Shinali is a PhD candidate in the Department of Economics at the University of Calcutta. She completed her M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Calcutta and her B.Sc. from Loreto College, Kolkata. Her primary fields of research interests are political economy, development economics, public economics and economics of institutions. She is also interested in questions of identity formation and the role played by culture and norms in shaping the economic life of women. Her doctoral thesis analyses how the provision of public goods, both generic and group-specific, as well as conflict under weak institutional settings, function as rational electoral strategies. Outside academia, Shinali is passionate about literature and films, and she enjoys writing. She is also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

Lorena Moreno is a social economist and data analyst whose work centers on children’s health and poverty alleviation. She holds a BSc in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, an MSc in Economics from FLACSO, and an MSc in Social Research Methods from the London School of Economics. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in Economics and Public Policy at Tufts University. With over ten years of quantitative research experience, Lorena has led interagency projects on poverty, inequality, education, health, and child development, and built strategic partnerships across public, private, and international organizations.

Mahtab Alam is a PhD candidate in Demography at the International
Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai. His research explores how the deprivation of substantive capabilities shapes gender and health inequalities and impacts human well-being. His doctoral
thesis applies Amartya Sen’s “Development as Freedom” framework to predict demographic outcomes in India.

JOSEPHINE ADWOA YEBOAH is a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Cape Coast. She holds Master of Philosophy in Economics. Presently, she lectures Economics at Takoradi Technical University. She aspires to progress to the highest level in Academia. Her research interests are in Environmental Economics, Behaviourial Economics, and Development Economics with key focus on Gender and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Josephine is distinguished by her strong background in education, communication, and research and she is also a team player.

I am a PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Economics. I am an energy and environmental economist interested in examining the broad impact of climate change and energy transition using tools from applied microeconomics and industrial organizations.

My current projects demonstrate how technology can address environmental challenges: I examine (i) how smart thermostat automation improves energy conservation during grid emergencies, and (ii) how individuals adjust their behavior to avoid pollution using physical activity data from wearable devices. In my ongoing work, I study the impact of battery storage deployment on renewable and conventional generators, specifically in Texas electricity markets.

Prior to Georgia Tech, I worked as an academic professional and consultant for various energy and environmental policy think tanks in Indonesia. I hold a B.S. and M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Institute of Technology Bandung, and a M.S. in Economics from Georgia Tech.

Joo Won is a PhD candidate in the Department of Economics at the University at Buffalo. Her research focuses on environmental and public economics. Her recent work examines how rising temperatures shape farmers’ forward-looking risk management decisions and how these effects emerge in distant and socially connected U.S. counties. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Michigan. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked as a researcher in the public policy sector, including roles at the Republic of Korea Mission to the United Nations and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), where she focused on development, environmental policy, and humanitarian affairs.

Sapan is a Junior Research Fellow (JRF) at the Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. His research focuses on the intersection of climate change and human development, assessing how the climate crisis exacerbates social inequalities and gives rise to new forms of vulnerability in India. His doctoral work explores how rising heat affects maternal health, disrupts children’s learning, and intensifies gender-based risks.

I am Roopal Jain, working in applied economic development with interests in health, gender, environment, and labor economics. My focus is on using research to inform inclusive and sustainable policy solutions.

A PhD candidate at Central South University in China, Dr. Didier Robert Dusengemungu, is researching the economic and social impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative on the energy sector in East Africa. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Business Information Technology from the University of Rwanda and a Master's degree from Guangxi University of Finance and Economics. He is interested in sustainable development policy, company performance, and environmental accounting. He is fervently committed to promoting inclusive growth via scholarly engagement and evidence-based policymaking.

Emmanuel Issifu Fuseini is currently a PhD candidate in Business Administration with a focus on finance at the School of Business, University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana, under the supervision of Muazu Ibrahim (PhD). He also holds a Master of Commerce from the same University and is a Chartered Accountant with ICA-Ghana. He earned a B.Sc., in Business Administration (Accounting and Finance option) awarded by the University of Cape Coast. With over twelve years of teaching experience in economics, ICT, and accounting. He is currently serving as a reviewer for high-ranking journals in Finance and Economics. His primary areas of research revolve around the nexus among fiscal policy, inclusive growth, ICT, institutions, and financial development, and he has published in these areas in reputable international journals.