Vincent Kaufmann is an Associate Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) , leading the Urban Sociology Laboratory (LaSUR) . Since 2010, he serves as Scientific Director of the Mobile Lives Forum in Paris. His career spans teaching at institutions like Lancaster University , Ecole des Ponts ParisTech , and Tongji University , with research focusing on mobility sociology , urban dynamics , and public policy evaluation . Master's in Sociology from University of Geneva PhD at EPFL on transport modal practices His work explores mobility-capital interactions , motility , and rhythmanalysis in contemporary societies. Key themes include urban lifestyle transformations , cross-border regions , and mobility-sustainability nexus , with recent emphasis on new proximities and slow cities . Teaching roles span EPFL departments like Teaching (EDAR) , Architecture and Urban Sciences (SGC) , and Human and Social Sciences (CDH) . He has directed numerous PhD and master's theses on urban mobility topics.
Prof. Dr. Matthias A. Tietz is an Assistant Professor and leads the Competence Center for Entrepreneurship at the St.Gallen Institute of Management in Asia (SGI-HSG), part of the University of St.Gallen in Singapore. He holds affiliate positions at IE Business School (Madrid), INDEG ISCTE (Lisbon), and the Mediterranean School of Business (Tunis). His academic journey includes degrees from Ivey Business School (Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship), Universidad del Pacífico (Peru), and Nanyang Business School (MBA, Singapore). Research focuses on entrepreneurial decision making, corporate innovation in SMEs and MNCs, and business model copycats. He regularly presents at global conferences like the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference and Academy of Management Annual Meetings. Prior to academia, he consulted for companies like DHL, Henkel, and Sulzer Engineering, focusing on HR and turnaround management. He teaches courses on business consulting, social entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia, and executive education programs globally. Awarded multiple Best Paper Awards (2012, 2014, 2020) and Best Lecturer Awards across IE University programs (2019-2020). Engaged in startups as an advisor and investor, emphasizing cultural diversity in entrepreneurial contexts. Active in pro bono projects, such as supporting rural entrepreneurs in Peru.
Natalia Umansky serves as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Political Science at the University of Zurich's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, affiliated with the Institute of Political Science and the Digital Democracy Lab within the Digital Society Initiative (DSI). Her institutional profile highlights interdisciplinary engagement across DSI's Cybersecurity, Democracy, and Digital Humanities communities. Academic Background: PhD in Politics and International Relations (defence pending) from University College Dublin Iseult Honohan Scholar at University College Dublin's Connected_Politics Lab Her research pioneers Computational Social Science methodologies to analyze social media ecosystems, specializing in securitization theory applications to digital political communication. Current projects examine agenda-setting constellations in financial policy, hate speech detection frameworks, and TikTok's impact on youth political engagement. Methodologically, she integrates network analysis, natural language processing, and comparative case studies to investigate how security narratives propagate across digital platforms and influence democratic processes. Publication trends reveal a strategic evolution from foundational work on terrorism-migration linkages (2016) toward cutting-edge examinations of AI moderation systems (2024) and generative AI's role in security discourse (2025). Her scholarship consistently bridges political theory, data science, and platform governance with emphasis on empirical validation of computational models. Scientific Recognition: Iseult Honohan Scholar (University College Dublin) As a core member of Zurich's Digital Democracy Lab, Umansky contributes to high-impact collaborative projects analyzing digital threats to electoral integrity and developing transparency standards for algorithmic governance. Her work positions her at the forefront of computational political science, with emerging leadership in establishing methodological best practices for social media analysis in security contexts.
Hanno Degner is a Researcher at the University of Zurich's Department of Political Science (Institut für Politikwissenschaft), part of the Philosophische Fakultät. He serves as Study Program Coordinator (Studienprogrammkoordinator) and teaches courses like the CIS Doktorierendenkolloquium for doctoral students. His work focuses on European integration dynamics, crisis governance, and Franco-German diplomatic relations within the EU framework. Research interests include EU decision-making processes during crises, transboundary policy responses, and the role of bilateral cooperation (e.g., France-Germany) in stabilizing the Eurozone. His analyses often combine quantitative data with institutional theory, examining how crises drive policy reforms and integration. Publications span topics such as Eurozone crisis management, German policy preferences, and the mechanics of Franco-German leadership in EU policymaking. His work highlights institutional adaptation mechanisms and the interplay between public attention, governmental bargaining, and supranational activism. He is affiliated with the University of Zurich's Political Science Institute, located at Affolternstrasse 56 in Zürich. His research contributes to debates on EU governance, fiscal solidarity, and subnational diplomacy (e.g., Baden-Württemberg's EU engagement under Green-Red coalitions).
Dr. Benjamin Watts is a beamline scientist at the Paul Scherrer Institute's (PSI) Center for Photon Science, specializing in soft X-ray spectro-microscopy for organic materials analysis. He earned his BSc (Professional) in Physics with Honours and PhD in Physics from the University of Newcastle, Australia, followed by postdoctoral research at North Carolina State University and the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley. University of Newcastle, Australia - BSc (Professional) in Physics University of Newcastle, Australia - PhD in Physics His research focuses on advanced X-ray techniques like NEXAFS spectroscopy and STXM microscopy to study nanoscale chemical and magnetic properties in polymer electronics and photonic crystals. He has pioneered 7 nm resolution imaging and developed software tools for data analysis. Recent publications highlight his work in 3D imaging methodologies, contamination control, and data format standardization. He serves as Chair of the NeXus International Advisory Committee, improving data exchange protocols for neutron/X-ray experiments. Benjamin Watts coordinates external user groups at the PolLux beamline, implementing hardware/software upgrades while advancing scientific research through novel imaging capabilities and data infrastructure.
Solène Morvant-Roux is an Associate Professor at the University of Geneva , holding a Doctor of Economics degree. Her work bridges economics and sociology, focusing on microfinance, financial inclusion, over-indebtedness , and rural development in Latin America and North Africa. She employs mixed methods approaches to analyze financial markets' socio-economic impacts. Research Trends: Her recent publications examine debt moralities in Switzerland, ecological dispossession in Mexico's Río Santiago region, and transnational financial behaviors in West Africa. She critiques financialization processes in social policies and explores collective resistances against microcredit systems through empirical studies in India and Morocco. 2023: Authored the book Sacralized Debt , analyzing Swiss debt hierarchies 2021: Co-authored replication study on Moroccan microcredit failures in Third World Quarterly 2020: Published two articles in Development and Change and Oxford Development Studies on ecological dependency and mobile money politics Grants & Projects: Led Swiss National Science Foundation research (2016-2020) on microcredit water access in the Global South. Directed projects for the European Investment Bank, AFD, and ANR on financial inclusion during crises and rural Moroccan markets.
Christopher Waller serves as a Governor of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., where he leads critical research in monetary policy and financial stability. His work spans central banking operations, payment systems innovation, and macroeconomic modeling, with frequent appearances at international policy forums including the OECD, IMF, and central bank conferences worldwide. Waller's research focuses on contemporary monetary policy challenges, particularly inflation dynamics, balance sheet normalization, and the implications of digital currencies. His publications reveal deep engagement with practical policy dilemmas such as zero-lower-bound constraints, optimal stabilization frameworks, and the fiscal implications of monetary policy implementation. Recent work increasingly addresses payment system innovations including stablecoins and central bank digital currencies. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications shows consistent thematic evolution from traditional monetary policy frameworks toward emerging financial technologies and crisis-era policy tools. His work demonstrates sophisticated integration of theoretical modeling with empirical analysis of real-world policy impacts, particularly regarding market reactions to communication strategies and the microfoundations of monetary phenomena. Top 5% Author on RePEc across multiple ranking dimensions including citation impact, publication volume, and network centrality Recognized for influential contributions to monetary theory and central banking practice Waller actively shapes monetary policy discourse through frequent speeches at major institutions including the Council on Foreign Relations, Brookings Institution, and international central banks. His work informs both academic scholarship and practical policy implementation at the highest levels of central banking, with particular emphasis on transparent communication and data-driven decision making. Though not explicitly documented in the source material, his position implies significant advisory responsibilities regarding Federal Open Market Committee deliberations and financial regulatory frameworks.
Martin Gysel Beer is Group Head of Aerosol Physics and Optics at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and Lecturer at ETH Zurich, where he teaches courses on aerosols. His research advances understanding of climate and health impacts of atmospheric aerosols through experimental studies, long-term observations at high-altitude stations like Jungfraujoch, and integration of remote sensing data. Education includes a PhD from ETH Zurich/PSI, postdoctoral work at the University of Manchester, and a Leadership in Science certificate from FHNW. Research focuses on: Aerosol optical properties and cloud interactions Black carbon aging and climate effects Development of advanced measurement techniques Global aerosol monitoring networks (ACTRIS/GAW) Recent publications emphasize aerosol-cloud interactions, black carbon characterization, and pollution source attribution, with fieldwork spanning Arctic to Amazonian environments. Awards include: ERC Consolidator Grant for BLACARAT project SNSF Ambizione Fellowship Professor Dr Vilho Väisälä Award (WMO) Leads major projects including ACTRIS (European aerosol infrastructure) and Jungfraujoch observatory operations. Directs the PSI Aerosol Physics group, coordinating international collaborations and instrumentation development for atmospheric studies.
Dr. Samad Sarferaz is a Lecturer at the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics at ETH Zurich, where he serves as Head of the Research Division for Macroeconomic Forecasting and Data Science at the KOF Swiss Economic Institute. His work focuses on empirical macroeconomics, with a particular emphasis on time series econometrics and economic history. He teaches Methods of Macroeconomic Forecasting and contributes to the academic and research community through his extensive publication record. Dr. Sarferaz's research interests span several key areas in macroeconomics. His primary focus is on Empirical Macroeconomics , where he applies rigorous statistical methods to understand economic fluctuations and policy impacts. He has made significant contributions to Bayesian Time Series Econometrics , developing methodologies for forecasting and uncertainty measurement. His work in Quantitative Economic History provides long-term perspectives on business cycles and financial crises. Additionally, he explores Macroeconomic Survey Experiments , investigating how firms and households process information and form expectations under uncertainty. Analysis of Dr. Sarferaz's recent publications reveals a strong focus on measuring and understanding macroeconomic uncertainty. His work examines how uncertainty affects firm behavior, household decisions, and policy effectiveness across different institutional settings. A significant portion of his research investigates the transmission mechanisms of economic shocks, particularly exchange rate fluctuations and oil price changes. His methodological contributions include innovative approaches to data revision analysis, output gap estimation, and dynamic factor modeling for business cycle analysis. Dr. Sarferaz leads the Macroeconomic Forecasting and Data Science research division at KOF, directing research projects and contributing to the institute's forecasting activities. His work combines theoretical insights with empirical evidence, often utilizing survey data from firms and households to test macroeconomic models. Through his position at ETH Zurich and KOF, he contributes to both academic research and practical economic analysis for policymakers.
