Co-chairs
Chaube Pragya, UNESCO Chair in Community-based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education
Mapatagane Ntsundeni Louis, South African National Committee on Data
Ntsundeni Louis Mapatagane is an accomplished professional with over a decade of senior leadership experience in higher education. He specialises in strategic and institutional planning, institutional research, and sustainability initiatives. His expertise has led to innovative policies and data-driven solutions that enhance institutional performance and promote student success.
Louis holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences, focusing on organisational energy efficiency, and is currently pursuing an MBA in digital transformation and innovation. His PhD research further supports his academic work, which aims to create strategies for improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and planning environmentally friendly infrastructure in higher education institutions.
He is an active member of the South African National Committee on Data for Science (CODATA) and serves as Co-Chair of CODATA Connect under the International Science Council, contributing to global efforts in data science and policy. Additionally, Louis is involved in the Community of Practice on EDHE (Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education), where he advocates for the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems within academic settings.
His leadership encompasses strategic enrolment management, academic and infrastructure planning, and adherence to higher education regulations. By integrating institutional intelligence with innovative strategies, Louis ensures resilience and sustainability in complex organisational environments.
With a strong commitment to advancing equity, sustainability, and innovation, Louis plays a crucial role in shaping the future of higher education in South Africa and worldwide.
Zhu Christopher, Imperial College London
Members
Agboola Temitope Deborah, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Nigeria
Allan Ochola, USAID Higher Education Learning Network
Atuga Gilbert, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
Gilbert Atuga is a Senior Research Scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, with over 14 years of experience in marine pollution research. His research interests are focused on marine and riverine plastic pollution. He holds a Master’s degree in Marine Biotechnology from Wageningen University, The Netherlands, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Systems Research at Osnabrueck University, Germany. Gilbert has led several research projects as a principal investigator, including Citizen Science for monitoring macroplastics using mobile technology in Kenya, and Macroplastic pollution in the lower Sabaki River in Kenya. He has also published his research in peer-reviewed journals. Driven by his passion for data-driven solutions to human and environmental problems, Gilbert is committed to contributing positively to the CODATA Connect Committee and their mission.
Badimo Tebogo Phuti Damaris, FNB
Bashir Barjeece, International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals
Dr. Barjeece Bashir is a postdoctoral researcher at the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Beijing, China. He completed his undergraduate studies in Geography, earning a gold medal for academic excellence. Through the “Belt and Road” Scholarship, he pursued his master’s degree and further received a Ph.D. under the Chinese Government Scholarship, specializing in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems. Dr. Bashir’s expertise lies in leveraging remote sensing technologies to address environmental challenges, including land degradation, snow algae blooms, and snowmelt processes. His research integrates advanced tools such as Google Earth Engine, R, and Python to perform geospatial analyses and promote innovative solutions for environmental monitoring and sustainability. His work emphasizes fostering collaborations between academia and industry to advance the field of geospatial science. With a strong academic record, Dr. Bashir has contributed to 24 peer-reviewed publications and over 830 citations (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=78Fy9gEAAAAJ&hl=en). Through his research, Dr. Bashir contributes to tackling global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development by improving our understanding of environmental systems and developing practical solutions for their management.
De Jong Steffen, IOS Press (Sage)
With over 7 years of experience in Scientific Publishing and Library Services, I currently serve as a Journal Manager and Data Analyst at Sage – IOS Press. I specialize in Peer Review Systems, particularly Editorial Manager, and leverage tools like Python, SQL, Power BI, and Jupyter for data analysis and insights into peer review and submission processes.
As the Journal Manager and Publisher of the FAIR Connect journal, I lead projects including the development of its Minimum Viable Product (MVP 1 and 2). FAIR Connect aims to become the leading platform for publishing FAIR Supporting Resources (FSRs), facilitating the publication and accessibility of nanopublications for the data stewardship community and beyond.
My academic foundation in the humanities, with a Master’s degree from Leiden University (2018), informs my interest in the validation and contextualization of scientific findings and the degree to which we can measure and contest any notion of “truth” inside them. By integrating publishing, peer review, FAIR, and technological innovation, I aspire to contribute to systems that compartmentalize research input and output into accessible, verifiable and contestable data objects.
Isirabahenda Gunzague, Babes-Bolyai University
Khanal Shiva, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Nepal
Dr. Shiva Khanal is a researcher at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal. He completed his master’s degree in 2014 and earned his Ph.D. in 2022 from Western Sydney University, Australia. Dr. Khanal specializes in quantitative data analysis and modelling, with a strong emphasis on spatial ecology and geoinformatics. His research interests span a wide range of topics, including ecology and species interactions, where he investigates how environmental factors influence forest carbon distribution and tree species diversity in the Central Himalayas. His interests include integrating data from field, remote sensing, and geographic information systems to model and understand environmental processes.
Dr. Khanal is proficient in using open-source tools for reproducible computation and scientific reporting. In his recent publications, he applied advanced modelling approaches to analyse forest structure, composition, and carbon stocks, ensuring accurate and impactful results. With expertise in quantitative methods, spatial ecology, and geoinformatics, his ongoing research focuses on the complex dynamics of forest ecosystems ranging from the Himalayan region to Australia, contributing significantly to our understanding of these critical environments.
K Mohani Vikash, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India
Mr. Vikash K Mohani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering and a Master’s degree in Statistical Computing (Data Science). Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the School of Computational and Integrative Sciences (SCIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India, he is a Senior Research Fellow supported by the University Grants Commission of India.
Vikash has made significant contributions to the field of computational biology and data science. He recently developed the PAN Cancer PAN Treatment (PCPT) model, a collaborative project with The Cancer Centre of Marseille, France, integrating treatment and multi-omics data to predict drug response. His Ph.D. research focuses on designing computational pipelines to analyze raw single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data for understanding the brain’s functional and structural connectivity. This work aims to identify region-specific biomarkers critical for advancing neurological research.
With a strong foundation in interdisciplinary research and innovation, Vikash combines expertise in computer science, statistical computing, and deep learning to address critical challenges in healthcare.
Lkhamjav Ochirkhuyag, Mongolian Geospatial Association
Ngunjiri Ndirangu, University of Nairobi
Niyitanga Dieudonné, Data Analyst at Bank of Kigali
Olomu Michael Oluwaseun, National Centre for Technology Management, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Prent Alexander, AuScope
Shah Afroz Ahmad, University of Brunei Darussalam
Afroz Shah is Senior Assistant Professor of Structural Geology at the Department of Geosciences, Universiti of Brunei Darussalam (UBD). He is also the Programme Leader, as well as a National Geographic Explorer, earthquake scientist and educator. He completed PhD at James Cook University, Australia, in 2010, a post-doctorate at Earth Observatory of Singapore in 2013 and joined his first academic job as a Senior Lecturer of Structural Geology at Curtin Sarawak, Miri, Malaysia, before joining UBD. His research mainly involves brittle deformation of lithospheric plates, focusing mainly on earthquake-causing faults in South and Southeast Asia. He enthusiastically participates in earthquake science education and outreach and frequently writes in newspapers, magazines, and blogs!
His published works comprise edited books, research articles, blogs and newspaper columns covering a wide range of topics, including earthquakes, landslides, and flood hazards in the South and SE Asia.
Yuwei Gao, Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wang Shu, Institute of geographic sciences and natural resources research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Dr. Shu Wang is currently an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), where he is affiliated with the state key laboratory of resources and environmental information system. He also serves as a member and secretary of the Group Standards Working Group of the Geographical Society of China. His research focuses on Geographic Knowledge Graphs(GeoKG), web data mining, and Sustainable Development Pathways (SDPs) recommendations. He has led several national-level projects, including general and youth projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key R&D Program of China, and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the CAS. He has published over 40 SCI/SSCI academic papers (ResearchGate Portal: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shu-Wang-59 ), authored 1 academic monograph, contributed to the formulation of several national, industry, and group standards, and holds 4 national invention patents. He has received numerous accolades, including the First Prize of the Geoinformation Science and Technology Progress Award and the Best Paper Award from the IGU Modeling Geographical Systems Commission.