CIVICA Global Forum

Enrico Letta

Former Prime Minister of Italy & Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs

IE University

Glenn Micallef

COMMISSIONER (2024-2029) | Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport

European Commission

Glenn Micallef serves as the Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport, with a focus on giving young people more freedom, say, and responsibility in society. His role involves ensuring that the interests of both present and future generations are respected in policy and law-making, through the preparation of a Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness. He works to amplify the voices of young people in shaping Europe’s future, coordinating annual Youth Policy Dialogues, and establishing the President’s Youth Advisory Board. Micallef also focuses on developing a new Culture Compass to address various aspects of culture, particularly aiming to improve the working conditions of artists and cultural professionals. Additionally, he is advancing a strategy to strengthen the European Sport Model, promoting physical and mental health through increased physical activity, and implementing an action plan to combat cyberbullying. His work also includes strategic foresight to identify trends and technologies that will affect future generations. 

Julia Black

Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford and President of the British Academy

Julia Black is Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford and President of the British Academy, the UK’s National Academy for social sciences and the humanities.  She is also an External Member of the Bank of England’s Financial Markets Infrastructure Committee; a member of the Prime Minister’s Council of Science and Technology; and a Governor of the Courtauld Institute of Art.  She is currently a visiting Professor at LSE Law School and a Professor of Law and Regulation at Oxford University.    

Manuel Muñiz

Provost & Chair of IE New York College

IE University

Manuel Muñiz is the Provost of IE University in Madrid. In this role, he contributes to the university's strategic development, international expansion, and strategic alliances. He has served as Dean of the School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs (SPEGA) from 2017 to 2024. Additionally, he is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of IE New York College in Manhattan. From 2020 to 2021, he served as State Secretary (Vice Minister) at the Spanish Foreign Ministry. 

Jeremy Perelman

Vice President of International Affairs

Sciences Po

Jeremy Perelman is the Vice President for International Affairs at Sciences Po. Since joining Sciences Po in 2011 as an Assistant Professor, Jeremy has taught courses on human rights, social and economic rights, poverty, inequality, international investment, and sustainable development. He holds degrees in international law (Bachelor, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and Master, Stanford Law School), international relations (Fletcher School, Tufts University) and a Doctorate (S.J.D., Harvard Law School). In addition to his teaching and research, Jeremy has founded and directed the Law School Clinic since its inception in 2012, expanding its programs and impact. His extensive involvement in research, teaching, and advocacy projects across the United States, Africa, and Latin America has resulted in numerous publications and recognition in the fields of human rights, poverty alleviation, and development.

Carsten Q. Schneider

Interim President and Rector (effective on August 1, 2025)

Central European University

Carsten Q. Schneider is Interim President and Rector (effective on August 1, 2025) at the Central European University (CEU). He also served as Pro-Rector for External Relations and as Professor of Political Science. He earned his PhD in Political and Social Science from the European University Institute and a diploma in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin. His research focuses on political regime change and comparative social science methodology, particularly set-theoretic methods. Schneider has authored multiple books on these topics and has published articles in journals such as Comparative Political Studies, Democratization, and the European Journal of Political Research. In 2019, he received the David Collier Mid-Career Achievement Award. Before his current role, he was an elected member of the German Academy of Young Scientists from 2009 to 2014.

 

Lars Strannegård

President

Stockholm School of Economics

Lars Strannegård is a distinguished Swedish business scholar and has been the President of the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) since 2014. He holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Gothenburg and has previously held professorships at Uppsala University and SSE, where he was the Bo Rydin and SCA Chair in Business Administration and Leadership. His research focuses on leadership, organization, and the integration of aesthetics and culture in business. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Swedish Arts Council, been a jury member for the August Prize, and held board positions at SNS and SCANCOR at Stanford University. Under his leadership, SSE has promoted the integration of humanities into business education, and in 2022, he was awarded the HumTank Prize for advancing a humanities perspective in societal development.

Cornelia Woll

President

Hertie School

Cornelia Woll is President of the Hertie School and Professor of International Political Economy. Woll came to the Hertie School in 2022 from Sciences Po in Paris, where she had served in many roles since 2006, including President of the Academic Board, Professor of Political Science, Co-Director of the Max Planck Sciences Po Center. She has been a visiting professor at Goethe University Frankfurt and Harvard University. Woll holds a habilitation in political science from the University of Bremen (2013), a bi-national PhD from Sciences Po and the University of Cologne (2005), and an MA and a BA in international relations and political science from the University of Chicago.

Soledad Atienza

Dean - IE Law School

IE University

Soledad Atienza is the Dean of IE Law School and has an extensive academic experience and a global vision of legal education.  She earned her Ph.D. in Social Sciences from IE University and is currently a law professor. Her expertise includes the areas of comparative law and legal teaching methods. Soledad has an Executive MBA degree from IE Business School and a Certificate in European Studies from the European Institute of the University of Saarland in Germany. She was a visiting student at Cornell University in New York and holds a law degree from the CEU San Pablo University in Spain. She is Co-President of the Law Schools Global League (LSGL); Co-Vice president of the Commission for the Future of Legal Services of the IBA (International Bar Association); and has co-directed the “Blueprint on global legal education”. She is also Co-Director of the Pérez-Llorca / IE Chair of Business Law. 

Marie Azuelos

Deputy Vice President for International Affairs

Sciences Po

Marie Azuelos is the Deputy Vice President for International Affairs at Sciences Po. Since joining the institution in 2012, she has played a key role in advancing its global reach, previously serving as the Director of the Summer School & Short Courses and overseeing international development for Asia and the Pacific. Prior to this, she managed European projects at the Paris Chamber of Commerce and taught at École des Ponts ParisTech. A graduate of Sciences Po and Sorbonne University, she also studied in Germany at Freie Universität Berlin.

David Barros

Head of Global Health Medicines R&D

GSK

David Barros is the Vice President and Head of the Global Health Pharma Research Unit at GSK. He leads a team based in Tres Cantos, Madrid, focused on the discovery and development of novel treatments for Global Health diseases, including Malaria, Kinetoplastid diseases, and Tuberculosis. David is committed to advancing research in these areas and has been instrumental in the development of innovative regimens to combat these diseases. His work is pivotal in GSK's mission to improve global health outcomes through cutting-edge pharmaceutical research. 

Jose Luis Blasco Vazquez

Global Sustainability Director

Acciona

José Luis Blasco has over 20 years of experience in corporate sustainability and ESG strategy. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, an MBA from the IE Business School and a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the Complutense University of Madrid. Since 2019, he has served as Global Sustainability Director at ACCIONA 2019 and as CEO of Acciona Carbon Technologies since 2023. Previously, he was a partner at KPMG, where he led sustainability services at the national, European, and global levels, and also headed the Corporate Governance, Risk, and Compliance area. Additionally, he was one of the four rapporteurs of the European Commission's Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance from 2017 to 2020. Currently, he is a member of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and serves as President of the Corporate Sustainability Commission of the Instituto Español de Analistas Financieros. José Luis is a faculty member at IE Business School and actively participates in academia as a lecturer and researcher for various universities and business schools.

Irene Blázquez Navarro

Director of the Center for the Governance of Change

IE University

Irene Blázquez-Navarro leads applied research at the Center for the Governance of Change, focusing on the political, economic, and societal implications of the technological revolution and proposing solutions to its unwanted effects. She is a legal scholar and international lawyer with expertise in strategy, security, defense, and technology. Previously, she served as Adviser to the State Secretary for Global Spain and Head of the Strategic Planning Office at the National Security Department (2012-2020). She holds a Master in EU Law and various diplomas in national and international security. Irene is a member of the Editorial Board of Política Exterior, a Fellow at the Max Planck Institute, a Fulbright scholar, and a founding member of The European Union as a Global Actor, the European Society of International Law’s interest group.

Olena Bortnichuk

Head of Educational Programs, Leadership and Management Institute

Ukrainian Catholic University

Olena is Head of Educational Programs at the Institute of Leadership and Management at the Ukrainian Catholic University, coordinating a project with the goal of creating a safe, resourceful environment for the recovery, development, and networking of civil society representatives to facilitate the sustainable growth of organizations and consolidate their efforts. She is working on is social-emotional learning for adults, specifically emotional intelligence, self-awareness, empathy development, and improving internal communication within the organization as components of a workplace mental health care strategy. 

Tymofii Brik

Rector

Kyiv School of Economics

Tymofii Brik is the Rector of the University of the Kyiv School of Economics since 2022. He has been working at the Kyiv School of Economics since 2018. Over the years, he has held the positions of Head of Sociological Research at the KSE Institute and Vice President for International Relations at the university. Since 2018, Brik has been teaching and conducting research in the field of sociology (sociology of religion, social research methods, network analysis, identities). Tymofii Brik received his PhD in Sociology from the Carlos III University of Madrid (2013) and a Master’s degree in Sociology and Social Studies from the University of Utrecht (2011). In 2018, Brik received the Natalia Panina Award for the Best Young Sociologist. Since 2021, he has been the national coordinator of the European Social Survey (ESS) in Ukraine (an international comparative study that has been conducted in most European countries since 2002).

Małgorzata Chromy

Director, International Centre

SGH Warsaw School of Economics

Małgorzata Chromy is the Director of International Center at SGH Warsaw School of Economics and a CIVICA Senior Manager. With nearly 20 years of experience, she has led initiatives in student and staff mobility, coordinated international faculty visits, and managed high-impact programs like Erasmus+ and EEA Education. Since 2022, she has been involved in the strategic management of CIVICA. Her academic background includes a BA in Business English, an MA in Economics, and an Executive MBA. She also has a strong editorial background and actively promotes SGH's global initiatives.

Jean-Philippe Cointet

Associate Profesor - médialab

Sciences Po

Jean-Philippe Cointet is Professor of Sociology and director of the Open Institute for Digital Transformations in Sciences Po, he specializes in the development of innovative methods for the social sciences and humanities. His main fields of interest are computational linguistics and network science. He has long worked on the mapping of research communities through the analysis of bibliometric data, and later on the dynamics of scientific knowledge circulation and its contestation in social media platforms. More recently, he has been analyzing the structure of the digital public space through various empirical case studies on misinformation, polarization or collective mobilization.   

Huy Dang

Manager, Data Sciences Lab

Hertie School

Guillermo de Haro

Vice Dean, Graduate Programs - IE School of Science & Technology

IE University

Guillermo de Haro is Vice Dean of Graduate Programs at IE University, School of Science & Technology. He is a telecommunication engineer with an MBA Cum Laude from IE Business School and holds two doctorates in engineering and applied economics. Prof. de Haro has extensive experience as an Academic Director in international institutions and served as Deputy Vice Rector for International Relations and Postgraduate Programs at King Juan Carlos University. He collaborated with Google to create and run the Activate program, which helped hundreds of thousands of Spanish unemployed people during the financial crisis. Prof. de Haro has worked in software and technology development, e-business and innovation consulting, retail, and the entertainment industry. He is a guest lecturer at various universities and has received several Awards for Teaching Excellence. He is an author, radio collaborator, and accredited journalist who interviews top personalities. 

Hector de Rivoire

Director of Public Policy in Office of Responsible AI

Microsoft

Hector de Rivoire is Director of Public Policy in Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI. He focuses on the governance of safety and security risks associated with advanced AI systems, working closely with engineers, product owners and policymakers to help develop durable AI governance frameworks. Before taking on his current role, Hector held various policy positions at Microsoft, both in France and at the global level. Prior to joining the company, he served as an economic counsellor at the French Treasury. He holds master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Sciences Po Strasbourg and is a Visiting Lecturer at Sciences Po Paris.

Concepción Díaz Cantarero

Head of Machine Learning & Big Data Trainings for EMEA

Google

Conchita Díaz Cantarero is the head of Machine Learning and Big Data training in Europe for Google and a trainer for the Advanced Solutions Lab program at Google worldwide. Passionate about teaching and technology, over her more than 18-year career, she has trained over 8000 people around the world. Conchita is the author of 10 technology manuals used throughout Europe. She is one of the 5 people in the world to have all 6 active Cisco CCIE certifications (and the only woman). Due to her passion for teaching, Conchita is a speaker at numerous global conferences related to artificial intelligence and a visiting professor at several European universities, such as the University of Oxford.

Karim El Aynaoui 

Executive President of the Policy Center for the New South, Executive Vice-President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and Dean of its Humanities, Economics and Social Sciences Cluster

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)

Karim El Aynaoui is Executive President of the Policy Center for the New South. He is also Executive Vice-President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and Dean of its Humanities, Economics and Social Sciences Cluster. He is an economist. From 2005 to 2012, he worked at the Central Bank of Morocco where he held the position of Director of Economics, Statistics, and International Relations. At the Central Bank of Morocco, he was in charge of the Research Department and equally a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. Previously, he worked for eight years at the World Bank as an Economist for its regional units of the Middle East and North Africa and Africa. Karim El Aynaoui holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Bordeaux in France where he taught courses in Statistics and Economics for three years. He is Commendatore of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. 

Concepción Galdón

Vice-Dean of Business with Purpose - IE Business School

IE University

Concepción Galdón, PhD, is a devoted advocate for sustainable business and social innovation, currently serving as Vice-Dean of Business with Purpose at IE Business School. Leading the Master in Sustainability & Business Transformation, she collaborates with fellow vice-deans to infuse sustainability into diverse programs. As Director of IE's Center for Social Innovation and Sustainability, Concepción guides a committed team, leveraging global networks for lasting social change. Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. in International Economy and Development, with Outstanding Award-winning research on technology and social entrepreneurship. In addition to teaching, she co-directs IE's Sustainability, Your Competitive Advantage program. Beyond academia, Concepción contributes to media discussions and speaks at international conferences, emphasizing her commitment to sustainable principles and positive societal change. Concepción Galdón is also the author of Promise, Pitfalls, and Potential of Social Entrepreneurship: Positive Change Unleashed, a book that explores the transformative potential and challenges of social entrepreneurship. 

Marta García Haro

Senior Manager, Network Programs

Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

Marta is an expert in developing and strengthening networks at national and regional level to promote sustainable development. In her role within the SDSN Networks Program, she provides strategic and operational support to SDSN chapters across Europe and the Mediterranean, enhancing their capacity and impact as well as fostering collaboration between them. She also leads the Universities for Goal 13 climate competition. Previously, she was the Director of SDSN Spain where she led initiatives such as the Spanish Cities SDG Index and the seminars on Culture and Sustainable Development (5 editions). She is the founder of the #SustainableCulture collective and is also the author of several publications on the topic, including How to Implement the SDGs in the Cultural Sector. Before joining SDSN in 2015 she pursued her professional career in the cultural arena, where she carried out projects for some of the most renowned art institutions in Spain. 

Arancha González

Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA)

Sciences Po

Arancha González is the third Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po and the first woman to lead the world's third school for Politics and International Studies. Prior to joining PSIA, Ms González served as Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (2020-2021). She previously was Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (2013-2020). Between 2005 and 2013 she served as Chief of Staff to the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy. Before that she held senior positions at the European Commission in the areas of international trade and development. Ms González started her career as a lawyer in the private sector. Ms González has been a member of PSIA's Strategic Committee since 2017. A Spanish national, Ms González holds a degree in law from the University of Navarra and a Postgraduate Degree in European Law from the University Carlos III of Madrid. 

Claire Gordon

Director of the Eden Centre for Education Enhancement

London School of Economics and Political Science

Yaprak Gürsoy

Professor of European Politics and Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies

London School of Economics & Political Science

Yaprak Gürsoy is Professor of European Politics and Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies at LSE. Her primary research interests are regime change and consolidation, civil-military relations, and foreign policy. Throughout her career, Yaprak has taken a keen interest in enhancing the practical aspects of student experience. Besides her faculty and research roles, she was the Undergraduate Programme Director of Politics and International Relations at Aston University (2018-2021) and the Director of the Master’s Programme in International Relations at Istanbul Bilgi University (2012-2016). At LSE, she served as the Chair of the Teaching Committee of the European Institute (2022-2024) and received an Excellence in Education Award twice, in 2022 and 2024. In March 2023, she organized a two-day workshop on Inclusive Higher Education in the Age of Transnationalism and co-edited a special issue on Higher Education during Times of Crisis in Türkiye, published by the LSE Higher Education Blog in April 2024.

Stefan Haefliger

Professor

Stockholm School of Economics

Stefan Haefliger is a professor of Digital Innovation and Strategy, focusing on innovation, market futures, regulation, and organizational design. He studies human-machine interaction and technology strategy, including modularity in product development and machine learning's role in innovation management. Stefan has designed and led international courses and consulting projects, and served as an external examiner at LSE and Imperial College. He has published extensively on open innovation and business models, and is on the faculty at ETH Zurich and Bayes Business School. He holds a doctorate from the University of St.Gallen and has held visiting positions at several prestigious institutions.

Elisa Hicks

Executive Director - Campus Life

IE University

Elisa Hicks is the Executive Director of IE University’s Campus Life unit, where she and her team support students in organizing over 2,500 events annually and oversee 197 student-led clubs. Committed to fostering engagement beyond the classroom, she enhances student learning through leadership, events, and community-building. Previously, Elisa was the Manager of the Women's Forum for the Economy & Society, leading global forums on gender equality and contributing to G7 and G20 policy recommendations. With a background in consultancy, public relations, and government, she specializes in international large-scale project management. A graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Master’s in International Project Management from Sciences Po Paris, she now focuses on leveraging student-driven events to enrich the university experience. 

Sébastien Huber

Director for Development & External Relations

European University Institute

Sébastien Huber is Director for Development and External Relations at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. A specialist in European research and higher education policy, he has held key roles at the EUI, including interim Director of the Academic Service and Head of Strategy and Development, where he has led institutional reforms and strategic initiatives. He previously worked with Science Europe, the CNRS, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on research policy, international collaboration, and capacity-building programmes, particularly in Africa. He has contributed to the development of European academic cooperation frameworks, research training initiatives, and policies supporting institutional partnerships.

Thurid Hustedt

Dean of Graduate Programmes

Hertie School

Thurid Hustedt is Dean of Graduate Programmes and Professor of Public Administration and Management at the Hertie School. Her research focuses on public sector change dynamics, political-administrative relations and comparative public administration. Hustedt is the Managing Editor of the peer-reviewed journal dms – der moderne Staat (with Sylvia Veit). Previously, she was a visiting professor at the Freie Universität Berlin and a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Potsdam. She was a visiting researcher at the University of Bergen and the University of Toronto. Hustedt holds a PhD and a Diploma in Public Administration from Potsdam University.

Anna Jabloner

Assistant Professor of Anthropology - IE School of Humanities

IE University

Anna Jabloner specializes in the anthropology of science, technology, medicine, and data. Jabloner holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and MagaPhil from the University of Vienna. Connecting social science and humanities, her ethnographic research tracks how technocratic, futurist, and utopian ideas inform technological development in the US. Jabloner is working on a book titled Future Pending: Genomics, California, and the American Technological Imagination. She completed postdoctoral research fellowships at Stanford and Columbia Universities and taught anthropology and Science & Technology Studies (STS) at Harvard University for four years. Anna Jabloner is an assistant professor of anthropology in the IE School of Humanities. 

Dorothy Kelly

President of Spanish Universities in European Alliances, Professor at Granada University, ARQUS Coordinator

Granada University

Dorothy Kelly is a professor of Translation at the University of Granada (Spain), where se was also Vice Rector for Internationalization from 2008 to 2023. Her research expertise includes curricular design and delivery in the field of Translation, an area in which she published extensively before devoting her time almost enterely to the internationalization of higher education. In this field, she has an extensive experience in joint programme design and delivery, multilateral cooperation, and designing and managing mobility programmes of all kinds. She was Chair of the Executive Board of the Coimbra Group of Universities from 2010 until 2017 and was a member of Spain's national Bologna Experts Team from 2010 to 2013. She has participated intensely in Spanish, European and international advisory boards and events in the field of higher education and in particular its internationalization. She is currently Chair of the Spanish national network of universities participating in European University Alliances. 

Alexandros Kentikelenis

Associate Professor of Political Economy and Sociology

Bocconi University

Alexandros Kentikelenis is an associate professor at the Department of Social and Political Sciences of Bocconi University in Milan. His research focuses on global governance and on global health and social protection. He has co-authored three books and published over 50 articles in leading social science journals. His research has won multiple awards and has received attention by many media outlets. In addition to his academic work, Alexandros has served as an advisor to various governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations, including the German Ministry of International Cooperation and Development, the World Health Organization and Oxfam International, and he was Vice-President of Greece’s National Centre for Social Solidarity.

María-Eugenia Marín

Vice Provost for Global Academic Partnerships & Alliances

IE University

María-Eugenia Marin is the Vice Provost for Global Academic Partnerships and Alliances at IE University, having joined the External Relations team in 2002. She holds a B.A. in Government from Harvard University and an MSc in Politics of the World Economy from LSE, with additional business studies in Oxford and the US. Previously, she was Senior Research Associate and Director of External Relations at IRELA, an EU-funded think tank, and collaborated with Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the US Senate on education policy. She has also worked in banking and real estate investment.

Małgorzata Molęda-Zdziech

Head of the Department of Political Studies, Institute of International Studies

SGH Warsaw School of Economics

Małgorzata Molęda-Zdziech is a sociologist and political scientist, heading the Department of Political Studies at the Institute of International Studies of SGH Warsaw School of Economics. She is also the Rector’s Representative for Cooperation with the European Union. Previously, she served as the Director of the Polish Science Contact Agency in Brussels (2017-2020) and Deputy Director in the Polish-French Programme at European Studies SGH/Sciences PO Paris (1998-2001). Her interdisciplinary academic profile includes sociology, political science, and communication media studies, with research interests in political communication, lobbying, and interest groups at national and European levels. She supports the European Commission Representation in Poland as an EU expert and is a member of several national and international associations. Additionally, she is vice president of Europa ONG and has published extensively on lobbying, communication, and media. She was awarded the French Medal - Chevalier des Palmes Academiques. 

Christine Musselin

Dean of Research

Sciences Po

Christine Musselin is Dean for research of Sciences Po since May 2013, after six years as the director of the Centre de Sociologie des Organisations (CSO), a research unit of Sciences Po and the CNRS. Her research focuses on universities, with particular interest in what characterizes their governance: within this frame, she recently studied the management of the COVID crisis in French higher education institutions. She also conducts a host of studies on higher education policies and inquiries into policies for excellence carried out within the framework of the French government’s “Investing for the Future” programme. Her work thus lies at the crossroads of the sociology of organizations, the sociology of public action, and economic sociology. The vast majority of her research has been undertaken from a comparative perspective and focuses in particular on France, Germany, and the United States. 

Marina Cino Pagliarello

Professor

European University Institute

Marina Cino Pagliarello joined the School of Transnational Governance in September 2023 as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow. Previously, she was an ESRC Post-Doctoral Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE) and held academic positions at LSE, UCL, Queen Mary University of London, and University of Essex. Her research focuses on governance in higher education in Europe and the role of polysemic ideas in restructuring actors’ interests. Her monograph “Ideas and European Education policy: 1975-2020” was published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2022. Dr. Cino Pagliarello has extensive experience in education policy research and has worked with various national and international organizations. As a Marie Curie Fellow at STG, she will explore the role of universities as diplomatic actors in promoting international relations.

Miguel Panadero

UNSSC Acting Director

United Nations System Staff College

Miguel Panadero brings over 25 years of experience in leadership, management and learning in the international public sector. He has a proven track record in fostering knowledge networks and helping organizations drive change, innovation and digital transformation in pursuit of agility, operational excellence, and sustainable results in line with the values for which the UN stands. A Spanish national, Miguel holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha and is an alumnus of doctoral studies in Regional Analysis at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, the University of Plymouth and the Université Catholique de Louvain. 

Nicole Rosow

Director of Sustainability

IE University

Nicole Rosow (M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania) is the Director of Sustainability at IE University, leading efforts to integrate sustainability across campus. In this transversal role, she collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to foster awareness and drive meaningful change in mindsets and behaviors, embedding sustainability in operations and student-led initiatives, aligning IE University’s strategy with global best practices. Previously, she was a USAID contractor on large-scale educational reform projects in developing countries and later served as the founding director of a family resource center in a disadvantaged neighborhood in the greater New York City area, addressing social and environmental challenges.

Borja Santos Porras

Vice Dean at IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs

IE University

Borja Santos Porras is Vice Dean and professor at the IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs, specializing in public policy and international development. With over 10 years of experience, Borja has worked on public policies and international programs across Africa, Europe, America, and Asia. He holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School (2017) and a Master in International Relations (2014). Borja also has a BEng+MEng in Telecommunication Engineering (University of Valladolid, 2006). He is the president of the Spanish alumni network of Harvard Kennedy School, collaborates with IMFAHE for international expansion, and is a professional coach with EuropeLab. Borja has published opinion pieces and been interviewed for international publications.

Oleksandr Shtokvych

Senior Program Manager at the Yehuda Elkana Center for Higher Education

Central European University

Oleksandr Shtokvych is a Senior Program Manager at the Yehuda Elkana Center for Higher Education, leading the Secretariat of the Open Society University Network (OSUN). OSUN integrates learning and knowledge advancement across geographic and demographic boundaries, promotes civic engagement for open societies, and expands access to higher education for underserved communities. Oleksandr is also Co-Director of the OSUN Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative and manages CEU's research and outreach for higher education reform in Myanmar. This includes strategic planning, development, internationalization of key universities, policy formulation for university autonomy and quality assurance, and scholarship support for students, academics, and administrators. Prior to joining CEU in 2016, Oleksandr served the Open Society Foundations' Higher Education Support Program for fifteen years, leading faculty and curriculum development programs across Central Europe, Eurasia, South-East Asia, and China.

Valentina Tartari

Professor

Stockholm School of Economics

Valentina Tartari is the Jacob and Marcus Wallenberg Professor of Innovative and Sustainable Business Development at the Department of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology (DEIT), where she is the director of the JMW Center. She is also affiliated with the department of Strategy and Innovation at Copenhagen Business School. Her research focuses on the determinants of knowledge production and transfer, inside and outside academia. Specifically, she studies how academic researchers produce scientific knowledge and how this knowledge is transferred to industry and society. Valentina is also interested in the role universities have in stimulating local entrepreneurship.   

Catalina Tejero

Dean of the IE School of Humanities

IE University

Catalina Tejero serves as Dean of the IE School of Humanities at IE University, where she is also an adjunct faculty member. Her doctoral research focuses on the interaction between family firms and art patronage and philanthropy. She holds a Bachelor’s in Law and a Diploma in International Relations from ICADE (Universidad Pontificia Comillas), as well as an MBA and a Master’s in Research Methodology from IE University. She is a member of the jury for the IE Foundation Prizes in the Humanities and a Member of Honor of the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado in Madrid. 

Susana Torres Prieto

Assistant Professor of Humanities and International Relations

IE University

Susana Torres Prieto is an Assistant Professor of Humanities and International Relations at IE University. She has developed her academic and research career in the areas of Slavic and Medieval Studies. She has specialized on Russian literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present, as well as the transmission of knowledge. She has taught at various universities in Spain and abroad and has led multiple international research groups. Currently, she is a Research Associate at Harvard University, where she serves as the Scientific Director of a digital humanities project on medieval Rus’. Professor [Last Name] is also a member of several global scientific societies. Her academic background includes a PhD in Philology from Universidad Complutense and the University of Cambridge, along with a Diplôme Post-Doctorat from École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris.

Ilke Toygur

Director of the Global Policy Center

IE University

Dr. Ilke Toygür is the Director of the Global Policy Center and Professor of Practice at IE University’s School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs. Her expertise encompasses European integration, EU institutions, democracy in Western Europe, transatlantic relations and Turkey’s relations with the West. She holds a BA and MA in Economics, an MA in Democracy and Government and a PhD in Political Science. Since 2008, she has worked with institutions like the Economic Development Foundation, Elcano Royal Institute and SWP in Brussels. A former Mercator-IPC Fellow, she is now a non-resident senior associate at CSIS in Washington, DC. 

Frank Uffen

Advisor to the Executive Board and Chairman of the TSH Talent Foundation

The Social Hub

Frank Uffen focuses on talent development, strategic partnerships, and expansion plans. He has a keen eye for trends, a love of all things entrepreneurial and a passion for community building and social impact. Since 2010, he has strengthened the company's community driven model and positioned it as a catalyst for urban regeneration and an asset to university cities. In 2024, he became Chairman of the TSH Talent Foundation, directing 1% of The Social Hub’s revenue to support changemakers through scholarships and the Better Society Academy. In 2011, he founded The Class Foundation, addressing Europe’s student housing crisis by hosting forums, conducting research, and promoting leadership in the student living sector. 

Dina Waked

Dean of Sciences Po’s School of Research

Sciences Po

Dina Waked holds a Doctor of Judicial Science (S.J.D) and a Master of Laws (LL.M) from Harvard Law School, a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) from the Faculty of Law at Cairo University and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Economics from the American University in Cairo. She works at the intersection of several disciplines, particularly law and economics. Her research and publications are in the fields of antitrust and competition law; law and development - particularly in the Global South; and law and economics. Her work focuses on redistribution, inequality, and social justice. She is a member of several international networks such as the Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) at Harvard Law School, the Academic Society for Competition Law (ASCOLA), and since 2020 has been a jury member of the Prix de la Chancellerie des Universités de Paris.  

Amy Zalman

Government & Public Services Strategic Foresight Leader

Deloitte

Amy Zalman is an internationally recognized futurist, educator, and author who helps leaders anticipate and shape the future. She has years of experience as a trusted authority on the intersection of power, governance, society, and new technologies. As a Professor of Strategic Foresight at Georgetown University, she trains the next generation of leaders to drive change. In 2005, Amy founded Oryx Communications to support US defense clients in adapting to a rapidly evolving post-9/11 world. As Chair of Information Integration at the National War College, she introduced innovative approaches to understanding information’s complex role in society. In 2014, she became CEO of the World Future Society, leading its transformation and revitalization. In 2017, Amy founded Prescient (formerly the Strategic Narrative Institute), a foresight firm that provides strategic guidance to organizations navigating uncertainty and change. She welcomes conversations on today’s rapidly shifting world.