Patrick Overeem is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), specializing in Political Science and Public Administration. He holds a PhD from Leiden University (2010) and advanced degrees in Public Administration and Political Science from the same institution. His research focuses on democratic theory, value pluralism, statesmanship, and EU governance. He is affiliated with the Multi-layered Governance (MLG) research group and serves on editorial boards, including the American Review of Public Administration . Overeem's work emphasizes ethical leadership, compromise in politics, and the interplay between democracy and pluralism. Key contributions include his 2012 book on the politics-administration dichotomy and his neo-Aristotelian analyses of political virtue. He has led projects like the EU-funded RECONNECT initiative (2018–2022), exploring democratic reconciliation in Europe. He advises Dutch parliamentary integrity committees and contributes to public debates on ethics and governance through media engagements. His research bridges classical political theory with contemporary challenges, addressing topics like postliberalism, moral dilemmas in governance, and constitutional frameworks. Overeem teaches courses on political theory, democratic systems, and the history of political thought, fostering critical engagement with ethical and institutional dimensions of power.
Lili Wang is an Associate Professor of Nonprofit Leadership and Management at Arizona State University (ASU), based in the Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions and the School of Community Resources and Development. She is affiliated with the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation and the Center for Organization Research and Design (CORD). Her work focuses on individual and institutional philanthropy, collaborative governance, and international NGOs. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Education: Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, with research on social capital and community philanthropy. Research Interests: Dr. Wang studies charitable giving, volunteering dynamics, nonprofit organizational strategies, and the role of NGOs in global contexts. Her work emphasizes how social networks and policies influence philanthropic behavior and institutional development. Publications: Over 10 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and Voluntas, focusing on topics such as volunteering in Canada, nonprofit development in China, and digital media's impact on charitable giving. Awards: Recipient of the ARNOVA Emerging Scholar Award for research excellence. Research supported by grants from the Social Science Research Council, Bureau of Land Management, and St. Luke’s Health Initiatives. Advising & Leadership: Serves as the faculty honors advisor for Barrett Honors College and directs graduate programs in nonprofit leadership. Advised students across disciplines including Public Affairs, Social Justice, and Community Development. Actively involved in doctoral committees and undergraduate research mentorship. Labs/Teams: Engaged in collaborative projects with interdisciplinary teams at ASU, focusing on nonprofit innovation and policy analysis.
Elisabeth Jean Wood is a Professor of Political Science at Yale University and holds a concurrent professorship at the Santa Fe Institute. Her research focuses on political violence, particularly sexual violence during war, civil war dynamics, and social movements. She is renowned for her work on insurgent transitions in South Africa and El Salvador, as well as her analysis of variation in wartime sexual violence. Wood has authored influential books including Forging Democracy from Below (2000) and Insurgent Collective Action and Civil War in El Salvador (2003). Her recent work examines the Myanmar military's sexual violence against the Rohingya, emphasizing ideological motivations and institutional frameworks. Wood teaches courses on comparative politics, political violence, and qualitative research methods at Yale. She serves on editorial boards for Politics and Society , American Political Science Review , and the Contentious Politics series. Her research emphasizes ethical fieldwork practices and transparency in qualitative studies, addressing challenges in conflict zones. Her work bridges theoretical contributions with policy implications for understanding and preventing conflict-related atrocities.
Katherine Lemons is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at McGill University's Faculty of Arts. Her research focuses on Islamic family law adjudication in India, examining its implications for understanding Muslim gender and kin relations, secularism, minority politics, and legal pluralism in postcolonial contexts. She has established herself as a leading scholar in the anthropology of law with her groundbreaking work on Muslim divorce practices and their relationship to Indian secularism. Dr. Lemons earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2010. Her academic journey has centered on the intersections of religion, law, and gender in South Asian contexts, with particular attention to how religious legal systems operate within secular states. Her research interests span multiple interconnected fields including the anthropology of law, Islamic legal studies, secularism theory, feminist anthropology, and South Asian studies. Lemons approaches these topics through careful ethnographic work in India, particularly examining how Muslim communities navigate family law disputes through non-state Islamic institutions. Her work challenges conventional understandings of the relationship between religious and secular law, arguing that Muslim divorce practices in India represent a critical site for understanding the complexities of secular governance in postcolonial contexts. She investigates how legal pluralism functions in practice, how religious legal authority is established adjacent to secular states, and how gender relations are shaped through these intersecting legal regimes. Dr. Lemons' scholarly output reveals a consistent focus on the tensions between religious legal traditions and modern secular governance, with particular attention to how marginalized communities navigate these complex legal landscapes. Her work demonstrates how legal practices often blur the boundaries between religious and secular domains, challenging simplistic understandings of secularism. She has made significant contributions to understanding how Islamic law functions in non-Muslim majority contexts, both in India and more recently in her research on sharia courts in Ontario. Michelle Z. Rosaldo Prize from the Association for Feminist Anthropology, American Anthropological Association (Honorable Mention) Critical Anthropology Book Prize from the Association for Political and Legal Anthropology (Honourable Mention) South Asian Muslim Studies Association Book Award (Honourable Mention) As an academic mentor, Dr. Lemons advises graduate students working at the intersections of anthropology, law, and religious studies. Her research has been supported by various academic grants that have enabled extensive fieldwork in India and Canada. She is currently developing two major research projects: "Traveling for Justice," which examines transnational dimensions of Islamic legal knowledge, and "Adjacent to the State," an ethnographic study of sharia courts in Ontario. Dr. Lemons is affiliated with several research centers at McGill University that focus on South Asian studies, legal anthropology, and religious studies. Her work connects with broader scholarly communities through collaborations with researchers studying legal pluralism, secularism, and Islamic jurisprudence across multiple national contexts.
Umberto Eco was a renowned Professor of Semiotics at the University of Bologna and founder of Communication Science studies in Italy. Born in Alessandria (1932), he pursued classical studies before earning his philosophy degree from Turin University (1954). His academic career spanned Turin, Milan, and Florence universities, where he explored semiotics, media studies, and medieval aesthetics. He pioneered interdisciplinary approaches, blending literary criticism with contemporary cultural analysis. Eco's work in publishing (Bompiani, 1959–1975) and media (RAI, L'Espresso) shaped Italian intellectual discourse. The University of Bologna honored him with its highest accolades for his transformative contributions to academia and semiotic theory. Educations: Classical High School in Alessandria Laurea in Literature and Philosophy, University of Turin (1954) His research integrated medieval scholasticism with modern semiotics, analyzing mass media's societal impact through works like Apocalittici e integrati (1964) and the La bustina di Minerva column (1985–2016). Key themes included countercultural movements, communication theory, and the philosophy of aesthetics. His lectures and publications, such as Il costume di casa (1973), became foundational texts for understanding 20th-century intellectual trends. Though no specific scientific awards are listed, his academic legacy was celebrated through institutional recognitions from the University of Bologna. His advisory roles and editorial work fostered avant-garde movements like Gruppo 63, challenging 1950s literary norms. Eco's intellectual reach extended to founding the Scuola Superiore di Studi Umanistici, cementing his role as a pivotal figure in humanistic education.
Elizabeth Bernstein is a Professor of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Professor of Sociology at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she has been a faculty member since September 2002. Her work bridges sociological theory with feminist analysis, focusing on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy. Bernstein directs significant research initiatives including the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a transnational collaboration among thirteen scholars examining gender justice in contemporary global contexts. She is currently developing a new book project titled "Imagining Immunity: Precarious Bodies and the Governance of Gendered Dis-ease," which explores immunological metaphors in understanding bodily risk and suffering. B.A., University of California, Berkeley M.A., University of California, Berkeley Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Professor Bernstein's research focuses on the political economy of the body, gender, and sexuality, with particular attention to sexual commerce, sex trafficking, and neoliberal governance. Her work employs ethnographic methods to examine how intimate relations become sites of economic exchange and political regulation. She investigates how concepts of authenticity, freedom, and rights are mobilized in debates about sexual commerce and trafficking. Bernstein's scholarship critically engages with feminist theory, carceral politics, and transnational governance frameworks, challenging conventional approaches to sex work and trafficking that often reinforce punitive systems rather than advancing gender justice. Analysis of Bernstein's scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory examining the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy within neoliberal frameworks. Her work demonstrates increasing attention to transnational governance mechanisms and their impact on intimate relations and bodily autonomy. A notable trend is her critical examination of how anti-trafficking campaigns often employ carceral logic that undermines feminist goals of gender justice. Her scholarship consistently challenges binary frameworks that position sex work solely as exploitation or liberation, instead analyzing the complex economic, political, and social dynamics that shape sexual commerce globally. Bernstein's research has received significant recognition through prestigious awards including: Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sociology of Sexualities Section (2020) for "Brokered Subjects" Honorable Mention, Society for the Study of Social Problems Global Division Book Award (2019) Norbert Elias Prize, Norbert Elias Foundation (2009) Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sex and Gender Section (2009) Her work has also been supported by major funding organizations including the Institute for Advanced Study, National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, AAUW, and Mellon Foundation. As a principal investigator along with Janet Jakobsen for the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, Bernstein leads a significant collaborative research initiative sponsored by the Barnard Center for Research on Women. Her grant portfolio demonstrates sustained support from major research institutions, reflecting the significance of her work in gender studies and sociology. While specific student advisees aren't listed in the available materials, her role as a full professor at Barnard College indicates extensive mentorship of undergraduate and likely graduate students in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Sociology. Bernstein co-leads the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a collaboration among thirteen scholars working transnationally on questions of gender justice. This initiative represents a significant research collective examining how neoliberal policies reshape gender relations globally. Her work with the Barnard Center for Research on Women provides institutional support for this transnational feminist research network, facilitating scholarly exchange and collaborative publication projects that advance critical perspectives on gender, sexuality, and political economy.
Sarah Bracke is a Professor in Sociology of Gender and Sexuality at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam . Her work critically examines intersections of gender, sexuality, race, and secularism, particularly in European contexts. She is deeply engaged in analyzing systemic crises—capitalist, nationalist, and ecological—and their impact on marginalized communities. Current Affiliation : University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Research Focus : Gender theory, reproductive rights, anti-LGBTQ+ mobilizations, secularism, and the political dimensions of care economies. Bracke’s research emphasizes the deliberate erosion of gender, reproductive, and LGBTQ+ rights, often highlighting transnational collaborations among far-right and mainstream political forces. She connects these issues to broader crises, including climate change, capitalist precarity, and nationalist rhetoric. Her work advocates for feminist coalitions that transcend traditional boundaries, prioritizing care ethics and collective solidarity over exclusionary frameworks. Her recent publications explore topics like the racialized dimensions of reproductive politics, the secularist underpinnings of European ‘Muslim Question’ discourse, and the role of academia in resisting oppressive systems. Although no specific awards or advisees are mentioned in the text, Bracke’s scholarship consistently bridges feminist theory, critical race analysis, and critiques of neoliberalism, urging transformative responses to global crises.
Alan Patten is the Howard Harrison and Gabrielle Snyder Beck Professor of Politics and Chair of Princeton University's Department of Politics. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University, with prior academic roles at McGill University and the University of Exeter. His research bridges historical political thought and contemporary political philosophy, focusing on minority rights, language politics, nationalism, and religious freedom. He is the author of Hegel's Idea of Freedom (1999), Equal Recognition: The Moral Foundations of Minority Rights (2014), and co-editor of Language Rights and Political Theory (2003). Patten has served as editor of Philosophy & Public Affairs (2010–2017) and currently directs Princeton's University Center for Human Values. His recent work explores a liberal theory of religious freedom and critiques neocolonial dynamics in cultural trade. Awards include the APSA First Book Prize and the C.B. Macpherson Prize. Education: B.A. (McGill), M.A. (Toronto), M.Phil. & D.Phil. (Oxford, 1996). Teaching includes courses on political theory, democracy, and self-determination. Patten has advised numerous Ph.D. students on topics in political philosophy and intellectual history. Research interests span the moral foundations of minority rights, language policy in multicultural contexts, and the historical development of nationalist thought. His work often combines normative argumentation with historical analysis, addressing contemporary issues like religious exemptions, cultural preservation, and global justice. Awards: APSA First Book Prize in Political Theory (1999) C.B. Macpherson Prize (Canadian Political Science Association, 1999) Service: Chair of the Department of Politics (2018–2024), editorial roles, and academic leadership in interdisciplinary initiatives at Princeton.
Marc-Antoine Dilhac serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where he also directs governance and international collaboration initiatives. He holds leadership roles as Scientific Director of Algora Lab and leads the Ethics and Politics research axis at the Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ). His academic affiliations extend to the Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CÉRIUM) and the Canada Research Chair in Public Ethics and Political Theory (2014-2019). Education: PhD in Philosophy and Political Science, University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne (2009) Master 2 in Philosophy and Political Science, University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne (2003) Agrégation in Philosophy, University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne (2002) Dilhac's research spans ethics, political philosophy, and AI governance, with particular focus on democratic tolerance, multiculturalism, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. His work bridges theoretical political philosophy with practical applications in AI policy development, sustainable finance, and democratic institutions. He has contributed significantly to UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and leads initiatives examining AI's impact on French-speaking culture and democratic values. His recent publications reveal a clear trajectory from foundational work on tolerance and justice theory toward contemporary AI ethics challenges. The thematic evolution shows increasing engagement with practical governance frameworks, particularly in finance and education sectors, while maintaining strong philosophical grounding in democratic theory and institutional design. Key Awards and Recognition: Canada Research Chair in Public Ethics and Political Theory (2014-2019) Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (2011) Contributor to UNESCO's Recommendation on AI Ethics (2021) Dilhac has supervised over 15 graduate students across philosophy, political science, and interdisciplinary AI ethics programs. His research is supported by multiple grants from FRQSC, FRQNT, SSHRC, and MITACS, totaling over $2 million CAD. Current projects include the Generative AI Ethics Framework for Educational Technology (2024-2025) and the Sustainable Finance AI Tools project examining ESG/DEI disclosure analysis. He co-founded and leads the CORDÉ research group on corruption and democracy, and directs Algora Lab's work on AI governance. His upcoming February 2025 panel at Université Laval will address AI and Francophone cultural perspectives ahead of the Paris AI Action Summit.
Jeffrey Rossman is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia , affiliated with the Department of History and serving as Director of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies . His work bridges historical analysis with cultural and literary studies, focusing on Russia/USSR, Modern Europe, Communism, Genocide, Espionage, and Jewish Cultural Studies. Education: Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1997 A.B., Harvard University, 1989 His research explores worker resistance under Stalin, the intersection of Jewish identity and German literature, and the role of translation in cultural exchange. He has authored key works on Soviet labor movements and Holocaust memory, blending historical narratives with literary theory. Jeffrey’s recent publications and Google Scholar contributions highlight trends in 20th-century European history , Yiddish-German literary dynamics , and translation as a tool for identity formation . His work spans comparative literature, cultural memory, and diaspora studies, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Scientific Awards: ACLS Collaborative Research Fellowship (2013-15) Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Research Grant (2013-15) Multiple grants from the University of Virginia’s College of Arts & Sciences and Faculty Summer Research Grant program Fulbright-Hays and IREX fellowships for international research As an educator, Rossman has taught courses such as Genocide: A Global History and Stalinism , mentoring students in historical and literary analysis. His lab, the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, fosters research on Soviet history, Jewish cultural studies, and transnational literary exchange.
Anirban Acharya, Ph.D., is a Professor of Political Science at Le Moyne College. His research focuses on political power's impact on markets, neoliberalism, and South Asia. He holds degrees from Jadavpur University (B.A., M.A. Economics), Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (M.Phil. Development Studies), and Syracuse University (M.A., Ph.D. Political Science). His areas of specialization include International Political Economy, International Relations, and US Foreign Policy. He has received several awards such as the 2018 Le Moyne College Faculty Spotlight and the 2017 Ignatian Mission Award. His media engagements include panel discussions on PBS-WCNY and interviews on topics like Afghanistan's political landscape. Acharya has published works like Right to Sell: Markets, Capitalism, and Urban Space in India (2022) and contributed to edited volumes analyzing South Asian politics. His research has been supported by grants from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School and others. Beyond academia, he is an avid cook, chess player, violinist, and spice enthusiast.
Professor Masooda Bano serves as William Golding Senior Research Fellow at Brasenose College and Professor of Development Studies at the University of Oxford's Department of International Development. She leads the five-year ERC-funded Changing Structures of Islamic Authority (CSIA) project examining Islamic scholarly debates and their societal impacts. Her academic credentials include an MPhil in Development Studies from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford. These qualifications underpin her expertise in development theory and field research methodologies. Bano's research centers on the interplay between ideas, beliefs, and material incentives in development processes . She investigates how psycho-social factors shape individual choices and collective outcomes, with particular focus on Islamic authority structures, female education movements, and aid effectiveness. Her work combines large-scale comparative studies using ethnographic and survey data across Muslim-majority contexts. Recent publications reveal a concentrated focus on education policy in developing nations , especially Pakistan, Nigeria, and Indonesia. Key themes include decentralized education planning, low-fee private tuition markets, community participation models, and Islamic education systems. The research consistently examines religion-development intersections and institutional responses to social change. Her scientific recognition includes: Two competitive ESRC Fellowships A 1.4 million euro ERC Starting Grant for the CSIA project ESRC Best Social Science Impact award for Nigeria education interventions Bano supervises MPhil/DPhil theses at Oxford and has advised major development agencies, notably designing DfID's education reforms in northern Nigeria. Her CSIA project coordinates a multinational team conducting textual analysis, surveys, and ethnographic fieldwork to map evolving Islamic authority structures.
Dag Henrik Tuastad is a Professor of Middle East Studies at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS) at the University of Oslo. His research focuses on kinship dynamics in Palestinian politics, rebel governance (notably Hamas rule in Gaza 2007–2023), political representation crises, and the intersection of sports and politics in the Middle East. Current projects include senior research at Football and Religion in the Middle East (FORM) , funded by the Norwegian Research Council (2021–2026) Former project leader for Rebel Governance in the Middle East (2017–2021) PhD in Social Anthropology (2008) on kinship in Palestinian politics His recent publications analyze Hamas’s symbolic authority, football’s role in Jordanian-Palestinian identity formation, and the erosion of legal frameworks in the West Bank. He critiques media bias (e.g., in Qatar World Cup coverage) and explores how football culture reflects broader political tensions. Teaching: Courses on Middle East history, cultural anthropology, and conflict resolution Regional Focus: Palestine, Jordan, Gaza, and the Levant
Stefan Binder is a Senior Research Assistant at the Institute for Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies (ISEK) at the University of Zurich's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His academic work focuses on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and religious studies with particular attention to secular and non-religious perspectives. His primary research interests include gender and sexuality studies, queer anthropology, secularity and non-religion, religious aesthetics, ethics, and temporal dimensions of religious practices. Binder's work employs anthropological approaches to explore contested notions of "newness" and "generational change" within queer and trans* communities in both South Asia (particularly India) and Europe. His research also investigates the sensory, material, and aesthetic dimensions of lived everyday religion and non-religion. Binder's publication record shows a strong focus on nonreligion studies, with particular emphasis on atheist activism in South India. His work frequently examines the relationship between secularism and religious pluralism, with attention to how these concepts manifest in everyday practices and experiences. His scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary engagement across religious studies, anthropology, gender studies, and South Asian studies. His monograph Total Atheism: Secular Activism and the Politics of Difference in South India (2020) represents a significant contribution to the field of nonreligion studies. His recent articles (2021-2023) continue to develop theoretical frameworks for understanding secularism, nonreligion, and religious aesthetics through ethnographic approaches.
Asef Bayat is Professor of Sociology and the Catherine and Bruce Bastian Professor of Global and Transnational Studies at the Department of Sociology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has held previous academic positions at the American University in Cairo, Leiden University (where he held the Chair of Society and Culture of the Modern Middle East), and visiting appointments at UC Berkeley, Columbia University, Oxford, and Brown University. His research interests include: Political Sociology Collective Behavior and Social Movements Sociology of Religion Urban Life and Politics Islam and Modernity Contemporary Middle East Bayat's research focuses on the role of ordinary people and subaltern classes in social and political transformations, particularly in the context of the Arab Spring and Middle Eastern urban movements. His work bridges comparative and historical sociology with global and transnational perspectives, emphasizing everyday forms of resistance and the reconfiguration of political Islam. He has extensively explored the sociological dimensions of revolution, modernity, migration, and loss of home. His recent publications, including articles in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and Journal of Democracy , reflect a sustained engagement with urban politics, revolutionary dynamics, and youth activism in the Global South. The recurring themes across his work include the agency of marginalized populations, the transformation of public space, and the evolving nature of political engagement in non-Western contexts. Bayat has received numerous honors and fellowships: Guggenheim Fellow Ford Foundation Fellow MacArthur Fellow Open Society Fellow Wissenschaftskolleg Fellow, Berlin He has been actively involved in academic leadership, having served as director of the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) and elected to the Board of the UN Research Institute for Social Development. He has taught key courses such as Global Social Movements, Global Religion and Politics, and Middle Eastern Societies. Though specific students are not listed, his role as a full professor and author of major works indicates extensive mentorship and academic advising. He is affiliated with multiple interdisciplinary centers, including the Center for African Studies, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, European Union Center, and Center for Global Studies.
