Experts

Matthew Agarwala is an economist interested in measuring and delivering sustainability, wellbeing, and productivity. His research is motivated by the belief that 21^st century progress cannot be described by 20^th century statistics. Matthew leads the Bennett Institute’s Wealth Economy project, which seeks to transform economic measurement to better reflect sustainability, inequality, and human wellbeing. He is also a member of The Productivity Institute, which focuses on addressing the ‘productivity puzzle’ and is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Yale University’s Tobin Center for Economic Policy. Matthew regularly consults for governments and scientific organizations on topics of natural capital, ecosystem services, green finance, wellbeing, and sustainability. He enjoys working across sectors and disciplines, and his co-authors include ecologists, economists, conservation scientists and practitioners, social anthropologists, civil servants, members of UK Parliament, and Nobel Laureates in peace, medicine, physics, and chemistry. Beyond Cambridge, Matthew maintains active research networks in Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, USA, Japan, and throughout the UK. He is a regular media contributor (Bloomberg, NYTimes, FT, Guardian, Times, Channel 4 News, BBC).

Fonteh Akum is executive director at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). He previously served as head of the Lake Chad Basin program in ISS’s regional office in Dakar, Senegal. Prior to joining ISS as a senior researcher in the Peace and Security Research program in 2017, he worked for the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, the UN University for Peace’s Africa program, and the International Monetary Fund. Akum’s research covers violence, governance, and human security in the Lake Chad Basin. He has a PhD in politics and international studies from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

Muazu Alhaji Modu is an activist and social worker with over 7 years experience in social accountability, community organizing and advocacy. He is Chief Executive of spotlight for Transparency and Accountability Initiative in Nigeria. Founder of Citizen-led Tracking, a data-driven social accountability initiative that uses data and leverages digital technology to empower and work with citizens at the grassroots to demand accountability and enhace transparency on government spending. Through Citizen-led Tracking directly reached and impacted over 700,000 lives in 56 rural communities in Nigeria where they tracked and saved the government over $4.2 million earmarked for health and education projects. In the process they built capacity of over 500 young people and community stakeholders to take ownership of demanding accountability in their communities His work earned numerous international recognition, most notable among the achievements include; African Union's 2020 top 20 best Innovation on Democracy and Governance, Spindle's 30 Most Inspiring Digital Innovation on SDGs around the globe and finalist AfricTivites 2021 African Civic Engagement Prize. Mr. Modu is Alumni of Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Intiative (YALI), University of Georgia's African Civic Engagement Academy and Ashoka Changeakers everywhere Academy.

Felippa Amanta is the Head of Research at the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS). Her own research focuses on food security and trade. Previously, Felippa conducted and published policy research with the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at University of California, Berkeley. She received her Bachelor in Sociology degree from University of California, Berkeley, followed by Master of Public Administration from the Australian National University. She was selected as one of Indonesia’s Future Leaders by the British Council in 2017 and completed the policy and leadership training from University of Cambridge. In her spare time, she leads the knowledge content development and mentors young policy leaders in Think Policy.

Boeing Executive Council member since 2019. Previously President Boeing Europe. Former British Ambassador to Germany, and High Commissioner to India. UK Foreign Service Director General Economic in early days of intergovernmental debate on Climate and globalisation. Non-executive director of Diligenta, the UK Subsidiary of Tata Consultancy Services.

Anna is a social and economic Geographer. She is currently researching how work and livelihoods intersect with environmental problems and solutions. Her main focus is on informal work in circular systems in lower- and middle-income countries. She also studies how the crises of climate change and COVID-19 intersect with young people’s livelihoods in Uganda, Nepal and Indonesia.

Nadira Bayat is a Gender and Trade Expert with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), where she leads the approach to gender mainstreaming in African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) National Strategies. Nadira has served in various roles in other United Nations (UN) agencies, including at the International Court of Justice, UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (UNICTR); as well as at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). Prior to joining ECA, Nadira was Programme Director at Global Economic Governance (GEG) Africa — a policy research and stakeholder engagement programme, focusing on sustainable development priorities in Africa. She has also held senior positions in the South African Government, including as Counsellor: Multilateral at the Embassy of South Africa in Washington, DC. Nadira has a background in international law. She holds two LLMs - the most recent in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law.

• Since 2010 Researcher at SWP
• Project Director HLPF Review: Processes, Positions, Politics & Practicable Reform Options
• Since 2019 Chair of the Advisory Board of the Development and Peace Foundation (sef:), Germany
• Since 2014 Member of the UN-Political Advisory Board of the Federal Foreign Office
• Since 2014 Member of Research Council of the United Nations Association (UNA) of Germany

 

- Head of FES Offices in Afghanistan (2008-11) and Bangladesh (2017-21) - Political Affairs Officer at the UN Mission in Afghanistan (2011, 2016-17) - Political Advisor to the Deputy Commander of Resolute Support, NATO (2014) - Executive Manager at LSE IDEAS (2012-14)

Prof. Bambang Brodjonegoro started his career as an academic at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia. Graduated as a Bachelor of Economics, he soon continued his education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, taking a Masters in Urban Planning, followed by a PhD in the same field — urban and regional planning. For his contribution to his alma mater, Prof. Bambang was appointed Dean in 2005.

After studying cultural- and communication sciences in Münster, Bordeaux and Eindhoven, Claudia topped her education as PR and events manager off with a trainee at the German newspaper Die Zeit. Afterwards, she joined The Stuttgart Ballet as a PR manager, supporting the company’s web presence, tours and introductory talks. As of 2013, Claudia headed the Körber Foundation’s event forum in the Hamburg Harbour until moving to Berlin in 2017 as participant experience manager with the Falling Walls Foundation. She joined the Global Solutions Initiative in 2021. In the German capital, she continues with what she jokingly calls three fifty percent jobs: as a freelance moderator, head of events with Global Solutions and as a mum to two kids.

Mathias Cormann is the 6th Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His five-year term commenced on 1 June 2021. Working with OECD members, his priorities as Secretary-General are to:

• Help maximise the strength of the economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19;
• Drive and promote global leadership on ambitious and effective action on climate change to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050;
• Finalise a multilateral approach to digital taxation;
• Seize the opportunities and better manage the risks in the digital economy;
• Promote market-based policies and a rules-based international order; and to
• Strengthen the engagement and outreach of the OECD into the Asia-Pacific.

Ambassador Ertharin Cousin is a US diplomat and internationally renowned expert on food and agriculture. She was Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme from 2012 to 2017 and served as US Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome from 2009 to 2012.   Cousin is currently Distinguished Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Visiting Scholar at the Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the co-founder and President of the Food Systems for the Future Institute. Since 2019, she is a member of the supervisory board of Bayer S.A.   Before serving as an ambassador in Rome, Cousin worked as Executive Vice President and CEO for the aid organization America's Second Harvest (2009­–2006) and as Senior Vice President for the US supermarket chain Albertsons (1997–2002). From 1994 to 1997, Cousin worked as the White House Liaison to the US State Department.   Cousin earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a doctorate in law from the University of Georgia, School of Law. She received numerous awards and honorary doctorates, and has been listed on as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” (2014) and Forbes “100 Most Powerful Women” (2015, 2016).

-- Msc Civil Engineer (University of São Paulo), Extended Business Administration (Fundação Getulio Vargas and Harvard Business School) - Founder and CEO of Partner Desenvolvimento, a consulting company on Sustainable Development and Externalities Valuation for Corporations - Former Director, CEO and Board Member of national and international companies on basic infrastructure (roads, dams, urban transportation, telecom) - Former State Secretary for Economic Development of Paraná State,Brazil with Governor Jaime Lerner - Former Member of the Superior Board on Environment at FIESP - São Paulo Federation of Industries - Board Member of Liga Solidaria, an NGO with focus on social assistance and education - Active member of the Brazilian Coalition for Climate, Forest and Agriculture, an initiative that congregates more than 300 companies and entities to do advocacy on public policies aiming a national and regional agenda for Sustainable Development - Member of the Advisory Board of ABERJE, brazilian association for corporate communication and institutional relations

Njeke Joshua, from Cameroon, grew up experiencing the worst days of hunger in a rural community and in an orphanage but He is presently the founder of the PEACE CROPs social venture since 2019. With an MSc in Agriculture and Rural development from the Pan African Institute of Development – West Africa, His inspiration to advocate for organic farming while also using agriculture empowerment workshops as a peace building tool have handed him the opportunity to work with war affected communities, orphanages, prisons, schools and other entities, across war affected communities in Africa. Since 2017, Njeke has personally experienced torture and witnessed His family members and friends kidnapped and murdered. All these did sparked up His desire the more to create a positive mindset shift in these civil unrest affected rural villages. Njeke is also a Kanthari 2019 Alumni and His series of peaceful environmental conservation projects carried out give him an out-standing track record which is to be proud of as he is engaged in educating communities on the causes and effects of climate change both at local and global levels.

Dr. Markus Engels is a social scientist with a background in politics and international affairs. He studied social sciences in Duisburg, Portsmouth/UK, and Berlin and obtained his doctorate at the faculty of law at the University of Munich (LMU). Markus Engels has worked as a senior scientific advisor at the German Federal Parliament, the European Parliament and the Executive Board of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He headed the office of Deputy Party Chairman Frank-Walter Steinmeier and served as spokesman and campaign manager for Martin Schulz, during his tenure as President of the European Parliament and as SPD Chairman. Furthermore, Markus Engels participated in the drafting of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the charter of fundamental rights for the digital age, initiated by charitable foundations.

I am currently the Program Manager of the African Circular Economy Alliance(ACEA), a coalition of African Countries with a mission to spur a transition to a CE on the continent. As Program Manager, I coordinate activities to include research into CE opportunities, policy consultations and support for member countries, business support initiatives and advocacy. I also engage directly with current and potential strategic partners of the Alliance to support ongoing Circular Economy initiatives and interventions. My vision for the CE is to see circular models which are very prevalent on the African continent being scaled up to meet the developmental needs of the continent

Julia Ganter is Programme Manager for International Affairs with a focus on Asia and the Editor of The Berlin Pulse, the annual foreign policy publication and public opinion survey of the German foundation Körber-Stiftung. Prior to joining Körber-Stiftung, she coordinated the Task Force for Protecting Europe from Economic Coercion at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin. Julia gained previous work experience in the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the German Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa), and from NGO-work in Brazil. She is an editorial board member of the monthly magazine Lateinamerika Nachrichten. Julia holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin and the University of Potsdam.

Rachel Glennerster is an associate professor of economics in the Division of Social Science at the University of Chicago. She uses randomized trials to study democracy and accountability, health, education, microfinance, and women’s empowerment mainly in West Africa and South Asia. She has also written on strategies to stimulate innovation, promoting more equitable access to vaccines, and the response to Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics. Dr. Glennerster joined the University of Chicago community after serving as Chief Economist at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for International Development in the UK. From 2004 to 2017, she served as Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) a center in the Economics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which seeks to reduce poverty by ensuring policy is informed by scientific evidence and helped pioneer the use of randomized trials in development economics. Dr. Glennerster helped to establish “Deworm the World,” which has helped provide 1 billion deworming treatments to children worldwide. Her books include Strong Medicine: Creating Incentives for Pharmaceutical Research on Neglected Diseases (with Michael Kremer) and Running Randomized Evaluations: A Practical Guide (with Kuzai Takavarasha). In 2021, Dr. Glennerster was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) for services in international development. She currently serves as the chair of Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), a development organization that utilizes evidence-backed educational approaches to help children develop basic reading and mathematical skills. Dr. Glennerster received her PhD in Economics from the Birkbeck College at the University of London.