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Dr. Bridgit Muasa is a veterinarian and researcher with extensive experience in both government and academia sectors. She holds a Doctorate degree from the University of Edinburgh, UK, along with a Master of Veterinary Medicine and Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Currently, Dr. Muasa serves as the head of Virology and Molecular laboratories at the National Veterinary Reference Laboratories (NVRL) in Kenya. Additionally, she holds a post-doctoral position at the Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) at the University of Nairobi, where she continues to contribute significantly to advancing veterinary science. She is a recipient of the 2023 - 2024 University of Helsinki; Africa Early Career Mobility Program and her research is focusing on zoonotic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pathogens in domestic animals and foods. Driven by a passion to address global health challenges, Dr. Muasa's work underscores the critical importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based strategies in safeguarding the health of communities and ecosystems.

Dr. Päivi Hasu has her doctorate in Cultual Anthropology at the University of Helsinki and is Adjunct Professor in Ethnology, Ģ��ֱ��. She has conducted research on religion, society, and development in East Africa, and has worked as Research Fellow at the Nordic Africa Institute and as university lecturer of development studies at the Ģ��ֱ�� and Helsinki. She is currently conducting a study about research on African teacher education for the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Sirpa Eskelä-Haapanen is adjunct professor of educational sciences and head of Department of Teacher Education in JYU. She is experienced teacher in basic education, higher education, as well as continuous learning, worked as a developer of teacher education and supervisor of PhD students. Her qualitative research focuses on perceptions and beliefs of educational phenomena, educational leadership, inclusive education, and transitions. She is active collaborator in different educational networks and steering groups of higher education and third sector.

Irmeli Maunonen-Eskelinen (Licentiate in Education, currently working as a Principal Lecturer), has worked at the School of Professional Teacher Education of JAMK University of Applied Sciences in various roles for over 30 years. Having started her career as a teacher and teacher educator, her extensive experience comprises both the individual capacity building of teachers with diverse backgrounds, design and implementation of organisational development processes of educational institutions, and system-level development including teacher education curriculum development in various country contexts.

Her recent experience in the African context includes acting as the Project Manager in the Theory-Practice Balance in Teacher Education in Mozambique (2020–2024); Team Leader in the Technical Support in Teacher Development in South Africa Focusing on the Development of a National Strategy for Improving Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (2023); Team Leader in the Technical Support for Finalizing the National Framework of Professional Standards and Qualifications of Teachers Mozambique (2023), and Key Expert in the Towards inclusive and practice-oriented teacher education in Mozambique (2024-2026)The aforementioned projects are funded through the Finnish Development Aid through various instruments. In addition, she has worked in a key role in two consecutive projects commissioned by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan between 2020 and 2024, where 30 new teacher education curricula have been developed and implemented.

Abdul-Razak Issah, a devoted educator in Ghana's Northern Region, epitomizes a fervent dedication to community advancement. With over a decade of teaching experience, he champions gender equality, particularly for rural girls. His visionary leadership empowers vulnerable children, ensuring inclusivity regardless of social and economic status. In 2020, Abdul's fellowship with KDSL Global catalyzed transformative growth, leading to the co-founding of LING Project. This initiative nurtures literacy and STEM skills aligned with industry demands, educating youth about 21st-century job prospects. As an ambassador for STEM Punks, he remains abreast of educational innovations, while his holistic approach addresses societal challenges, including climate action. Abdul's inspiring journey showcases education's transformative potential in fostering social change for marginalized communities.

Judith Kahamba is a postdoctoral researcher in Development Studies at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Ģ��ֱ��. Her role involves research, thesis supervision, and teaching. She is also a board member of the Finnish Society for Development Research (2024-2025). Judith has over nine years of teaching in higher learning institutions and research in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her research cut across different topics in Development Studies—poverty dynamics and rural livelihoods, gender inequalities, Mega agricultural public-private partnerships dynamics, CSOs’ role in development, climate change adaptations, COVID-19 response narratives, and impacts. Her research on Higher Education has focused on awareness and practice of Gender-Responsive Pedagogy in Higher Learning Institutions. 

Karembe Ahimbisibwe is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ģ��ֱ��. He completed his Ph.D. in Development Studies at the Ģ��ֱ�� in 2022 with the doctoral thesis “‘Poor citizens cannot advocate’: Learning Citizenship in Constrained Settings in Uganda”. He is also a lecturer at Makerere University, Uganda where he teaches political economy, citizenship studies, participatory learning and philosophy. He researches on citizenship studies, participatory livelihoods, NGOs, and grassroots learning.

Elizabeth Eta is a postdoctoral researcher with the Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning (GINTL) at the University of Helsinki.  In her role, she contributes to teaching, thesis supervision, and research on and coordination of academic partnerships between universities in Finland and their counterparts in Africa. She also conducts research on the global-local dynamics in education development, focusing on the diffusion, reception, and translation of global education policies. You can find her publications from her .

Ms Pauliina Kemppainen works as Senior Thematic Advisor on Right to Quality Education at Finn Church Aid (FCA). She is responsible for leading and coordinating the quality and content of Right to Quality Education thematic work. In her role she provides strategic and technical inputs and guidance focusing on Education in Emergencies, Education Sector Development and Teacher Training for FCA globally. Ms Kemppainen serves in the Global Education Cluster Strategic Advisory Group. Ms Kemppainen holds a MA in International Managements from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland as well as MA in Education from University of Oulu, Finland. Prior to joining FCA nearly 7 years ago, Ms Kemppainen worked in the Finnish education sector as a primary school teacher.

Dr. Pascal S. Doh is an adjunct professor in Education (Higher Education) of the Department of Education in the University of Turku and a coordinator of the Diaspora Academic Network for Africa, Finland. Doh has been involved for close to two decades in studies, teaching, research and consultancy in higher education management and policy issues, education and development between Europe and Africa. He is also a certified professional primary and secondary school teacher. He has also worked as a visiting lecturer in several African Universities and collaborated with renowned organizations such as UNESCO, UNECA, OECD, EC, EUA, AAU, CUD-Belgium and ADEA. His research interests include e.g. Education Leadership, Higher Education Management and Governance, Entrepreneurial Transformation of Universities, Curriculum Development and Digitalization in Education. Dr Doh has a very good mastery Finnish and African education systems and has indeed given lectures to African partners through the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa on the Finnish Education system. He is highly bilingual in English and French and also speaks Finnish at an intermediate level.