winner of the Dr John MacCormick Prize (1985) Professor Ferguson supervises PhD and Masters students in criminal justice , healthcare law , and comparative criminal law. She has served as an external examiner at multiple UK universities and contributed to law reform committees.
Konrad Kollnig is an Assistant Professor at Maastricht University’s Faculty of Law, specializing in the intersection of law and technology. He leads the RegTech4AI project, which combines legal and technical methods to address challenges in the AI and digital platforms sector. His academic background includes a PhD and MSc from the University of Oxford and a BSc from RWTH Aachen, with his PhD thesis winning the prestigious Stefano Rodotà Award 2024. Research focuses on market power analysis in digital platforms, ethical AI governance, and privacy-preserving technologies. He developed the TrackerControl app (200,000+ downloads) to expose app tracking practices. His work has influenced EU, OECD, US FTC, and other regulatory bodies, and been featured in Forbes, Wired, and New Scientist. Key achievements include winning the United Nations Privacy Competition 2022 and the Best Student Privacy Paper Award 2022. He holds a five-year RegTech4AI project grant (€2.1M) funding six researchers. Talks and collaborations span institutions like Georgetown University, CNIL, and the Council of Europe. His interdisciplinary approach bridges computer science, law, and policy to address systemic risks in digital ecosystems.
Hugo Subtil is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich, affiliated with the Chair of Comparative Politics in Political Institutions and European Politics. He is an active member of the University's Digital Society Initiative (DSI), particularly engaged with the DSI Community AI & Law and multiple other interdisciplinary communities including Cybersecurity, Digital Humanities, and Ethics. His academic background includes: Economics studies at École Polytechnique (France) PhD from École des Mines and École Polytechnique (France) Subtil's research program integrates Political Economy, Political Science, and Computational Social Science to investigate European political dynamics through quantitative text analysis. He specializes in extracting political ideologies from large-scale text corpora using machine learning algorithms and social media data, with dual research foci: (1) how institutional design shapes social norms and behaviors, and (2) longitudinal evolution of political ideologies. His methodological approach bridges traditional political science with cutting-edge computational techniques for analyzing legislative discourse and public communication. Analysis of his 12 publications (2020-2025) reveals a clear trajectory from historical economic analysis toward contemporary computational political science. Early work (2020-2021) examined Marxian economics and pandemic-era urban migration patterns, while recent research (2023-2025) increasingly focuses on European Parliament discourse, populism, and emotional rhetoric using advanced text mining techniques. This evolution demonstrates growing specialization in computational analysis of political communication within European institutions. No scientific awards or major honors are documented in the available information. While no formal advisees or grant funding details are specified, Subtil's collaborative work within the DSI framework suggests engagement with interdisciplinary research teams addressing digital society challenges. His position within the Chair of Comparative Politics indicates involvement in departmental research initiatives related to European governance. Subtil operates at the nexus of multiple research ecosystems: the Department of Political Science's European Politics research group, the university-wide Digital Society Initiative, and specialized DSI communities exploring AI-law intersections. His work contributes to the DSI's mission of addressing societal challenges through digitalization research, particularly in computational analysis of political discourse and institutional behavior.
Tatsuhiro Ueno serves as Professor at Waseda University's Faculty of Law and School of Law, specializing in Intellectual Property Law, Copyright Law, and Information Law. He currently holds leadership positions as Director of the Institute of Comparative Law (since 2024) and President of SARLIB (Society for Administration of Remuneration for Public Transmission by Libraries or Similar Facilities). With extensive international experience including visiting scholar positions at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law, Professor Ueno has established himself as a leading authority in copyright law reform and international intellectual property matters. Professor Ueno earned his Master of Law from Kyoto University following undergraduate and graduate studies there. His academic career includes teaching positions at Rikkyo University College of Law and Politics and Seijo University Faculty of Law before joining Waseda University in 2013, where he now contributes to shaping Japan's legal education landscape. His research focuses on the critical intersection of intellectual property law with emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence systems and digital platforms. Professor Ueno has pioneered work on text and data mining exceptions, copyright limitations in digital environments, and creator-oriented copyright frameworks. His scholarship bridges theoretical analysis with practical policy development, influencing both domestic legislation and international copyright discourse. His recent publications demonstrate a concentrated focus on AI and copyright law, with numerous articles examining the legal challenges posed by generative AI systems, text and data mining exceptions, and the evolving landscape of copyright protection in the digital era. Professor Ueno's work consistently addresses the balance between protecting creators' rights and ensuring public access to knowledge. KDDI Foundation Book Publishing Grant (January 2025) for "Creator-Oriented Copyright System" Professor Ueno actively participates in numerous government committees shaping Japan's copyright law, including serving as Chairman of the Law and Computers Society and as a longstanding member of the Copyright Subcommittee of the Council for Cultural Affairs. His research is supported by multiple grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, including ongoing projects examining human portraits and voices in the AI age (2025-2029) and AI and intellectual property rights systems (2024-2029). He regularly presents at international forums including WIPO Summer Schools, ATRIP conferences, and copyright forums worldwide, establishing his reputation as a key thought leader in global copyright policy development.
Dr. Robert Lieck is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Durham University. His research focuses on interdisciplinary applications of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing interpretability, robustness, and ethical considerations. He explores computational models in music cognition, communication dynamics, and medical image analysis, aiming to bridge theory and practical tools for domain experts. Before Durham, he was a postdoctoral researcher at EPFL's Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab (2018–2021) and earned his PhD from the Learning and Intelligent Systems Lab in Stuttgart/Berlin (2012–2017). His work combines probabilistic modelling, neuro-symbolic systems, and reinforcement learning to address challenges in music analysis, autonomous decision-making, and medical robotics. Key research themes include: Music structure and perception modelling Symbol emergence in multi-agent communication Ethical AI and autonomous systems governance Medical imaging applications (CT/MRI analysis) Recent projects involve developing patient-agnostic diabetes management systems using deep reinforcement learning and surgical workflow anticipation through graph learning algorithms. He actively contributes to conferences such as NeurIPS, ISMIR, and AAAI, with publications spanning music informatics, robotics, and biomedical engineering. Current supervision includes four postgraduate students focusing on AI applications in healthcare, music technology, and autonomous systems. His work bridges technical innovation with societal impact, addressing challenges in policy, legislation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Elisa Morgera is a Professor of Global Environmental Law at the University of Strathclyde and the UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights (2024–present). She previously directed the UKRI GCRF One Ocean Hub (2019–2024), a transformative ocean governance initiative spanning 22 institutions globally. Her research focuses on international environmental law, human rights, equity, and oceans governance, with particular attention to Indigenous peoples, small-scale fishers, and climate justice. Education includes a PhD in International Law from the European University Institute and an LLM in Environmental Law from University College London. She also holds an adjunct professorship at the University of Eastern Finland. Research interests integrate environmental law with human rights, equity, and sustainability, addressing topics like benefit-sharing in natural resources, marine biodiversity, and corporate accountability. She has advised UN agencies, governments, and NGOs, and contributed to Scottish human rights frameworks, including recommendations for a legal right to a healthy environment. Key awards include election to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2022). Her work spans over 180 publications, including articles on climate governance, ocean defenders' rights, and BBNJ Agreements. She leads interdisciplinary projects funded by UKRI, the EU, and global partnerships. Elisa has advised on over 30 international initiatives, including contributions to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment. Her advisory roles include the Scottish Government’s Human Rights Leadership Task Force (2018–2020), shaping national human rights legislation. Her One Ocean Hub and other collaborations emphasize equity and inclusion in ocean policy, involving communities in decision-making processes.
Arti K. Rai is the Elvin R. Latty Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for Innovation Policy at Duke Law School. She is an internationally recognized expert in Intellectual Property Law , Biotechnology , Administrative Law , and Health Law , with research funded by NIH, NSF, Arnold Ventures, and other institutions. Her work spans peer-reviewed journals like Science , New England Journal of Medicine , and Nature Biotechnology . Recent articles focus on AI challenges in patent law , biologics manufacturing patents , orphan drug policies , and data privacy in medical information commons . She has served in federal advisory roles, including the Department of Commerce and the National Academies’ Forum on Drug Discovery . Key themes in her research include trustworthiness in data-sharing systems , participant-centric governance , and legal frameworks for biomedical innovation . Her policy work addresses drug pricing , patent reform , and government licensing authority .
Dr. Will Grant is an Associate Professor in Science Communication at the Australian National University’s Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science. His work focuses on science communication, public policy, and the intersection of science with politics and technology. He holds a PhD from The University of Queensland and has been at ANU since 2008. His research explores science communication strategies, misinformation dynamics, and the societal impacts of emerging technologies. He has authored over 100 publications in outlets like Public Understanding of Science and Environmental Communication , and his work has reached 1.8 million readers on The Conversation . He co-founded PostAc, a platform analyzing PhD job markets, and has advised organizations including the Office of the Chief Scientist and CSIRO. Grant’s research interests include science communication pedagogy, the role of social media in shaping public discourse, and the ethical dimensions of geoengineering. He has organized high-impact outreach initiatives like the Long Conversations dialogue series and hosts the podcast The Wholesome Show . His awards include the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Public Policy and Outreach (2015) and the Sidney Sax Medal (2020). He supervises numerous graduate students and teaches courses on science communication ethics, digital media, and science-policy interaction.
Antonia Agulló Agüero is a distinguished Professor at Pompeu Fabra University specializing in Financial and Tax Law. With a scholarly career spanning over four decades from 1980 to 2025, she has established herself as a leading authority in Spanish tax law with growing expertise in EU tax frameworks and public finance systems. Her academic contributions include 26 journal articles, 27 collaborative works, 15 books, and direction of 20 doctoral theses. Her research interests focus on Tax Law , Financial Law , and Public Finance , with particular expertise in EU Taxation, Local Government Finance, Constitutional Tax Law, and International Taxation. Her scholarly work demonstrates a clear evolution from foundational tax principles to complex contemporary issues including healthcare financing, cross-border taxation, and fiscal policy responses to economic crises. Analysis of her most recent publications (2016-2020) reveals increasing attention to healthcare financing mechanisms, EU tax harmonization challenges, and the constitutional dimensions of public spending. Her work bridges theoretical legal scholarship with practical policy applications, particularly in regional tax autonomy and fiscal federalism within Spain's autonomous communities framework. As a dedicated academic mentor, she has supervised 20 doctoral students whose research spans diverse tax law topics including international double taxation, public debt concepts, soft law in international taxation, and environmental taxation. Her students have gone on to contribute significantly to academic and professional tax discourse in Spain. Her scholarly infrastructure includes leadership in academic publications, participation in professional tax councils (notably the Barcelona Tax Council), and contributions to major tax law reforms including Spain's General Tax Law and Personal Income Tax legislation. Her work continues to influence tax policy development in Spain and EU member states.
Gianluca Passarelli is a Full Professor at the Department of Political Science, Sapienza University of Rome. His academic work focuses on Political Science and Comparative Politics , particularly Electoral Systems , Political Parties , and Presidentialization . University: Sapienza University of Rome Department: Department of Political Science Email: gianluca.passarelli@uniroma1.it His research explores preferential voting systems , electoral reform , party transformation , and executive institutional dynamics across Italy, Europe, and the Western Balkans. Recent works analyze the 2020 Italian constitutional referendum , Salvini's League evolution , and democratization processes in the Western Balkans . Key projects include Institutional Settings and Voting Behavior (INSET&VOTE) , Populism and Euroscepticism , and DeDec (Democracy in Decline) . His publications span books like Preferential Voting Systems (Palgrave, 2019) and chapters in major handbooks.
