Who We Are

Expert Professorial Fellow

Sebastian Oberthür

Sebastian Oberthür is a part-time Professorial Fellow at UNU-CRIS where he was involved in the project “Parliamentary Deliberation in Inter-Regional Relations: an Analysis of Climate Change Debates in the EU’s Parliamentary Assemblies with the ACP, the Mediterranean, Latin America and the Eastern Neighbourhood Regions” (PADIRE).

Expert Research Fellow, Urban and Interdependent Infrastructure Systems

Dr. Renee Obringer

Dr. Renee Obringer’s research interests focus on understanding and evaluating the impact of climate change on urban systems, with an emphasis on water and energy.

Staff Legal Affairs Associate

Sharon Ogwindo

Sharon Ogwindo is a Legal Affairs Associate in the Office of the Rector.

Expert Project Associate, Climate Risk Finance & Policy

Serin Oh

Serin is a Project Associate within the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII), specializing in Climate Risk Finance and Policy.

Expert Capacity Development Coordinator

Salpy Ohanis

Salpy Ohanis is the Programme Coordinator for the Capacity Development Office (CDO) at United Nations University-MERIT and Maastricht University.

Expert Researcher

Dr. Sanae Okamoto

Dr. Sanae Okamoto is a psychologist and behavioural scientist with background in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Behavioural Economics. She has an expertise in both industry and academia by applying psychology and behavioural science insights towards diverse objectives such as Circular Economy, Climate Resilience, Mental Health and Well-being from multiple angles such as Gender, Youth, Water, Disasters, Plastics, Digitalisation, AI, and Business. She also provides workshops and seminars for practitioners in public and private sectors. She is co-lead of the triinstitutional initiative of UNU-Climate Reslience Initiative.

Expert Research Fellow and Academic Associate

Dr. Mahesti Okitasari

Mahesti Okitasari is a Research Fellow and Academic Associate at UNU-IAS.

Expert Senior Associate

Dr. Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola

Dr. Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola possesses senior-level experience in supporting policy influencing projects through advocacy, advisory, evidence gathering and dissemination work across 10 African countries and Europe. Dr. Okunola's research focuses on understanding the responses of individuals, communities and cities to global climate change and their capacities for adaptation and transformation.

Advisory Committee Member Chair and External Member of the Advisory Committee

Marielza Oliveira

Marielza Oliveira was the Director of UNESCO’s Division for Digital Inclusion, Policies, and Transformation, supporting member states in digital inclusion and transformation. She served in various advisory and representative roles within UNESCO and other international internet governance bodies. Previously, she also led UNESCO’s East Asia office and held various positions in UNDP and other organizations, with extensive experience in governance, data analytics, and education.

Expert Research Associate

Rodrigo Oliveira

Rodrigo Oliveira is a Research Associate at UNU-WIDER working on tax-benefit microsimulation models.