Karimipour began his studies in electrical engineering before switching to physics and earning his PhD from Sharif University of Technology, where he has been a faculty member since 1993, and is now a physics professor. His early research focused on quantum groups and integrable models, later expanding to exactly solvable models in statistical mechanics, particularly reaction-diffusion systems. As a contribution to this field, he developed an algebraic model for particles overtaking each other in a line and related it to traffic flow. Since 2001, he works in quantum computation and quantum information, mentoring many students who now work in Iran and abroad. His work covers various areas of quantum information theory, and is restricted to formal and mathematical aspects, like entanglement theory, and capacity of quantum channels. He was a regular associate of ICTP (1998–2013) and a Simons Associate (2015–2023). He served on the editorial board of the European Physical Journal D (2019–2024) and was named an outstanding referee by the American Physical Society, in 2013. Since 2007, he co-founded and co-organized the biennial IICQI conference series and contributed to ICTP schools.

Ludermir is a full professor of Artificial Intelligence at the Center for Informatics of the Federal University of Pernambuco. She is a pioneering researcher in machine learning, recognized for her groundbreaking contributions to neural networks. She has developed novel automated machine learning algorithms that simultaneously learn neural network weights and architectures. Her work has demonstrated the equivalence between weightless neural network models (WNNMs) and classical computing, including a Turing machine implementation within WNNMs. She has also introduced quantum neural networks and hybrid methods for time-series forecasting. Her optimization techniques have been applied to real-world problems, including gas leak detection in the oil industry, wine classification, wind power forecasting, and water quality assessment. She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association, and a recipient of the Brazilian National Order of Scientific Merit.

Meyer is a professor of computer science at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and holds the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation/National Research Foundation–University of Cape Town research chair in symbolic Artificial Intelligence. Previously, he held positions at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, National ICT Australia (now Data61), the University of New South Wales in Australia, the University of Pretoria, and the University of South Africa. Meyer is internationally recognized as an expert in knowledge representation and reasoning, and one of only three South African computer scientists to have obtained an A-rating from the South African National Research Foundation. A member of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, and the Association for Computing Machinery, he is also an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. In 2025, he has received the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists Pioneer Award.

Sushmita Mitra is a full professor at the Machine Intelligence Unit (MIU), Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. From 1992 to 1994 she was in the RWTH, Aachen, Germany as a DAAD Fellow. She was a Visiting Professor in the Computer Science Departments of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; Meiji University, Japan; and Aalborg University Esbjerg, Denmark. Dr. Mitra received the National Talent Search Scholarship (1978-1983) from NCERT, India, the University Gold Medal in 1988, the IEEE TNN Outstanding Paper Award in 1994 for her pioneering work in neuro-fuzzy computing, the CIMPA-INRIA-UNESCO Fellowship in 1996, Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellowship in 2018-2020, and J. C. Bose National Fellowship in 2021-2026. She was the INAE Chair Professor during 2018-2020. Dr. Mitra has been awarded the prestigious J. C. Bose Grant, 2026. Dr. Mitra is the author of the books ``Neuro-Fuzzy Pattern Recognition: Methods in Soft Computing" and ``Data Mining: Multimedia, Soft Computing, and Bioinformatics" published by John Wiley, and ``Introduction to Machine Learning and Bioinformatics", Chapman & Hall/CRC Press, beside a host of other edited books.

Pal is a distinguished scientist and former Director of Indian Statistical Institute. He founded its Machine Intelligence Unit & the Natl. Center for Soft Computing in Calcutta. Currently, he is an ANRF Prime Minister Professor @ IIIT-BH; ISI President and Emeritus Professor; & AICTE Distinguished Chair Professor. Obtained PhD (Sc) from Calcutta U. and PhD (Engg) & DIC from Imperial College, London. Worked at UC Berkeley; UMD, College Park; NASA JSC, Houston; and US Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC. His awards include: SS Bhatnagar; Padma Shri; GD Birla; OP Bhasin; J Nehru Fellowship; FICCI; Vikram Sarabhai; IETE Wadhwa Gold Medal; INSA Zaheer Medal; ISC PC Mahalanobis Gold Medal; INAE Chair Prof.; INSA Distinguished Prof.; National Science Chair; INAE-SN Mitra; INSA-JNBC Lecture; JC Bose Natl. Fellow; DAE Raja Ramanna Fellow; Al-Khwarizmi Intl. 1st Prize; NASA Space Act Tech Brief; NASA Patent Appl.; IEEE Distinguished Speaker; IEEE NN Soc. Outstanding Paper; US NAS-NRC Senior Associate; and IEEE Editor. Fellow of all 4 Indian sci. and engg. academies, IEEE, IAPR, IFSA, IRSS & AAIA; and Member of European Acad of Sci & Arts. He has visited 45 countries as keynote/invited speake

Patnaik is INSA Senior Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies,and was Vice Chancellor, Defence Inst. of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Deemed Univ., Pune, India. He was previously Honorary Professor, Dept of Electronic Systems Engg, Prof., Dept. of Computer Science and Automation, and Convener, Computational Neurobiology Group, IISc. He obtained his PhD (1978) and DSc (1989) in computer science and engineering from IISc. He has been honoured with over 20 awards for contributions to electronics, communications, and information technology including the Technical Achievement Award (1999), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), USA, Computer Society; Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Natl. Award for Engineering and Technology, 1999; and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Award for Innovation in Applied Research, 2002. He is a Fellow of IEEE and all 4 leading science and engineering academies in India.www.lmpatnaik.in.

Paulraj is a professor emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, USA. He obtained his PhD in 1973 at IIT (Delhi). He served in the Indian Navy from 1965 to 1991, where he led the development of military sonar systems. He also founded three national-level research labs in India. He joined Stanford in 1992, where he pioneered MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) wireless technology that has revolutionized wireless performance and is incorporated into all Wi-Fi and mobile 4G/5G systems. His recognition includes the 2024 RAE Prince Phillip Medal, the 2023 IET Faraday Medal, the 2011 IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal, the 2014 Marconi Prize, the 2010 Padma Bhushan (Indian national award), the 2017 induction into the US Patent Office National Inventors Hall of Fame and the 2018 China Friendship Award. He is a member of nine academies, including the US National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and several Indian S&T academies. He is a fellow of IEEE and AAAS.

Poor (PhD, 1977, Princeton) is the Michael Henry Strater University Professor of Electrical Engineering at Princeton University, where he served as Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science from 2006 to 2016. His research contributions are in the areas of communications and signal processing, particularly in wireless networking, smart grid, and related fields. His awards include: the IEEE Education Medal, the IET Fleming Medal, the URSI Booker Gold Medal, the IEEE Eric Sumner Award, the EURASIP Athanasios Papoulis Award, the AAES John Fritz Medal, the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal, and honorary doctorates from five universities. His memberships include: U.S. National Academy of Engineering, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, U.S. National Academy of Inventors, Royal Society, U.K. Royal Academy of Engineering, Academia Europaea, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Sayed is dean of engineering, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland. He has served as distinguished professor and chairman of electrical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he founded the Adaptive Systems Laboratory (1996). Recognized as a highly cited researcher and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, he served as president of the IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS) in 2018-19. An author of over 570 scholarly publications and six books, his research involves several areas including adaptation and learning theories, data and network sciences, statistical inference, and multi-agent systems. His awards include: 2020 Norbert Wiener Society Award, 2015 Education Award from IEEE-SPS; 2014 Papoulis Award from European Association for Signal Processing; 2013 Meritorious Service Award and 2012 Technical Achievement Award from IEEE-SPS, 2005 Terman Award from American Society for Engineering Education, 2003 Kuwait Prize, and several Best Paper awards from scientific organizations. He is a fellow of IEEE, European Association for Signal Processing (EURASIP), and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Shi is Chair Professor of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has been Charles W. and Margre H. Durham Distinguished Professor of University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA. He is an Elected Fellow of TWAS (2015), Counselor of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (2016), Elected Member of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences (IEAS, 2017), Elected Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA, 2022), Elected Fellow of the International Academy of Information Technology and Quantitative Management (IAITQM, 2022), and Elected Fellow of the Web Intelligence Academy (WIA, 2023). He has received a number of honors and awards, including the Georg Cantor Award by International Society on Multiple Criteria Decision Making (2009), the Fudan Prize of Distinguished Contribution in Management (2009), Science Fellow by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia (2012), Doctor Honoris Causa of Agora University, Romania (2014), the WIC Outstanding Research Contribution Award, Chile (2018), the Cheng Siwei Global Prize, China (2021) and Richard Price Award, Oxford, UK (2023).

Shyamasundar is senior professor and JC Bose Natl. Fellow, Faculty of Technology and Computer Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India. He obtained his BE in electrical engineering at Mysore U. in 1970, ME in electrical engineering (1972) and PhD in computer science (1975) at the Indian Inst. of Science, Bangalore. He worked under legendary Prof. E.W. Dijkstra at Eindohoven and has held various postions in PennState, UCSD, UIUC, SUNY Alabany, INRIA, JAIST, Max Planck Institute, IEEE Standards etc. He is the founding Dean of Technology and Computer Science at TIFR, and founding president of the India Association for Research in Computer Science. He is a fellow of IEEE USA, fellow Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) USA, the Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, Indian National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Tieniu Tan is currently Professor and President of the CPC Council of Nanjing University, and Director of the New Laboratory of Pattern Recognition (NLPR) of Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China. He received his BSc in electronic engineering from Xi'an Jiaotong University, China in 1984, and his MSc and PhD degrees in electronic engineering from Imperial College London, UK in 1986 and 1989 respectively. He worked at the University of Reading, UK (1989-97) until he joined the Natl. Lab. of Pattern Recognition (NLPR), CAS Institute of Automation, as full professor. He served as Dir. Gen. of the Institute (2000-07), Director of NLPR (1998-2013), Dep. Sec.-Gen.(2007-2015) and Vice President (2015-2016), CAS. His current research interests include biometrics, image and video understanding, and information forensics and security. He is a Fellow, CAS; Fellow, TWAS; Internatl. Fellow, UK Royal Academy of Engineering; Corresponding Mem., Brazilian Aca. Sci.; Fellow, IEEE; Fellow, Internatl. Assoc. of Pattern Recognition.

Tenório de Carvalho earned his PhD from Paris Dauphine University, in 1992, and is now a full professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. He received the Scientific Merit Award from the Brazilian Computer Society in 2021, and is now classified as a level 1A researcher—the highest category—by the Brazilian National Research Council. He is a Fellow of the following institutions: Science Academy of the State of Pernambuco-APC, Brazil (2020), Brazilian Academy of Sciences (2023), Core Academy (2024), Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (2024). He was a visiting professor at many European universities and research centres. He supervised 25 master’s and 14 doctoral theses, and authored more than 240 articles in high-impact journals and conferences. Now his h-index scores at 35 (Google Scholar), 27 (Scopus), and 24 (Web of Science). He is in the range of 2% of the most influential scientists in the world in the area of Artificial Intelligence. He is also a member of the Computer Science Advisory Committee of CNPq (2017–2020 and 2023–2026), and a member of the council of the International Association for Statistical Computing (2009–2013).

Professor Olanike Adeyemo pioneered scholarship and leadership in “One Health”, an innovative transdisciplinary research that cuts across traditional boundaries and paradigms to create novel conceptual, methodological, and translational innovation at the environment-livestock-wildlife-human interface. Her findings from studies on environmental pollution, food safety /anti-microbial resistance, and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases provides credible transdisciplinary research-backed evidence on the complex linkage between Environmental, Animal and Human Health with significant policy implication for Nigeria, the African Continent and indeed the rest of the world. Among other preferments, she is a Fellow of International Science Council (2022), Fellow, the Nigerian Academy of Science (2016), Fellow, African Academy of Sciences (2012). She was featured in “Women in Science - Inspiring Stories from Africa”, “Black Achievers in Science and Technology” and recently recognized as “Scientist of the Year 2020” in the “Natural Sciences category” of the Open International Competition by the International Achievements Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA.

Ahmed (M.Sc.Tech. 1980 BHU, India & PhD, 1987, Mines ParisTech, France) served as Chief Scientist in CSIR-National Geophysical Res. Inst., Hyderabad, MK Gandhi Chair Prof. in Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. School of Sciences, MANUU. Visiting Fellow, AMU, Visiting Prof. Univ. of Kashmir. An eminent Earth Scientist worked extensively for Groundwater Hydrology. Presently at Islamic Univ. of Sci. and Technology, Kashmir as Adj. Professor. Led national & international projs in Earth Sciences including National Aquifer Mapping in India. His findings are on unearthing structure and functioning of hard crystalline aquifers with a breakthrough on fracture connectivity. Current Res. is on Mountain Hydrology & Critical Zone Observatory under Climate Change. Led Indo-French Centre for Groundwater Res. for about 2 decades as its founder Head, Managed the Secretariat of the Asian GWADI-UNESCO. Awarded National Geoscience Award, International Prize for water Science, National Mineral Award, INC-IAH Excellence Award, NGRI-AHI National Lecture Award, IGU-Annie Talwani Mem. Prize, Young Scientist Award. With almost 200 SCI Publication 7 books he supervised 43 doctoral students.

Aris is a senior professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His research focuses on hydrochemistry, environmental chemistry, and environmental forensics—with special emphasis on the development of analytical methods and the identification, behaviour, remediation, and health implications of metals and emerging pollutants in the environment. In recognition of his contributions, he has received numerous awards, including Malaysia Scopus Research Excellence Awards (Groundbreaking Contributions) 2024 and Malaysia Winner for ASPIRE - APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research, and Education (2022, 2019). His pioneering work has shaped environmental policies and guidelines both at national and international level, in areas related to water quality, public health, and environmental forensics. Zaharin leads multidisciplinary research initiatives and environmental translational research, working closely with policymakers to turn scientific findings into outcomes through public engagement. He also serves actively as an advisor, chair, and member of various governmental and private-sector committees at local and international levels.

Armienta is a senior researcher at the Geophysics Institute of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Her investigations have unraveled groundwater contamination sources and determined the geochemical processes involved in the environmental mobility of arsenic and heavy metals. She developed methods to remediate contaminated water with native rocks. Results of her studies were applied by authorities to solve pollution problems. She identified chemical species in water related to the activity of hazardous volcanoes, to be used for volcanic risk assessment. Armienta is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Popocatépetl volcano. She has authored more than 180 scientific publications in international journals and books. She was the Mexican coordinator of the Iberoarsen network aimed to solving arsenic problems in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. She is a National Research Level III (highest) by Mexican National Science Council; she was awarded Juana Ramírez de Asbaje merit by UNAM, Academic and Research Trajectory recognition by the Mexican Association of Geohydrology, and Earth Sciences Teacher of the Year award by the Mexican Geophysical Union.

Artaxo is a professor of environmental Physics at the Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo (USP). He has worked at NASA, Harvard University (USA), the universities of Antwerp, Stockholm, and Lund, and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. His primary interests lie in global climate change and research on the Amazon region. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the World Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the US AAAS, and a member of the IPCC. He is the vice president of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Sciences. He has been honored with numerous prizes, including the Doctor of Philosophy Honoris Causa title from the University of Stockholm in 2009 and the 2024 PIFI Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has published 548 scientific works. He has 85,787 citations on Google Scholar, with an H-index of 136, and 66,964 citations on ResearchGate, with an h-index of 129. He has published 36 papers in journals in the Science and Nature groups. He is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Amazon Studies (CEAS) at the University of São Paulo. He served on the COP30 Science Coordination Committee.

Asrat obtained his PhD in 2002 at the University of Henri Poincare, France. He is a professor of geology at the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Botswana, and an adjunct professor of geology at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. A fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, his research spans a wide spectrum of topics, including Quaternary paleoclimate-paleoenvironment reconstructions, petrogenesis of magmatic rocks, and geoheritage-geodiversity-geoconservation. He is a co-editor-in-chief of Earth Sciences Reviews, and the editor of Scientific Reports and Scientific African. He has been a member and leader of several international professional associations and scientific bodies: vice-president of the Geological Society of Africa (2008–2016), founding member and president of the Eastern Africa Quaternary Research Association (2013–2017); member of the scientific steering committee of Past Global Changes (PAGES) (2016–2021); member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council (2016–2022); and member of the UNESCO-IGCP Council (2025–present).

Rajasekhar Balasubramanian of the National University of Singapore has made significant contributions to advancing the understanding of urban air quality. His research focuses on airborne particulate matter, examining its sources, chemical composition, and impact on climate change and human health. Using innovative characterization techniques and advanced modeling approaches, he has elucidated the complex interactions between urban and regional air pollution, demonstrating how targeted interventions, such as indoor air filtration and traffic reduction measures, can effectively protect communities. Beyond his scientific achievements, Balasubramanian has played an influential role in shaping environmental policy, notably through his involvement with the Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership and as a lead author of the UNEP Global Environment Outlook. In recognition of his contributions, he has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), Asian Aerosol Research Assembly, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union, and TWAS. He is also an international honorary member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.

Cardia Simões obtained his PhD in 1990 from Cambridge University (UK). He is a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil, and an adjunct professor at the Climate Change Institute, University of Maine (USA). A member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, he is a past vice-president of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR/ISC), and a past vice-provost for research at UFRGS. A leading Latin American polar scientist, he introduced glaciology to Brazil, and created the Polar and Climatic Centre at UFRGS, an institution that leads research on snow and ice in this country. Presently, he is the general coordinator of the virtual Brazilian National Institute for Cryospheric Sciences. He is a recipient of the Brazilian National Order of Scientific Merit. A polar explorer, he led several international scientific expeditions to the Antarctic ice sheet, including one that established the southernmost Latin American scientific laboratory on the planet, the Criosfera 1 module (84°S, 79.5°W). He has mainly published on the paleoenvironmental ice-core record and changes in subpolar and tropical ice masses.

Prof. Chaibi (PhD Agriculture Engineering and Climate Technologies, Swedish U. of Agriculture Sciences) is Research Dir., Natl. Research Inst. for Agricultural Engineering, Water and Forestry in Tunisia. His major accomplishments include the development of autonomous and integrated complex systems for supporting sustainable livelihood in areas poor in fresh water, thus providing communities with basic needs such as water food and energy. He was appointed in 2015 as GIZ senior advisor for the academic affairs and International affairs, and from 2008 to 2015 to serve the African Union in developing and coordinating processes in science, technology and innovations policy in Africa. He was elected Member, Governing Council, African Acad. of Sciences (AAS) representative of North Africa Region (2010), Fellow, AAS (2006), Fellow; IAS (2017). He served in various capacities as associate member of the Environmental Security panel under the NATO Science for Peace and Security and the EC Frameworks Programs.

Chandrajith is working as a professor at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and has more than 30 years of teaching and research experience. He is mainly involved in research in the field of environmental geochemistry, with a particular interest in bridging chemical, biological and geological sciences to address diverse environmental problems, including hydrogeochemistry and medical geology. His current projects include freshwater geochemistry, the application of isotopes in low-temperature geochemical processes, the study of environmental relationships with human and animal health, and the reconstruction of Holocene climate changes using geochemical proxies. Chandrajith has published over 180 research papers in reputed international journals and written three books and 11 book chapters with a Google H-index of 43. He co-authored the book “Introduction to Medical Geology”, published by Springer, Germany. He received the prestigious Georg Forster Research Prize from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany in 2022 and is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, Sri Lanka.

Chen is member of CAS, professor and director of Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He is the president and fellow of China Geography Society. He obtained his PhD in 1990 at Lanzhou University. He is vice-presidents of IGU Environment Evolution Commission, China Society on Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Quaternary Science Associate. His prizes include China National Excellent Scientist in 2005; National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2003; China Youth Science and Technology Award in 1996; Second award of National Natural Science in 2007 and 2018; five awards of Natural Science by Ministry of Education of China. He has published more than 690 papers in peer-reviewed journals of both English and Chinese with more than 420 papers published in SCI journals such as Nature, Science, NCC, NC, PNAS, QSR, which are cited more than 19900 times by papers of SCI journals with H index of 69.

Chen (PhD 1992, Joh.-Gutenberg-U., Mainz, Germany) is currently Chair Professor at University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He is an internationally renowned climate researcher with important contributions to the understanding of regional climate changes and their impacts in Sweden and China. His research includes Earth System Science, global environmental change, climate dynamics and modeling, and atmospheric circulation. He works on recent and future regional climate changes and their impacts on water, ecosystem, environment, and agriculture. He currently focuses on climate and environmental changes over the Third Pole (Tibetan Plateau) region. He has served as Executive Director of the International Council for Science (ICSU), Director of the Gothenburg Atmospheric Science Centre, and Science Director of the Beijing Climate Center. He is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, as well as TWAS Fellow. He has served on numerous international and national committees and boards, advising various governmental, intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations as well as research funding agencies.

Cordani is emeritus professor, Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil. He was trained in geochronology at UC Berkeley (1963) under the guidance of John Reynolds, and obtained his DSc (USP) in 1968. In the 60’s he established a geochronological laboratory that gained international recognition. At the USP he was director of the Institute of Geosciences (1987-1991) and Institute of Advanced Studies (1994-1997). He was president of the International Union of Geological Sciences (1988-1992) and the 31st International Geological Congress (Rio de Janeiro, 2000). He has published ca. 280 scientific articles, and received many awards, among which the Great Cross of Scientific Merit (Brazil), the José Bonifacio Gold Medal (Brazilian Geological Society), and the TWAS medal lecture. He is member of the academies of science of Brazil, Argentina, France and Portugal.

Di serves as the director of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and dean of the College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of CAS. She earned a PhD in solid earth physics from the Institute of Geophysics, CAS in 1998. Her research focuses on applied geophysics, and she has long been engaged in research on theoretical methods, technical equipment, and deep-exploration applications of electromagnetic wave propagation in the Earth. She enabled high-precision electromagnetic detection of geological bodies at depths of up to 10 kilometers, making systematic and creative contributions to deep resource exploration in China. She has expanded her work into the petroleum exploration and deep-earth drilling equipment, such as logging-while-drilling and rotary-steerable-system equipment and technologies. Among her accolades are multiple significant scientific and technological awards, including the 22nd China Patent Gold Award (2021), the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award (2019). She was elected as a CAS academician in 2021.

Eltahir is H. M. King Bhumibol Professor of hydrology and climate, and professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Eltahir made significant contributions defining the role of land surface processes in climate system. He has been actively engaged in projecting future impacts of global climate change at local and regional scales, with the objective of informing and hence enabling proactive adaptation by local communities. Examples for topics of his projections include: water in Nile basin, malaria in Africa, droughts over Mediterranean, and extreme heatwaves in Asia. Eltahir is the director of the UM6P-MIT Research Program at MIT with a focus on sustainable development in Africa. He is also the lead principal investigator in a large Climate Grand Challenges Project at MIT with the goal of reinventing adaptation to climate change. He was recently elected Member of the US National Academy of Engineering. Eltahir is a recipient of the Kuwait Prize in Applied Science in 2000, an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 2008, and a recipient of the Hydrologic Sciences Award in 2017, from AGU.

Xiaomin Fang is a research professor at the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow of the Geographical Society of China and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Currently serving as the vice-president of both the China Quaternary Research Association and the Chinese Society for Sustainable Development, he previously chaired two international working groups: the Paleosols and Paleoclimate Change Working Group under the International Union for Quaternary Research / International Union of Soil Sciences Paleopedology Commission, and the Mountain Uplift and Climate Change Working Group under the International Union for Quaternary Research Neotectonics Commission. In recognition of his scientific contributions, he has been awarded twice the second prize of the State Natural Science Award of China.

Fu (PhD, 1989, in physical geography, Peking University) is professor at the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China. He worked at RCEES as an assistant professor (1989-1990) and associate professor (1991-92) before his post-doctoral research training at the Institute for Land and Water Management, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium (1992-94).He became full professor of RCEES in 1994, and deputy director in 1996. Fu was the director general of Bureau of Natural Resources and Environment, CAS 2001-2008. Since 2009 he is a Professor and Chair of Steering Committee in RCEES. He is an elected member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011, elected International Honorary Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019 and Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Society Edinburgh UK in 2015. He is Vice President of International Geographical Union in 2018-2026 and Member of Science Advisory Committee of IIASA in 2017-2022. He is recipient of the National Natural Science Prize of China in 2005 and 2020, and The Alexander von Humboldt Medal of European Geoscience Union in 2020.

Aster Gebrekirstos (PhD, Gottingen University, Germany, 2005) is senior scientist and head of the dendrochronology lab, World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya, and affiliated with Erlangen University, Germany. Her research is in the area of forest ecology, dendroclimatology, climate change, applications of stable isotopes, land restoration. She led and participated in research projects across Africa and Asia. She set up dendrochronology labs in Ethiopia (2009) and in Nairobi (2013). She taught at Alemaya and Wondo Genet University, Ethiopia; as visiting professor at WASCAL, and Dresden University in Germany. She trained 20+ PhD students, published 80+ journal articles and book chapters. Her awards include: African Climate Award for excellence in climate change research (2014), Special Award for Groundbreaking Science (2009). Fellow of African Academy of Science (AAS), International Academy of Wood Science, conferred Eleonore Trefftz Visiting Professorship Dresden University. She is a vice-president of International Union of Agroforestry, chair of Environment Committee at AAS, member of science leadership at Past Global Changes (PAGES) and Mountain Research Institute (MRI).

Goswami is SERB Distinguished Fellow of Government of India at Cotton University in Guwahati. He obtained his PhD from PRL, Ahmedabad, and did postdoctoral research at MIT, Cambridge, USA, and at NASA/GSFC, USA. Returning to India, he worked at CAS/IIT, Delhi and CAOS, IISc, Bangalore between 1985 and 2006. He was Director of IITM, Pune between 2006 and 2014. He was visiting professor at the University of Maryland and Princeton University. He has received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award; Hari Om Ashram Prerit Vikram Sarabhai Award; Kamal Kumari National Award for Science and Technology;National Award in Atmospheric Science and Technology by MoES and the Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan Medal by INSA. He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and Indian Meteorological Society, and member of several national and international commissions and committees.

Gupta is a Professor of Geology at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1987 at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and joined Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur as Lecturer in same year. He was Head of the Department of Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur (2006-09) and Head, Center for Oceans, Rivers, Atmospheric and Land Sciences (2018-2021). Gupta was Director, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun (2010-17). He has been a Research Associate at LSU, Baton Rouge, USA; Senior JSPS Fellow at Shimane University, Japan; and NRC, USA Senior Research Fellow to NOAA, Boulder. He was Vice President of the Indian Geophysical Union. His honors include ISCA 1990 Young Scientist Award, National Mineral Award 2000, India; Prof. T.M. Harris Medal – 2004; Dr. J. Coggin Brown Memorial (Gold) Medal; TWAS Prize 2010; Prof. S.N. Bhalla Gold Medal for 2016 of the Palaeontological Society of India. He is J.C. Bose Fellow since 2012. Gupta is fellow of all Science Academies of India and Life Fellow of Indian Geophysical Union. He was Review Editor for Chapter 5 of AR5 of IPCC.

Heilbron earned a Bachelor of Science (1980) and a Master of Science in geology (1984) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and a PhD in geosciences from São Paulo University (1993). She carried out postdoctoral studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, working with Uranium–lead dating geochronology (2000–2001), and at Salzburg University, Austria (2018–2019), where she carried out Argon-Argon geochronology and tectonics. She completed her senior internships at Mainz University, Alberta University at Edmonton, ANU in Australia and Portsmouth University, UK. Presently, she is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Science and TWAS. In 1983, she joined the Geology Institute of Rio de Janeiro State University as a full professor. Besides teaching, she coordinated the postgraduate programme, and directed the Geology Institute (2003–2006). She served as the provost of postgraduate studies and research (2000–2015), and was appointed director of the International Office of UERJ in 2024. She is head of the GeoAtlantic Institute (CNPq) and of the Tektos Research Group developing research and applied projects.

Huang is a distinguished professor and founder of the College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, and director at the Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, Lanzhou University. He is also a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Meteorological Society, and China National Committee for the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences. His research focuses on semi-arid climate change by combining observations, numerical modelling, and theoretical studies. He established the theoretical framework of a semi-arid climate change mechanism that emphasizes the effects of aerosol-cloud-precipitation, land-atmosphere, and ocean-atmosphere interactions on climate change in semi-arid regions. In recent years, Huang has pioneered a series of studies on the oxygen cycle and land cancer. Additionally, Huang is among the most highly cited researchers for three consecutive years in 2021, 2022, and 2023 according to Clarivate, with an H-Index of 73. He has received several awards for his research achievements, including the Second Prize of National Natural Science Award in 2013 and the First National Innovation Award in 2017.

Jan, Distinguished National Professor (Emeritus), University of Peshawar, and past President Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), obtained MS (Oregon) and PhD (London) degrees. He carried out extensive investigations of Creto-Tertiary island arc terrains in Kohistan Himalaya, Balochistan, and Neoproterozoic granitoids of Pakistan. His studies are related mostly to geodynamic and crust-building processes, especially in collisional mountain belts and intra-oceanic island arcs that became Andean-type margins, and chemical petrology of chromites in ophiolites and magmatic arcs. He is author/editor of hundreds of papers and books, fellow/member of several academies and professional bodies, including the PAS, Islamic World Academy of Sciences and Mineralogical Society London. He has held several important positions nationally and internationally, including Vice Chancellor of three universities. Honors include gold medals from PAS, Distinguished Scientist of the Year Award (National Book Foundation & PAS), Life-time Achievement Award (Assoc. Petrol. Geologists of PK ), Civil Awards (HI, SI, TI), ISESCO Science Prize, and Hon. DSc from King's College London and University of Leicester