Bio

At Times Higher Education, the data, insights and events partner to universities and governments worldwide, Phil leads on government partnerships, external engagement, product development and commercial strategy. He is also Director General of the Education World Forum, the largest gathering of education and skills ministers in the world.

Bio

The Honourable Bill Blair is a distinguished public servant whose career spans more than four decades in policing, federal public office, and diplomacy. In 2026, he was appointed High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom, after stepping down as a long-serving Member of Parliament. Before that, he served as Chief of the Toronto Police Service.

Mr. Blair was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Scarborough Southwest in 2015, and re-elected three times. During his time on the Hill, he has held a number of senior Cabinet positions, including Minister of National Defence, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction. He was also previously Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Health.

Bio

Catherine Draper is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Prior to starting as the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Regional Health – Africa in September 2025, she held an Associate Professor position at the University of the Witwatersrand (2020-2025, previously Senior Researcher). Catherine has a MA in Research Psychology and PhD in Public Health, both from the University of Cape Town, where she also completed my postdoctoral research fellowship and worked as a senior researcher until 2017. She has published more than 170 peer-reviewed articles and led the Series on ‘Early childhood development and the next 1000 days’, published in The Lancet in 2024. Her research interests include implementation science, qualitative research methods, and early childhood development. She has been involved in research studies on child development, and maternal and child health in South Africa.

Speaking Engagements

Journal Publications and Reach Research 

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Bio

Aparna Uppaluri is a seasoned global executive with deep expertise in strategic planning and implementation across philanthropy, research, and policy. She has led programs and initiatives spanning gender and climate justice, public health, education, livelihoods, governance, arts and culture, and academia.

Aparna is Founder and Principal Advisor of Antara Advisory, a practice rooted in Global Majority knowledge and practice. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the Tata Trusts and as Senior Global Program Officer for Gender Justice, and Program Director at the Ford Foundation.

In 2024, Aparna  was named Philanthropy Professional of the Year by the Hurun Report, India. At present, she serves on global advisory bodies of Equal Measures 2030, Sustainable Futures Collaborative, the Asia board of Emerging Markets (EMpower) Foundation and the Editorial Advisory Council of Alliance Magazine.

Bio

Marin is a global programs executive who has built relationships across government, foundations, the private sector, and community-based organizations around the world. As the Founding Executive Director, Marin leads strategic growth and scale up of the Reach Alliance, a global consortium of cross-sector partners developing leaders to co-create climate, public health, and economic solutions with hard-to-reach communities. Prior to joining the Reach Alliance, Marin led Grand Challenges Canada’s approach to impact measurement across their maternal, newborn and child health innovation portfolio. Her focus was on the systems and processes used to capture results, and to share knowledge generated by grantees through the organization’s unique innovation platform. Marin holds a Master in Public Health degree from the University of Toronto, and a BA (Hons) from Queen’s University as a Loran Scholar.

Bio

Gustavo Merino is the Director of Social Polices and Inclusion at UNESCO since 2024. He has held senior positions in the Government of Mexico including Vice-Minister of Social and Human Development and Vice-Minister for Prospective, Planning and Evaluation at the Ministry of Social Development. He was also General Director of Mexico’s development bank for agriculture and rural areas. At the FAO, he was Director of the Investment Centre. He has also been Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Government for Mexico City Region of Tecnológico de Monterrey where he also led the Research Centre on Public Policy and Health at the School of Government and the Public Policy Unit of the Institute for Obesity Research. He was also Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Public Policy Research at ITAM in Mexico City. He has an MPP and PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University and a BA in Economics from ITAM.

Bio

Lucy Lake is Director of Global Engagement at the Yidan Prize Foundation, where she leads efforts to highlight best practice and engage a global community working to create a better world through education. A 2020 Yidan Prize laureate, she was recognised for her leadership of CAMFED, which advances girls’ education and women’s leadership in Africa. Lucy serves on the Board of the Global Partnership for Education, the largest global fund and a multi-stakeholder partnership dedicated to transforming education in lower-income countries. She is a founding member and former Chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, and has served on the High-Level Steering Group of the Global Education Commission’s Workforce Initiative and the Advisory Board of UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report. Lucy holds a degree in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford, is an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, and a Visiting Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge.

Bio

Mallory is a leader advancing social impact and economic opportunity globally. With over a decade of experience across global development, digital innovation, and systems change, she builds and leads data-driven solutions that empower underserved communities and strengthen social sector organizations.

As Director of Product and Programs at DataKind, Mallory oversees initiatives that apply machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science to solve challenges at the intersection of financial inclusion, climate change, and health. She leads cross-sector partnerships with nonprofits, foundations, governments, and private sector innovators to design and scale ethical, high-impact AI products that deliver measurable outcomes.

Bio

Arturo Franco is Director, Group Strategy Office at the World Bank Group. Arturo brings a wealth of cross-sectoral experience to this role—spanning international development, the private sector, and public policy—where he helps shape strategic priorities across one of the world’s most influential development institutions.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Arturo served as Senior Vice President of Thought Leadership at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and as a senior advisor for McKinsey & Company’s global public and social policy practice. He has held leadership roles in both government and global organizations, including as Executive Director of the Planning Council and Undersecretary in the State of Nuevo Leon, and as a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum. His academic and policy work includes fellowships at Harvard University’s Center for International Development, the Atlantic Council, and publications through the Brookings Institution and the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Arturo holds degrees in economics from Tecnológico de Monterrey and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he also served as Vice Chair of the Alumni Board.

Bio

Mr. Francis Kabera Gatare is the President of the African School of Governance. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), where he spearheaded Rwanda's investment promotion, export development, and private sector growth agenda. He brings deep expertise in governance, economic policy, and institutional leadership to ASG.

Bio

Wales is the only country in the world with a Well-being of Future Generations Act. The Future Generations Commissioner advises government and public bodies to take a long-term approach to decision-making and champions the interests of future generations.
Derek Walker became the second Future Generations Commissioner for Wales on 1 March 2023, calling for urgent and transformational change. Before taking up the role, he spent 12 years as CEO of Cwmpas, supporting people and communities to create jobs and strengthen local economies through sustainable development.
His career has included roles with London Councils, the Big Lottery Fund (Wales), the Wales TUC, and Stonewall Cymru, where he was the organisation’s first employee in Wales.
Raised on a farm near Cwmbran, Derek holds a Master’s degree in International Journalism from Cardiff University. A keen runner, tennis player, reader and Welsh learner, he lives in Cardiff with his partner Mike. He describes being a guardian of future generations’ interests as the greatest privilege of his career.

Bio

John Pfumojena is a Zimbabwean composer, theatre director, performer, and practitioner-scholar. He is Founder and Artistic Director of Meet My Ancestors and Co-Artistic Director of Vestland Danseteater. His practice centres mbira, Shona storytelling and musical knowledge, embodied transmission, and intercultural collaboration in performance. His work spans the National Theatre, Young Vic, Shakespeare’s Globe, Royal Court, and National Theatre of Scotland, with credits including 'The Jungle', 'Enough of Him', 'For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy', and Chadwick Boseman's 'Deep Azure'. His music is published by Warner Chappell Music; his work on The Jungle received an OBIE Special Citation award. He is a former Visiting Fellow at TORCH - The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities and Exeter College, University of Oxford.

Bio

Geoff Mulgan is Professor at University College London (UCL), working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy. He was Chief Executive of Nesta from 2011–2019 and previously held senior roles in the UK government, including Director of the Government Strategy Unit, Director of the Performance and Innovation Unit, and Head of Policy in the Prime Minister’s Office. He was the first CEO of the Young Foundation and co-founded organisations including Demos, Action for Happiness and the Social Innovation Exchange. Geoff has advised governments, foundations and organisations worldwide. He is a visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and the author of numerous books on public strategy, social innovation, collective intelligence and science, including Advanced Guide to Public Sector Innovation (Edward Elgar, 2026) and Exploratory Social Science (OUP, 2026). He holds a CBE and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2020.

Bio

Joseph Wong is Vice-President, International, University of Toronto, where he is also a Professor of Political Science. He held the Canada Research Chair in Health, Democracy, and Development for two terms from 2006 to 2016, and the Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy from 2013 to 2023. Prior to being appointed Vice-President in 2021, Professor Wong was the U of T’s inaugural Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, International Student Experience, and before that, the Director of the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is the author of many academic articles and several books, including the latest From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia in 2022, published by Princeton University Press. His academic articles have been published in The Lancet, Perspectives on Politics, the Annual Review of Political Science, the Bulletin of the WHO, Comparative Political Studies, Governance, among others. Professor Wong has had affiliations with Harvard, Oxford, Fudan University in Shanghai, Seoul National University and the Institute for Policy Research in Taiwan. He has advised governments on matters of public policy in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, as well as the UN and the WHO. Inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals, in collaboration with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Professor Wong founded the Reach Alliance. The Alliance comprises eight university partners, including Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Melbourne, Ashesi University, the University of Cape Town and Singapore Management University.

Speaking Engagements

Closing Reflections

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Bio

Samuel Nzaramba is Data Science Lead at World Data Lab (WDL), where he heads the Africa Data Science team. With nearly a decade of experience designing and delivering end-to-end data science solutions, he leads technical teams in building evidence that shapes decisions on labor markets and education. His expertise spans machine learning, statistical modeling, and advanced analytics, applied to complex, real-world policy challenges.

Bio

Nice Cailie Ineza is a recent computer science graduate from Ashesi University with a passion for research-driven projects. She is currently working as a Data Scientist at the World Data Lab and has particular interest in leveraging machine-learning and security technologies to create positive societal impact. Beyond her technical pursuits, Cailie is a Christian and keen writer with a strong interest in environment, politics, and international relations.

Bio

David is a Lecturer in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at the University of Toronto where he also coordinates a student internship program. With almost 20 years in higher education, David also serves as Warden of Hart House – a student and community hub in the arts, dialogue and wellness – at U of T. He is a committed mentor at the University and dedicates his time to work that is focused on equity, access and outreach. David is excited to be joining Reach because the organization embodies and enables high impact experiences that we aspire to in universities and our communities: Students working with local communities and faculty mentors to lead research and co-design solutions that have a positive impact on people and systems.

Speaking Engagements

Faculty Research Flash Talks

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Bio

Dr Rebecca Awuah holds a PhD in Comparative International Development Education. She is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at Ashesi University. Her teaching areas include core mathematics, statistics, and Giving Voice to Values. Her research and work outside the classroom focus on mathematics pedagogy, values-based leadership education, teacher education, and survey research.

Bio

Rushay is a global health strategy consultant with experience working across international organizations and over two dozen governments in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. He is the founder of SOLITON, a tactical service design studio employing site-based approaches to build resilient and integrated health systems. Recent engagements include deployments for the World Health Organization to country offices in the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and the Philippines, and technical support to the OECD in Paris in collaboration with partners at the World Bank and the European Commission. Rushay holds an MSc in Health Systems Research from the University of Toronto, where his research centred on health systems governance in the post-conflict state, and an Honours BSc from the University of Toronto’s Victoria College, during which he was a part of the Reach Alliance’s Team Mongolia 2018-19.

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Bio

Tully Mahr is a proud Aboriginal woman, engineer, and STEM advocate passionate about community-centred leadership and creating more inclusive pathways in STEM. She is currently completing a Master of Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace) at the University of Melbourne, building on a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Tully is a Reach Alliance alumna and completed field research in Chile in 2024 on grassroots recycling and community-led sustainability. Her current research focuses on co-design with Indigenous communities, exploring circular economy and sustainability pathways for aviation parts. She has completed a few internships, most notably at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where she conducted research in astrobiology.

She is a TEDx speaker and serves on the Indigenous Advisory Board for the University of Melbourne Faculty of Engineering. Her work brings together engineering, Indigenous worldviews, and storytelling to support ethical innovation, collaboration, and community-led development.

Bio

Aisha Shafaqat completed her honours bachelor of arts degree at the University of Toronto, where she specialized in political science. Currently, Aisha works as an analyst within the finance sector with an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. She is passionate about working on creative solutions to achieve greater financial inclusion, economic empowerment, and access to safe and meaningful work.

Bio

Yamileth Luna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government and Public Transformation and is passionate about advancing equitable access to opportunities through research, public engagement, and social impact initiatives. She has experience in the public sector, supporting projects focused on youth development and community engagement, and collaborating with local stakeholders to expand opportunities for young people. She led a Zero Hunger initiative, mobilizing food and monetary donations delivered to the Banco de Alimentos Cáritas de Monterrey, in collaboration with public institutions and community partners. She has also strengthened her expertise through training with international organizations, including UNDP, UN Women, and UNFPA. As a Reach Alliance researcher, Yamileth authored a study on the experiences of children born and raised in correctional facilities, bringing visibility to an often overlooked population. Her undergraduate research explored the social, cultural, and structural factors influencing school dropout among youth. She remains committed to using research and collaboration to drive meaningful social impact.

Bio

Arif Woozeer is a graduate from Singapore Management University’s School of Computing and Information Systems, where he completed a bachelor of science in information systems with a second major in affective technologies from the College of Integrative Studies. His studies explored how technology can be designed to support emotional well-being, particularly at the intersection of human interaction design, and artificial intelligence. Wooz is especially interested in how digital tools can foster reflection, agency, and inclusion among young people in Southeast Asia. Outside the classroom, he co-founded a mental health startup focused on emotional design, and has worked across public, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial settings. He enjoys building thoughtful systems and hopes to contribute to a more empathetic and human-centred digital future.

Bio

Josephine Agbakpe-Kafui is a Howard University master’s graduate in applied data science and analytics focused on using health research and data to drive policy change. Her work centres on strengthening the collection, accessibility, and use of women’s health data, particularly within African contexts. Her mission is to advance evidence-based policymaking by making high-quality women’s health data more visible, usable, and impactful.

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Jeffrey Fasegha is an entrepreneur operating at the intersection of two transformative mediums—film and technology. He believes that film allows us to (re)imagine what is possible and technology empowers us to build the future.

Bio

Ramses Galaz is a medical device designer and inventor with expertise in
mechanical design, biomedical engineering, manufacturing, and ISO 13485
quality management systems. He is the founder and CEO of GSE Biomedical,
a Mexico-based design engineering firm specializing in the development,
prototyping, and manufacturing of medical devices. His work focuses on
translating innovative concepts into practical, scalable solutions that can be
effectively implemented in real-world healthcare settings. Ramses is also as a
professor at multiple Tec de Monterrey campuses in Mexico

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Faculty Research Flash Talks

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Prof. Peninah Kinya Masibo is an Associate Professor of Public Health and Nutrition at Amref International University, Kenya. Her work focuses on improving access to health services through research, technical assistance to governments, and capacity building. She has over two decades of experience leading multi-country programs in maternal and child health, HIV, and digital health, and is committed to translating evidence into policy and practice. She is excited to join the Reach Alliance as a Faculty Mentor to support and guide emerging researchers in advancing solutions for the hardest-to-serve communities globally.

Speaking Engagements

Faculty Research Flash Talks

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Adrian Little is Professor of Political Theory, Director of Research at the university’s Centre for Truth-telling and Dialogue at the University of Melbourne, and former Pro Vice Chancellor International at the University of Melbourne. Born in Belfast, he moved to the University of Melbourne from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2004. Little’s disciplinary expertise is in political science and to date he has published seven monographs, three co-authored or co-edited books, thirty two international refereed journal articles, and fifteen book chapters. At the University of Melbourne, he spent ten years as the Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences (2007-2017) and also served on the Executive Committee of the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) for five years including a year as President of APSA in 2011-2012. In 2018 he became Pro Vice Chancellor (International) at Melbourne with responsibility for leading the university’s efforts in building strategic international collaborations. Further responsibilities include serving as a Council member of Asialink and also being a member of the Board and Advisory Council of the Asia Pacific Association of International Education. He has also led the development of an Indigenous Knowledges Network within the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. In 2017 his work was recognized by winning APSA’s Academic Leadership in Political Science Award having been cited for his work advancing women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics and early career researchers in his discipline. In 2020 he was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

Speaking Engagements

Journal Publications and Reach Research 

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Dr Kate Roll is a political scientist interested in vulnerability, with a particular focus on how people in poverty and following conflict gain greater social and economic security. She currently serves as an Associate Professor in Innovation, Development and Purpose and Head of Teaching at UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and the Faculty Lead for Public Policy for The Bartlett. Her multi-disciplinary work brings together politics and policy, business ethics, and development studies. Committed to grounded research, she has conducted in-depth field research in Timor-Leste, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya. Prior to joining IIPP, Kate was based at the University of Oxford, where she ran a large, multi-year research partnership on responsible business and contributed to the strategy and innovation curriculum at the Saïd Business School. She holds a BA from Brown University, and an MPhil in International Development Studies and DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford.

Speaking Engagements

Best Practices Flash Talks 

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Sara Hillman is an Associate Professor and Sub-Specialist in Obstetrics and Maternal and Fetal Medicine. She has an active clinical role running a dedicated prenatal genetics clinic and acts as an Attending Consultant on Labour Ward. Her remaining time is spent in her academic role. Her main research interests lie in application of next generation technology in investigation of placental pregnancy disorders including pre-eclampsia and poor fetal growth. She is currently the principal investigator for a MRC/ Newton funded project to investigate personalized approaches and treatment of anaemia in pregnancy. She has a passionate interest in global maternal and newborn health having collaborated with colleagues in India and Nepal over several years. Her latest undertaking involves implementation of a training program about massive obstetric haemorrhage, in conjunction with obstetricians in South West Tanzania. Her PhD investigated the paternal influence on fetal growth with findings from this work informing a successful MRC application for which she is currently a co-investigator investigating effects of paternal obesity on offspring birth weight. She has an active teaching portfolio, co-running the Organogenesis module in the Women’s Health Masters as well as being co-module lead for the Women’s Health iBSc.

Speaking Engagements

Best Practices Flash Talks 

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Julius Mugwagwa is an Professor of Health Innovation and Public Policy at University College London, Department of Science, Technology Engineering and Public Policy (UCL STEaPP). He also currently serves as the Global Health Thematic Director of UCL’s Global Governance Institute. He has worked in veterinary research, pharmaceutical R&D and quality assurance and harmonisation of medicines regulatory systems in Africa. He is an accomplished scholar and published author in the areas of global health, health innovation and health system strengthening, buttressed by his research and teaching interests in the governance and development implications of technologies and innovations.

Speaking Engagements

Welcome and Opening Remarks

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From Knowledge Delivery to Relational Learning: Reimagining Universities for Wicked Problems 

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Bio

Jose Luis is an internationally trained researcher and currently holds a Research Fellow position at UCL and is based within the MRC Unit of Lifelong Health and Ageing. He received his PhD from the University of Groningen based within the University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands. Jose Luis was awarded an MD degree with honours from the Benemerita Autonoma de Puebla (Mexico) in 2013 and an MSc in Medical Sciences Diabetes from the University of Glasgow in 2016.

Jose Luis has been supported by several funding institutions to conduct his research, for instance: The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool, The European Association for the Study of Diabetes, The National Council for Science and Technology of Mexico, The University of Glasgow, The University Medical Center Groningen, among others.

He is currently an associate editor of Frontiers in Public Health and a regular peer-reviewer in several journals e.g. BMJ, JAHA, BMC Medicine, etc.

Speaking Engagements

Faculty Research Flash Talks

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Speaking Engagements

Next Steps

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Speaking Engagements

Best Practices Flash Talks 

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Speaking Engagements

Best Practices Flash Talks 

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Associate Professor Tracey Naledi is a medical doctor and a Public Health Physician who trained at UCT for both her undergraduate and postgraduate education. She has over the last two decades held technical & management positions in the Government and NGO sectors in South Africa and Botswana. She was most recently the Chief Director: Health Programmes in the Western Cape Department of Health. Her work has focussed on policy development, health system strengthening, addressing health inequity and strengthening systems for health.

Speaking Engagements

African Researchers' Roundtable Report Back

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As the Senior Research Program & Engagement Officer, Moni leads the alumni engagement strategy, supports Reach’s sustainability efforts, advises on the research process and professional skills development series, and provides bespoke support to Reach’s global institutional partners. She has extensive experience working at leading development organizations to mobilize international partnerships with civil society, academic institutions, government and private stakeholders. These collaborations involved scaling up local and global responses to HIV prevention and treatment efforts in sub-Saharan Africa and expanding innovative youth entrepreneurship among some of the world’s most marginalized communities. She has contributed to a range of critical public health projects that advanced health and human rights including work with indigenous peoples, incarcerated populations, vulnerable seniors and refugees. Moni holds a Master of Public Health from University of Toronto and a certificate in International Development from the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University.

Speaking Engagements

Welcome and Opening Remarks

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Next Steps

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Dr. Disraeli Asante-Darko is an Associate Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Ashesi University, Ghana, where he serves as Head of the Business Administration Department and Director of the Ashesi MBA Program. His research and professional interests span entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, supply chain resilience, sustainable development, and technology-enabled solutions in emerging economies. He has collaborated on international research initiatives with partners across Africa, North America, and Europe, including projects with the Reach Alliance focused on addressing complex development challenges through interdisciplinary and community-centered approaches. Beyond his research, he is passionate about strengthening university-industry partnerships, advancing entrepreneurship education, and building institutional collaborations that translate knowledge into meaningful social and economic impact across Africa.

Bio

Rachel is a Social Anthropologist and Associate Professor at the UCL Institute of Education. Her research explores transitions to work, with a focus on young people, green jobs and policy. She works in an interdisciplinary way, drawing on anthropology, sociology and work place learning to explore work, organisations and learning.