Ouhabaz studied at the University of Marrakesh in Morocco and got his PhD in France in 1992. Early in his career, he was Researcher at the Technische Universität Berlin, and a member of the Max-Planck group at the University of Potsdam, Germany. Back to France, he was Associate Professor at the University of Marne-la-Vallée, next to Paris. He is currently Professor at the Institut de mathématiques de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux. He is a member of the Scientific Council of the Institut national des sciences mathématiques et de leurs interactions (INSMI), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS). He was a scientific delegate at the Haut Conseil de l'Evaluation de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur (HCERES) and corresponding member of the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology, Morocco. He was the Head of the CNRS research group Functional Analysis, Harmonic Analysis and Applications, and Deputy Director of the Institut de Mathématiques de Bordeaux. He is the author of a book published by Princeton University Press and has written more than 68 research articles.

Dr Abraham Aseffa is a Senior Scientist (formerly Director) at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute in Ethiopia. He graduated in Medicine from Addis Ababa University (1984) and studied Microbiology at the University of Leipzig, Germany (Dr. med, 1990, summa cum laude). He taught Microbiology at Gondar College of Medical Sciences (Ethiopia) until 1998 when he joined the WHO Immunology and RT at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland for postdoctoral research. He moved to AHRI in Addis as senior scientist in 2001. Dr Aseffa has conducted several studies on infectious disease microbiology, immunology and epidemiology in collaboration with national and international partners (>300 publications). He has keen interest in postgraduate student training. He works closely with the Min of Health in Ethiopia on capacity building for clinical and operational research and on translation of research findings into practice. Dr Aseffa has also been active on strengthening regional partnership particularly in clinical trial capacity building and health research ethics. He has served in several WHO/TDR, WHO and EDCTP advisory bodies. He is a member of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS).

Beyene earned his PhD in prehistory in 1992 from the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France. He is researcher at the Ethiopian Heritage Authority and affiliated with the French Center for Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Beyene is Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, and International Member of the American Academy of Sciences. He is recipient of the Order of Academic Palms from the French Ministry of Education, France. He is corresponding member of the Institut de paléontologie humaine (Paris, France) and of the Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), University of Sandiago, CA, USA. He is actively leading and co-leading paleoanthropological research programmes in Ethiopia. He represented Ethiopia in the World Heritage Committee at UNESCO between 2009 and 2012. He initiated and prepared the nomination file for the Konso Cultural Landscape on UNESCO’s World Heritage list (nominated in 2011). He also led the field research and preparation of the dossier for the nomination of the Gedeo Cultural Landscape for UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Ermias Dagne is Prof. of Chemistry and Dir., African Laboratory for Natural Products (ALNAP). He is founding member, Natural Products Research Network for Eastern and Central Africa (NAPRECA). His main research area is natural products chemistry. He has more than 90 publications, mainly on the isolation and structure elucidation of natural compounds. His research was supported by grants from the Internatl. Foundation for Science, ISP-IPICS and Sida-SAREC (Sweden) and fellowships from the Humboldt Foundation (AvH, Germany) and Fulbright (USA). He is recipient of IFS/DANIDA (1997) and IOCD Pierre Crabbe (2003) awards. With his wife Tadelech he manages a natural products business Ariti Herbal (www.aritiherbal.com) and has created a versatile plant species-based database for African plants available on the web at www.alnapnetwork.com.

Mammo is professor of chemistry at Addis Ababa Univ., Ethiopia. He was educated at AAU and the Univ. of Bonn, Germany. He was chairman of the Dept. of Chemistry, AAU, (1997-99), editor and editor-in-chief of the Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. (1993-96) and visiting professor at Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden (1996-2013). His major contributions are in the synthesis of a wide variety of polythiophenes and polyfluorene copolymers destined mainly for photovoltaic applications. Through support from ISP, Sweden, he established one of the best modern synthetic chemistry facilities in Africa at AAU, which gives strong support to materials research and training. He is the recipient of the 2012 CNR Rao Prize for scientific research. His research interests include natural products chemistry and the synthesis and characterization of conjugated polymers for photovoltaic applications.

Mekonnen is a Professor of Cell and Human Physiology in the Department of Biology at the College of Natural and Computational Sciences of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. She has published extensively in different peer reviewed scientific journals on topics of respiratory physiology, medicinal plants and other related topics. She has advised many MSc and PhD students and she has also mentored young professionals, specially women, over the last three decades. She was involved in leadership positions and has initiated a number of national, continental and international research networks and collaborations. In 2013, she was able to establish with other colleagues the Society of Ethiopian Women in Science and Technology, to help empower and mentor women academicians and researchers in Ethiopia. In 2015, she received the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Regional Scientific Award for Women in Science. She was appointed as Ambassador Scientist by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany as part of a worldwide network for excellence from 2016 to 2021. Currently she is the Principal Vice-President of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences.

Limonta-Vidal is Regional Director of the Internatonal Science Council (ISC) Reg. Off. for Lat. Am. and the Caribbean. He was head of biotechnology and science adviser, Natl. Inst. of Haematology, Cuba and prof., Medical U. of Havana. He was the founder director general of both the Centre for Biological Research, Cuba (1982-86) and the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cuba (1986-99) and founder of the Centres for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, provinces of Camaguey (1989) and Sancti Spiritus (1990). His honours include: two Dr. (h.c.), Universidad Central, Ecuador and Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico; 2 Medals Comendador Merito Cientifico, Brazil; 3 medals, Natl. Sciences Trade Union, Cuba; member, editorial board, 7 scientific journals; member, 13 natl. and intl. scientific and medical associations; and fellow, Caribbean Acad. of Sciences and Cuban Acad. of Sciences. Member of teh academy of Sciences of The Caribbean (since 2000) of the World Academy of Science (TWAS, since 1995). In the last 28th TWAS General Assambly Meeting in Trieste, Italy, Prof. Manuel Limonta was elected Vice President of TWAS for the period 2019 - 2031.

Assem is vice-president of the Agricultural Research Center in Egypt. She was the former director of the Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research Institute (ARC). She is specialized in plant molecular biology and biotechnology. She visited and exchanged her experiences as a visiting scientist at several universities and biotech companies in the USA. Assem is a member of the African Union High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies and the former vice-chair of the Genetic Sciences National Committee of the Egyptian Academy of Science and Technology, Egypt. She is a Fulbright Alumnus, USA (2002-2003). Assem is a member of the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Programme, Faculty of Agriculture, Banha University, Egypt. She was a team leader for one of the groups updating the Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategy (2019) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt, and she received the FAO Prize 2017. She participated in several basic and applied national and international research projects, she has several publications in peer reviewed journals, and is a reviewer for some national and international funding schemes.

El-Beltagy served as Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. He is currently Chair, International Drylands Development Commission (IDDC); Professor, Arid Land Agricultural graduate studies & Research Institute (ALARI), Ain Shams University; Chair, Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, Board Member of the Egyptian Academy for the Scientific Research & Technology; Chair, Food and Agriculture Research Council, Egyptian Academy of Science; Former President, governing board, CIHEAM; Chair, Global Forum for Agric. Research (GFAR); DG, ICARDA; The Golden Medal of CIHEAM & France Commander of the Order of Agric. in recognition of enhancing the Ag development in the Mediterranian ; Member of: Russian Acad. of Agric. Sciences, Moscow; Tajik Acad. of Agric. Sciences; Kyrgyz Agrarian Acad.; and Scientific Council, Azerbaijan Agric Acad. Awards include: Fellow of Univ. of Wales, UK; Al-Istiklal Medal, HM King Abdullah II bin Hussein of Jordan; Golden Medal Award, Armenia; hon. DSc, Univ. of Khartoum, Sudan; and member, Sultan Qaboos ‘first class’ order for Culture, sciences&Arts for enhancing Develop.of Ag in the Dry Areas.

Specializing in metabolomics, natural products chemistry, and plant biochemistry, Farag completed his PhD at Texas Tech University, USA, in 2003. In 2005, after spending time as a postdoctoral fellow at The Samuel Noble Foundation, USA, and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, USA, he became assistant professor in 2005 at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt. Since 2009, Farag has been working as a part time visiting professor at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, to participate in teaching plant metabolomics and chemomterics modelling for master students, and in 2009–2010 he held the Alexander von Humboldt fellowship in Germany. Farag now works full time as a professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC) where his research work focuses primarily around applying innovative biochemical technologies (metabolomics) to help answer complex biological questions in medicine, herbal drugs analysis and agriculture. For his highly cited publications of close to 5000 citations and an H index of 32, Farag was selected as a top researcher in the field of plant biology in Africa by the American society of plant biology, United States.

Magdy Madkour (PhD University of Wales 1977, UK) is Prof of biotechnology, Arid Lands Agricultural Research Inst., Ain Shams University, Egypt, and Editor in Chief, Journal of Agriculture and Food Security, BioMed Central. He was the Chairman, Executive Committee, Agriculture Research for Development Fund (ARDF), Min. of Agric and Land Reclamation, Egypt; Senior Advisor, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Deputy Director General,ICARDA. Madkour was Prof of Plant pathology, Alexandria University. He served on the Technical Advisory Committee of CGIAR, the Board of Trustees of ICARDA and IPGRI (Bioversity). In 1990 he established the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI-Egypt). In 2007 he received Egypt’s Presidential Gold Medal for Science & Technology, three AOAD awards for scientific excellence; FAO World Food Day recognition; TWAS Arab Regional Prize. He holds three patents, authored 140 peer reviewed publications and contributed with chapters in 9 international books.

Salama was educated at Ain Shams and Cairo (Faculty of Sciences) Universities. He obtained his MSc (1959), PhD (1962) and DSc (1987). He is emeritus research professor (entomology), Natl. Res. Ctr. (NRC), Cairo. His previous positions include: Head, Dept. of Pests and Plant Protection, NRC, 1976-87; chairman, Agricultural Res. Div., NRC, 1978-80, 1988; vice-president, NRC, 1986-87; and president, NRC, 1988-92. His awards include: State Prize for Biological Sciences, Egypt; Order of Sciences and Arts, First Rank; State Prize for Agricultural Sciences, Egypt; Order of Sciences and Arts, First Rank; and African Academy of Sciences/Ciba Geigy Prize, Agricultural Biosciences; Recognition State Prize in Basic Sciences, 1992; Nile (Mubarak) Prize in Advanced Technological Sciences, 2006 and Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation 2017. His membership includes the Islamic, African,TWAS and Egyptian Academies of Sciences, and Executive Committee, IUBS, Paris.

De los Reyes is Founding Director of the Ecuadorian Research Center for Mathematical Modeling (MODEMAT) and Professor of Mathematical Optimization at Escuela Politécnica Nacional de Ecuador. He obtained his PhD in 2003 at the University of Graz, Austria, and worked as postdoctoral researcher at the Technical University of Berlin (2005-2006). In 2009 he was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers to carry out research in Germany, and in 2010 he was awarded a J.T. Oden Faculty Fellowship at The University of Texas at Austin. He has held Visiting Professor positions at the Humboldt University of Berlin (2010), the University of Hamburg (2013) and the Weierstrass Institute of Berlin (2021). He is former Director of Research of Escuela Politécnica Nacional de Ecuador (2019-2021), former President of the Ecuadorian Mathematical Society (2012-2014), Fellow of the Ecuadorian Academy of Sciences (since 2015), and Fellow of TWAS (since 2016). Dr. De los Reyes has served as member of organizing committees of various academic events worldwide, and has promoted the creation and strengthening of scientific networks in Latin-America.

del Pino is emeritus professor of biological sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE). After obtaining her PhD at Emory University, del Pino returned to Ecuador in 1972 and has since worked at PUCE. Her honours include: an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (1984-85), a diploma from the World Wildlife Fund for the Education for Conservation in the Galapagos Islands (1986); the L'Oreal/UNESCO Award For Women in Science (2000); the Sheth Distinguished International Emory Alumni Award (2003); the TWAS Medal (2005); the Eugenio Espejo Prize in the Sciences, Govt. of Ecuador (2012), and the 2019 Prize of The Latin American Society for Developmental Biology (LASDB). She is hon. foreign member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences, hon. foreign member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences and founding member of the Ecuador Academy of Sciences.

Ron (PhD, 2007, University of Texas) professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito. Founding member and current secretary of the Ecuadorian Academy of Sciences. Young Affiliate of TWAS (2008–2013) and member of the Global Young Academy (2010–2013). He is curator of amphibians at the Museum of Zoology, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. His research focuses on two main venues: evolution and conservation. In his work on evolution he has contributed to the field of systematics and taxonomy of Neotropical amphibians. In the field of conservation, he has studied to global phenomenon of amphibian population declines. He is Director of the ARCA initiative, a large-scale study to inventory and characterize genetically the Ecuadorian biodiversity. He is editor in chief of FaunaWebEcuador, a web portal that publishes general information of Ecuadorian fauna.

Altshuler Alvarez graduated summa cum laude from the Physics Faculty, University of Havana, Cuba in 1986, and got his PhD in 1994. Among his research interests are superconductivity, complex systems, granular matter and porous materials. Altshuler is Professor at the Physics Faculty, University of Havana. He has been Invited Researcher at the Texas Center for Superconductivity (USA), the Ecole supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielle (ESPCI) Paris (France), the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters (Norway), and the Rockefeller University (USA) among others. Altshuler is Editor in Chief of the Cuban Journal of Physics, and an editorial board member of Granular Matter and Physical Review Applied. He has authored several books, such as Guerrilla Science: Survival Strategies of a Cuban Physicist (Springer, 2017). Among his hobbies are guitar playing (and composition), cartoon drawing, writing of short stories, elderly caregiving, snorkeling, plumbing, car fixing, tasteless cooking, and a dangerously long etcetera performed with different levels of love, audacity and mediocrity. He is also an avid science communicator–where a vitriolic sense of humor often plays a key role.

obtained her Ph.D. in Physics-Mathematics in Moscow, 1989 in the ex-USSR Academy of Sciences. Founded the Group of Numerical Analysis in the Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics and Physics in 1986, where also was Deputy director. In 1999 she was elected as TWOWS Vice-president for Latin America and the Caribbean until 2005. In 1999 she took part as official member of the Cuban delegation, to participate in the World Summit of Sciences in Budapest, Hungary. Especially participated actively in the issues of the importance of Basic Sciences and Women in Sciences. Particularly relevant was her leadership in the Iberoamerican Program of S&T, in the Network on Gender, Science and Technology. Member and Co-chair of the IANAS Program for Women of Sciences 2013-2017, having publications of 2 books on Women and in sciences in the Americas. Has published more than 70 papers, author of 2 book on Numerical Analysis obtaining National Prize to the best scientific publication in Cuba in 1992 for the Book“Numerical methods of Mathematical Analysis. In TWAS Newsletter 2016, published "Maths are a must for Solving problems" . Was awarded in 2001 with the National Award "Carlos Finlay", 2001.

Caballero Mota received more than 105 awards and distinctions: Finlay Order; 10 Cuban Academy of Sciences Awards; TWAS Regional Partner's Award for Young Scientists (Computer Science) awarded by the Cuban Academy of Sciences; Distinguished Foreign Expert Award in the 100 foreign experts plan from Hebei province, China; Distinguished Researcher of Hebei International Studies University, China; Sofia Kovalevskaya Award; 5 Special Distinctions by Cuban Ministers; National Award for Young Researcher in the Category of Technical Sciences; Pablo Miquel National Prize form the Cuban Society of Mathematics and Computing; National Vanguard of the Science Union; several National Prizes awarded by the Youth Technical Brigades, 20 provincial CITMA Awards, among others. She has participated in more than 200 congresses worldwide. She has over 140 scientific publications, several of them within the Web of Science and referenced databases. She participated in more than 30 research and development projects and has 33 software registrations in her name at the Cuban Copyright Center. 33 diploma projects, 64 master's theses, and 10 doctoral theses have been defended under her tutorship.

Castellanos Serra obtained her Doctorate in Chemistry in 1978 from U. of Paris XI (France), and in 2008 her 'Habilitation'. She is one of the founders of Cuban Biotechnology, first at the Center for Biological Research, and next at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Havana, as group leader in Protein Chemistry and Proteomics, Div. of Phys. Chem. and Snr Prof., Fac. of Chem. Engg. and the Fac. of Chem. at the U. of Havana. Her main contributions are in the field of development of new methods in Protein Chemistry and Proteomics. She also trains and advises young scientists in the craft of scientific publishing. Her honours include: Cuban Natl Prize in Chemistry; Natl Award in Sciences Carlos J. Finlay; Natl Forum on Sci. and Techn. Award; and Sophia Kowalewskaya Award (USA). She has been incorporated into the Cuban Directory of Relevant Professors of XXth Century.

Crombet (PhD,2004) is a Medical Doctor and Immunology Specialist (1997). Since 2009 she has been Medical Director of the Center of Molecular Immunology of Havana. She is Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences; Senior Faculty of the Superior Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana; Member of the Board of Directors of Innovative Immunotherapy Alliance, a joint venture between US and Cuba; Member of the Cuban and Latin-American Societies of Immunology; Member of the Cuban and American Societies of Oncology. She has published more than 100 papers and participated in more than 200 international congresses as speaker. Crombet has received several times the annual National Award of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, the Technological Innovation Award of the Cuban Ministry of Science, and the TWAS Prize for Young Scientists in Developing Countries (2007). Crombet's main area of expertise is cancer immunotherapy and her work has contributed to the registration in Cuba and abroad of two cancer vaccines and two monoclonal antibodies for several epithelial tumors, autoimmune diseases and COVID-19. She is member of the international panel of experts on COVID-19 of the InterAcademy Partnership.

Guillen is currently Biomedical Research Director at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana. He received his Bachelor in Science degree in Chemistry and his Master in Chemistry in 1986 in Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University, and his PhD degree in Biological Sciences in 1995 from Havana University. He joined the CIGB in 1986. For more than 25 years, he was supervisor of several projects related to prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine developments on hepatitis, dengue, meningitis, pertussis, cancer and COVID as well as drug development against infectious diseases, cancer, cardio protection, neuro-protection and wound healing. Guillen is a Senior Researcher at CIGB, Full Professor at the Havana University and Latino American School of Medicine, Distinguished Professor-at-Large at the University of Science and Technology of China and has been a Member of the Cuban Academy of Science since 2012. He is also member of several scientific societies, editorial boards and advisory committees. He has published 226 scientific papers and holds 56 patents. He has been honored with 52 National Awards for Scientific Results from the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

Pérez Rojas is senior researcher at the Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics and Physics, Ministry of Science and Technology, Cuba; emeritus member of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba; and member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences. His national awards include the Rafael Maria Mendive and Carlos J. Finlay Medals. He was awarded in 2011 the National Prize in Physics from the Cuban Physical Society. His interests include quantum field theory and its applications to finite temperature problems in high energy physics and condensed matter. Among these, he has devoted special attention to quantum electrodynamics in matter and in vacuum in the presence of external fields, phase transitions in electroweak theory, relativistic quantum Hall effect, Bose-Einstein condensation in magnetic fields, and applications of physics to social sciences.

Verez Bencomo is a chemist dedicated to understand the molecular basis of protection from infectious disease and to use this knowledge for the development of vaccines. He led this development from bench to introduction into preventive medical practice for 5 different vaccines: The first was Quimi-Hib, a conjugate vaccine against Haemophilus influenza type b using for the first time a synthetic carbohydrate antigen (Science, 2004) and prequalified by the World Health Organization. Quimi-Vio, a conjugate vaccine including the most prevalent Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes actually in the last clinical steps before commercial introduction in Cuba. In the period 2020-2021 during the COVID19 pandemic, he also led the development of a series of 3 vaccines call SOBERANAS. SOBERANA 02 is the only conjugate vaccine developed. The safety record of this vaccine platform allowed a quick introduction in children in Cuba as early as September 2021 allowing Cuba to be the first country in the world mass vaccinating children against COVID-19. He is “Knight of the Legion of Honor”, (France, 2015) and “National Hero” (Cuba, 2021)

Caicedo is emeritus professor of mathematics at the Universidad de los Andes and was associate catedra professor in the department of mathematics of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, until 2010. A dedicated researcher and respected teacher, he has been responsible for the development of the field of mathematical logic in Colombia, and continues his excellent work on the model theory of extensions of first order logic and on algebraizable and modal logics. A fellow of the Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales, and of the Academia de Ciencias de America Latina y el Caribe, he has won the Colombian Academy's prize for the sustained work of a scientist, the Universidad Nacional Medal of Merit, and the Colombian Mathematical Society National Prize.

Poveda (PhD, 1998, Water Resources) is full Professor, Universidad Nacional de Colombia at Medellín, Colombia. Member of: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Academies of Sciences of Colombia and Spain. Scientific steering committees: Global Energy and Water Cycles Research Program of the Global Climate Research Program, Scientific Panel for the Amazon, Global Change and Human Health Program. He was part of the 2019 International Mission of Experts convened by the Colombian government to develop the road map for science, education and technology in Colombia for the XXI century. He has been elected as visiting fellow at: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA (2001-2002), Centre for Hydrology and Ecology, Wallingford, UK (2005), National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado (2010 and 2019), and Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany (2019). He is the author and co-author of 9 books, and more than 200 peer-reviewed papers published on hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, hydroclimatology, climate change, human health and water resources engineering.

Stashenko is the director of the National Research Center for the Agroindustrialization of Tropical Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, CENIVAM. She has directed the research work of more than 300 new professionals in Chemistry, at undergraduate and graduate levels, which have been the basis for her publication of over 250 scientific articles. She has coauthored 11 patents. Research topics include the application of chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques to the study of secondary metabolites from aromatic plants, to the determination of pesticide residues in various materials, and to petrochemistry and organic geochemistry. Stashenko founded the National School on Chromatography where she has taught over 150 specialized courses on separation sciences to practicing professionals from research labs and industry.

Bai was educated at the University of Science and Technology of China, Beijing from 1963-68 and Hefei, Anhui, China where he obtained his PhD in 1982. He is professor of statistics in the department of statistics at the Northeast Normal University, China. He was previously: Research associate of the Center for Multivariate Analysis, University of Pittsburgh; senior research associate at the Center for Multivariate Analysis at Penn State University; associate professor, department of statistics, Temple University, Philadelphia; professor of statistics, department of applied mathematics, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan, China; senior fellow and professor of statistics, department of mathematics and department of statistics and applied probability, National University of Singapore.