Presenters
Professor Ian Boxill
Conference Chair, Professor of Comparative Sociology and Development, The University of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica; Chairman of the Africa Caribbean Centre for Development
Prof. Judy N. Muthuri
is a Professor of Sustainable Business and Development at The University of the West Indies, Mona. Her multidisciplinary research focuses on corporate responsibility, sustainability, ethics, and social impact, influencing policy and practice globally. She serves as section editor for the Journal of Business Ethics, sits on multiple editorial and executive boards, and is a founding member of the Africa Academy of Management and the UN PRME Chapter Africa. She also leads the Africa Diaspora Academic Network (UK).
Dr. Wanida Lewis
is the Founder and Executive Director of Crescendo Foods, West Africa’s first food innovation and shared kitchen hub, located in Accra, Ghana, with an additional office in New Jersey. As a food scientist, entrepreneur, and global policy leader, she has dedicated her career to advancing women’s empowerment in agriculture, STEM, and entrepreneurship
Coleen A. Douglas
is a lecturer, Integrated Marketing Communication & Public Relations and Programme Director, MA Media Culture & Technology, Faculty of Education & Liberal Studies, University of Technology, Jamaica
Dr. Paul Aiken
Visiting Assistant Professor · Washington and Lee University, USA Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering · Former Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of the West Indies, Mona
Mr. Michael-Edward James
Operations Manager Africa Caribbean Centre for Development, Ghana Chair, Local Organising Committee
Dr. Eric Buhle Gumbi
Assessor at the SANTS Private Higher Education Institute
Tracy-Ann Hyman
is the Education and Finance Specialist at SKOLASTIK OASIS Caribbean (SOC) Jamaica
Professor Johannes Maerk
Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna and Coordinator of the Erasmus+CBHE „Strengthening Conflict Management and Transformation Studies in Africa (CONMAT)“, January 2025 to December 2027.Head of Program International Relations and Urban Policy
Ms Katlego Tefo Mabote
MPhil. Biomedical Engineering (Candidate), The University of West Indies, Mona
Professor Philip Osei
Formerly, Vice Chancellor at SD Dombo University of Business & Integrated Development Studies, Wa, Ghana.
Dr. Kofi Osei-Kusi
President of the Pan African Leadership Institute (PALI), Accra, Ghana
Dr. Talawa Adodo
African Diaspora & the World program Spelman College Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Tracy A. McFarlane, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Psychology Department of Sociology, Psychology & Social Work University of the West Indies, Mona
Dr Omowale Elson
is Professor of Management at University of Maryland Global Campus, and Human Communications at Montgomery College, Maryland, USA. He is also Vice President Elson Consulting Group, a management consulting firm.
Dr Romeo Effs
C.E.O of Lumorus Group Limited and Chair of the IBRIE Foundation, U.K
Dr. Ayesha Facey
Dr. Ayesha Facey is a lecturer in the Sociology Unit in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Kaezia Mills
Foreign Language Instructor, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
Dr. Olivene Burke
Director Short-Term Advancement and Resource Centre The University of the West Indies, Jamaica, West Indies
Dr. Franklin N. Glozah
Senior Lecturer | Coordinator, Bachlor of Public Health Programme Department of Social & Behavioural Sciences School of Public Health | University of Ghana
Leneka Terika Rhoden
Leneka Terika Rhoden is a Chevening Scholar and IAEA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow. She has an LLM in Energy and Climate Change from the Queen Mary University of London
Dr. Eric Buhle Gumbi
is an independent researcher and author known for his work in education, particularly focusing on issues of systemic functionality and child-parental interactions within rhe educational space. He has authored several publications, including "The Corridors of Hope". and has also written extensively on topics such as systemic disorders and their oral manifestations.
Lance Denva Scott
is an experienced educator, researcher, and project management professional with expertise spanning national, regional, and international levels. As the research officer at the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) his work combines education, research, and climate resilience through meaningful contributions to integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the curriculum development and review process. Lance is also a PhD candidate at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Ms. Keotshepile Pinkie Keakopa
PhD in Demography Candidate State University of Campinas São Paulo, Brazil
Dominique Winters
Student in Cultural Studies and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Communications at George Mason University
Dr Caroline Dyche
is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Section, Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
Professor Paulette Ramsay
Research Fellow at the P.J Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy, UWI. She is a distinguished scholar in Afro-Hispanic Studies and has done extensive research on African descendants in Cuba, Costa Rico, Columbia, Mexico and Ecuador. In recognition of her contribution, she has received numerous awards including the Mexican Government Excellence Award and the UWI Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Performance
Ukhona Ntsali Mlandu
s Director of Greatmore Studios in Cape Town and founder and Head Curator of makwande.republic in the Goshen Village, Eastern Cape. She is 2021/22 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and was Global Cultural Relations Fellow 2021
Dr. Shinique Walters
is a Lecturer in the Department of Government and International Development Project Management Research Fellow at the Centre for Leadership and Government at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Her research focuses on aid effectiveness, gender, and community development.
Gavin Myers
is Policy Lead with Slashroots Foundation, a digital public infrastructure ngo in Jamaica. He is finalising his PhD in Management Studies at the Open University, Milton Keynes. He is an associate with the Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice at The UWI Mona Campus.
Alistair Scott
is a development generalist and Pan African ecosystems builder and coach. Alistair held adjunct teaching positions at universities in Jamaica where he lectured in social development, political institutions and philosophy. He has worked in community development, tourism, workforce development, sales, education and as a non-profit professional across the U.S and the Caribbean.
Kethania Griffiths
holds an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from the Goldsmiths College, University of London, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She is an expert facilitator and trainer in project management and entrepreneurship. Kethania has designed and delivered impactful training programmes for NGOs, government agencies, private sector organizations, and grassroots initiatives.
Allan Bernard
is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work and Associate Researcher in the Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice, at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. He is also a Development Practitioner with extensive knowledge in the field and has contributed to numerous national reports.
K’adamawe A.H.N. K’nife
holds a PhD in Sustainable Development and an MSc in Economics. He is a lecturer and researcher at The University of the West Indies (UWI) where he is also the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice (CETP). His areas of research are Entrepreneurship, Social Sector Innovation, Strategic Planning for Sustainable Development, ‘Gender, and Climate Change mainstreaming.
Dr. Vanessa Ellis Colley
Research Coordinator University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Jahlani Niaah
Jahlani Niaah, holds a PhD in Cultural Studies, and is a Senior Lecturer in The Institute of Caribbean Studies and the Reggae Studies Unit, University of the West Indies Mona Campus, where he coordinates Rastafari Studies initiatives. He has edited and co-edited various special collections and contributed numerous book chapters and articles in various international book projects and journals on Rastafari leadership, reparations, repatriation, reggae music and cannabis.
Todani Nodoba
is a lecturer in the Department of English, Media Studies & Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education University of Venda, South Africa.
Professor Winston R. Moore
Professor Winston R. Moore is a noted Economist and Deputy Principal of The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Over his career he has published over 100 peer reviewed articles, books and book chapters. Prior to his current role he served as the Director of the School for Graduate Studies and Research and, earlier, Chair/ Head of the Department of Economics at the same institution.
Dr. Coleen B. Lewis
is the Deputy Dean, Undergraduate Studies & Student Success, Faculty of Law, UWI Mona, Jamaica
Ms. Sharon Nelson
is an Economist and Senior Lecturer in the College of Business and Management University of Technology (UTECH), Jamaica. An OAS Scholar and a Fulbright Scholar for Climate Change Food and Water Security, she is the leader of the Productivity Research Group at the University of Technology (UTECH).
Nyzinga Onifa
is a Barbadian cultural strategist, researcher, and entrepreneur whose work has fostered meaningful connections between the Caribbean and Africa. Having travelled extensively throughout the world, she has made measurable contributions across multiple fields, including research, business, management, the arts, and development. She holds an M.Sc. International Management.
Dr. Goodness Tshabalala
is an Education Management and Leadership specialist. She is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Foundations and Management, University of Eswatini, Eswatini.
David Martin
is a Jamaican multimedia specialist and founder of Schooltoonz Visual and Interactive Design Studios, who has been utilising STEM technology to advance and encompass ongoing development and integration of scientific technology across various fields.
Prof. Eris Dawn Schoburgh
is Professor of Public Policy and Management in the Department of Government and former Associate Dean in the Faculty of the Social Sciences, at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. She teaches courses in public and policy management at the undergraduate and graduate levels and currently coordinates the Public and Policy Management Unit. Her general area of academic specialisation is public policy analysis and management with special focus on comparative subnational government/governance; and subnational/local (economic) development.
Régine Romain
is a Haitian-American artist, educator, racial justice strategist, cultural producer and visual anthropologist. She is a PhD student in Cultural Studies at George Mason University and Founder/Director of the WaWaWa Diaspora Centre.
Dr Husein Maru
is a researcher at the Center for Environment and Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
Taaibosch Tlhoriso
is a lecturer in the Department of Government Management at the Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa
Dr Mavis Opoku Boadu
is a Chartered Accountant and works at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. She holds a PhD in Accounting Education, with research interests in accounting pedagogy, sustainability in accounting curricula, and professional ethics. She is committed to bridging the gap between theory and practice in accounting education and actively contributes to mentoring a new generation of accounting professionals whose values and practices reflect the transformative goals of the global African continent.
Dr Lyn Keith
is a Digital Sociologist, Researcher, and Strategist supporting the Research Portfolio at the School for Graduate Studies and Research (Vice-Chancellery), The UWI St. Augustine Campus. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, an M.Sc. and Pg. Dip. in International Relations, a B.Sc. in Government, a Pg. Dip. in Digital Business Strategies, and is a certified Change Management Practitioner.
Dr. Rose-Ann Smith
is a Lecturer and Disaster Risk Management Consultant Undergraduate Coordinator, Department of Geography and Geology, The University of the West Indies, Mona campus
Dr. Abbas Idriss
lectures in the Department of Political Science and International Relations Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, Nigeria
Dr. Edward Dixon
holds a PhD in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship from Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship at The UWI, Five Islands Campus, Antigua and Barbuda, where he coordinates the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Unit in the School of Business and Management. He is also the director with responsibility for strategic direction, operations and research at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice at The UWI, Mona Campus.
Magalie Laliberté
is a Haitian-Canadian international development professional, entrepreneur, and EMBA graduate with over a decade of experience living and working in Africa. Her journey through West Africa, encompassing Mali, Senegal, Benin, Togo, and Ghana, has profoundly shaped her mission to promote diasporic healing, cultural revitalization, and reconnection with identity. As the Founder and CEO of Back to My Roots – Education, Travels, and Relocation, a transformative initiative based in Benin, she empowers Afro-descendant communities in their relocation journeys across West Africa through cultural education and heritage tourism.
Michael Swaby Gordon
is Business Advisor, SKOLASTIK OASIS CARIBBAN (SOC). He is a telecoms engineer with over 20 years' experience in the public and private sector --involved in key areas such as transmission, network planning and telecoms regulation in Jamaica. He studies at The University of the West Indies (St Augustine), where he earned his BSc in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Banking and Finance, from the Mona School of Business, UWI, (Mona).
Beienetch Watson
is a lecturer at the Mona School of Business and Management, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and a PhD candidate with the Institute of Caribbean Studies. Her research explores sustainable tourism development in Caribbean SIDS, with a focus on community resilience, cultural heritage, and postcolonial policy transformation. She is focuses on tourism models that generate indigenous wealth and empower local communities.
Duane McIntosh
is a lecturer at the Mona School of Business and Management, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and a Doctoral Candidate in Marketing. His research centres on neuromarketing and consumer behavior. Duane’s work examines how subconscious processes, emotional cues, and sensory triggers influence consumer decisions, with a particular interest in how these insights can transform marketing strategies.
Prof. Renson Muchiri
is a Professor at KCA University, Kenya, and a distinguished scholar in entrepreneurship, SME development, and organisational leadership, with a strong focus on African contexts. He has held senior academic leadership roles and led research projects that bridge academia, industry, and government to drive development impact. As a journal editor, reviewer, and program peer assessor, Prof. Muchiri contributes to shaping scholarly standards and advancing the quality of higher education.
Dr. Nashilongweshipwe Sakaria
is a Lecturer in Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Namibia where he trains theatre makers and teaches courses in performance, writing and theatre pedagogy. He obtained a PhD in Performance Studies from the University of Cape Town and was previously trained at University of Witwatersrand and the University of Namibia. His work has been performed at festivals, museums, theatres and archives in India, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Cameroon, Senegal, and the United States of America.
Arna Elliot-Rattray
is a Lecturer and Unit Co-ordinator of the Social Work Unit in the Department of Sociology, Psychology, & Social Work at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Kimberly Hinds-Heron
is Project Officer and Practicum Coordinator in the Social Work Unit, Department of Sociology, Psychology, & Social Work, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Sandra Latibeaudiere
is a Lecturer and former Unit Co-ordinator in the Social Work Unit, Department in the Dept. of Sociology, Psychology, & Social Work, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Robert Ipiin Gnankob
is the President of the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG-UCC) and a PhD candidate in Business Administration at the University of Cape Coast, specialising in Public Policy and Management. He is the Founder and CEO of MindBert Research and Training Centre (MRTC), which is dedicated to academic research and capacity building in higher education. He serves as a Graduate Assistant at the School of Business and a Senior Course Tutor at the College of Distance Education, UCC.
Paul Anzah-Ackah Herzuah (PhD)
is a lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Media Studies of the Institute of Journalism, University of Media, Arts and Communication, (UniMAC) Accra-Ghana.
Dr. Caroline Ntara
is a Lecturer at KCA University, Kenya, and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Regenesys Business School, South Africa. Her research focuses on international trade, regional integration, public policy, and women’s economic empowerment in Africa. Dr. Ntara is also an experienced reviewer and journal selection expert, committed to advancing scholarship that informs transformative policy and inclusive development.
Melissa Beckford-Simpson
is a Jamaican Educator and an MPhil Candidate in the Institute of Caribbean Studies, UWI, Mona, Jamaica.
Dr. Roger Nesbeth
is the Director of Human Resources at The Global Campus, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica. He has served for over thirty-one years as a Higher Education/HR Manager. Dr. Nesbeth has served as a Research Supervisor in the EdD programme at the UWI, Global Campus.