Professor Aranguren is general director of Orkestra (the Basque Institute of Competitiveness) and lecturer of microeconomics at Deusto Business School. Her research focuses on regional competitiveness and public policies to foster competitiveness – areas in which she has published extensively. She has significant experience in research project leadership and implementation, and has participated in several European projects, such as the “European Cluster Observatory Phase II” project funded by the European Commission. She has been chair of international conferences and has participated as assessor of international projects and scientific journals.

Mark Charlton has been working in university-public engagement for more than eight years. At De Montfort, he leads on the United Nations Academic Impact global hub for Sustainable Development Goal 16 – based at DMU – by bringing academics and students into the global conversation on SDGs and working across the university to develop research and teaching outputs that seek to impact and promote indicators of the SDGs. He is also working towards a PhD linked to SDG16, researching links between student volunteering and growing stronger democracies through civic participation.

Jennifer Curtin is professor of politics and public policy, and is the inaugural director of the Public Policy Institute. The PPI fosters independent, critical research on local and global policy challenges by bringing together researchers to co-design and disseminate knowledge relevant to governmental policy agendas, and develop relationships with local communities. Her current research examines what is required to advance inclusive gender analysis and responsive budgeting by governments. Prior to joining the University of Auckland, she taught politics and policy at Monash University, and the University of Canberra and held a postdoctoral position at the Australian National University.

Appointed pro vice-chancellor (Indigenous) in 2017, Professor Ewen is also foundation director of the Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne, and visiting professor of Indigenous health and leadership at King’s College London. He is also convenor of the Association of Commonwealth Universities’ Peace and Reconciliation Network. As pro vice-chancellor, he has responsibility for institutional policy, strategy and advice in relation to Indigenous higher education. Professor Ewen has a clinical background in physiotherapy, and holds postgraduate qualifications in international relations and education. His area of research expertise relates to Indigenous health and health professional education.

Dr Ganić completed his tertiary education at Durham University, Buckingham University and the University of Sarajevo. In 2009, he joined the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology in a dual role as the university’s head of marketing and teaching assistant in the department of computer science and information systems. As executive director at SSST, he has designed and overseen large-scale projects to upgrade the quality of teaching and research at the university. He is currently spearheading a US$10 million project to establish a research institute for medicine and computer science under the SSST’s umbrella.

José Carlos Gómez Sal is a former rector of the University of Cantabria (2012-16) and emeritus professor of condensed matter physics at the University de Cantabria (Santander). He has wide experience in research, higher education and administration and was president of the R&D Commission of Crue from 2012-16. His field of research is magnetism and materials science. He has chaired and participated in several international committees on infrastructure and research policies, and also been part of the commission to prepare the evaluation of (technical and social) knowledge transfer for the Spanish higher education system.

Carla Koppell teaches in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown and directs a programme on diversity and inclusion in international affairs. Previously, she was a vice-president at the US Institute of Peace and chief strategy officer for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). She also served as USAID’s inaugural senior coordinator for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Other roles have included director of the Institute for Inclusive Security, deputy assistant secretary for international affairs with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and she has worked with Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Professor O’Malley is chair of United Nations studies in peace and justice at Leiden University and The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and assistant professor of history and international relations in the Institute for History at Leiden. She is a historian of the UN, decolonisation and the Cold War in Africa. In 2019, she received a starting grant from the European Research Council for her project, “Challenging the liberal world order from within: The invisible history of the United Nations and the global south”.

Dr Plesch is director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London, the world’s largest centre for diplomatic education. He leads international collaborative impact projects on the history and future of the United Nations, war crimes and disarmament. His books include The Beauty Queen's Guide to World Peace, America, Hitler and the UN and Human Rights After Hitler. He has been engaged in global efforts leading to nuclear arms reduction in Europe, the nuclear test ban, the arms trade treaty and the UN programme on small arms.

Carmen Pombo is founder and chief executive of the Fernando Pombo Foundation, which promotes the legal profession’s engagement with the rights of vulnerable people. She is a public interest lawyer with a focus on gender-based violence victims, forced migrants, vulnerable patients, the homeless and social entrepreneurship. She works globally to promote “responsible lawyering”, the pro bono culture and the rule of law. She is also a researcher in business and human rights for the legal profession, co-chair of the International Bar Association Rule of Law Forum and a member of the board of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation.