Dr. Mato Njavro serves as the Dean of Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM) in Croatia. He also teaches at the Luxembourg School of Business and the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. With a diverse academic and professional background, Dr. Njavro has worked at the St. Gallen Institute of Management in Asia, in Singapore, where he served as a senior research fellow. He
was also a lecturer at the Singapore Management University, where he taught a course on China’s economic development. Prior to joining the University of St. Gallen and Singapore Management University, Dr. Njavro was a visiting research fellow at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences (IQSS). Dr. Njavroauthored and co-authored several papers and case studies published by the Harvard Business School publishing. Dr. Njavro has earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics and finance from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. He earned his PhD in finance from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. His professional experience includes working in the investment banking divisions of Lehman Brothers and Nomura in London. (source: https://zsem.hr/en/dr-sc-mato-njavro/)

Micael Dahlen is a professor at the Stockholm School of Economics, in Economics and in Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness (first professorship of its kind!). In his academic career, he rose rapidly to take up a leading position in the intersecting areas of consumer behavior, human happiness, welfare, marketing, and creativity. Dahlen is ranked number 2 in the world among researchers in his field (The Journal of Business Research, September 2021), and was nominated for the Business Professor of the Year Award by The Economist’s Intelligence Unit. Professor Dahlen has written books on diverse topics such as marketing, happiness, serial killers (it’s true), sex, the numbers that make us tick, long-term well-being and social media. His books are published in Europe, in Asia and in the United States. Micael is an internationally acclaimed speaker and has given keynote presentations in cities that include Istanbul, New York, Lisbon, and Shanghai, for clients such as Google, Ericsson, Samsung, Deloitte, Volkswagen, Fujitsu, and Oriflame. (source: https://micaeldahlen.com/)

Izabela Grabowska is a sociologist and economist, holding the title of Full Professor of Social Sciences. She earned her PhD from the Department of Economics at the University of Warsaw, along with Master’s Degrees in Economic Sciences from University College Dublin and in Sociology from the University of Wroclaw. In 2021, Professor Grabowska joined the Department of Economics at Kozminski University, where she founded the CRASH Center for Research on Social Change and Human Mobility and serves as its director. From 2016 to 2021, she led the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at SWPS University, Warsaw. Her work for the Centre of Migration Research in Warsaw spanned from 2002 to 2019, and she remains an active member of its Scientific Board. Professor Grabowska has also contributed significantly to the IMISCOE network, serving on its Executive Board and Board of Directors from 2008 to 2019. (source: https://www.izabelagrabowska.com/)

Assoc. Prof. Steven Watson (University of Cambridge)

Steven Watson’s research is transdisciplinary and focuses on practical and real issues in and around education, involving a level of abstraction to understand and explain these issues in a broader scientific context. Transdisciplinarity, the approach he employs, transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It integrates knowledge from various academic fields and non-academic sources, fostering collaboration among scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders to tackle complex, real-world problems. This holistic approach seeks to develop new frameworks and solutions that are comprehensive and applicable across diverse contexts. This holistic approach aligns with his background in engineering, teaching, and social sciences, as well as his interests in philosophy, sociology, and psychology, enabling him to create solutions that are applicable and relevant in varied settings. While a central focus of his research is generative AI, prof. Watson also researches educational and societal inclusion, political and cultural systems, the nature of learning, the history, sociology and philosophy of technology, from this holistic and transdisciplinary standpoint.

Prof. Thomas Bieger is the former President of the University of St.Gallen (2011-2020) a full-time Professor of Business Administration with a special emphasis on the tourist industry. During his time in office, the University of St.Gallen moved up from 16th to 4th place among the best European business schools in the international ranking of the “Financial Times”. Bieger was committed to the idea of the university being more embedded in the region as a strong and consistent contributor to both the economy and communities, but he considered the university’s further global expansion just as important. Bieger is a member of various boards of directors for companies such as Appenzeller Bahnen, Roland Berger International Consultants, Alpine Classic Hotels, and Migros Ostschweiz. He is married and a father of two children. Bieger is a passionate sailor and enjoys going on ski tours. His preferred way of getting around St.Gallen is by bicycle.