Dr. Franziska Lieselotte Ohnsorge Chief Economist, South Asia, The World Bank
Keynote Topic: Towards Faster, Cleaner Growth Franziska Ohnsorge is the World Bank Chief Economist for South Asia. In this role, she is responsible for leading the research program on key economic issues in South Asia to inform the policy debate and World Bank lending. Before starting this position, she was the Manager at the Development Economics Vice Presidency where she spearheaded the flagship Global Economic Prospects report. Prior to joining the World Bank, Franziska Ohnsorge worked in the Office of the Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and at the International Monetary Fund. Her research has been featured in peer-reviewed journals as well as policy publications and has covered a wide range of topics in international macroeconomics and finance, including debt and financial crises, inflation and monetary policy, as well as growth and informal labor markets. Her work has been widely cited, including in the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto.

Alf Gunvald Nilsen Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Pretoria
Director, the Centre for Asian Studies in Africa, University of Pretoria Alf Gunvald Nilsen is Professor of sociology at the University of Pretoria. His research is focused on social movements in the global South, the political economy of capitalist development, and social movement theory and research - all with special reference to India. He is the author, most recently, of Adivasis and the State: Subalternity and Citizenship in India's Bhil Heartland.

Syed Jaffar Ahmed Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Sohail University
Director of Institute of Historical and Social Research, Karachi. Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed is Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Sohail University, and Director of Institute of Historical and Social Research, Karachi. He teaches Government and Politics in Pakistan, History of Freedom Movement, Research Methodology, and Contemporary Socio-political Issues of Pakistan. He has to his credit six books; he has also compiled 20 other books on history, politics, and literature. His authored books include Federalism in Pakistan: A Constitutional Study, and Pakistan: Historical Legacies, Contemporary Issues. His research articles have been published in international and national journals and anthologies. He has participated and presented papers in numerous international and national conferences. He delivered lectures and conducted seminars in an international sea voyage from Singapore to Sri Lanka on the famous ship, Peace Boat. He regularly works with civil society organizations on issues of Peace and Human Rights.