Marianne Nordli Hansen is a Professor at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography , University of Oslo. With a career spanning decades, her research focuses on social stratification , class and inequality , labor market conditions , economic inequality , and elites . She has taught courses like Sociological Theory (SOS4001), Theory Specialization in Sociology (SOS4011), and Inequality: Class, Gender and Ethnicity (SOS4100). Education: MA in Sociology (University of Oslo, 1984), Dr. philos in Sociology (University of Oslo, 1996) Positions: Associate Professor (ISS, UiO, 1996), Professor (ISS, UiO, 1999) Her research explores wealth accumulation , intergenerational mobility , social networks , and educational policy . Key collaborators include Professor Olav Korsnes and Associate Professor Johannes Hjellbrekke at the University of Bergen. Current projects focus on social inequality in Norway , with publications analyzing elite professions, wealth distribution, and class-based educational disparities. She has contributed to significant works on Nordic welfare models and public sector impacts on segregation and equality.
Professor George Palattiyil is a Personal Chair of Social Work and Refugee Studies at the University of Edinburgh , with a focus on forced migration, HIV/AIDS, human rights, and social work education. He leads interdisciplinary initiatives like the Global Refugee Health Research Network and contributes to teaching across BSc, MSW, and MSc programmes. PhD in Social Work (University of Strathclyde, 1999) Masters in Social Work (Kerala, India) His research bridges social work and public health, emphasizing lived experiences of refugees, HIV-affected families, and older populations. Recent projects include: Impact of COVID-19 on families of care home residents in Scotland Adolescent reproductive health in Uganda, Jordan, and Bangladesh HIV/TB care barriers for refugees in Kampala Human rights of HIV-positive asylum seekers Cross-border surrogacy ethics Scientific achievements include: Senior Fellow , UK Higher Education Academy Best Personal Tutor Award (2019) Editorial work on Social Work in a Global Context He supervises PhD projects on topics like Queer women in Kerala , Refugee detention alternatives , and intergenerational care in China . His teaching integrates cross-cultural experiences, including abroad programmes to India.
Min Zhou is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies at UCLA, and Director of the UCLA Asia Pacific Center. She holds the Walter & Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in U.S.-China Relations and Communications. A member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, her work focuses on migration studies, race and ethnicity, and Chinese diasporas. She previously directed the UCLA Asian American Studies Department (2001-2005) and served as Tan Lark Sye Chair Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2013-2016). Her research explores transnationalism, immigrant entrepreneurship, ethnic supplementary education, and China’s internal migration dynamics. Notable publications include Chinatown (1992), The Asian American Achievement Paradox (2015), and Contemporary Chinese Diasporas (2017). She has received major awards such as the 2017 ASA Distinguished Career Award and the 2016 Bourdieu Prize for sociology of education. Education: Ph.D., Sociology, State University of New York at Albany Key Grants: Russell Sage Foundation grants (2005-09), Singapore Ministry of Education Tier 2 grant (2016-21) Labs/Teams: Directs the UCLA Asia Pacific Center; collaborates with global scholars on projects like 'Immigration and Integration in the Pacific Rim'
Jan O. Jonsson is a Professor of Sociology at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. His primary research focuses on social stratification, including educational inequality, class structure, and social mobility. He also studies ethnic stratification, particularly through his role as Principal Investigator (PI) for Sweden in the comparative CILS4EU project on minority schoolchildren integration. Jonsson oversees the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey (LNU), shaping his interest in welfare distribution analysis. His work bridges macro-level social structures with micro-level individual experiences, emphasizing intergenerational processes and immigrant integration. Research interests prominently feature studies on educational attainment disparities, immigrant integration dynamics in Sweden and Europe, and the social consequences of economic hardship. His recent work explores occupational aspirations among immigrant youth, mental health advantages of immigrant backgrounds, and policy impacts on child poverty during economic crises. As PI for CILS4EU, Jonsson leads a multinational study investigating educational and social integration trajectories of second-generation immigrants across Europe. His contributions include analyzing Sweden’s ‘middle way’ between social mobility and inequality patterns, and evaluating educational expansion strategies’ equity impacts. He has authored numerous articles on poverty measurement, family influences on mobility, and the role of education in socioeconomic reproduction. Key projects include the Level-of-Living Survey (LNU), which tracks welfare metrics, and comparative studies on social mobility across nations. His work frequently engages with policy implications of structural inequities, offering evidence-based insights for educational and social policies.
Professor Dr. Michael Woywode is a full professor and holds the Chair of SME Research and Entrepreneurship at the University of Mannheim , within the Business School . His research and teaching are embedded in the Institute for SME Research and Entrepreneurship (ifm Mannheim) , a central research institute of the university, and the Mannheim Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MCEI) , which offers entrepreneurship courses university-wide. Research Interests: Family Firms: Succession planning, leadership transitions, and post-succession innovation. Entrepreneurship: Founder behavior, startup ecosystems, and entrepreneurial decision-making. Digitalization in SMEs: Competitiveness, digital transformation, and innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises. Self-Employment & Labor Markets: New forms of self-employment and their societal implications. Teaching: Prof. Woywode teaches across Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels, offering courses such as Strategic and International Management , Introduction to Entrepreneurship , and Managing the Family Business . Research Output: His recent publications span high-impact journals including Organization Science , Family Business Review , and Journal of Small Business Management , with a clear focus on entrepreneurship, family business, and institutional theory. Team & Collaboration: He leads a multidisciplinary team including postdocs, PhD candidates, and research associates, working closely with the MCEI and ifm Mannheim to foster entrepreneurship research and education.
Dr. Winnie Lem is a Professor in the Department of International Development Studies and Gender and Social Justice program at Trent University. Her research focuses on migration, transnationalism, citizenship, and political economy with a regional emphasis on Europe and Asia. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Her academic work spans migration studies, urbanization, gender, and rural politics. Notable contributions include analyses of Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in France, militant populism in contemporary France, and the dialectics of migration. Lem has co-edited several volumes on migration and capitalism, including Migration Temporalities and Capitalism (2018) and Confronting Capital (2012). Lem teaches courses on global inequality, migration, and development studies. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary research through collaborations with institutions like the Canadian Anthropology Society. Her work often bridges anthropological theory with critical political economy frameworks, examining how global capitalism shapes migrant experiences and social structures. Her recent scholarship (2020) contextualizes the Gilets Jaunes movement within broader populist trends in France, while earlier work (2001–2009) explored labor dynamics in rural France and transnational migrant economies. Lem’s research emphasizes the intersection of class, gender, and ethnicity in migration narratives.
Dr. Kai Liu is a University Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, and a Fellow at Selwyn College. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Johns Hopkins University in 2011. His research focuses on labor economics, public economics, applied microeconometrics, and China's economic development, with specific investigations into wage dynamics, human capital formation, and household decision-making under uncertainty. His research interests span: Labor market dynamics including wage risk, job mobility, and gender wage gaps Public policy analysis in education, healthcare, and family support systems Household behavior under economic uncertainty and policy reforms Human capital investments across the life cycle Economic development challenges in China Recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate strong focus on education policy impacts, health insurance effects on agricultural investments, and family environment dynamics. His work consistently applies advanced microeconometric methods to evaluate policy interventions and economic behaviors. Dr. Liu currently supervises three PhD students: Shengjuan He, Qianya Xu (researching empirical microeconomics and labor economics), and Shania Mustika (researching labor economics, education economics, and racial relations). He has secured significant research funding including: British Academy grant for 'Capital Market Imperfections, Skill Accumulation, and Inequality' (2024-2026) ESRC grant for 'Demand and Welfare Analysis using Micro-data' (2022-2026) British Academy grant for family policy research (2019-2021)
Sarah Harper is the Clore Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. She was appointed a CBE in 2018 for services to Demography and serves as Chair of HelpAge International. Professor Harper has held numerous influential positions including serving on the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology and as Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Her educational background includes an MA from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford. Prior to her academic career, she trained with the BBC as a News and Current Affairs Reporter and Producer. She subsequently held academic positions at the University of London and the University of Chicago before returning to Oxford to found the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. Professor Harper's research focuses on demographic change, particularly the implications of falling fertility and increasing life expectancy. Her work examines life course factors in healthy ageing, social and economic drivers of health and well-being, with emphasis on life transitions. She has conducted significant research on eldercare in China, fertility patterns in sub-Saharan Africa (revealing that ideal family size remains high despite girls' education), and demographic changes in Vietnam and Myanmar affecting agricultural production and food security. Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on global demographic trends, with recent work increasingly addressing the intersection of population change with environmental challenges. She has authored influential books including 'How Population Change Will Transform Our World' (Oxford University Press, 2016) and is working on a new book for Cambridge University Press on Population and Environmental Change. Scientific Awards and Honors CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2018 for services to Demography Royal Society for Public Health: Arts and Health Research Award (2011) Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellow of the Royal Anthropology Institute Professor Harper has supervised numerous PhD students across diverse topics from biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia to intergenerational solidarity in Turkey. Her advisory work extends globally, having served on the Scientific Advisory Board of Natural England, the Royal Society's Working Group on Population and Environment, and as an advisor to governments including the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, and the European Commission. She has received research funding from organizations including the US National Institutes of Health, which supported the founding of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. As Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, Professor Harper leads a multidisciplinary team examining demographic trends and their societal implications. The Institute serves as a hub for international collaboration on ageing research, working with organizations including Population Europe and the International Association of Research Universities. She also serves as founding editor of the Journal of Population Ageing and editor of the Handbook of Ageing and Public Policy.
Ramina Sotoudeh is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Yale University with a secondary appointment in Statistics & Data Science. Her research bridges sociogenomics, the sociology of culture, and social inequality, focusing on how genetic and social environments interact to shape human behavior. Education : BA in Social Research and Public Policy from NYU Abu Dhabi, PhD in Sociology from Princeton University Postdoctoral Experience : Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford Ramina’s work in sociogenomics examines how institutional, relational, and genetic contexts influence health outcomes, such as smoking behavior and peer interactions. Her sociology of culture projects use relational methods to explore cultural frameworks underlying attitudes toward science, religion, politics, and marriage. She also investigates health disparities and inequality through interdisciplinary lenses. Her most recent publications analyze genomic population structure, behavioral plasticity, and computational approaches to algorithm selection. Earlier works focus on cultural attitudes, behavioral diffusion in networks, and genetic correlations with education and longevity. These studies span journals like American Sociological Review , PNAS , and Demography .
Natasha Quadlin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a faculty fellow at the California Center for Population Research. Her research focuses on social inequality in the U.S., particularly gender inequality, higher education access and economics, and debt's role in education. She holds advanced degrees from Indiana University (Ph.D., M.S. in Applied Statistics, M.A.) and a B.S. from Northwestern University. Key roles include associate editor for Science Advances and associate PI for Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS). She has been a Russell Sage Foundation Visiting Scholar (2022-23) and a William T. Grant Scholar (2024-29). Her work bridges sociology, statistics, and policy, emphasizing experimental methods to study social beliefs and behaviors. Research interests include: Gender disparities in education and labor markets Racial and economic stratification in education Public perceptions of social policies Notable awards include the Doris Entwisle Early Career Award (2021), Devah Pager Award (2019), and Lupia-Mutz Outstanding Publication Award (2021). Her book Who Should Pay? examines U.S. public views on college funding responsibilities. Grants and collaborations highlight her work with major foundations and institutions, including NSF support and partnerships with scholars at Harvard, Indiana University, and others. Ongoing projects address pandemic-era educational disparities, gendered wage gaps, and intersectional discrimination.
Fabrizio Zilibotti is the Tuntex Professor of International and Development Economics at Yale University's Department of Economics. He is affiliated with Pauli Murray College as a fellow and has held academic roles at institutions including the University of Zurich, Stockholm University, and the London School of Economics. His research focuses on development economics, political economy, and family economics, with notable contributions to understanding parenting styles, inequality, and structural economic change. Zilibotti is a recipient of prestigious awards, including the Yrjö Jahnsson Medal and Sun-Yefang Prize. His book Love, Money, and Parenting (2019) explores how economic factors shape parenting strategies globally. He has advised numerous PhD students whose work spans macroeconomics, conflict economics, and Chinese economic development. Zilibotti's research has been published in top journals like Econometrica , Journal of Political Economy , and American Economic Review . He served as editor/co-editor of Econometrica and Journal of the European Economic Association . His current projects include studies on environmental sustainability, degrowth theories, and the economic impacts of structural change.
Masood Masoodian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Media at Aalto University, Finland. He leads the Visual Communication Design research group, focusing on interactive visualization for health, energy, and sustainability contexts. Previously, he held roles at the University of Waikato (2000-2016), University of Southern Denmark, and Massey University. Education: Doctoral degree in Other disciplines from the University of Waikato (1999) Research interests include design thinking, visualization of complex data, and creative aging interventions. Notable projects include the EU-funded INT-ACT initiative (2024-2026) addressing intangible cultural heritage. He has received an award for collaborative work on video game ludonarrative analysis (2019). Recent activities include organizing workshops on map-based interfaces, co-creating cultural heritage methods, and delivering public talks on digital design. Supervised two theses and contributed to 131 peer-reviewed outputs, emphasizing human-centered design and sustainability. Grants: Principal investigator for multiple EU projects totaling over 3 years of active funding. Awards: Prize for 'Comedy in the Ludonarrative of Video Games' (2019). Labs/Teams: Visual Communication Design group, collaborating internationally on projects like INT-ACT's cultural heritage mapping.
Ian Ewart is an Associate Professor at the University of Reading's School of the Built Environment, serving as Head of Construction and Engineering Management and Research Group Lead for Organisation, People and Technology. He chairs the Research Ethics Committee since 2016 and supervises undergraduate/postgraduate dissertations. His academic journey spans engineering and anthropology: DPhil Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, St Hugh's College (2007-2012) MSc Material Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, St Hugh's College (2006-2007) BA (Hons) Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Oxford, Harris Manchester College (2003-2006) Diploma in Management Studies, University of the West of England (1990-1994) BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, Staffordshire University (1983-1987) Ewart's research integrates ethnographic methods with digital technology studies, examining human-technology interactions in construction and domestic settings. His work bridges engineering practice and social anthropology, focusing on skill transmission, sustainable design, and multisensory experiences in virtual environments. Publications from 2025-2013 reveal a dominant trajectory in digital twins for socio-ecological sustainability, VR-based occupant behavior prediction, and HBIM for heritage conservation. The corpus demonstrates consistent cross-disciplinary innovation, merging archaeological reconstructions with healthcare applications while maintaining anthropological rigor. Key recognition: ESRC Future Research Leader fellowship (2013) for Designing Healthy Homes project He supervises PhD candidates like Afolabi Dania (Nigerian sustainable construction) and Joanna Hull (Heritage BIM), leveraging ESRC funding for ethnography-VR health studies. His grants emphasize participatory design and real-world impact assessment in built environments. Leaders the Organisation, People and Technology research group, developing multisensory Roman town reconstructions with sound/smell integration to advance archaeological and architectural experience modeling.
Karyn Moffatt is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Studies at McGill University and holds the Canada Research Chair in Inclusive Social Computing. As Graduate Program Director for the PhD program, she leads the Accessible Computing Technologies Research Group (ACT Lab), focusing on designing inclusive computing applications that support social engagement across diverse lifespans and abilities. Her work bridges human-computer interaction, accessibility research, and real-world community impact. Educational background: PhD in Computer Science, University of British Columbia MSc in Computer Science, University of British Columbia BASc in Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia Research Interests: Dr. Moffatt's work centers on inclusive social computing with emphases on aging populations , disability access , and intergenerational communication . She investigates how technology can overcome barriers to social participation through co-design methodologies, particularly for older adults and individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities. Current projects explore AI-enhanced aging support, dementia-friendly social platforms, accessible financial technology, and respite care coordination systems. Her approach integrates participatory design with rigorous usability testing to create solutions that address real-world challenges in healthcare, finance, and community engagement. Publication Trends: Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on aging and accessibility (60% of works), with growing emphasis on AI ethics (2025), dementia support systems (30% of 2023-2024 works), and accessible financial technology (2024). Methodologically, 75% employ co-design or participatory approaches, while 40% involve longitudinal field studies. Key venues include CHI (33%), ASSETS (20%), and ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (27%), demonstrating leadership in top-tier HCI and accessibility forums. Scientific Awards: Multiple Best Paper Awards from ASSETS, CHI, and CSCW conferences Canada Research Chair in Inclusive Social Computing Advising and Grants: Dr. Moffatt currently supervises PhD candidates Chong Hu and Muhe Yang, having graduated four students since 2022 including Maurício Fontana De Vargas (2023) and Carrie Dai (2023). Her active grants include: NSERC Discovery Grant (2024-2029) as PI: Ethical AI for active aging Canada Research Chair renewal (2022-2027) as PI McGill Nursing Collaborative grant (2023-2025) as Co-I: iRespite mHealth app for palliative care Labs and Teams: She directs the ACT Lab, which partners with healthcare providers, public libraries, and community organizations to develop and deploy inclusive technologies. Current initiatives include the QuickPic AAC system for speech therapy, dementia-focused social programs with Montreal libraries, and Quebec-wide respite care coordination tools, all developed through interdisciplinary collaboration with clinicians, caregivers, and end-users.
David Mwambari serves as Associate Professor at KU Leuven's Faculty of Social Sciences within the Unit Leuven International and European Studies (LINES). He leads the ERC-funded TMSS project on Life Narratives of Violence Among Refugees from Africa's Great Lakes Region and holds affiliations with the Oxford Consortium on Human Rights and the Centre for Mediation in Africa at the University of Pretoria. His educational background includes BA/MA in International Relations from United States International University-Africa, MA in Pan-African Studies from Syracuse University, and PhD in History from La Trobe University. He previously held academic positions at King's College London, Ghent University, and United States International University-Africa. Mwambari's research centers on memory studies with emphases on post-genocide Rwanda, colonial durabilities, and refugee narratives. His work examines how cultural memory shapes state formation, peacebuilding, and identity politics through interdisciplinary methodologies blending historical analysis, ethnography, and critical theory. Recent projects investigate vernacular memory practices during crises and the spatial dimensions of post-conflict reconstruction. His scientific contributions include the monograph Navigating Cultural Memory (Oxford University Press, 2023), co-edited volume Beyond History (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020), and editorial roles for Qualitative Research journal and Brill's 'Mobilizing Memory' series. His publications demonstrate evolving focus from leadership studies toward memory politics and decolonial research methodologies. European Research Council (ERC) Grant for TMSS Project Fellow at Churchill College, University of Cambridge African Academic Diaspora Fellow at CODESRIA FWO Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Mwambari actively mentors early-career scholars across Africa, Latin America, and East Asia while contributing to public discourse through Al Jazeera and community projects training history teachers in East Africa. His consultancy work addresses cross-disciplinary challenges in healthcare, education, and security, reflecting his commitment to applied scholarship beyond traditional academic boundaries.
