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.