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2023 Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability
Zaheer Allam
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr. Zaheer Allam holds a PhD in Humanities, a Master of Arts (Res), an MBA, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Architectural Science from universities in Australia and the United Kingdom. Based in Mauritius, he is the Chairperson of the National Youth Environment Council (NYEC) and a board member of the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA) and works on a number of projects on the thematic of Smart Cities and on strategies dwelling in the increasing role of technology in Culture and the Society. Zaheer is also a Honorary Fellow at Deakin University (Australia), the African Representative of the International Society of Biourbanism (ISB), member of the Advisory Circle of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), and a member of a number of other international bodies. He holds a number of awards and commendations, including an elevation to the rank of Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean by the President of Mauritius. He is the author of over 110 peer reviewed publications and author of 8 books on the subject of Smart, Sustainable and Future Cities.

Yvette Baninla
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr. Yvette Baninla is a Cameroonian lecturer in the Department of Geology, Mining and Environmental Science at the University of Bamenda. She holds a BSc degree in Geography from the University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon, an MSc in Natural Science, with a focus in Marine Affairs, from Xiamen University, China, and a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), China.

 

Dr. Baninla received a Chinese Government Scholarship (2013-2015), a fellowship from the World Academy of Sciences (2015-2019), and the Queen’s Post-Doctoral Fund (2022-2024). In 2020, she was specially appointed as a visiting assistant professor at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Japan. Her research interests are broadly focused on global and regional patterns and drivers of mineral production and consumption, with a particular emphasis on the African context. She also investigates the progress of climate change adaptation and mitigation in Africa and its implications for peace and sustainability. She recently contributed to an IRP-UNEP report (2021) titled “Governing Coastal Resources Implications for a Sustainable Blue Economy”.

Prakash Bhattarai
NERPS Associate

Prakash Bhattarai is currently acting as Director of Centre for Social Change (CSC), a non- profit research and advocacy institute in Nepal working on issues around education, governance, migration, labor, peacebuilding, and civic engagement. Bhattarai holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Otago, New Zealand. He also holds master’s degrees in Population Studies (Tribhuvan University, Nepal) and in International Peace Studies (University of Notre Dame, USA), and has been a visiting research scholar (April-June 2013) at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden and at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Germany (May-June 2017). He is also a 2018 Asia Global Fellow at Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong. He has published articles in peer reviewed journals such as International Negotiation, International Journal of Conflict Management and Journal of Peacebuilding and Development. Dr. Bhattarai has more than 20 years of professional and leadership experience on issues surrounding governance, peacebuilding, development, migration, labor, gender and youth with his association in a number of national and international organizations as well as the UN agencies.

Simon Bibri
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr. Simon Elias Bibri holds a PhD in Computer Science, a Master of Computer Science in Informatics, a Master of Computer Science—research focused—in Ambient Intelligence and ICT for environmental sustainability, a Master of Computer and Systems Sciences in Decision Support and Risk Analysis, a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability, a Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Planning and Development, a Master of Environmental Science in Eco-technology and Sustainable Development, a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Simon received all his Master’s degrees from different Swedish universities, namely Lund University, West University, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Malmö University, Stockholm University, and Mid–Sweden University. Prior to embarking on his long academic journey, he served as an IT director, a software development engineer, a green ICT and sustainability strategist, an IT project manager, and a research consultant. He also served as a research associate at Halmstad University, a visiting scholar at Lund University, and a researcher and assistant professor at NTNU. He is currently serving as a research scientist at EPFL, a research associate at Paris—Sorbonne Business School, and a research associate at the Nordic Institute for Advanced Studies. He is the author of over 110 peer-reviewed publications and 7 books on the subjects of Ambient Intelligence, the IoT, Big Data Analytics, Context Aware Computing, Urbanism, STS, and Data-Driven Smart Sustainable Cities.

Glenda Tibe Bonifacio
NERPS Research Fellow

Prof Glenda Tibe Bonifacio joined the University of Lethbridge in 2005 and is currently a full professor in Women and Gender Studies. She completed an MA in Asian Studies (entrance and presidential scholar) and BA in Social Sciences (magna cum laude) from the University of the Philippines. From 1991 to 2000 she has fond memories of her students and colleagues at the University of the Philippines Visayas (Tacloban) before migrating to Australia to pursue a PhD in Political Science from the University of Wollongong. As a scholar-activist, “her geography is global”. Click here for more.

Srinjoy Bose
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr Srinjoy Bose is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (Sydney). He researches topics in Critical Peace/Security Studies including, political order and violence, international intervention, state formation, democratisation, warlord/rebel governance, and the political economy of statebuilding and peacebuilding in ‘fragile’ and deeply divided states and societies. Previously, he was Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University. Prior to that he was Prime Minister’s Australia-Asia Endeavour Postgraduate Award scholar at The Australian National University, where he earned his PhD in Politics and International Relations. Dr Bose’s research has been funded by the European Union, UN Development Programme and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United States Institute of Peace, Australian Aid, and Facebook. He is co-Editor of Drones and Global Order: The Implications of Remote Warfare for International Society (Routledge, 2022), Hybridity in Peacebuilding and Development: a Critical and Reflexive Approach (Routledge, 2019), Hybridity on the Ground in Peacebuilding and Development: Critical Conversations (The ANU Press, 2018), Afghanistan – Challenges and Prospects (Routledge, 2017), ‘Critical Hybridity in Peacebuilding and Development’ (Third World Thematics: a TWQ Journal 2:4, 2018), and ‘Elections and the State: Critical Perspectives on Democracy Promotion in Afghanistan’ (Conflict, Security and Development 16:6, 2016). Click here for more.

Johann Caro-Burnett
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr. Johann Caro-Burnett holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University. He is an assistant professor at the International Economic Development Program at Hiroshima University. His research interests are political economy, economic development and public policy. On the one hand, he studies political institutions, war and peace, and voting behavior using game theory and mechanics design. On the other hand, he also studies empirically the implications of policy-making using micro data and experiments, as well as country-level data. Click here for more.

Ali Cheshmehzangi
NERPS Research Fellow

Ali Cheshmehzangi is a Full Professor of Architecture and Urban Design. He is an urbanist and urban designer by profession and by heart. He studies city transitions, sustainable urbanism, urban sustainability, and integrated urban design strategies.

 

Ali is Professor of Urban Planning, and Director of Center for Innovation in Teaching, Learning, and Research at Qingdao City University (QCU). Prior to that, he was Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment and co-Director of Urban Innovation Lab at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). In 2021-22, he was a Specially-Appointed Professor at the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), Hiroshima University (HU), Japan.

 

So far, Ali has 150+ journal papers and 12 books. His books are titled ‘Smart-Eco Cities in China: Trends and City Profiles 2016’ (2016), ‘Designing Cooler Cities‘ (2017), the award-winning ‘Eco-development in China’ (2018), ‘Sustainable Urban Development in the Age of Climate Change‘ (2019), ‘Identity of Cities and City of Identities‘ (2020), the double award-winning ‘The City in Need‘ (2020), ‘Urban Memory in City Transitions‘ (2021), ‘Sustainable Urbanism in China‘ (2021), ‘China’s Sustainability Transitions‘ (2021), ‘Urban Health, Sustainability, and Peace in the Day the World Stopped‘ (2021), ‘Green Infrastructure in Chinese Cities‘ (2022), and ‘ICT, Cities, and Reaching Positive Peace’ (2022). He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Springer Nature book series on ‘Urban Sustainability‘.  Profile Link | ResearchGate Link | Google Scholar Link

Letícia Sarmento dos Muchangos
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr Letícia Sarmento dos Muchangos is an environmental engineer and sustainability researcher. She focuses on developing integrated waste management systems in low-income contexts, considering policy, technical and stakeholder aspects, particularly interested in the predominant final disposal challenge – waste open dumping and burning. Connected with that, she also explores the positioning, perspectives, and narratives of the Global South in the movement towards the implementation of the Circular Economy.

 

Currently, she is a project assistant professor at the Center for Global Commons (CGC), Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), University of Tokyo, as a contributor to the Sustainable Food Systems Transformation project, conducting environmental impact assessments of key food commodities, via the Life Cycle Analysis methodology.

 

Letícia is a Mozambican-trained civil engineer specialized in environmental engineering from Chongqing University in PR China for a master’s and Osaka University in Japan for a doctorate. She was a postdoctoral fellow from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) at Keio University and the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). She also worked at IFI as a project researcher and as an assistant professor at Osaka University.

 

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Joshua Fisher
NERPS Research Fellow

Joshua Fisher is a Research Scientist and Director of AC4 at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. He was a Specially Appointed Professor at NERPS, Hiroshima University from 2020 to 2022. Dr. Fisher employs natural and social science methodologies to understand the nexus of environmental sustainability, natural resource governance, and social stability. He routinely works with public, private, and community-based stakeholders to assess and manage environmental and natural resource conflicts. He has worked extensively in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, and the western United States. Dr. Fisher completed his postdoctoral work at The Earth Institute where he focused on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Prior to joining AC4, Dr. Fisher worked in the private sector as a Senior Scientist on US Government contracts. He likewise worked with several conservation organizations in the non-profit sector, and formerly served as a land-use planner for the US Bureau of Land Management. He holds advanced degrees in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University, and Political Science from Utah State University.

He Baojie
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr Baojie is a Professor of Urban Climate and Sustainable Built Environment at School of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Chair of the Centre for Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Cities, Chongqing University, China. Prior to this, Baojie worked as Postdoc Research Associate and obtained a PhD degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Baojie is working on the technologies of Cool Cities and Communities and Net Zero Carbon Built Environment. Baojie has published about 100 peer-reviewed papers in high-ranking journals and delivered various invited talks in reputable conferences. Baojie has been involved in several large research projects on urban climate and built environment in Australia and China. Baojie has been invited to act Topic Editor-in-Chief, Leading Guest Editor, Associate Editor, Editorial Board Member, Conference Chair, Sessional Chair, Scientific Committee of a variety of reputable international journals and conferences. Baojie received the Sustainability Young Investigator Award in 2022, the Green Talents Award (Germany) in 2021. Baojie was ranked as one of the Single-year & Career 100,000 global scientists (2%) by Mendeley, 2021. More details here, here, and here.

Gaku Ito
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr. Gaku Ito is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU, 大阪公立大学, April 2022 – present). His area of research is empirical studies of International Relations, with primary focuses on the causes, dynamics, and outcomes of political violence and the legacies of historical events and institutions. His methodological interests include archival sources, event data, and images along with causal inference and spatial analysis techniques.Before joining OMU, he received a PhD in Advanced Social and International Studies from the University of Tokyo and worked as a Research Fellow at the National Institutes for the Humanities (April 2016 – September 2018) and as an Assistant Professor at Hiroshima University (October 2018 – March 2022). His work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Peace Research, and other journals as well as several edited volumes.

Makoto Kakinaka
NERPS Research Fellow

Dr. Makoto Kakinaka holds a PhD in Economics from Cornell University in the United States. His academic works cover various fields of social sciences, including energy and environment, financial and banking systems, and public policies mainly in developing economies. Currently he is a professor at the Faculty of Economics, Ristumeikan University, Shiga, Japan. He also serves as a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Business, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan. Prior to his current position, he was a professor at the Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, and the Graduate School of International Relations, International University of Japan. He also had a working experience as a portfolio manager at the asset management division of a financial institution in Tokyo and New York. Click here for more.

Rosakebia Liliana Estela Mendoza
NERPS Associate

Rosakebia Liliana Estela Mendoza is passionate about learning. She holds and interdisciplinary academic training in Biological Science, Creative & Cultural Industries and Higher Education Teaching and Management. She has represented Peru in more than twenty international events combining the creative power of Art, Science and Digital Humanities. Her cultural diplomacy path started after she placed herself as an outstanding young poet after receiving numerous literary awards.

 

Since 2017, she has been exploring the entrepreneurship ecosystem and facilitating tech transfer in multicultural and interdisciplinary teams. She has been selected as ECA Professional Fellow of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Exchange and Cultural Affairs & International Center for Journalists (Fall cohort, 2021) and European Parliament’s Sakharov Fellow (2022).

 

She is currently working on designing digital solutions to address social challenges in various fields with a cross-innovation mindset catalyzing generosity , empathy, equity and justice to all.