Category: ESI Fellows (March 2025 - February 2026)

Vivek Ahuja is the Director of Accreditation, Ranking & Compliance, and Doctoral Programs at FLAME University, Pune. With leadership and teaching experience at renowned Indian universities, he has contributed to academics and peer learning at Ashoka University and led academic operations at Shiv Nadar University’s business school, where he also taught Entrepreneurship Capstones to MBA and Executive MBA students. He holds a PhD in Business from Aligarh Muslim University, an MBA from IBS Hyderabad, and a B.E. in IT from Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal. Vivek researches Higher Education and Entrepreneurship, with several publications in indexed journals and edited books. Research Topic: Promoting Educational Resilience through Pedagogical Innovations in Higher Educational Administration Post COVID Program Module: Hybrid Host University: Grigol Robakidze University, Georgia Research Advisor: Dr. Murtaz Kvirkvaia, Grigol Robakidze University, Georgia

Vinay Singh holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science with MS CSIT from USA and has extensive experience as a computer lecturer in the CS&IT department at DIT University, India. He has served as a Lead DevOps/SRE Engineer, specializing in Build & Release processes using Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) with tools like Jenkins, Bamboo, and Maven under an Agile framework. Alongside his teaching roles—where he covered subjects such as Java, C++, Python, DBMS, Networking, and Microprocessors—he was involved in preparing exam questionnaires and providing student support in computer labs. Vinay has excellent troubleshooting skills, improving service availability, performance, and stability. He has contributed to developing long-term Site Reliability Engineering roadmaps, implementing DevOps practices, and supporting Azure Cloud deployments within SLA timelines. Additionally, he holds certifications in AWS Cloud, Google Cloud, and Oracle WebLogic, alongside his expertise in Talend administration and ETL technologies.   Research Topic:  Migration aspects from a Legacy Version Control System to a Distributed Version Control System in Cloud environment. Program Module (Hybrid or Online) : Online Research Advisor:  /

Dr. Tafadzwa Chevo holds a PhD in Sociology from Rhodes University and is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Demography, Settlement, and Development at the University of Zimbabwe. He has extensive experience in teaching and research, with a focus on urban development, livelihoods, and socio-economic resilience. His work critically examines poverty and policy interventions in Southern Africa. His research at the European Scientific Institute (ESI) focuses on Urbanisation, Livelihoods, and Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of Adaptation Strategies in India and Zimbabwe. Research Topic: Urbanization, Livelihoods, and Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of Adaptation Strategies in India and Zimbabwe Program Module: Hybrid Host University: SRM University, India Research Advisor: /

Syed Babar Ali has over 22 years of teaching experience in leading business schools, and 4 years of corporate experience. He holds a PhD in Finance, with his thesis focusing on Theories of Valuation and their Application to the Valuation of Publicly-Traded Equities and Start-ups. Syed earned a gold medal in MS, and completed MBA in finance from IBA, Karachi. He possesses international certifications, including CFA, FRM, CMA, and CIA. He has completed two comprehensive specializations in fintech. Syed teaches finance and accounting and researches valuation and risk management. He is currently serving as a Professor at Hamdard University.   Research Topic: From Adoption to Valuation: A Comprehensive Framework for Evaluating EdTech Platforms in Emerging Markets Program Module: Hybrid  Host University: University of Saint Joseph, Macao Research Advisor: Dr. Michael Ha, University of Saint Joseph, Macao  

Dr. Sayma Arju is a Professor in the Department of English at Stamford University Bangladesh and currently serves as Chair of the department. Her Ph.D. research focuses on learning disabilities in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) setting. She holds a master’s degree in English literature and ELT. Her experience in teaching spans over 20 years. With a distinguished academic and professional background, she has published articles in peer-reviewed scholarly journals. As a professor, she supervises student research and actively contributes to key departmental and central university committees. With extensive experience in teacher training, materials development, and research, Dr. Arju has made significant contributions to academia. Her research interests include ELT, materials development, curriculum development, learning disabilities, pedagogy, and gender studies. Beyond her professional responsibilities, she writes short stories and poems, which have been featured in various magazines and newspapers. Research Topic: Addressing the Special Needs of Students with Disability in the Tertiary Level’s   Curriculum Program Module (Hybrid or Online): Hybrid Host University: University of Saint Joseph, Macao. Research Advisor:

Dr. Ngenge Ransom Tanyu is an Assistant Professor at Jagiellonian University. He holds a PhD in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, and has earned degrees from universities in Germany, Norway and Cameroon. His interdisciplinary research spans higher education policy, sustainable development, and regional integration. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the e_AOPL Journal of Social Sciences and actively engages in academic publishing, policy advising, and international conference presentations. Research Topic:   Higher Education Governance in the Shadow of Politics: Analysing Academic Trust, Freedom, and Censorship in Cameroon Program Module (Hybrid or Online): Online Research Advisor:  Dr. Murtaz Kvirkvaia

Research Topic: A Neutrosophic Aware Clustering and the Reinforcement Learning with the Metaheuristic Aware Relay and Routing Selection Framework for Manet Program Module: Hybrid Host University: University of La Laguna, Spain Research Advisor:  Dr. Carlos Mora, University of La Laguna, Spain

Nurdan Kavakli Ulutas holds a PhD in English Language Teaching from Hacettepe University, supported by a scholarship from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye. She is an academic at the Department of English Language Teaching at Izmir Demokrasi University, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses while actively engaging in research. She has published in national and international journals and contributed to various education projects both at national and international levels. As the editor-in-chief of Futuristic Implementations of Research in Higher Education (FIRE), her research focuses on language teacher education, language teacher wellbeing, and language testing and assessment.   Research Topic: Informing Social Science Research in a Post-Crisis Context Through the Integration of Language Education and AI-driven Learning Analytics Program Module: Hybrid Host University: Grigol Robakidze University, Georgia Research Advisor: Prof. Vasil Kikutadze, Grigol Robakidze University, Georgia

Dr. Ikram is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Science at Women University Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Research areas of her interest are Democratization, Governance, International Relations, Foreign Policy of Pakistan, Political Economy, Socio-Economic Issues, Climate Change Mitigation, CPEC, and BRICS. She holds a PhD degree in the field of Democratization and Governance from the University of Peshawar, KP, Pakistan and have published research papers in reputable journals. She is also a member of different professional committees, and currently part of the Project Women Empowerment Mentoring Program. Committed to teaching and mentoring students, Dr. Ikram`s research aims to inform policy debates and improve governance practices. Research Topic: Global Governance and Pandemic Preparedness: Evaluating the Effectiveness of International Frameworks in Preventing and Responding to Public Health Emergencies Program Module: Online Module Research Advisor: Dr. Angelo Rafael, Saith Joseph University, USJ Macao

Dr. Natasha Dimeska is a social policy expert and independent researcher specializing in child rights, youth empowerment, and social innovation. She holds a PhD and MA in Social Work and Social Science from the University “St. Cyril and Methodius” – Skopje, with doctoral research experience in Slovenia and clinical specialization in forensic social work with abused children (Zagreb, Croatia). A former Chief of Cabinet in North Macedonia, she advised on national child protection standards. She collaborates with international organizations such as the Council of Europe and UN Women and coordinates initiatives with the World Bank to expand social community services. Her postdoctoral research explores digital inclusion, mental health, and youth and elderly resilience. She is authoring Voices of Resilience: Addressing Abuse, Bullying and Mental Health, and she believes that research can provide a redefining role of social work for a changing world. Research Topic: Reimagining Social Work: Integrating Mental Health Support and AI Tools for Post-COVID Youth and Elderly Well-being. Program Module: Hybrid Host University: University of Catania, Italy Research Advisors: Dr. Deborah De Felice and Dr. Maria C. Quattropani –  University of Catania, Italy

Manash Jyoti Bhuyan holds M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in Rural Hydrology from the Department of Geography, University of Gauhati, India. He currently works as an Assistant Professor of Geography at Nowgong Girls’ College, India. His research interests encompass rural hydrology, socio-hydrology, water risk, water security, flood risk and community resilience, rural studies, and participatory research. He has published high-quality research papers in several high-impact factor Q1 journals, contributing significantly to the fields of rural hydrology and water studies. In addition to his research and teaching roles, he is actively engaged in academic publishing and editorial work. He serves as an Academic Editor for PLOS One and is a member of the Editorial Board of Discover Global Society, published by Springer Nature. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), National Association of Geographers, India (NAGI), and North-East India Geographical Society (NEIGS), among others. Research Topic: Water Risk and Community Resilience Program Module: Hybrid Host University: University of Saint Joseph, USJ Macao Research Advisor: Dr. Karen Arano Tagulao, University of Saint Joseph, Macao