Dr Jamie Woodcock is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy at King's College London, based in the Department of Digital Humanities within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. He holds a PhD in sociology from Goldsmiths, University of London, and has held academic positions at institutions including the University of Leeds, University of Manchester, LSE, and the Open University. His research focuses on labour processes, platform work, gig economy dynamics, and worker organizing, with a particular emphasis on critical global capitalism and digital culture. Woodcock’s research interests include the games industry, unionization strategies, and resistance to algorithmic management. He is an editorial board member of Notes from Below and Historical Materialism , and contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Research Centre for Digital Culture and the Critical Global Capitalism Studies Collective at King’s. His work has been widely covered in media and he frequently speaks on digital labour issues. He has authored influential books like The Fight Against Platform Capitalism and The Gig Economy: A Critical Introduction , co-authored Guerrilla Democracy: Mobile Power and Revolution in the 21st Century , and published extensively on topics ranging from delivery platform strikes to gamification critiques. His recent recognition includes a 2025-26 Digital Futures Institute Fellowship.
Michael R. Dove is the Margaret K. Musser Professor of Social Ecology and Professor of Anthropology at Yale University, where he also serves as Curator of Anthropology at the Peabody Museum and Co-Coordinator of the Combined YSE/Anthropology Doctoral Program. With over forty years of research experience, his work focuses on environmental anthropology, particularly the environmental relations of local communities in South and Southeast Asia. Dove earned his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. His academic journey has spanned decades of field research in Asia, including more than a dozen years conducting long-term studies on human ecology in Borneo and Java, developing government research capacity in Indonesia, and advising the Pakistan Forest Service on social forestry policies. Professor Dove's research interests encompass the anthropology of climate change, cultural and political aspects of natural hazards and disasters, indigenous environmental knowledge and practice, environmental institutions and movements, history of environment-related sciences, and multispecies ethnography. His work often examines how local environmental systems interact with national and global markets, politics, and ideologies, with a focus on problematizing orthodox approaches to conservation and development. He has made significant contributions to understanding human-environment relations through both theoretical frameworks and practical applications. Dove's recent scholarly output demonstrates a progression toward more integrated approaches to environmental challenges, blending historical perspectives with contemporary issues. His publications increasingly focus on the intersections of climate change, social justice, and indigenous knowledge systems, while maintaining his longstanding interest in Southeast Asian environmental relations. The work shows a growing emphasis on post-humanist approaches and multispecies ethnography, reflecting broader trends in environmental anthropology while maintaining his distinctive focus on political ecology and institutional analysis. As an educator, Professor Dove has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students, many of whom have gone on to win research awards and secure prestigious positions. He organizes separate research labs for doctoral students from Yale School of the Environment and other departments, as well as for joint YSE/Anthropology doctoral students. His advisees typically conduct international research and have excellent records of obtaining research support both within and beyond Yale. The Dove Lab at Yale School of the Environment serves as a hub for environmental anthropology research, focusing on topics including natural resource management, property rights, power struggles, household energy transitions, and human-wildlife interactions. The lab fosters a collaborative environment with 30-50 students working on related issues each year, characterized by supportive peer dynamics rather than competition. It also contributes to policy and social change through its research and the work of its alumni.
Professor Shani Orgad is a leading academic in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics (LSE), where she holds the rank of Professor. Her research focuses on gender, feminism, media representations, and globalization, with notable works exploring motherhood, work-life balance, and the intersection of media with contemporary cultural narratives. Education: Orgad earned a bachelor’s degree in Media and Communications from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, followed by a Master's and PhD in Media and Communications at LSE. She is renowned for her interdisciplinary approach, blending media studies with ethnographic research and sociocultural analysis. Research Interests: Her work critically examines media discourses around gender, motherhood, and inequality. Key themes include the 'confidence culture' critique, menopause visibility, and the role of media in shaping public perceptions of marginalized groups. She has also explored humanitarian communication and the challenges faced by NGOs in engaging the public. Awards: Orgad has been recognized for her teaching excellence, including the 2019 LSE Teaching Excellence Prize and the 2018 LSE Excellence in Education Award. Her book Confidence Culture (2022), co-authored with Rosalind Gill, challenges neoliberal individualism in modern feminist discourse. Public Engagement: She frequently contributes to public discussions on media and gender through blogs, podcasts, and media commentaries. Her work bridges academic rigor with societal relevance, addressing issues like pandemic resilience, menopause discourse, and the impact of social media on self-perception. Current Projects: During the 2024/25 academic year, Orgad is on research leave, focusing on new projects that continue her exploration of media, gender, and cultural dynamics.
Zaur Gasimov is a Lecturer at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and currently serves as DAAD Departmental Coordinator and Co-Head at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Turkish-German University. He holds a habilitation in Modern History and Eastern European History, with a focus on Eastern European History, political science, and sociology. Education : B.A. in International Relations from Baku State University; M.A. from Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt; Doctorate in Eastern European history Research : Concentrates on Russian-Turkish relations, nationalism in Eastern Europe, cultural transfer processes, and historical narratives. His habilitation thesis analyzed Polish-Turkish anti-Soviet alliances. Publications : Authored monographs on Prometheism, Azerbaijani historiography, and Russification policies. Collaborated on comparative studies of cultural transfer and Ottoman-Russian entanglements.
Schirin Amir-Moazami is a Professor at the Institute of Islamic Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, within the Department of History and Cultural Studies. She leads the research and teaching profile Islam in Europe and serves as a Principal Investigator at the Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies since 2009. Education: PhD in Political Science/Sociology (European University Institute, 2004) Affiliations: Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin University Alliance (RePLITO), SCRIPTS Cluster of Excellence Her research focuses on political theory , critical secular studies , and Islamic practices in European public spheres . She examines how liberal-secular regimes produce knowledge about Islam, intersecting with gendered, racialized hierarchies and institutional inclusion logics. Recent work analyzes funding structures, research agendas, and epistemic frameworks shaping discourses on Islam in Europe. Key themes include racialization of minorities , secular governance of religion , and postcolonial critiques of liberal frameworks . She contributes to editorial platforms like the Trafo Blog-Essay Series and collaborates on projects addressing antimuslimischer Rassismus and liberal epistemic traps .
Gerold Schneider is an Associate Professor at the University of Zurich , affiliated with the Department of Computational Linguistics under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics . He leads the Text Crunching Center (TCC) , focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of NLP, Digital Humanities, and Health Data Science. Research Interests His work spans Text Analytics , Digital Humanities , Corpus Linguistics , and Health Data Science , with applications in: Biomedical NLP (e.g., Alzheimer’s detection, clinical trials) Digital Humanities projects (e.g., analyzing Charles Dickens, UN archives) Migration discourse framing across languages Adversarial data collection for hate speech detection Interdisciplinary methodologies for digital unstructured data Recent Publications 2025–2024 research highlights include annotated corpora for preclinical and neurological studies, AI-driven analysis of historical linguistic variation, and innovative tools for language learners. His NLP applications address health diagnostics, ethical AI, and cross-lingual political discourse. Labs & Teams As TCC leader, he spearheads collaborative projects within the Digital Society Initiative (DSI) communities (AI & Law, Health, Ethics, etc.), integrating computational methods with humanities and health research.
Lisa L. Wynn is Professor in the School of Social Sciences (Discipline of Anthropology) at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. She serves as Associate Editor of American Ethnologist (2022-2027) and previously held leadership positions including President of the Australian Anthropological Society (2020) and membership on the AAS Executive Committee (2018-2021). Wynn earned her PhD in 2003 from Princeton University's Anthropology Department, followed by postdoctoral positions at Princeton's Office of Population Research and Center for Health and Wellbeing. Her research program centers on gender, reproductive health technologies, sexuality, and religion, with continuous fieldwork in Egypt since 1998. More recently, she has expanded her work to examine ethics review bureaucracies, lay understandings of infectious disease, and young adult vaping behaviors in Australia. Her methodological approach combines deep ethnographic engagement with critical analysis of how power structures intersect with medical technologies and bodily experiences, particularly among marginalized communities. Analysis of her recent publications reveals an evolving trajectory that maintains her foundational interest in Middle Eastern contexts while increasingly addressing digital spaces (as seen in studies of online fatwas) and contemporary health crises (including pandemic responses and vaping culture), with consistent attention to bodily autonomy and reproductive justice. Her significant scholarly contributions have been recognized through multiple prestigious awards: Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award from Macquarie University (2009) Australian Award for Teaching Excellence (2012) OLT National Teaching Fellowship (2012-2014) Leeds Honor Prize from the Society for Urban, National, and Transnational/Global Anthropology (2008) Wynn actively mentors graduate researchers specializing in gender, sexuality, medicine and technology, with particular emphasis on sexual and reproductive health. Her research program has received substantial funding from the Social Science Research Council, Australian Research Council, Office of Learning and Teaching, and Hort Innovation. Notably, she co-led a major international project to develop multilingual sexual and reproductive health resources that have reached millions of users across 208 countries. She also created a free online ethics training program for humanities and social sciences researchers at Macquarie University. Through collaborations with Cambridge Reproductive Health Consultants and other partners, Wynn has successfully translated academic research into accessible public resources, including evidence-based information on medication abortion available in six languages (English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Turkish, and Farsi).
Timothy Webster serves as Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development at Western New England University's School of Law, with prior academic appointments at Yale Law School, Case Western Reserve University, and international institutions including University of Paris—Dauphine and National Taiwan University. His educational qualifications include: B.A., Yale University M.A., Yale University J.D., Cornell Law School LL.M., Cornell Law School Webster's research focuses on intersections between international law and East Asian domestic legal systems (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan), examining human rights frameworks, international trade mechanisms, foreign investment regulations, and transnational litigation strategies. His scholarship demonstrates deep engagement with historical justice issues and contemporary legal challenges in the region, delivered through presentations at over 175 international conferences conducted in English, French, Japanese, and Mandarin. Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent thematic concentration on war reparations, state immunity doctrines, corporate liability frameworks, and civil society's role in transnational redress movements, with empirical studies of litigation patterns across East Asia forming a distinctive methodological thread. His professional recognition includes: Catherine Jones Professor of the Year award (2023 and 2024) Asia Scholars Network fellowship (Luce Foundation) U.S.-Japan Network for the Future membership (Mansfield Foundation) Public Intellectuals Program selection (National Committee on U.S.-China Relations) As Associate Dean, Webster mentors law students in international legal studies while directing faculty development initiatives. His research is substantially supported by elite fellowships from the Luce Foundation, Mansfield Foundation, and National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, enabling extensive international collaboration. Webster has testified before Congress regarding China's WTO compliance and contributes legal analysis to major media outlets including The Conversation, South China Morning Post, and Los Angeles Times.
Kent A. Ono is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah, where he has held faculty appointments since 2012. Previously, he served as Department Chair (2012-2017) and has held leadership positions including Director of Asian American Studies at UIUC (2002-2007) and Director of Cultural Studies at UC Davis (1999-2002). He earned his PhD in Rhetorical Studies from the University of Iowa (1992), MA from Miami University (1988), and BA from DePauw University (1987). Professor Ono's research examines critical media analysis through frameworks of race, gender, sexuality, and nation. His work spans rhetorical theory, intercultural communication, and cultural studies, with emphasis on: Representations of Asian Americans in media Immigration discourse and border rhetoric Postcolonial media criticism Critical race methodologies Transnational cultural flows His recent publications demonstrate sustained focus on immigration rhetoric, racial representation in media, and critical intercultural communication. Thematic analysis reveals consistent engagement with power structures, identity negotiation, and resistance narratives across 30+ years of scholarship, with emerging work on K-pop globalization and digital culture. Awards & Honors: Presidential Citation, National Communication Association (2024) Fellow, International Communication Association (2021) Douglas W. Ehninger Distinguished Rhetorical Scholar (2018) Distinguished Scholar Awards from NCA (2015, 2022), WSCA (2020) Teachers on Teaching Award, NCA (2015) He has held editorial leadership positions including Editor of Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies and co-editor of NYU Press's Critical Cultural Communication series. As NCA President (2020), he advanced equity initiatives and disciplinary transformation. Ono founded the Asian American Cultural Politics Research Cluster at UC Davis and secured grants including 'Portraits of Courage: Photographs by Shane Sato' (2019). He teaches graduate seminars in Rhetorical Studies and International Communication.
Rebecca Dyer is a **Professor of English** at **Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology**, where she has been affiliated since 2002. Her academic career includes teaching Technical and Professional Communications, film, and literature courses, with a focus on transnational, postcolonial, and British studies. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Texas at Austin (2002), an MA from the University of Tulsa (1995), and a BS in Journalism from Oklahoma State University (1989). Her research explores class, power, and anticolonial dynamics in literature and film. Notable projects include analyses of works by Graham Greene, Harold Pinter, Mahmoud Darwish, and filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard. She conducted Fulbright-funded research in Lebanon (2007–08), producing scholarship on servant narratives and Lebanese cultural studies. Her work frequently intersects with migration, displacement, and transnational identities. Dr. Dyer’s awards include the **Fulbright Traditional Scholars Award** (Lebanon) and **Rose-Hulman’s Scholar of the Year Award** (2007). Her teaching and research span global literatures, with a particular emphasis on British and Arabic texts. She has also taught at France’s Université d’Orléans (2015–16) and contributed to cultural studies courses abroad. Her publications address themes like servant-worker depictions, postcolonial cinema, and memorialization of conflicts. Current research includes forthcoming analyses of Bong Joon Ho’s *Parasite* and Steven Zaillian’s *Ripley* series, exploring parasitic power dynamics.
Dr. Jennifer Sclafani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics at UMass Boston . Her research focuses on identity construction , language ideologies , and political discourse .
Timo Kaartinen serves as Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology and Vice Dean for Research and Doctoral Education at the University of Helsinki 's Faculty of Political Science . Since 1992, he has conducted extensive research in Southeast Asia with a focus on Indonesia, exploring communicative practices, narratives, and cultural responses to uncertainty. His teaching spans social change in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, covering environmental anthropology, political anthropology, cosmologies, religions, and linguistic anthropology. PhD in Anthropology, University of Chicago (2001) Docent (Adjunct Professor), University of Helsinki (2011) Research interests center on ethical discourse in Indonesian Islamic universities, resource politics in oil palm estates, and linguistic anthropology with emphasis on storytelling, folk poetry, and minority language revitalization. His work combines ethnographic focus on Southeast Asia with theoretical contributions to frontier studies and postcolonial anthropology. Recent publications examine frontier temporalities (2020-2025), Islamic transformations (2019), and oral narrative structures (2017-2013). Key projects include ARCTIC Research Centre (2025-2029), Diversity in Society and Life (DIVSOL) (2025-2030), and Religious Movements in Ethical Life (2019-2023). Grants from the Academy of Finland and University Profiling Funding support these initiatives. Academic activities include keynote speeches at international conferences (e.g., Empowering Local Wisdom 2014, Labor Migration in Asia-Pacific 2013) and editorial roles. He has conducted fieldwork in Indonesia since 1992, focusing on Bandanese cultural heritage and Maluku religious dynamics . His methodological approach combines ethnographic fieldwork with historical document analysis .
Hannah Engeler is a Researcher at the Institute of Political Science (IPW) at Heidelberg University, affiliated with the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. She serves in Examination Administration and holds a master’s degree in Comparative Conflict Analysis and International Governance from Heidelberg University, Aarhus University, and the Università degli Studi di Milano. Since 2024, she has been pursuing a doctoral degree focusing on ambiguity in international politics. Education: Master’s in Comparative Conflict Analysis and International Governance (Heidelberg/Aarhus/Milano) Her research interests include international relations, regulatory policy, migration/asylum policy, and methodological approaches such as qualitative discourse analysis and computational text analysis. Her 2023 publication explores economic metaphors in political discourse, bridging political science and applied linguistics. Consultation hours: Mondays 10:00–11:00 a.m. (registration required). Telephone availability: Mondays 9:00–10:00 a.m. and Thursdays 9:30–10:30 a.m. No scientific awards are listed. No advising or grants are mentioned. She is part of the IPW team, contributing to academic administration and research in political science.
Jostein Gripsrud is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen, Norway. He has held leadership roles including Head of Department (2004–2007) and has been a Professor since 1991. His career includes adjunct professorships at Stavanger University College and visiting fellowships at institutions like the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Paris) and UCLA. Education: Dr.philos. (Honorary PhD), University of Bergen (1988) Cand.philol. (Norwegian M.A.), University of Bergen (1979) Research Interests: Focuses on media and the public sphere, media policy, cultural studies, and political communication. His work explores topics like digitalization’s impact on democracy, Scandinavian immigration discourse, and the role of media in shaping societal narratives. Key Publications Trends: Recent works analyze political polarization in Norway, Scandinavian media coverage of immigration, and historical media policy. Earlier research includes foundational studies on television’s role in European democracy and cultural capital dynamics. Awards: 2014 Norwegian Media Association Communication of Knowledge Prize 2001 University of Bergen Meltzer Prize 2011 International Francqui Professorship Research Projects: Includes the SCANPUB project on public discourse and political decision-making in Scandinavia. Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary research networks, particularly in media policy and cultural studies.
Jorge Botelho Moniz is an Associate Professor at Lusófona University , where he also serves as Director of the Political Science and International Relations degree program and the Master's in Religious Sciences. He is a researcher at LusoGlobe (Centre's Board of Directors), a member of the Centre for Global Studies at Universidade Aberta, and collaborates with the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (NOVA University Lisbon). Additionally, he is a Guest Lecturer at the Portuguese Air Force Academy's Basic Command Course since 2024. PhD in Political Science (NOVA University Lisbon) Master’s in Law Bachelor’s in Political Science and International Relations His research focuses on secularization , religious populism , state-church relations , and cultural diversity , with a particular interest in their intersections in Portuguese and European contexts. He has explored themes like the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious freedom , the role of Christian secularism , and the privatization of religion in modern societies. His recent academic output emphasizes religious populism , modernophobia , and Islamophobia in Portugal, alongside secularization theories and religious community dynamics in Lisbon and Odivelas. He has contributed to journals like Conscience and Liberty , REVER , and Religions , analyzing the de-privatization of religion and state-religion policies . Moniz has collaborated on projects such as the Charter of Religions Odivelas (2022-23) and contributed to the Religion and Public Space project (Catholic University of Portugal, 2017-19). He was a visiting scholar at Sciences Po Paris - University of Poitiers (2014) and held non-academic roles including Political Affairs Attaché at the Belgian Embassy in Portugal (2019-20) and Research Policy Officer during the EU Presidency (2020-21).
