Benmouna was educated at the Univ. of Algiers, School of Engineering, Paris, the Univ. of Michigan and the Univ. of Strasbourg (PhD, 1984). He is professor of physics at the University of Tlemcen in Algeria, and co-director of the Laboratoire International Associé of the Université des Science et Technologies de Lille in France and the Université de Tlemcen in Algeria. His previous positions include visiting professorships at: Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung in Mainz; universities of Lille, Dunkerque, East Anglia, Tulane; Food Research Inst.; Univ. of Konstanz; Centre de Recherche sur les Macromolécules Végétales in Grenoble; Natl. Inst. of Science and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland and Ctr. de Recherche sur les Macromolécules, Strasbourg. His membership includes the Académie FrancoPhone d’Ingénieurs, UNESCO, New York Academy of Sciences and the African Academy of Sciences.

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.

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.

Akissa Bahri is currently Professor at the National Agricultural Institute of Tunisia. She was the Coordinator of the African Water Facility ‘2010-2015), the Director for Africa at the International Water Management Institute, based in Accra, Ghana (2005-2010), and prior to that, Director of Research at the National Research Institute for Agricultural Engineering, Water and Forestry in Tunisia. She has academic and professional experience in water resources management and the agricultural use of marginal waters, biosolids and their environmental impacts. She has received international honors from the Guinness Foundation (1984), the International Foundation for Science (1993), the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (1996), the 2009 "Prof. C.N.R. Rao Prize for Scientific Research", and the 2018 IWA Women in Water Award. She was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California at Davis in 2005. She holds an Agricultural Engineer degree from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie de Toulouse, France, a Doctor-Engineer degree from the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, France, and a Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering from Lund University.

Bayoumi was educated in Khartoum and the UK: medical degree (MB BS) 1967, PhD (biochemistry) 1973, MRC Path (clinical biochemistry) 1975 and FRC Path 1995. He is professor of Basic Medical Sci. at Mohamed Bin Rashid U. of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai UAE. He was previously Professor of Biochemistry in the College of Medicine at Sultan Qaboos U. in Muscat, Oman (1998-2014). He was also previously assistant, associate and full professor at the U. of Khartoum, Sudan from 1977-91, and professor of biochemistry at United Arab Emirates U. from 1991-97. He has made important contributions to human genetics research in the Sudan, the study of genetic diseases, and in the genetic mapping of Joubert Syndrome and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. His membership includes the Royal College of Pathologists and the Association of American Clinical Biochemistry.