Past Speakers
Prof. Dr. Susana Sanz Caballero
Prof. Dr. Susana Sanz Caballero is full Professor of Public International Law at CEU Cardenal Herrera University. She holds the Jean Monnet Chair awarded by the European Commission twice (2017 and 2024) and is a member of the Bureau of the Association des Amis de la Fondation René Cassin – IIDH. She holds the Diploma of Expert from the International Institute of Human Rights (France) and a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from the Juan March Foundation.
In 2015–2016, she served as Senior Advisor to the EU in its structured human rights dialogues with Brazil. Since 2019, she is ad hoc judge at the European Court of Human Rights. She was awarded one of the 10 Fulbright Schuman Postdoctoral Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State and the European Commission for the 2024–2025 academic year, during which she was based at CUNY.
She has been principal investigator of 6 competitive research projects and a member of another 10, including 3 European projects, all focused on human rights and the rule of law. She currently leads a national research project on rule of law backsliding in the EU involving 15 researchers from 6 EU countries, and another project funded by the Generalitat Valenciana with 24 researchers from 7 EU countries on rule of law decline and hybrid threats. She is the author of 2 books, coordinator of 10 collective volumes and she has 150 other publications.
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Dr. Abdelkarim Bouguerroumi
Dr. Abdelkarim Bouguerroumi is an Algerian Notary Public and legal consultant specializing in notarization, legal documentation, and inheritance law. He serves as a trusted advisor to ministries, municipalities, NGOs, and private institutions, offering expertise in contracts, compliance, and governance. Dr. Bouguerroumi has presented at numerous national and international conferences, including a recent talk on inheritance procedures and asset protection. His professional interests include access to justice, legal literacy, and digital transformation of notarial services. He holds a Doctor of Law degree and continues to contribute to academic and civic initiatives promoting transparency and the rule of law.
Dr. Ermir Xhindi
Dr. Ermir Xhindi is an Albanian scholar whose pedagogical and research efforts focus on Albanian literature and diverse theoretical-literary matters related to “reader response” criticism. He has published several articles and presentations relevant to his research interests in scientific activities both within and beyond Albania. He has been a full-time lecturer since 1994 at “Eqrem Çabej” University in Gjirokastër, and from 2007 onwards at the Department of Language and Literature at “Ismail Qemali” University in Vlorë.
Dr. Kanokwara Phuangprayong
Dr. Kanokwara Phuangprayong is a lecturer at Thammasat University specializing in social innovation and social development. She holds a Ph.D. in Demography and has published extensively on social innovation and sustainable development. Her work has made significant contributions to advancing social innovation in Central Thailand, and she received the Outstanding Young Researcher Award at the faculty level from Thammasat University, Thailand.
Mr. Biswajit Chatterjee
Mr. Biswajit Chatterjee is an electronics engineer. He completed his PGDBA from IIT, Kharagpur, and was awarded a silver medal for securing 1st position. He has 29 years of experience in the power utility. He is now pursuing a PhD in HR at IIT, Kharagpur, as a working professional. Poem writing is his passion. He has a special interest in sustainability, environmental consciousness, and community wellbeing. He always dreams of a clean and green world where absolute equity and peace prevail.
Ms. Sayli Agashe
Ms. Sayli Agashe is a practicing Clinical Psychologist with 7-8 years of experience and pursuing PhD from IIT Kharagpur. She completed her masters from University of Pune and M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Her broad area of PhD research is positive psychology specifically focusing on the process of meaning making and its effect on resilience. Further she has explored the impact of this relational link on overall functionality which includes affect, cognitive functions, and psychological states. She is a member of Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) and Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP).
Mr. Ankit Kumar Senapati
Ankit Kumar Senapati is a doctoral researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and a Prime Minister’s Research Fellow. Trained in architecture and urban planning, his research examines social stratification, cultural and symbolic capital, and everyday faith-based practices in Indian cities using statistical, spatial, and mixed-method approaches.
Ms. Claudia Baur-Jules
Claudia has worked as a consultant for development in several countries including Papua New Guinea and Vietnam. This year she completed a Masters in Sustainable Development at University College Dublin in Ireland with First Class Honours. She is a passionate researcher, and her interests are in politics, international relations and sustainable development.
Ms. Du Jiahui
Du Jiahui is a doctoral candidate at Capital Normal University specializing in philosophical studies. She is the published translator of Rousseau’s Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men, bringing this classic Enlightenment text to Chinese readers. In her personal time, Du enjoys running and swimming.
Mr. Santanu Sarkar
Santanu Sarkar is a PhD Research Scholar at the Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. His work explores storytelling, emotional engagement, and the emotional impact of narrative structures by integrating Classical Indian aesthetics—particularly Rasa Theory from the Natyashastra with Western theoretical frameworks. He holds a BA (Hons.) in Sanskrit from ABN Seal College (University of North Bengal, India), an MA in Sanskrit from Coochbehar Panchanan Barma University, India, and an MPhil in Sanskrit from the University of Burdwan, India. His research interests span classical Indian dramatics and poetics, Sanskrit literature, Comparative Literature and aesthetics, Literary criticism, Cultural studies, and film studies.
Mr. Parviz Kazimov
Parviz Kazimov leads the Competency and Professional Potential Evaluation Unit at Azerbaijan’s State Examination Centre (SEC), developing competency-based assessment and talent diagnostics for civil servants. He co-authored Azerbaijan’s civil service competency framework with local and international experts. A lecturer in social and political psychology and a Ph.D. researcher at Baku State University, his research explores how professional self-concept influences career success. He also designs and delivers training on assessment tools and competency-based HRM.
Ms. Neha Rai
Ms. Neha Rai is a research scholar in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her research focuses on international trade and its gendered impacts, with particular interest in policy analysis within open economy frameworks. She received the Best Paper Award at the Young Scholars’ Conference, Visva-Bharati University, for her work on globalization and gender.
Ms. Florence Jose
Ms. Florence Jose is a PhD student at the Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Mumbai, India. With experience in medical social work, her current research focuses on physicians’ health and wellbeing, exploring the roles of empathy and cognitive dissonance. Her work aims to identify strategies to support healthcare professionals’ wellbeing and promote more compassionate and sustainable healthcare systems.
Mr. Chi Yuen Lai
Mr. Chi Yuen Lai is a PhD candidate researching in areas of migrants, labour relations, women, and gendered relationships. His research topics: precarity, migration-driven precarization in labour, digital, and housing settings. He obtained a Master of Social Work from Hong Kong Baptist University in 2020 and a Bachelor of Social Work from the same university in 2015.
He has been 5 years social workers in the fields of employment support and asylum-seeking humanitarian assistance. Inspired by the complexity of problems clients encountered, he determined to study for a PhD.
Mr. Mainak Ghosh
Mr. Mainak Ghosh is a doctoral scholar at the Vinod Gupta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. He holds an M.Tech in Industrial Engineering and Management from MAKAUT, West Bengal, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, ranking among the top performers in both programs. He has actively contributed to academic research and has presented papers at reputed national and international conferences. His earlier academic engagements include teaching and research assignments at MAKAUT and Jadavpur University. His academic interests span healthcare management, hospital sustainability, service quality, organizational energy, and human resource development.