UNU Experts

Expert Financial consultant

Ralph Sleijpen

Ralph Sleijpen is Financial consultant at UNU-MERIT

Expert Executive Co-Director, UNU Hub on Engineering to Face Climate Change

Prof. Irina Smirnova is a distinguished chemical engineer and academic leader conducting research on sustainable process engineering - particularly in the development of bio-based materials and green technologies.

Expert Professorial Fellow

Stefaan Smis

Stefaan Smis has collaborated with UNU-CRIS for many years focusing his work on regional integration in Africa.

Expert Public Engagement Liaison and Personal Assistant to the Director

William Smyth

Mr. William Smyth is an Outreach and Partnership Assistant with experience in advancing the fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples, stakeholder engagement, and community service.

Expert Director of UNU-EGOV

Delfina Soares

Dr. Delfina Soares is the Director (D1) of the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) since 2015.

Expert Associate Research Fellow

Fredrik Söderbaum

Fredrik Söderbaum is an Associate Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS

Expert Emeritus Professor

Prof. Dr. Luc Soete

Until September 2016 Luc Soete (15 September 1950, Brussels) was Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University. Before that he was Director of the United Nations University research and training institute: UNU-MERIT located in Maastricht, The Netherlands and Professor of International Economic Relations and Director-Dean of the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (MGSoG) at Maastricht University. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Science and Technology Policy (AWT) and the Royal Dutch Academy of Science (KNAW).

Expert PhD Fellow

Rashid Sohail Khan

Rashid Sohail Khan is a PhD Fellow at Ghent University and at UNU-CRIS within the Migration and Social Policy Cluster

Expert Visiting Scientist

Maria Sol Saliva

Expert Visiting Scientist

Dr. Anoosh Soltani

Dr. Anoosh Soltani is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), affiliated with the Department of Business and Management and the SDU Climate Cluster’s PACA Centre. Her research explores nature-based foodscapes, community-oriented farming, collective governance and relational well-being in ecovillages from a post-anthropocentric perspective.

Expert Student Assistant

Katyayini Sood

Katyayini is a young climate enthusiast willing to contribute in the fields of climate change and disaster risk reduction.

Expert Research Intern

Ebenezer Sosu

Ebenezer Sosu is currently a Research Intern at UNU-CRIS

Expert Senior Research Associate

Edward Sparkes

Edward’s multi-disciplinary research expertise covers complex risk analysis, pathways approaches for risk management and adaptation, and monitoring, evaluation and learning. He is passionate about bottom-up and transboundary knowledge co-creation to tackle complex global challenges linked to the climate crisis.

Expert Senior Lecturer

Renée Speijcken

Renée currently works as a researcher and project manager in the area of governance and accountability at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance of Maastricht University.

Expert Associate Research Fellow

Ueli Staeger

Ueli Staeger is an Associate Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS within the Regions and Cities Governance Lab Cluster (Re-LAB)

Expert Research Associate

Anna Stamatogiannakis

Anna is a Research Associate with the EVES Division, where she supports the WetlandHealth4UNGoals project. With her background in environmental science and GIS, she is particularly interested in using spatial data to analyse climate change impacts and support the development of adaptation strategies.

Expert Adjunct Professor

Prof. Juergen Stamm

Juergen Stamm is Full Professor at TU Dresden and Director of UNU Hub on Climate Resilience and Sustainable Technologies (CREST) at UNU-FLORES.

Expert Professorial Fellow

Samuel Standaert

Samuel Standaert is a Professorial Fellow at UNU-CRIS and an Assistant Professor at Ghent University.

Expert Fellow, Environmental Policy and Governance

Michael Stanley-Jones

As the Environmental Policy and Governance Fellow, Michael Stanley-Jones supports research that addresses the future of global environmental governance, with a focus on climate justice, rightsholders’ participation in environmental decision-making, and sustainable development. He also contributes to fostering synergies between the Rio conventions (CBD, UNCCD, UNFCCC) and discussions on the post-2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other UN processes.

Expert Visiting Scientist

Jakob Steiner