OPENING CEREMONY:
Susanna Cafaro: Susanna Cafaro is Full Professor of European Union Law at the University of Salento, where she coordinates the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence EUmanity Demos. She holds a PhD in EU Law from the University Of Bologna. She has joined and coordinated several international research projects and published extensively on the Union's institutions and its economic governance and has been awarded two Jean Monnet Chairs on EU's democratic formula.
Luigi Melica: Full Professor of Comparative Public Law at the Department of Law, University of Salento, and Director of the same department since 2019. He teaches Comparative and European Constitutional Law, European Constitutional Justice, and Sport and Cultural Identity in Comparative Law. In the field of sports law, he is the Scientific Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Module under the Erasmus+ Programme 2022, ‘Sport Integrity and Rule of Law in the Governance of Sports Authorities as a Priority and Value of European Law’ (EUSportRoL), and Coordinator of the research unit ‘Sport and Law: Sustainability and Integrity’. Since 2023, he has been invited as an expert by the Council of Europe’s Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for the hearing “Olympic movement and peacekeeping: is sport neutrality serving sport values?” and to discuss issues related to respect for fundamental principles and constitutional values in sport.
He is the author of monographs and essays. He recently published the book Sport and ‘Rights’ in Italy and Around the World, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2022, as well as various essays on the themes of Olympism and transnational sports law.
He is the author of monographs and essays. He recently published the book “Sport and “Rights” in Italy and Around the World”, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2022, as well as various essays on the themes of Olympism and transnational sports law. His other publications include: *Special Investigations and Comparability from the USA to Latin America*, Naples, ESI, 2021; The Unfinished Union, Naples, Jovene, 2015; European Constitutional Development, Naples, ESI, 2012; The Non-EU Foreigner. Constitutional Values and Cultural Identity, Turin, Giappichelli, 1996.
Martì Grau Segù: Member of the Academic Team of the House of the European History, an initiative of the European Parliament. Between 2009 and 2011, he was Visiting Professor at SPEA-Indiana University. Former Member of the European Parliament, he served in the Foreign Affairs and Internal Market Committees, as well as in several parliamentary delegations for relations with foreign countries (including Canada, Japan, and the South Caucasus countries). He also was Member of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. A graduate of SAIS-Bologna and Pompeu Fabra University, he has worked at the European Institute for the Mediterranean in Barcelona and taught European Politics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He started his career as an archaeologist and director of several archeological excavations.
SESSION I:
Mauro Spedicati: Association for Supranational Democracy President, Administrative employee Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze - Ambassador Executive Master in Management and Innovation of the Pubbliche Amministrazioni Centrali, ALTIS Università Cattolica
Alessandro Valenti: Alessandro Valenti is the cinematic voice of Salento, weaving time into memory. Born in Lecce in 1973, he studied philosophy and earned a PhD in Modern and Contemporary History, before embarking on an academic career as a lecturer in film history at the University of Salento and in creative writing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lecce.
A sensitive writer, he appeared as an actor in Edoardo Winspeare’s film Sangue Vivo and contributed as a screenwriter to well-known works such as Galantuomini and In grazia di Dio, which was recognised at the Berlin Film Festival, won the Globo d’Oro and was nominated for the Nastri d’Argento. His documentary career includes the multi-award-winning Vive le Rock, the only Italian film selected for the South American IN Edit festival, and the founding of the production company Scirocco Films.
In 2022, he made his directorial debut with Oltre il confine, a film that weaves together migrants, hope and visual poetry. He is also artistic director of Vive le cinéma, the French film festival in Lecce, and leads the Accademia della Carità, a cultural and humanistic workshop for social inclusion established by the Casa della Carità in Lecce.
Edoardo Winspeare: Edoardo Winspeare is a filmmaker who has succeeded in transforming his deep-seated connection with his native Salento into a cinematic language of international scope. Born in Austria in 1965 but raised in Puglia, he trained in New York and at the film school in Munich, building a thirty-year career that spans over forty productions, including films, documentaries and commercials.
His career is inextricably linked to the rediscovery of folk traditions: it is no coincidence that, in the early 1990s, he was one of the founders of Officina Zoè, becoming a key driving force behind the revival of the pizzica. This passion then found its way into cinema with his debut film, Pizzicata, which enjoyed immediate success at festivals around the world.
In the years that followed, Winspeare established his signature style with works such as Sangue Vivo, the first Italian film to be screened at Sundance, and Il Miracolo, presented at Venice. His output continued with titles such as Galantuomini, the documentary Sotto il Celio Azzurro and the multi-award-winning In Grazia di Dio, where his poetic vision became even more stripped-back and authentic. Following the success of La vita in comune and the theatrical experiment Madre, he recently returned behind the camera for Didi, confirming himself as a tireless and profound storyteller of his homeland and the human spirit.
Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier: Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier holds a PhD in Corporate Finance from Lyon University and a Master of Law from Harvard Law School. With over 25 years of Legal experience including 12 years professional experience in China and Asia, Ghislaine has worked as SVP and General Counsel in the Chemical and electronic manufacturing industries (Areva/FCI, Solvay), was formerly Environmental legal advisor for UNESCO in Cambodia, and World Bank Advisor for Restructuring/ privatisation projects in Africa.
Prior to that Ghislaine practiced law as a registered attorney in New York and Paris with a focus on M&A and Venture Capital. Her previous responsibilities - driving Rhodia's Global Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR") Governance and Compliance and regional / local Community project brought her to focus on creating the Albatross Foundation promoting sustainable development education for children with more than 20000 children trained in China, in Brazil and France and more then 75,000 children book of Albatross Serie donated. For that, Albatross Foundation won the Innovation Award of franco-china Committee of MEDEF in 2019.
Due to covid crisis, Albatross Foundation expanded its activities with new multilingual/creative/scientific mobile apps on sustainable development called Saphir. The Saphir app is developed thanks to a cooperation with CNRS/liris. For that, Albatross Foundation won the Innovation Award of franco-china committee of MEDEF and the Price of King Baudouin Foundation.
Now that Albatross foundation is operating Ghislaine has also reverted to her legal practice with the set up of Albatross Legal specialized in the Corporate Legal/M&A/Compliance fields. Albatross Legal is a pro bono legal platform for its members. Albatross Legal has also published the first ever books on ”Shareholder agreements and preferred shares” and « Numeric Finance » with access to an interactive legaltech generating digital and personalized agreements. The 2/3 of the profits are given to Albatross foundation. The préambule is from Batonnier de Paris and the initiative won the Trophee Probono of Paris Bar.
Apart from Albatross foundation Ghislaine has founded a philanthropic venture create2donate (C2D) out of Singapore with a e-commerce, a publication license and an auction house.
The latest project is a AI EdTech initiative with Harvard, GaiaVoice.
Ghislaine and her husband have adopted 4 (great) children.
SESSION II:
Silvia Solidoro: Silvia Solidoro holds a Research Fellowship at the Law Faculty of the University of Salento, where she has served as Teaching Assistant in public and private international law, while also contributing to research activities in the field of EU law, starting from 2007. Silvia obtained a PhD in Law of Economics and Markets from the Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (ISUFI), the research center of excellence of the University of Salento, in 2011 (graduated with full marks, first class honors degree). From 2009 until 2016, she consulted on corporate and antitrust matters with the Investment Climate Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, in Washington, DC, USA, conducting research and analytical work to promote legal, economy-wide and sector-specific reforms aimed at fostering private sector development with a geographic focus on Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia. Prior to joining the EUI, she also acted as Independent Expert for a consulting firm based in Rome, developing an assessment of the most relevant human rights compliance procedures pertaining to multilateral development banks. After that, she acted as Research Assistant (May 2016 - May 2021) and then Research Fellow (May 2021 - September 2022) at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) of the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. Silvia earned her law degree (magna cum laude) in 2006; she was admitted to practice law in Italy in 2009.
Riya Saini: Riya Saini is a sustainability researcher and youth leader currently pursuing an MSc in Sustainability and the Built Environment as an Anant Fellowship scholar. Her academic and professional work sits at the intersection of climate governance, education, democratic participation, and inclusive development, with a strong focus on how sustainability transitions can be shaped through culture, policy, and youth-led engagement.
She has worked with international NGOs and global initiatives supporting research-driven programs, stakeholder coordination, and youth participation across diverse socio-political contexts. As a Global Environmental Advocacy Fellowship (GEAF) Ambassador, she actively contributes to environmental advocacy, civic engagement, and cross-cultural dialogue, strengthening youth capacities to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes related to climate and sustainability.
Riya’s work reflects a strong interest in democratic innovation beyond national boundaries, particularly the role of education, narratives, and institutional responsiveness in strengthening supranational democratic frameworks. Her research orientation emphasizes participatory governance, interdisciplinary collaboration, and co-creation of solutions that address democratic regression, environmental challenges, and social inequalities in an interconnected world.
She is especially interested in exploring how democratic values can be taught, experienced, and reimagined through education systems and community-based practices, contributing to resilient, inclusive, and future-oriented models of governance. Through her academic training and international engagement, Riya aims to bridge sustainability science, democratic culture, and youth participation to generate globally relevant and locally grounded impact.
Daniel Chigudu: Prof Daniel Chigudu is an academician, practitioner, and researcher in political science and governance at the University of South Africa. He holds a PhD in peace and conflict management studies. He has worked as an expert on the evaluation of the African Union Agenda 2063 First Ten-Year Implementation Plan, as well as on influencing processes related to governance, sustainable development, and institutional reform across Africa. His work as a consultant in governance, public administration, and higher education has included many years of experience with organisations such as Oxfam, the Organisation for Food and Agriculture, United Nations Women, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and the African Union.
He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles covering topics including: Governance, Peace and Security, Climate Change, Youth Empowerment, Migration, Gender, Public Policy, and Democratic Development. In addition to an interdisciplinary research approach, all his work is grounded in evidence to inform policy creation. In his capacity as Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Development Studies, he contributes to the continental agenda on governance and development.
Professor Chigudu has assessed governance and social protection program implementation throughout southern Africa, has led gender/community empowerment programs, and has developed institutional capacity-building strategies for both Public Institutions and Civil Society Organisations. His background entails Policy Analysis, Democratic Governance, Civic Engagement, Education System and Multi-Stakeholder Coordination. He belongs to numerous professional organisations, including SAPAAM, SASPEN, SSRN, and the Conflict Research Consortium for Africa. His work(s) related to governance innovation, democratic participation, and civic learning align with the current efforts around the globe to revitalise democracy and increase institutional resilience and bring together an excellent mix of academic rigour, field experience, & policy advisory skills to conduct multi-disciplinary dialogues about democracy, development and governance transformation.
Stefania Attolini: Stefania Attolini is a lecturer in public, European and international law and Director of the University Diploma on Climate Law and Sustainable Development at the Université Catholique de Lyon (UCLy).
She holds a PhD degree in European Union law with a research thesis on the right of access to the Internet within the European Union in the light of the European Code of Electronic Communications.
From September to November 2023, she was Ingénieure de recherche of public law at the University of Rennes1, as part of the HEALTH-E project on the governance of health data in the European Union.
Since April 2023 he has been an associate member of the CERCRID (Centre de Recherche Critique sur le Droit) of the Université Jean Monnet de Sainte-Étienne (France)
Previously, she worked at the University of Salento, as a lecturer (Course in Digital Information Law and Institutional Law of the European Union) and as a post-doc researcher (PRIN 2020 research fellow - REACT project on «impact of the covid crisis on the legal system of the European Union and its consequences on Union finances» from March to August 2023; PON project AIM1843103-1. - "AIM: Attraction and international mobility" concerning the digital rights of vulnerable people in smart cities; Project «New technologies as tools for democracy and participation in the European Union»).
In 2022 she was a visiting researcher at the IODE (Institut de l'Ouest: Droit et Europe), University of Rennes1.
She is the author of a monograph entitled "Access to the Net in a democratic society. The right of access to the Internet of the European citizen" (2020) and of numerous publications on international and European Union law, in Italian, French and English.
Her main research interests are European digital law, the twin transition (ecological and digital) and European economic and fiscal governance.
She participates in several projects funded by the European Union, including the Jean Monnet Chair «EUWORLDLAB- European supranational Democracy: a lab for the world» (2023-2026); And the Jean Monnet Module «Protection and promotion of women in the European legal order: from gender equality to active participation in the Democratic life of the European union» (2021-2024).
She holds an advanced master’s degree in European Union Law (Master complémentaire en droit européen) from the Institute of European Studies of the ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles).
In 2014 she worked as a trainee (Blue Book) at the External Consumer Relations Unit of DG SANCO (Health and Consumers) of the European Commission.
She has been a qualified lawyer since 2012, having practiced tax law for about a decade.
In 2009 she obtained his Master in business Law at the University of Bari (Italy).
Michele Fiorillo: Michele Fiorillo holds a PhD in Philosophy and Political Thought at “Scuola Normale Superiore”, Pisa, working especially on theories of democracy and critical theory. He is the coordinator of Citizens Takeover Europe. He has been visiting scholar in different European Universities such as Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and Lyon, University of Strasbourg, University of Tuebingen and Humboldt University in Berlin. Alumnus of the “College of Europe” in Natolin Warsaw, he developed research interests on IR theory, being also member of the Advisory Council of the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy and ideating the World Citizens’ Initiative concept. He has been also member of the Central Committee of the “Movimento Federalista Europeo” (UEF Italy).
He worked as assistant of the Director at the Jean Monnet House in Houjarray, and as assistant of the Head of the Mediation and Dialogue Support Unit of the European Parliament (DG External Policies, Directorate for Democracy Support). He is also research fellow at CUNCR (Center for United Nations Constitutional Research) in Brussels with a focus on UN Security Council Reform/UN Charter review and on possible models of participatory and eliberative democracy at the global level. He is among the contributors of the project “Charta 2020- A Charter of European PublicGoods” and one of the initiators of Citizens Take Over Europe a coalition of more than 70 NGOs for transnational participatory democracy and CIVICO Europa, a civic platform which developed the paneuropean consultation “We Europeans”. He is also the coordinator of the European Citizens’ Assembly project and one of the authors of the Green New Deal for Europe- Blueprint for Europe’s Just Transition (https://report.gndforeurope.com).
Carmela D’Angelo: Dr. Carmela D’Angelo is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the International School of Brindisi (ISB), the first internationally accredited and Ministry-recognized foreign school in Puglia. An expert in institutional governance and behavioral science, she has pioneered the "Brindisi Model"—a framework demonstrating how local agency and international standards can transform regional landscapes and attract global talent to Southern Italy.
Dr. D’Angelo’s leadership is informed by a twenty-year career in multilateral development finance and international banking across four continents. Her expertise lies in building complex stakeholder ecosystems and high-performing institutional frameworks. At ISB, she transitioned the institution from a conceptual vision to a thriving global community serving families from six continents.
She holds a Laurea cum laude in Classics (Bologna), an MSc in Management (Cattolica, Milan), and a Postgraduate Diploma in PR (Queen Margaret, Edinburgh). A RINA-certified internationalization expert, she focuses on the intersection of education, governance, and regional competitiveness.
Corey Magyar: Dr. Corey R. Magyar is the Academic Director and Head of School at the International School of Brindisi. He has extensive experience in education, psychology, and curriculum development across institutions in the United States and abroad. He holds a B.S. in Applied Psychology from Arizona State University and an M.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Psychometrics from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and he completed doctoral studies in Juvenile Justice at Prairie View A&M University.
Dr. Magyar has served as a professor of psychology, therapist, and academic leader, with professional experience spanning higher education, child and adolescent support services, and international schooling. His research interests include cognitive behavioral therapy, youth development, and evidence-based educational practice. At ISB, he leads curriculum innovation, faculty development, and student-centered programs designed to prepare young people for engaged, thoughtful citizenship.
SESSION III:
Karl Bauman: Dr. Karl Baumann is equipped with years of research around leadership & performance, scenario planning & system dynamics. Since 2019, the development of global democracy is the passion from Karl.
Carried out one media start-up and gained 20+ years of experience in C-level management consulting & organisation development projects. Within that time, he shaped some of the largest and most renowned international corporations.
Out of his entire research & work experience, he developed a concept for a healthy and thus sustainable society and founded based on that in 2023 the “Institute for the Development of a Global Democratic Republic” (IDGR.org).
Grown up on the countryside in a small village in the Alps near Kitzbühel, closely related to nature, he did his first presentation in school about the “greenhouse gas effect”. It’s been the year 1988. Since then, mitigating “greenhouse gas” emissions is a most important part of his life too.
With the IDGR, he combines now those two passions and works towards mitigating global warming, climate change, and the loss of biodiversity by establishing global democracy.
Currently, he wants to encourage and enable the “United Nations” (UN) to organise and carry out a first official global direct democratic vote on “climate action” with potentially 5.5 billion people easily participating (they are connected to the WWW).
Antonio Parenti: Antonio Parenti is currently the Director for Public Health, Cancer and Human Security in the Directorate General for Human and Food Security of the European Commission.
Until August 2024 he was the Head of the European Commission Representation in Italy. He represented the Commission in Italy under the political authority of President Ursula von der Leyen and oversaw the two offices of Rome and Milan.
Before Italy, he was the Minister Counsellor in charge of the economic affairs, trade and development section of the EU Delegation to the United Nations. In that capacity, he served as Chief negotiator of the European Union for the UN Global Compact on Migration. Much of his career took place in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade where he served as Deputy Chief negotiator of the free trade agreement with Japan, responsible for relations with the countries of the Far East including the China and Chief negotiator for the accession of several countries to the WTO. He served not only in Brussels and New York but also in Moscow where he served as the Counsellor for economic and commercial affairs of the EU Delegation during the final stages of Russia's accession negotiations to the WTO.
Antonio Parenti has a Law Degree and a LL.M in European Law from the University of Bologna and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (Johns Hopkins University). He is the author of numerous articles and essays on European affairs and international trade.
Lars Münter: Lars Münter has more than 20 years of experience in developing and leveraging international, interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial platforms, nationally and internationally – and creating joint communication results and policy impacts based on those platforms. He is a serial NGO entrepreneur; eg previously co-founding the Danish Council for Better Hygiene in 2006 (running the largest European campaigns for pandemic preparedness 2008-2018), the NGO called CSR-LINK (2014-2019) that held more than 40 conferences on corporate policy for sustainable futures, the European Self-Care Initiative in 2017, that won the CHi Award for Best European Campaign In 2019, co-leading the Nordic Health 2030 Movement as Communication Lead since 2019. And more.
He has co-authored a number of international scientific publications on empowerment, self-care, and health literacy – and is a an experienced facilitator of webinars and live debate sessions (eg at European Health Forum Gastein). He is also the Network Director for the European Health Futures Forum. And Chair of the WHO Europe Public Health Innovation Platform group on Public Health Communication & Trust.
Nina Sønderberg: Nina Sønderberg has more than 15 years of experience in teaching, training, and therapeutic support for youth and adults. She has extensive experience in coaching and educating adults in mentalization and psychotherapeutic approaches to personal and organisational growth, development, and wellbeing.
She has a significant experience as a public speaker in national media about digital culture and brain development. She is also a member of the ISEFT Subcommittee for Research & Education and an author of self-therapeutic books – in addition to having a private therapeutic practice, with a special on focus on women with C-PTSD as a result of emotional or violent partner abuse. She also serves as Learning Experience Director for the European Health Futures Forum and leads the EHFF Working Group for Women’s Health, currently spearheading a global survey on menopause.
Edoardo Montin: Edoardo has an academic background in Diplomacy and International Affairs. In 2021, he moved to Brussels and began his career in the healthcare industry, focusing on patient engagement, health digitalization, and health policy. He also worked on health policy and development aid in Africa.
His passion for health diplomacy stems from both personal interest and a strong commitment to placing health at the centre of the global agenda. His expertise lies in the promotion of holistic well-being, global health governance, systemic change in health systems, and health diplomacy.
SESSION IV:
Matteo Bassoli: Matteo Bassoli, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at SPGI. He is on the faculty board for the PhD in Social Sciences and co-directs URBES – the Urban Policy Observatory at the ‘Giorgio Lago’ Research Centre. His research covers welfare policies, migration, multi-level governance, political participation, the third sector, and social network analysis. He has led and participated in various research projects funded by the European Commission and national agencies. Since 2023, he coordinates the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Network EUAMI – European Values and Migration, and from 2025, leads the CERV project GIVO – Give Voice to Our Memories. He is on the editorial boards of Regional Studies and Local Development and Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche.
Polina Zavershinskaia: Polina Zavershinskaia, Polina Zavershinskaia holds a PhD in Political Science from Leipzig University. She is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Padova and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Trento in Political Science. Her research focuses on political violence, illiberalism, and political narration.
Elisa De Matteis: Elisa De Matteis is a Ph.D. student in Social Sciences at the University of Padova, where she previously completed a master’s program in Cultural pluralism, social change and migration. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Global Governance from the University of Roma Tor Vergata. Her research interests revolve around migration studies, public policy analysis, and innovative approaches to reception policies. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, she has authored several contributions on hospitality practices and institutional responses to emerging migratory challenges.
Tommaso Greppi: Tommaso Greppi holds a a BA in Fashion Design from Politecnico di Milano and a Master’s degree in Cultural Pluralism, Social Change and Migrations from the University of Padua (110 cum laude, July 2024) and has since been working as an independent researcher in migration and media studies. His theoretical grounding lies in postcolonial and intersectional studies, which inform his critical approach to media representations of displaced populations. Methodologically, he independently developed a large‑scale computational framework using SQL, R, and the GDELT database for his Master’s thesis. This framework subsequently became the basis of a co‑authored article with his thesis supervisor, Professor Matteo Bassoli, published in the European Journal of Communication (December 2025). At this conference, he presents a working paper co‑authored with Professor Matteo Bassoli and Phd candidate Elisa De Matteis that builds directly on his innovative methodology and extends it to a ten-year timeframe and a pan‑European scale. He is actively engaged with the academic community and aims at embarking on a PhD programme in the upcoming academic year. He has presented his research at the Italian Political Science Association (SISP) annual conference (Naples, September 2025) and delivered seminar lessons at the University of Padua. He will also conduct and present new research on South Asian refugee portrayals in European media at the Encountering the "Other": Europe's Interactions with South Asia conference at Kaunas University of Technology (November 2026). His international experience includes living and studying in Italy, Finland, and Lithuania.
OPENING ROUND APRIL 24TH:
Saverio Di Benedetto: Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Salento. He has organised several international conferences and seminars, including the Young Researcher Workshop on ‘Scientific Evidence in International and European Law’, the workshop on ‘Legitimacy and Efficiency in Global Economic Governance’, and the conference on ‘Woodlands and Forests as Frontiers of Dialogue between Law and Life Sciences’. Author of numerous national and international publications and edited volumes, with a particular focus on the international protection of the environment; co-editor of the international series LITES published by Springer; and member of the editorial board of the series “Cultura giuridica e scambi internazionali”, published by ESI
Georgia Tramacere: Born in Galatina and raised in Aradeo, she was immersed in the world of cultural production from an early age thanks to her family, the founders of Teatro Koreja, an organisation in which she herself went on to hold positions of responsibility. After completing her classical secondary education, she pursued a multidisciplinary course of study in Teramo and Rome, ranging from sports management to international relations.
Her political career began within the ranks of the Democratic Party in Aradeo, where she served as councillor for culture and deputy mayor. Her political progression subsequently took her to the provincial secretariat in Lecce, with strategic responsibilities in the sectors that shaped her background: tourism and culture.
Following the significant support she received in the 2024 European elections in the southern constituency, her institutional career took her to Brussels. In February 2026, she officially became a Member of the European Parliament, bringing to the European stage the experience she had gained over the years in cultural management and local government.
Jan Wouters: Jan Wouters is Full Professor of International Law and International Organizations, Jean Monnet Chair ad personam EU and Global Governance, and founding Director of the Institute for International Law and of the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, an interdisciplinary research centre with the status of both a Jean Monnet and KU Leuven Centre of Excellence, at KU Leuven. He is also Administrator of the America Europe Fund. He studied law and philosophy at Antwerp University, obtained an LL.M. at Yale University and was Visiting Researcher at Harvard University. As Visiting Professor at Paris-II (Panthéon-Assas, Paris) and the College of Europe (Bruges) he teaches EU external relations law.
Prof. Wouters is a Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts and practises law as Of Counsel at Omega Law, Antwerp. He is Editor of the International Encyclopedia of Intergovernmental Organizations, Deputy Director of the Revue Belge de Droit International, and an editorial board member in eleven international journals. He has published widely on international and EU law, international organizations, global governance, and corporate and financial law, including 80 books and more than 150 journal articles and 260 chapters in international books. His most recent books include China, the EU and the Developing World (2015), Global Governance of Labour Rights (2015), Global Governance Through Trade (2015), The Contribution of International and Supranational Courts to the Rule of Law (2015), Global Governance and Democracy (2015), Armed Conflicts and the Law (2016), Judicial Decisions on the Law of International Organizations (2016), Internationaal Recht in Kort Bestek (2nd ed. 2017), Research Handbook on EU Energy Law and Policy (2017), Commercial Uses of Space and Space Tourism (2017), The Commons and a New Global Governance (2018), EU Human Rights and Democratization Policies (2018), International Law: a European Perspective (2018), The G7, Anti-Globalism and the Governance of Globalization (2018), The Faces of Human Rights (2019), Changing Borders in Europe (2019), General Principles of Law and the Coherence of International Law (2019), Parliamentary Cooperation and Diplomacy in EU External Relations (2019), The Belt and Road Initiative and Global Governance (2020), Assessing the 2019 European Parliament Elections (2020), The Law of EU External Relations (3nd ed. 2021), The European Union and Human Rights: Law and Policy (2020), Rule of Law and Areas of Limited Statehood (2021), The European Union and Human Rights: Analysis, Cases and Materials (2021), Japan, the European Union and Global Governance (2021), EU Industrial Policy in the Multipolar Economy (2022), The G20, Development and the UN 2030 Agenda (2022), Research Handbook on Global Governance, Business and Human Rights (2022), The Nexus Between Organized Crime and Terrorism (2022), Contestation and Polarization in Global Governance (2023), Legal Advisers in International Organizations (2023) and National Human Rights Institutions in Europe and Latin America (2024).
He recently coordinated two large European research projects, FRAME (“Fostering Human Rights Among European External and Internal Policies”, 2013-17) and RECONNECT (“Reconnecting Europe with its Citizens through Democracy and Rule of Law”, 2018-22) and coordinates a six-year multidisciplinary research programme CONNECTIVITY (“Connectivity, Contestation and Cooperation in Global Governance”), funded by KU Leuven.
Apart from his participation in international scientific networks, he advises international organizations and governments, trains international officials and is often asked to comment international events in the media. In 2023 he was awarded the Serge Lazareff Prize for Excellence in Legal Services.
SESSION V:
Claudia Morini: Claudia Morini is Associate Professor of EU Law at the Università del Salento, Department of Law (Italy), where she previously was Senior Researcher of EU Law. She has coordinated the Jean Monnet Module (2022-2025) “EU-ProWomen - Protection and Promotion of Women’s Rights in the European Legal Order: from Gender Equality to Active Participation in the Democratic Life of the European Union”. She is Member of the Centro Unico di Garanzia (CUG) of Unisalento, which safeguards and fosters diversity and inclusion in the context of the University of Salento.
She is Vice-Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence EUMANITY DEMOS – Democracy for Europe and Humanity; Law Department, Università del Salento (2025-2028).
She is an active member of the Research Units “CROME – Culture as a Good and as a Medium”, “IntegroLab – The Plural Law of Integration” and “Digital Market and Consumer’s Protection” at Unisalento.
She is a validated expert of the EU Urbact Project, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund: https://urbact.eu/morini-0.
She is a Lawyer and the Vice-President of the “Associazione per la Democrazia Sovranazionale” (Brindisi).
She was Research Assistant (January 1st, 2014- December 30, 2015) at the Institute of Law, Politics and Development, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, working on the FIRB Project “International Disaster Response Law: Rules and principles of International and EU law Concerning the Prevention and Management of Natural and Man-made Disasters”. From July 2013 until December 2014 she was also Project Assistant in the EU financed BEAMS Project “Breaking down European Attitudes towards Migrant/Minority Stereotypes”. From September 2016 until September 2018, she was Assistant professor of EU Law at the Università del Salento. From August 2014 until July 2017, she was Assistant Professor of International Law at eCampus University. From 03/11/2008 to 30/08/2012 she was Research Assistant at the International and European Union Law Department, Faculty of Law, University of Bari where she carried out research on “The EU acquis on judicial cooperation in criminal matters”. In 2007, she obtained a PhD in International and EU Law. In 2007, she also obtained a Second Level Master Degree in “Conflicts’ Management and Resolution” (University of Roma Tre). She obtained her Master Degree in Law in 2003, discussing a final dissertation in EU Law (“The non-discrimination principle in EU Law”).
Magdalena Smieszek: Dr. Magdalena Smieszek is an international lawyer, human rights scholar, and educator with over twenty years of experience from around the world. She has worked for over a decade within the United Nations system, including UNHCR, UNDP, IOM, and UNICEF in various international postings. She has also worked with other intergovernmental institutions such as the OSCE and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) on global issues of governance and human rights law. Recently, she was under contract with NGOs in Poland – One Humanity Institute and Vela Foundation – both EU-funded projects with a key AI component.
Magdalena was also part of several transnational multi-partner projects such as Bridge (Brexit Research and Interchange on Differentiated Governance in Europe) which was a Jean Monnet Network funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, and the Caravan of Unity project of Co-Creating Europe.
Her research and teaching focus on international law, democratic innovation, migration, and the psychological dimensions of governance. She has lectured widely and taught at institutions including Central European University (CEU) and Al-Quds University’s Bard College. Her publications explore transnational citizen assemblies, the psychological undercurrents of international law, AI and human rights, and climate justice in relation to migration. Her book The Evolving Psyche of Law in Europe: The Psychology of Human Rights and Asylum Frameworks (Springer, 2021) examined how psychological dynamics have shaped legal and human rights systems. She publishes regularly on her Substack, The Cosmocitizens Tribune.
She holds an SJD (PhD in Law) from CEU, an MSt in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, a JD from the University of Windsor, and a BA in International Relations from the University of Calgary. She is currently an independent researcher, serves as a Major Advisor at Ubiquity University, and is the founder of the emerging Cosmocitizens Foundation.
Henry de Waele: Henri de Waele is full professor of International and European Law at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and Guest Professor of EU External Relations Law at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Previously, he also served as Visiting
Professor at the University of Bonn in Germany, National Taiwan University, and the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil. His main research interests lie within the sphere of EU institutional law and general international law. He has published multiple monographs and edited volumes with respectable national and international publishers, and authored numerous articles in leading journals, including the Common Market Law Review, European Law Review, European Law Journal, European Constitutional Law Review and European Journal of International Law.
Danijel Crnčec: Danijel Crnčec, PhD, is an assistant professor of International Relations at the Chair of International Relations, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana (part-time). He also works for the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy (part-time), where he coordinated the preparation and the update of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) of the Republic of Slovenia, and biannual Integrated national energy and climate progress reporting (NECPR). He has an interdisciplinary educational background, including a BA in International Relations, a MSc in International Economics, and a PhD in International Relations. His academic research and work focuses on international and EU climate and energy policy, Governance of the EU Energy Union and Climate Action, and EU-Russia energy relations.
Lucia D’Asta: Lucia D’Asta is an Attorney-at-Law admitted to the Bari Bar (Italy) and a member of the Associazione Italiana Giovani Avvocati (AIGA – Bari), where she also serves on the Technical-Scientific Committee.
She is additionally a member of GP4AI – GLOBAL PROFESSIONALS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE and a Teaching Assistant in European Union Law at LUM University “Giuseppe Degennaro” (Casamassima, Bari).
She graduated with honours (110/110 cum laude) in Law from the University of Bari Aldo Moro in the academic year 2019/2020, defending a thesis in Philosophy of Law entitled “il diritto come fatto in Karl Olivecrona.” She subsequently obtained a First-Level Master’s Degree in Corporate Finance & Banking (final grade: Excellent, 5/5), with a focus on EU financial regulation and its implementation within the Italian legal system, banking business and operational finance, AML compliance (with particular reference to the six EU Anti-Money Laundering Directives), and portfolio management (Excel and CRM). Her final thesis, written in English, examined the management of non-performing loans in Italy (2011–2014), based on data collected by the European Banking Authority and the Bank of Italy.
She co-edited, together with Avv. Ebe Guerra, the volume of proceedings of the conference “Diritto d’autore e intelligenza artificiale: quali limito?”, contributing the essay “Limiti formali e creatività computazionale: un’analisi godeliana del diritto d’autore nell’era digitale”.
She holds a Cambridge C1 Advanced Certificate (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking) and a C2-level English proficiency certification issued by the Centre of English Studies, Dublin.
SESSION VI:
Francesco Spera: Francesco Spera is an Adjunct Professor in European Law, LUM Giuseppe Degennaro, Bari and holds a PhD in European Law and External Relations of the EU from Università del Salento, Lecce. Francesco has previously worked for European institutions in Bruxelles and Italian national public bodies in the field of EU cohesion fund, EU budget, regional decision making involvement. Francesco hold a LLM in EU Law at Maastricht University and 2 honorary Masters in Academic research and History. His main fields of research are EU external relations law, defense law, Energy law and migration. Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Europe, and Institute Guest researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International law
Jaap Hoeksma: Jaap Hoeksma has been trained as a constitutional law philosopher at the Free University in Amsterdam. He worked as a legal officer at the Branch Office in The
Netherlands of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He saw the conclusion of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 as the ‘ab urbe condita’-moment of today’s Europe and turned his attention to the European Union. As a citizen of a democratic state, he was convinced that, if two or more democratic states agree to share the exercise of sovereignty in ever wider fields with the view to attain common goals, their organisation has to be democratic too.
Putting his ideas into practice, he devised the board game Eurocracy as an educational tool about European democracy. Having conducted numerous YOU4EUROPE tours with the game at schools and universities in various member states, he started to contribute to the theorisation of the EU by writing academics articles, papers and books. He developed the theory of democratic integration and recently published his book on The Democratisation of the European Union(The Hague 2023). As an independent scholar, he coined the term ‘democratic union of democratic states’ for the characterisation and identification of the Union. While the board game Eurocracy is on display in the House of European History, Hoeksma has initiated the #YESEUCAN tour with the view to encourage the EU to defend its constitutional achievements.
Cesare Ceccato: Cesare Ceccato is a law graduate student at the University of Milan, where he focuses in particular on European Union law. Alongside his academic activities, he works as a journalist for Euractiv Italia, covering Italian and European politics with a specific focus on institutional dynamics. He is a member of the national board of JEF Italy, where he is the International Officer; he manages relations with partner organisations and European networks.
Amanda Ribichini: Amanda Ribichini is a Master’s student in European Studies at the University of Pisa and an honors student at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna. She is a Junior Fellow at a research think-tank Geopolitica.info and currently serves as Secretary General of Young European Federalists Italy (Gioventù Federalista Europea). Her research interests focus on European democracy, citizen participation, and contemporary challenges to democratic governance, mainly disinformation campaigns.
Alice Pisapia: Alice Pisapia, from 2025 Associate Professor in European Law, Universitas Mercatorum (Rome). She was a researcher in EU Law at the University of Insubria (2021-2024). She taught Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, a topic for which she was involved in the research group at the University of Paris I, Sorbonne, Panthéon, where she spent a visiting period in I semester 2024 and 2025. After specializing at the ULB in Brussels and obtaining an LLM in European Union Law from the College of Europe in Bruges (2008), she qualified as a lawyer and practiced law for international law firms in both Brussels and Milan.
GROUP DISCUSSION
Francesco Viggiani: Ph.D. Francesco Viggiani Avv., Assegnista di ricerca (GIUR-09/A) presso il Dipartimento di Scienze umane e sociali dell'Università del Salento. Le sue ricerche afferiscono principalmente al diritto penale internazionale - nel quale si colloca un lavoro monografico avente ad oggetto il crimine internazionale di tortura -, all'international humanitarian law, al diritto internazionale dell'immigrazione e all'international human rights law. Attualmente, ricopre due incarichi di docenza presso il Dipartimento di Scienze umane e sociali nei corsi di "Seminario Istituzioni e professioni umanitarie" e di "Organizzazioni internazionali". Già assegnista di ricerca (GIUR-09/A) nell'ambito del Progetto Ministeriale “StartUPP” - presso il Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche dell'Università del Salento - in veste di consulente esterno presso la Corte d'Appello di Lecce, Sez. Immigrazione. Socio SIDI dal 2019. Membro del Comitato editoriale della Rivista EUNOMIA, oltre che del Comitato di redazione della Collana di studi organizzativi, vol. 17, "Diritti, emergenze e dinamiche istituzionali", Tangram edizioni scientifiche.
Elisabetta Marzo: Elisabetta Marzo is a PhD Candidate in “Law and Sustainability” at the University of Salento in Lecce, where she collaborates with the International Law Chair. She currently holds a Research Fellowship at the Law Faculty of the University of Salento, in data protection and privacy law. She has been a Junior Visiting Fellow at the Law Faculty of Columbia University and Columbia Center on Sustainable Investments (New York) and at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Law (Heidelberg). Elisabetta previously obtained the license to practice as a lawyer and completed a training at the Criminal Court of Lecce. She holds a Master’s degree in Law from University of Salento and a degree from ISUFI Higher Institute of Interdisciplinary Advanced Studies. Her main research interests are the interactions between International Investment Law, International Environmental law and Human Rights Law; the topics of territorial sovereignty and sovereignty over natural resources, the phenomenon of land and natural resources grabbing and the rights of local communities.
Jacopo Lillo: Jacopo Lillo is a third-year Phd Candidate in “Law and Sustainability” where he works with the European Law Chair. He has been a Visiting Research within the Business and Human Rights Research Group at the Wageningen University and Research (Netherlands). Jacopo holds a Master’s degree in Law from University of Salento. His research sits at the intersection of EU law and Corporate Sustainability Law. It critically examines how recent EU directives construct and operationalise the concept of social sustainability. His broader academic interests encompass EU external relations law and development cooperation, with a particular focus on the legal instruments through which the EU projects its regulatory standards beyond its borders.
Fabiana Magnolo: Graduated in Law discussing a thesis focused on analyzing the regulatory and judicial processes that lead to the realization of a triple dimension of an actual human right to the environment at the international level (i. e. emphasizing the role of individuals taken into an individual perspective or into a collective one or as part of a given community), she is currently Phd student, at second year, in International law at the University of Salento. Her research, included into the programme on ‘Rights and Sustainability’, aims at studying the REDD+ (Reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) tool, designed to fight climate change, with respect to the pursuit of another international environmental protection objective, namely the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. In particular, her purpose is to verify the role that human rights and, more specifically, biocultural rights and RES (Rights for ecosystem services) can play as legal instruments that could be functional in integrating REDD+ with the protection of biological diversity. She is ISUFI (Advanced University Institute of Interdisciplinary Training) Alumna, in Law-Economy area.
Isabella Salsano: Isabella Salsano is a third-year PhD candidate in International Law at the University of Salento (Italy), specialising in international cultural heritage law, illicit trafficking, collective memory, and mnemonic violence. She is currently completing a research traineeship at the Italian Ministry of Culture (European and International Affairs Department) and has held a visiting research position at the University of Strathclyde Law School (Glasgow). A licensed Italian lawyer, she has previously served as a trainee prosecutor at the Italian Public Prosecutor's Office, with experience in organised crime and counter-terrorism. Her publications appear in the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law (Springer), Ordine Internazionale e Diritti Umani, and Eunomia. Rivista di Studi su Pace e Diritti Umani, among others. She is a member of the European Society of International Law (ESIL), the Italian Society of International Law and European Union Law (SIDI), and the Italian Association of Law and Literature (AIDEL). She serves on editorial boards and is a founding member of the Heritage International Institute.
Eduardo Giugliano: PhD Candidate (2026-Present) in European Union and International Law, Università del Salento, Italy. Researcher at the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at the Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG (2019 -Present) and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at the University of Salento (2026 – Present). Master of Laws (2023-2025), with a focus on EU Environmental Law, and Bachelor of Laws (2017-2023), Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Teaching Assistant in EU Law at UFMG (2023-2025). His doctoral research focuses on the extraterritorial effects of EU’s environmental measures in third countries, specifically regarding deforestation.
Federica Brancaccio: PhD Candidate (2026-present) in European Union and International Law, Università del Salento, Italy. Professional in social inclusion and human rights promotion, Dedalus (2025-present), Italy. Researcher at the Universidade Federal Fluminense (2023-2024), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. MA in International Cooperation on Human Rights (2022–2024), Università di Bologna, Italy.
Michele Pieroni: Michele Pieroni earned his PhD in Human and Social Sciences in May 2025 from the University of Salento, under the supervision of Elisabetta Caroppo and Frédéric Attal (Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France). His doctoral research analyzed the relationship between the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and the French Communist Party (PCF) regarding the European integration process between 1962 and 1992.
Previously, in July 2017, he obtained a Double Master's Degree in Historical and Oriental Sciences from the University of Bologna and in Histoire et civilisations from Université Paris Diderot (Paris 7), defending a thesis on the Mediterranean policies of the PCI and the PCF under the direction of Patrizia Dogliani and Sophie Coeuré. In December 2014, he earned a Master's Degree in Mass Media and Politics from the University of Bologna with a thesis on the Italian Left and European integration, supervised by Prof. Giuliana Laschi. In July 2012, he completed his Bachelor's Degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences at the Forlì campus of the University of Bologna. His research interests focus on the history of social movements, the history of European integration and the evolution of supranational institutions.