Malamine Junior Badji is a Ph.D. candidate in agricultural economics at Iba Der Thiam Institute, with a research focus on seed systems, agricultural innovation, and smallholder productivity in West Africa. He works as a researcher at the Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA) and is also affiliated with Agrichange-Maker, an initiative promoting digital tools for inclusive agricultural development. His doctoral research analyzes the structure and performance of rice seed systems in Senegal, with an emphasis on resilience, accessibility, and policy design. Malamine is passionate about bridging research, policy, and practice to support equitable and sustainable agricultural systems across the Global South.

Sulemana Baba is a first-year PhD in Development Economics student at the University of Ghana. His research interest spans public finance, applied health economics, labour economics, monetary economics and development economics. He holds a BSc in Mathematics with Economics and a Master of Philosophy in Economics at the University for Development Studies and the University of Ghana, respectively. He serves as an Assistant Lecturer at the Tamale Technical University (TaTU) in Ghana.

Samuel Anim Kwarteng is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His research focuses on "Entrepreneurial Growth, Employment Generation and Income Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Role of Digital Finance," examining how technology-driven financial solutions can foster inclusive economic development. With extensive teaching experience in economics and management, Samuel actively mentors students on career development and public speaking. He serves as Director General of the University of Cape Coast’s Mentorship Class and holds elected leadership roles in the Graduate Students Association. His work as a research assistant has honed advanced quantitative analysis skills, and he holds an M.Phil. in Economics with specialization in Financial, International, Public and Development Economics from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). Samuel is committed to translating academic insights into practical strategies for reducing socioeconomic barriers in emerging economies.

Andisheh is a third year and first-generation PhD candidate in
Economics at the University of Memphis. Her current research
focuses on international trade in agricultural products and
examines how climate change, including extreme weather
events, and political factors affect global agri-food trade.
She holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of
Memphis and earned both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of
Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Tehran.
In July 2025, Andisheh received the Graduate Teaching Assistant
Award at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association
annual meeting in Denver.

I am a UGC-SRF (Ph.D.) in Economics at the University of North Bengal. The aim of my Ph.D. thesis is to understand how macroeconomic shocks affect the fertility transition path. My core interests lie in the fields of growth and development economics, health economics, and political economy. I have previously published in reputed journals such as Policy Studies (Taylor & Francis), SSHO (Elsevier), EPW, The Indian Economic Journal (SAGE), etc.

Ambika Roy is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the University of Calcutta. She completed her Masters in Economics from University of Calcutta and her B.Sc. from Asutosh College. Her research interests lie in political economy, development economics, and the economics of institutions, with a particular focus on ethnicity, discrimination, cultural norms and political processes. Her doctoral research examines how caste-based violence gets affected around election periods in the presence of ethnic clientelism and political power of parties that represent minority interests and the impact this has on voter turnout. She also explores how climate shocks intensify cultural norms and influence violence against marginalized communities, especially against the Dalit community in India.

Damilola Adebayo is a PhD student in Economics at Louisiana State University, where he also serves as a Research Assistant at the Center for Energy Studies. His research focuses on development economics, energy economics, causal inference analysis, and econometric modeling. Damilola holds master's degrees in Economics and Agricultural Economics from LSU and a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. His work spans energy infrastructure databases, predictive modeling, and policy analysis, with publications examining climate-smart agriculture adoption and financial market dynamics. Prior to his doctoral studies, he gained experience in business strategy and operations analysis, bringing a practical perspective to his academic research on development and energy economics.

My name is Chandan Tiwari,
I am a PhD scholar in the department of Economic sciences at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, India, specializing in development economics and applied econometrics. My research focuses on agriculture economics and behavioral economics specific to recent policies taken by government of India in the field of agriculture. Before joining PhD , I earned an M.A. degree in Economics from Central University of South Bihar (Gaya) ,India. Apart from research I also serve as a teaching assistant for undergraduate students in courses such as microeconomics and econometrics. In my free time I enjoy running, swimming, and playing cricket .

Makarious Ayitey Aryee is a Ghanaian economist and academic with a solid background in economics, statistics, and public health. He holds an MPhil in Economics from the University of Ghana, a bachelor’s degree in Economics from GIMPA, and an HND in Statistics from Accra Technical University. His early education was at Asamankese Secondary School, where he studied general arts (social science option).
With over a decade of professional experience, Mr. Aryee has served in various capacities in academia, public policy, and development work. He is currently a lecturer at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, and an adjunct lecturer at Ensign Global University. His teaching experience spans several institutions, including the University of Ghana, GIMPA, and Academic City College (formerly Sikkim Manipal University).
Mr. Aryee has previously worked as a data analyst at the Office of the President of Ghana and as a field officer with The Hunger Project-Ghana. His research interests include health economics, development economics, welfare economics, and social protection. He has published on topics such as health insurance enrollment in Ghana.
He possesses strong quantitative skills, with proficiency in tools like STATA and EViews. Beyond academia, he has held several leadership roles, including course advisor, board member, and team leader for research surveys. He is also active in church and community service.

Adeniwura Oluwatoba Oyedele is a Ph.D. student in Economics Department of Olabisi Onabanjo University. His research focuses on trade liberalization, financial deepening and inclusive growth. He is a first-generation scholar with a strong interest in advancing and contributing to the body of knowledge.