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Speakers

Barbara Krauthamer
Emory University
Dr. Barbara Krauthameris Dean of the Collegeof Arts and Sciences atEmory University and anaward-winning authorand historian. Previously,she served as Dean of theCollege of Humanities andFine Arts at the Universityof MassachusettsAmherst. Her scholarshipfocuses on 19th-centuryAfrican Americanhistory, particularlythe histories of slavery,emancipation, and Blackpolitical life. Krauthamerhas authored and coauthored several books,including EnvisioningEmancipation: BlackAmericans and the End ofSlavery, which receivedthe NAACP Image Awardfor Outstanding LiteraryWork in Nonfiction.Known for her academicleadership and visionaryapproach, she is dedicated to student success and to expanding the role of higher education in addressing urgent social issues.
Hashem Dezhbakhsh
Emory University
Dr. Hashem Dezhbakhshis Goodrich C. WhiteProfessor of Economicsand Chair of the Department of Economicsat Emory University. Heholds a PhD from TheOhio State University andhas taught at institutionsincluding Purdue University, University ofCape Town, and AmericanUniversity in the UAE.A recipient of Emory’sCuttino MentorshipAward, Crystal Apple, andWilliams DistinguishedTeaching Award,Dezhbakhsh has consulted for the U.S. GAO, Department of Justice, and international banks. His research is widely cited in top journals and media outlets such as The Economist, CNN, andUSA Today.
Nezha Alaoui
CEO, Women Choice
Nezha Alaoui is a Moroccan-born entrepreneur and global advocate for women›s empowerment. She is the Founder and CEO of The Mayshad Group, which includes a portfolio of enterprises focused on leadership, development, diversity, and inclusion. She also leads Women CHOICE, a New York based organization dedicated to advancing women›s economic empowerment. In addition to her global work, she serves as Visiting Faculty at Emory University.
Abram de Swaan
University of Amsterdam
Dr. Abram de Swaan is a Dutch essayist, sociologist, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of The Killing Compartments: The Mentality of Mass Murder and numerous works on globalization, political violence, and language systems. In 2015, he was appointed Queen Wilhelmina Visiting Professor at Columbia University, where he taught on mass annihilation in 20th-century Europe. De Swaan’s academic career spans leading institutions in Europe and the U.S., and his interdisciplinary research blends sociology, psychoanalysis, and political science.
SaImA rANA
GEMS World Academy
Dr. Saima Rana is a distinguished education leader, currently serving as the CEO and Principal of GEMS World Academy – Dubai and as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at GEMS Education. She is widely recognized for her visionary approach to education and her commitment to excellence in learning and leadership.
Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf
Georgetown University in Qatar
Dr. Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf is Professor of Anthropology at Georgetown University in Qatar. A Sudanese ethnographer, she specializes in migration, human rights, and gender studies in African and Indian Ocean contexts. She is the author of several books and has held fellowships at Harvard University and the Woodrow Wilson Center. Her scholarship explores memory, displacement, and the decolonization of knowledge.
Mohamed El Ferrane
Al Saoud Foundation
Dr. Mohamed El Ferrane is Deputy General Manager of the Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences in Casablanca. A leading figure in Moroccan cultural and academic diplomacy, he oversees numerous research and public engagement initiatives in the fields of Islamic thought, migration, and Mediterranean studies. He plays a central role in organizing conferences and scholarly exchange across Africa, Europe, and the Arab world.
sophie bava
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
Dr. Sophie Bava is a socioanthropologist with the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) and a researcher at LPED. Her work explores African religious networks, urban spirituality, and migration across North and West Africa. She is known for her in-depth fieldwork on Ivorian, Senegalese, and Nigerian diasporas.
Chouki El Hamel
Arizona State University
Dr. Chouki El Hamel is Professor of History at Arizona State University and Director of the Center for African Mediterranean Studies. His research focuses on slavery, race, and religion in North and West Africa, and he is the author of Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam. El Hamel’s scholarship challenges dominant historical narratives and highlights the intellectual contributions of African Muslim communities.
Hassan Ould Moctar
SOAS University of London
Dr. Hassan Ould Moctar is Lecturer in the Anthropology of Migration at SOAS, University of London. His research focuses on trans-Saharan mobility, migration governance, and postcolonial development in West Africa. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Mauritania and Mali, examining the afterlives of colonial borders and the political economy of movement.
Mark I. Choate
Brigham Young University
Dr. Mark I. Choate is Associate Professor of History at Brigham Young University. He specializes in European imperialism, migration, and diaspora, with a particular focus on Italy and the Mediterranean. He is the author of Emigrant Nation: The Making of Italy Abroad and has contributed extensively to the field of global migration history.
MHANI Alaoui
Université Hassan II, Casablanca
Dr. Mhani Alaoui is a Moroccan writer and anthropologist with a PhD from Princeton University. Her academic work explores identity, gender, and cultural change in Morocco, while her fiction addresses questions of agency and transformation in postcolonial societies. She is the author of several novels, including Dreams of Maryam Tair.
Isabella Alexander- Nathani
Small World Films
Dr. Isabella Alexander- Nathani is an anthropologist, filmmaker, and founder of Small World Films. She is the author of Burning at Europe’s Borders and the director of The Burning, a documentary chronicling the experiences of African migrants navigating the European border crisis. Her work combines ethnographic research, visual storytelling, and human rights advocacy.
Alessandra Di Maio
University of Palermo
Dr. Alessandra Di Maio is Associate Professor of English and Postcolonial Studies at the University of Palermo. Her work focuses on African literature, migration, and the Black Mediterranean. She has published widely on Italy’s cultural engagement with Africa and is a leading scholar in transnational literary studies.
Hélène Sechehaye
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Dr. Hélène Sechehaye is an ethnomusicologist at Université Libre de Bruxelles. Her research investigates music, migration, and identity, particularly in diasporic communities. She specializes in oral traditions, field recordings, and the cultural politics of sound, with a focus on West African and Middle Eastern music cultures.
Chenise Calhoun
Tulane University
Dr. Chenise Calhoun is a scholar of Francophone literature and a doctoral researcher at Tulane University. Her work focuses on gender, postcolonialism, and the migration narratives of North and West African communities. She draws on literature, visual culture, and oral history to explore diasporic identity and resistance.
Heidrun Bohnet
Krems
Dr. Heidrun Bohnet is Assistant Professor at the University for Continuing Education Krems in Austria. She specializes in migration, conflict studies, and governance in the MENA region. Her work examines refugee policies, integration mechanisms, and the social implications of displacement, particularly in contexts of protracted crises.
Babs Onabanjo
A.D. King Foundation
Professor Babs Olusegun Onabanjo is CEO of the A.D. King Foundation. He is the President of the Faculty Senate and a Professor of Business and Computer Science division at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Atlanta. He has served in various positions with the institution since 1982.
Assia Rachak
Hassan II University Casablanca
Assia Rachak is a Moroccan researcher and lecturer pursuing a PhD in Political Science at Hassan II University in Casablanca. Her dissertation examines the mobility and social integration of Sub- Saharan students in Morocco, focusing on the Souss Massa region. Her research combines political science, sociology, and intersectionality, and she teaches courses across several Moroccan institutions.
SAMIR MAHIR
EDI Advisory Board
Samir Mahir is a member of the Emory Development Initiative's advisory board. A former CIO with Tennis Australia and Vision Australia, he serves on advisory boards and boards of directors of nonprofit organizations including the International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA), Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria (BSRV), and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Northern California section. Samir is an advocate for inclusion in para sports and digital development across Africa.
Gerald L. Durley
Interfaith Power and Light
Dr. Gerald L. Durley has served as Dean at Clark Atlanta University, faculty at Morehouse School of Medicine, and pastor.
Stan Mullins
Stan Mullins Art Studio
Stan Mullins is a sculptor and painter based in Athens, Georgia. His notable works feature figures such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Chief Tomochichi, and the Hungarian Freedom Fighter. His current projects include a monument to Nikola Tesla and an epic-scale installation for a World Peace Sanctuary.
Latron Price
American Distribution Services - Afrivana
Latron Price is the CEO of American Distribution Services and Afrivana, an entrepreneur dedicated to helping students grasp the fundamentals of supply chain management.
Sam Cherribi
Emory University
Dr. Sam Cherribi is Teaching Professor in the Departments of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and Economics at Emory University. He is also Director of the Emory Development Initiative and Associate Director of the Center for African Mediterranean Studies. A former Member of Parliament in the Netherlands, Dr. Cherribi’s research focuses on media, migration, and Islamic communities in Europe. He is the author of Fridays of Rage and In the House of War, both published by Oxford University Press.
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