Tony Lawson is a Professor of Economics and Philosophy at the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge. He is renowned for his work in social ontology, critical realism, and the philosophical critique of mainstream economics. His research emphasizes the need for methods in economics that align with the open, relational, and processual nature of social reality, challenging the dominance of mathematical modeling. Education : BSc in Pure Mathematics (University of London), MSc in Economics (London School of Economics), PhD in Economics and Politics (University of Cambridge). Roles : Co-editor of the Cambridge Journal of Economics, former director of the Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies, co-founder of the Cambridge Realist Workshop and Cambridge Social Ontology Group. Lawson critiques the mainstream economics' reliance on mathematical models as inappropriate for analyzing social phenomena, advocating instead for an ontological turn to make explicit the nature of social reality in economic analysis. His work spans feminist economics, heterodox theory, and debates on neoclassical economics, emphasizing pluralism and the interconnectedness of social structures, ethics, and human agency. Lawson’s contributions include seminal works like Economics and Reality (1997) and The Nature and State of Modern Economics (2015). He has engaged in debates with scholars such as Edward Fullbrook and Jamie Morgan, and ontologists like John Searle, Doug Porpora, and Colin Wight. His recent articles focus on social positioning theory, quantum social theorizing, and the ontological basis of money and ethics.
Alexey Vladimirovich Vdovin is a Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), working within the Faculty of Humanities and School of Philological Sciences. He began his tenure at HSE in 2012 and has accumulated 15 years of scientific and teaching experience. His academic journey includes a Doctor of Philology degree from HSE (2023), a PhD from the University of Tartu (2011), and his initial degree in 'Russian language and literature' from Vyatka State Humanitarian University (2007). He has held significant roles including Deputy Dean for Science at the Faculty of Humanities (2018-2020) and serves on numerous academic councils and committees. Vdovin's educational background demonstrates both depth and international perspective. After completing his undergraduate studies at Vyatka State Humanitarian University in 2007, he pursued doctoral studies at the University of Tartu, where he earned his PhD in 2011 with a dissertation on 'The concept of 'chapter of literature' in Russian criticism of the 1830-1860s.' His academic development has been enriched by numerous international experiences, including visiting researcher positions at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (2019), Jordan Center at New York University (2017), and multiple research stays at Humboldt University in Berlin through the Aurora Erasmus Mundus program. Professor Vdovin's research focuses on Russian intellectual history, the history of ideas, the Russian Empire, Russian literature of the 19th century, and nationalism studies. His work particularly examines the formation of the Russian literary canon, representations of peasants in literature, and the relationship between literature and society. He has authored approximately 80 articles and 4 monographs on 19th-century Russian literature, culture, and criticism, with works on major figures like Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Goncharov, Belinsky, Chernyshevsky, Dobrolyubov, and Nekrasov. His recent book 'Monsters at the Threshold: Dracula, Frankenstein, Viy and Other Literary Monsters' (2024) demonstrates his expanding interest in literary archetypes and cultural phenomena. Vdovin has received numerous awards and recognitions for his scholarly work, including the Moscow Government Prize for young scientists (2017), multiple 'Best Teacher' awards (2013-2015, 2017-2024), and recognition as a winner of HSE's competition for best Russian-language scientific works (2022, 2024). He has also received various letters of gratitude from HSE administration, the Faculty of Humanities, and the School of Philology for his contributions to academic life. As an advisor, Vdovin has supervised numerous student research projects, including Smirnova T.V.'s 2014 master's thesis on 'Representation of 'Russianness' and 'Otherness' in Russian essays of the 1840s.' He has also served as a curator for HSE's Personnel Reserve Program at the School of Philological Sciences and has been actively involved in dissertation councils. His research has been supported by significant grants, including a 2024-2025 Russian Science Foundation grant 'The Genre of 'Peasant Life Story' in Russian Literature Before 1861: Poetics, Plots, Socio-Cultural Functions' (No 24-28-00184) and a 2018-2020 RFBR grant on 'State and Literary Institutions: From Peter I's Reforms to the 'Great Reforms.' Professor Vdovin is actively engaged in academic communities beyond HSE, serving as editor-in-chief of the HSE preprint series 'Literary Studies' and participating in the Big Project 'Literature and Society: An Experience of Sociocultural Description.' He is also involved in public scholarship, frequently giving public lectures through platforms like 'Arzamas,' 'Postnauka,' and 'Stradarium,' and appearing on the 'Observer' television program (Culture channel). Since 2015, he has been a mentor at Maya Kucherskaya's Creative Writing School, bridging academic scholarship with creative practice.
Andrew Ollett is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago , where he has taught since 2019. His research focuses on the literary and intellectual traditions of South and Southeast Asia, particularly through works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, and Kannada from the first millennium CE. Co-founder and editor of NESAR (New Explorations in South Asia Research) Director of NEH-funded edition/translation of the Kavirājamārga (earliest Kannada literary manual) Expert in Prakrit and Kannada literary traditions His work explores the 'question of language'—examining how language choice shaped cultural production and change in premodern India. Current projects include a monograph on context-sensitivity in Indian language theories and a study of manuscript technology's impact on early South Asian knowledge communities. He has authored The Mirror of Ornaments (Naples: Unior Press, 2025) and Language of the Snakes (UC Press, 2017), and co-authored Lilavai (Harvard, 2021). Recent publications include interdisciplinary studies on: Sanskrit-Prakrit campū genre reevaluation Pragmatics in Mīmāṁsā interpretive concepts Manuscript literacy's influence on literary forms Historical linguistics of Middle Indic syllable reduction Philosophy of language in Śālikanātha and Kumārila Bhaṭṭa Awarded the NEH 'Scholarly Editions and Translations' grant , he teaches classical South Asian literature courses covering Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil traditions. He maintains digital resources including a Prakrit Digital Texts Project and Mīmāṁsādigdarśinī digital text repository, and actively contributes to open-access scholarship.
Dr. Julia Costa López is an Assistant Professor (tenured) in History and Theory of International Relations at the Department of International Relations and International Organisation, Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen. Her work bridges international relations, history, and political thought, focusing on how historical frameworks shape modern disciplinary concepts. PhD from University of Oxford Lecturer at St Hilda's College Fulbright scholar at University of Denver's Josef Korbel School Graduate studies at University of Cambridge Research spans medieval political authority, sovereignty emergence, racialized medievalisms in extremism, and translation politics in global scholarship. Key projects include Routledge Handbook of Historical International Relations (2021) and the Oxford Handbook of History and International Relations (2023). Publications address Eurocentrism, conspiratorial ideology, and ritual's role in authority production. Scientific contributions appear in Cambridge Review of International Affairs , International Organization , and European Journal of International Law . Awards include the Fulbright scholarship. Recent work explores terraqueous relations and premodern world conceptualizations, challenging simplistic land-sea dichotomies in IR.
Barbara Gowdy is an esteemed Adjunct Professor and a prolific novelist and short-story writer , renowned for her contributions to fiction across multiple genres. She has achieved international recognition with publications in 24 countries and received prestigious accolades such as the Trillium Book Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship . Her work has been shortlisted for major literary prizes, including the Booker Prize and the Governor General’s Award .
Malini Guha is an Associate Professor of Film Studies at Carleton University , cross-appointed to the Institute for Studies in Art and Culture and affiliated with Migration and Diaspora Studies . She holds the Ruth and Mark Phillips Professorship (2025-2027), focusing on geographical thinking across disciplines. Education: B.A. (University of Toronto), M.A. (York University), PhD (University of Warwick) Research Interests : Guha's work spans cinema and the city , diasporic/postcolonial cinema , public projection art , and ciné-geography . Recent projects include SSHRC-funded research on traction, flight, and becoming in moving images. Selected Publications : Author of From Empire to the World: Migrant London and Paris in the Cinema (2015) and co-editor of London as Screen Gateway (2023). Her articles appear in Feminist Media Histories , Routledge Companion to Media and the City , and Canadian Journal of Film Studies . Scientific Awards : Ruth and Mark Phillips Professorship (2025-2027) FASS Mid-Career Research Grant (2021) SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2023-2025) Collaborative Work : Co-organized Carleton’s Racialized and Indigenous Faculty Alliance (2022-2024), co-taught interdisciplinary course on Race and Representation in the Arts (2023), and collaborates with artist Neven Lochhead on projects like Something Happened (2024).
Steven Kelts is a Lecturer at Princeton University, affiliated with the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and the Department of Computer Science . He leads the Integrated Ethics in CS program and has served as Director of the non-profit All Tech Is Human. Research Focus: Kelts examines ethical frameworks in technology innovation, historical political economies, and the intersection of democratic theory with corporate responsibility. His work spans Measuring ethics education in computing Evolving corporate structures for ethical action Locke's economic justice theories Machiavelli's republican ideals Madison's institutional designs Publications reveal trends in: Utilitarian logic in Agile teams Roman censorship models 17th-century English economic debates Mill's social value legislation Scientific Recognition: Recipient of Princeton's Council on Science and Technology grants for Agile Ethics program Google seed grant for corporate ethics frameworks University-wide award for GradFutures AI ethics leadership Advisory Roles: Includes ethics advisor to the Responsible A.I. Institute and institutional design mentor for political theory projects.
Muhammad Farooq is an Assistant Professor of English at Seton Hall University's Department of English. He specializes in 20th- and 21st-century British, postcolonial, and global Anglophone literature, with research focusing on postcolonial studies, necropolitics, memory, and spatial literary studies. His current book project, The Production of Necrospace: Literary Imaginary and Ungrievable Lives in the Af-Pak Frontier , examines necrogeographies through literary texts from the British colonial era to contemporary Af-Pak works. Education: PhD in English, Kent State University (2023) His research explores intersections between literature and socio-political structures, particularly in contested regions like the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier. Farooq’s work often addresses how literature conceptualizes spaces of death (necrospace) and the politics of grievability. His recent publications analyze Afghan American fiction’s soundscapes, Pashto poetry’s engagement with drone warfare, and modernist narratives like Virginia Woolf’s works. He has received multiple awards including the 2024 University Research Council Grant and the 2023 Ohio International Consortium Award. Farooq teaches courses such as Postcolonial Theory and Literature and Death, Memory, and Resilience , emphasizing critical thinking across cultural divides. Grants: University Research Council Grant (2024), Newberry Renaissance Consortium Grant (2020) No specific labs or research teams are mentioned, but his interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis with geopolitical and cultural studies.
Uwe Flick is a Seniorprofessor in the Department of Education and Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin, specializing in Qualitative Social and Education Research. He has held professorships at Alice Salomon University and Hannover Medical School and is internationally recognized for his contributions to qualitative methodology. Education: Dr. phil. from Freie Universität Berlin (1988), Habilitation in Psychology from Technical University of Berlin (1994). Professional Affiliations: Freie Universität Berlin (2013–present, Seniorprofessor since 2022), Alice Salomon University (2004–2013), Hannover Medical School (1996–1997). His research centers on qualitative methods , social representations of health and illness , chronic illness , migration , and vulnerability . He investigates the lived experiences of marginalized groups, including chronically ill youth, homeless adolescents, and refugees, often employing triangulation and mixed methods to deepen understanding. The 15 most recent publications highlight his sustained focus on advancing qualitative research methodology—editing handbooks, writing foundational texts, and refining concepts of research quality, triangulation, and design. Simultaneously, his empirical work explores health communication, peer relationships, and integration challenges among vulnerable populations, demonstrating a powerful integration of methodological innovation with socially relevant inquiry. Scientific Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award in Qualitative Inquiry, ICQI (2019) Flick actively advises doctoral students through his Promotionskolloquium and has secured substantial research funding for projects on refugee integration, sleep disorders, and chronic illness. His editorial roles in journals like Qualitative Research , Journal of Health Psychology , and Sozialer Sinn , and his leadership in book series such as Qualitative Sozialforschung , underscore his influence in shaping the field. He is a central figure in qualitative research communities, frequently engaging as a visiting scholar and professor across Europe and globally. He leads a research team at Freie Universität Berlin, supervising master’s and doctoral projects on topics like peer relations, health concepts, and migration, fostering the next generation of qualitative researchers.
Ian Duncan is the Florence Green Bixby Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley, where he specializes in Scottish literature, British Romanticism, and the evolution of the novel. He holds a BA from King's College, Cambridge (1977) and a PhD from Yale University (1989), with prior faculty positions at Yale and the University of Oregon before joining Berkeley in 2001. His research bridges literature, natural sciences, and media studies, focusing on the novel's development alongside evolutionary theory, Scottish cultural identity, and Romantic-era transformations. Key interests include the interplay of biological concepts with narrative form, the historical novel's political dimensions, and literature's relationship to opera and film. Duncan has authored seminal works such as Scott’s Shadow (2007) and Human Forms (2019), exploring how the novel shaped understandings of human nature during scientific revolutions. He edits major projects including The Cambridge History of Scottish Literature and is writing Scotland and Romanticism . Honors include: Corresponding Fellow, Royal Society of Edinburgh Honorary Fellow, Association for Scottish Literature Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award (2017) Saltire Society Research Book of the Year (2008) He directs critical editions of James Hogg and Walter Scott, co-edits the Edinburgh Critical Studies in Romanticism series, and has held visiting positions at Princeton, LMU Munich, and Aix-Marseille University.
Simon Stern is a Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where he has taught since 2007, holding progressively senior positions from Assistant to full Professor since 2019. He serves as Chair in Innovation Law (2020-present) and Director of the Center for Innovation Law & Policy (2012-present). His research bridges legal doctrines with literary/intellectual history, focusing on legal fictions, the "reasonable man" standard, and intersections between law and sexuality. Ph.D. in English (UC Berkeley), J.D. (Yale), B.A. in English (Yale, magna cum laude) Editor-in-Chief of Yale Journal of Law & Humanities during law school Research interests include: law and literature, legal history, sexuality and the law, criminal law, and intellectual property. His work examines narrative techniques in legal reasoning, evidentiary standards, and historical evolution of legal concepts through literary frameworks. Recent publications analyze legal fictions, reasonable person standard evolution, and 19th-century tort law narratives. He co-edits Oxford University Press' Law and Literature series and the New Rambler Review. 2012 SLS Partnership Award for student advocacy 2023-2026 President of academic organization Serves on SSHRC Insight Grants Committee and multiple editorial boards
Dr. Sarah Young is an Associate Professor at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London. Her academic journey includes a BA (Honours) in Russian and French from Trinity College, Cambridge, followed by an MA in European Languages and Culture at the University of Manchester and a PhD in Russian Literature from the University of Nottingham. Her research focuses on Russian literature, particularly Dostoevsky’s narrative structures, prison narratives, and the history of penal systems in Russia. She has held a Leverhulme Fellowship and previously taught at the University of Leeds and the University of Toronto. Her work explores themes like Siberian exile, political imprisonment, and revolutionary memoirs, as seen in her book Writing Resistance: Revolutionary Memoirs of Shlissel’burg Prison, 1884-1906 . She also investigates Gulag literature, societal impacts of quantum technologies, and inclusive STEM education for neurodivergent students. Her blogs ( www.sarahjyoung.com ) and websites ( Mapping Petersburg , Shlisselburg ) further her interdisciplinary research. Her scholarly contributions span literary criticism, historical analysis, and policy studies. Awards include the Leverhulme Special Research Fellowship (2001-2003). She actively engages in academic mentoring and has published on research practices across disciplines like environmental engineering and marine conservation.
Prof. Dr. Gunther Hellmann is a Professor of Political Science at Goethe University Frankfurt, specializing in German and European foreign policy. He serves as a Principal Investigator, Board Member, and Research Field Coordinator at the Cluster of Excellence 'Normative Orders,' and has held leadership roles such as President of the World International Studies Committee (2017–2021) and Dean of the Department of Social Sciences (2004–2005). His academic contributions include co-editorship of the Journal of International Relations (ZIB) and a visiting professorship at Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS Bologna Center. Affiliations: Goethe University Frankfurt, Cluster of Excellence 'Normative Orders,' World International Studies Committee, Aspen Institute Berlin, Transatlantic Academy Education: Political Science, History, and Philosophy at Freiburg, Munich, and Washington, D.C. Research Interests: Hellmann focuses on international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, German and European foreign policy, security and peace policy, and the transformation of global and regional orders. His work emphasizes the interplay between normative expectations and practical diplomacy, with a particular interest in transatlantic relations, strategic dilemmas, and praxis theory. Publications: His recent works examine global order challenges, pragmatism in foreign policy, and the evolution of international practices. Articles from 2024 address normative expectations, economic interdependence, and post-reunification German foreign policy. Earlier works (2022–2020) analyze praxis theory, securitization, and the relevance of theoretical political science to real-world issues. Teaching: He supervises theses and exams in international relations, requiring topics related to foreign policy theory, German/EU policy, and security studies. Students must attend his colloquium and submit detailed outlines.
Theo Arentze is a Full Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Department of the Built Environment, leading the Real Estate Management and Development group. He is affiliated with EAISI Health and EAISI Mobility research institutes. Education: MSc in Psychology (Cognitive Psychology & AI) from Groningen University, PhD from TU/e Urban Planning Research: Spatial choice behavior, decision support systems, activity-based modeling, agent-based simulation His research integrates bounded rationality into spatial choice models to enhance behavioral realism, with applications in real-estate management , neighborhood development , healthy cities , and hybrid work environments . Recent work includes child-friendly urban planning and energy-efficient housing impacts . Prominent article themes include: Hybrid work location decisions Urban public space affective experiences Child friendliness in residential choices Sustainable energy preferences Spatial decision support systems Social network modeling Scientific recognition includes: Best Poster Award (2025) - Computational Urban Planning Conference Long Paper of Distinction (2021) - Healthy Buildings Europe EuroFM Best Paper Award (2017) Pyke Johnson Award (2016) As an educator, he teaches courses in Urban Planning , Housing Economics , and Quantitative Research Methods . His multidisciplinary team combines expertise from psychology, sociology, and urban economics to create high-quality built environments through behavioral research.
Panpan Yang is a Lecturer in Arts and Visual Cultures of Modern China at the School of Arts, SOAS University of London. She joined SOAS in 2021 after completing her joint PhD at the University of Chicago under the direction of Wu Hung, Tom Gunning, W. J. T. Mitchell, Judith Zeitlin, and Dana Polan. Her interdisciplinary work bridges art history, screen studies, East Asian studies, and digital humanities, with a focus on innovative methodologies in art historical writing. Dr. Yang earned a dual BA from Peking University, double majoring in art and philosophy, followed by an MA from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and a PhD from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate studies, she served as president of the Society of Dream of the Red Chamber Studies, which informed her secondary academic interest in Redology and the visual material world of the novel Hong lou meng. Panpan Yang's research explores how minor discourses can deterritorialize the terrains of both art history and screen studies. Her work demonstrates a multimethodological approach attentive to archival research, material practices, close visual analysis, computer-aided vision, and cross-cultural theorization. She is particularly interested in Chinese animation history, calligraphic imagination in contemporary art, and the intersections between traditional Chinese art forms and new media. Her publications reveal a consistent focus on Chinese visual culture across multiple media forms, with particular attention to animation, film, and calligraphy. Yang's work demonstrates how traditional Chinese art forms engage with contemporary digital media, creating new hybrid forms that challenge disciplinary boundaries. Her research shows a trajectory from historical analysis of Chinese animation to contemporary explorations of calligraphy in digital contexts, revealing the ongoing relevance of traditional Chinese aesthetics in modern media. Dr. Yang has received several prestigious awards for her scholarly and creative work: China's National Young Screenwriter Award Domitor Essay Award Dean's Distinguished Dissertation Award Nomination Honourable Mention from the Association for Chinese Animation Studies As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Yang leads the AHRC-funded research project "Stroke by Stroke: Calligraphic imagination in contemporary Chinese art and emergent media" (2023-25) with Shane McCausland. She was also a collaborating partner on the NEH-funded "Media Ecology Project." Her research has received additional support from the Getty Foundation and the Sino-British Fellowship Trust. At SOAS, she works closely with faculty and graduate students interested in Chinese arts and cultures, art theory, cinematic arts, and digital art history. Dr. Yang is currently developing innovative research at the intersection of traditional Chinese calligraphy and contemporary digital media through her AHRC-funded project. This work explores how calligraphic imagination manifests in contemporary art and emergent media contexts, creating new pathways for understanding Chinese cultural heritage in the digital age.
