Supra-category: Academia

Ifedayo Grace Malachi

Social scientist specialising in conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and translocal governance. Research focuses on mobility, integration, and well-being among Indigenous, marginalised, and conflict-affected communities. Uses mixed but participatory, and policy-engaged methods to bridge sociology, governance, and peace studies, with expertise in local diplomacy, land governance, resilience, and community-based policymaking. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, knowledge translation, and designing collaborative platforms to strengthen inclusive governance, evidence-informed decision-making, and institutional capacity

Nathaline Zwuogbae

Climate Change, MEAL, and land rights professional with experience at Catholic Relief Services, USAID, and ForumCiv Liberia, specialising in climate-smart agriculture and Climate adaptation, monitoring and evaluation, environmental safeguards, land rights advocacy, capacity building, and community development to support evidence-based, inclusive, and climate-resilient programs.

Lahiani Imed

Général Manager in the Tunisian Agricultural Land consolidation Agency

Responsable of agricultural land consolidation agency projects

Menber of pilotage commission for élaboration the land consolidation strategy in Tunisia

Selam Gebretsion Beyene

Development strategist with 16+ years of progressive experience leading multi-sectoral programs in Ethiopia and Africa. Specialized in Land, Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment, Data Driven Solutions and social inclusion with a proven track record of influencing public policy, leading national strategies, and engaging diverse stakeholders including UN agencies, government ministries, and NGOs. Dual expertise in law and gender studies. Skilled in program design, capacity building, legal reform, and policy advocacy.

Achamyeleh Adam

I am Achamyeleh Gashu Adam, a full professor and researcher in Land Administration, Governance, and Policy at the Institute of Land Administration, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. I currently serve as President of the Ethiopian Land Administration Professionals Association, contributing to national and regional dialogues on land governance. My academic and research background spans a wide range of interrelated topics on land and environmental issues such as land tenure and use management, land administration, land development, land information systems. I earned my PhD in Real Estate Planning and Land Law, specializing in Land Management, from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden, where I also completed my MSc degree in Land Management. Additionally, I hold an MSc in Geo-information Science (GIS) from Bahir Dar University. Moreover, I am a certified Development and Management Consultant, with over 25 years of professional experience who have been serving in diverse roles : as a researcher, educator, supervisor, leader, project coordinator, and consultant across academia, government, and development sectors. At Bahir Dar University and outside, I have held several leadership positions, including Dean of the Institute of Land Administration. I have also served as Coordinator of the Land Governance Interest Group within the East African Land Administration Network (ELAN), Coordinator of the DAAD PhD Regional/Country Scholarship Program, and member of both National and Regional Land Policy Reform Task Forces. As a specialist in land management, I have played a key role in designing and developing curricula for BSc, MSc, and PhD programs in land administration and governance. My contributions ensure that environmental concerns and other crosscutting issues are thoughtfully integrated into academic frameworks, fostering holistic and context-sensitive learning. From a research and publication point of view, I have extensively contributed to scholarly work on a range of critical land and environmental related issues. My publications address urban and peri-urban land tenure management and development challenges, informal settlements, climate-induced land conflicts and climate actions, large-scale land acquisitions for agricultural investment, as well as the complex nexus between land and migration governance particularly focusing on migrants’ access to land. My research interest largely emphasis on the African context in general and Ethiopian context particular.

Latifou IDRISSOU ABOUBACARY

  • 06 October 2025: Climate Change and Pastoral and Agropastoral Conflicts in Africa. Master Class of NELGA held in PLAAS, Western Cape University, South Africa;
  • July to September 2025: Knowledge management and communication expert in FARM+ Benin programme preparation entiled “Transitioning the cotton sector to sustainable and climate resilient practices” (PAN-UK and FAO);
  • April 2023 to Octobre 2025: Project coordinator of the project “Rethinking pluri-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary perspectives in agricultural services policies formulation and implementation in Benin”. Funded by the Global Development Network (GDN);
  • December 2023 to November 2024: Identification of adaptation technologies and innovations to climate change in agriculture, fisheries and tourism and their extension in Southern-Benin (ECOBENIN);
  • August 2023 to May 2024: Expert in innovation platform and conflit management in setting-up an Integrated Land Management platform in West Africa (CORAF); 
  • September 2022 to December 2024: Facilitating the setting up of the Benin national vegetable platform. ACED ONG – LRIDA – Holland Greentech. Funded by The Netherlands Ambassy in Benin;
  • May to December 2022 : Training, coaching and mentoring of the actors in the setting up and running of agricultural innovation platforms for the TARSPro Project in Benin and Chad. Funded by West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research (CORAF/WECARD);
  • March to October 2022: Facilitator of the West and Central Africa Network for Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (RESCAR-AOC);
  • May to December 2021: Research on “State of considering agroecological transitions in the delivery of agricultural advisory services in Benin (Etat des lieux de la prise en compte des transitions agroécologiques dans la fourniture des services de conseil agricole au Bénin)”, funded by  the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD). https://bit.ly/3vC0Lon ;

Heba Allah Khalil

Professional Experience

·       Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering, Giza, Egypt, 2000-current.

Professor of Sustainable Urbanism, Department of Architecture since December 2017.

o Teaching diverse undergraduate & graduate courses including Architecture & Humanities, Architectural Design, Working Drawings & Details, Community Design, Urban Planning, Community Development, Housing & Integrated Urban Systems.

o Principal investigator & team leader with multiple international partnerships in UK, Germany, Sweden, France, Morocco, USA, North Africa & the Arab Region focusing on Green & Healthy Cities, Gender Equity, Land Governance, Urban Metabolism, Resource Efficiency, Urban Climate & Informal Areas Upgrading, with a budget surpassing 1.5 million Euros.

Program Senior Coordinator of the Architectural Engineering & Technology AET program August 2018-current.

o Successfully leading the academic program with 70 courses, 300+ students, 40+ instructors & 70+ teaching assistants, overseeing program strategic planning, budgeting, supervision of education & accreditation.

·       Cairo National University, Giza, Egypt, 2025-current.

Head of Program, the Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism SAU program.

o Successfully initiating and leading the academic program with 58 courses, 100+ students, overseeing program strategic planning, budgeting, supervision of education & accreditation.

·       Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering (ACE), Gothenburg, Sweden, 2022-2024

Visiting Professor, GENIE (Gender Initiative for Excellence)

o Contributing to both research & education within different courses in the field of social inclusion, gender equity, resource efficiency & urban microclimate.

·       American University in Cairo AUC, School of Sciences & Engineering, Department of Architectural Engineering, Cairo, Egypt, 2014- 2024.

Adjunct Professor since December 2017.

o Conducting Studios in Contextual Design, Vertical Studio A & B, Senior Project 1 & Senior Project 2.

·       Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, Department of Urban Studies & Planning DUSP, Special Program in Urban & Regional Studies SPURS, MA, USA.

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow, September 2016 – June 2017: Research & teaching activities.

·        Participatory sustainable urban development, housing, informal areas & capacity building expert, 2009-current. Worked for multiple public agencies & international organizations as detailed below:

o VisionRI Connexion Services Private Limited, India: Urban Planning & Design Specialist & Team Leader, leading the team for the development of the Western Area Regional Structure Plan (WARSP), Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project (RUSLP), Sierra Leone (Oct 2023-present), project funded by the World Bank.

o General Organization of Physical Planning GOPP, Egypt: Housing expert, Shubra Alkhiema city replanning (April 2023-Oct 2024)

 

o GIZ, Egypt: Urban Climate Resilience Expert for developing Local Climate Resilient Action Plan LCR-AP in Kirdasa, Giza, CBUID II, Egypt. (Sept. 2025-present). Climate Resilient Urban Development Expert, Institutional Development for Mainstreaming Climate Resilience & Socially Just Urban Development, for GOPP & UDF, CBUID, Egypt. (Jan 2024 – Nov 2024). Participatory Sustainable Urban Development Expert, developed Local Area Development Plans LADP for 5 unplanned areas, Qaliobya Governorate, within the Participatory Infrastructure Program, Egypt. (Sep 2021-Oct 2022 & Sep 2018-Jun 2020). As a Capacity Development Expert developed a capacity building program for Local Authorities in Cairo & Giza Governorate (defining needs, gaps, job descriptions & required training) within the Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (Dec 2013-Aug. 2014).

o World Bank, Washington DC: Urban Consultant for promoting Energy Efficiency in buildings & neighbourhoods in Cote D’Ivoire, Urban & Disaster Risk Reduction Africa group. (Dec 2016-April 2017).

o UN-Habitat, Egypt: Urban Development Consultant in multiple projects including developing the “Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development & Housing in the Arab Countries” for The League of Arab States (2014-2015). As a Housing Expert, developed housing studies & plans within strategic urban plans for 3 cities & city regions in Egypt (2011-2015). Stakeholder Facilitator & Community Liaison expert within the participatory process of strategic urban planning projects (2009-2012).

o General Organization of Physical Planning GOPP, Egypt & The League of Arab States: Informal Areas Development Expert, monitored, evaluated, prepared manuals & conducted a comparative study of Informal Housing Concept in Arab Countries (2009-2010).

·       Associated Consultants Office (Architects, Planners, Engineers), Cairo, Egypt.

Senior Architect & Planner/ Team leader & Housing expert, 2007-2014, lead various multiscale projects.

Architect, Sept. 2000- June 2004, concept, design development & construction drawings for diverse projects.

·       GIZ, Participatory Development Program in Urban Areas, Cairo, Egypt.

Consultant in Community Development, Facilitation & Program Evaluation, May 2004- June 2005, evaluated GIZ projects in Egypt & networked among local CBOs, NGOs & other consultants working in the area.

Selected Publications

Published more than 50 papers in journals, conferences & co-authored books. Samples of latest publications:

·         Khalil, H., Gammaz, S., Yousif, I., Haroun, M., Shahin, D. & Ragab, Y. (2025) Activating Urban Micro-Lungs in Highly Dense Cities: Green and Healthy Corridors in Greater Cairo Region, Cities & Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2025.2496011.

·         Reckien, D., Juhola, S., Haque, A. N., Khalil, H. A., Lemos, M. F., Lwasa, S., Niamir, L., Osorio, J. & Visconti, C. (2025). Justice for Resilient Development in Climate-Stressed Cities in W. Solecki, M. Pathak, M. Barata, A. Barau, M. Dombrov, & C. Rosenzweig, ARC3.3 Climate Change and Cities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009587105.

·         Zahran, R., Bahgat, H., Abd El Aziz, T. & Khalil, H. (2024) Joyful Living Labs – Pedagogical Approach for Urban Design Thinking Soft Skills, IJAR, https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-08-2024-0332

 

·         Khalil, H., Ibrahim, A., ElGendy, N., & Makhlouf, N. (2022) Enhancing Livability in Informal Areas: A Participatory Approach to Improve Urban Microclimate in Outdoor Spaces. Sustainability 2022, 14, 6395. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116395

·         Eissa, Y. & Khalil, H. Urban Climate Change Governance within Centralised Governments: A Case Study of Giza, Egypt, Urban Forum 2022, 33(2), pp. 197–221, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-021-09441-9

·         Abdel-Moneim, N.M., Khalil, H.A.E. & Kamel, R.R. (2021) Developing QOL Index for Resettlement Projects of Unsafe Areas in Egypt. Urban Forum, 32(3), pp. 349-371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-021-09419-7.

 

·         Khalil HAEE, Al-Ahwal A. Reunderstanding Cairo through urban metabolism: Formal versus informal districts resource flow performance in fast urbanizing cities. J Ind Ecol. 2021; 25:176–192. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13056

·         Khalil, H., Ibrahim, A., ElGendy, N., & Makhlouf, N. (2018) Could/should Improving the Urban Climate in Informal Areas of Fast Growing Cities be an Integral Part of Upgrading Processes? Case study, Cairo, Urban Climate, 24, pp. 63-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2018.01.007

·         Khalil, H. & Khalil, E.E. (2015) Energy Efficiency in the Urban Environment, CRC press, Taylor & Francis., https://doi.org/10.1201/b18098

Safiatu ALABI

More than 15 years working on land dispute résolution in displacement areas with Norwegian Refugees Council. (Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, CAR and Cameroun)
5 years working on women land issue with USAID. (Côte d’Ivoire)

Currently consultant with GIZ on inclusive land securing targeting private sector.

Habtamu Semahagne

I am an Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar University’s Institute of Land Administration with advanced degrees in law, land policy, and resource management. I research and publish on land governance, rights, federalism, migration, displacement, and women land rights.

Tata Emmanuel Sunjo

I am an Associate Professor and Head of Civil and Architectural Engineering at the University of Buea, with 11+ years’ experience in climate, environmental governance, disaster risk, and conflict studies. I lead two international research projects on climate adaptation and conflict resolution in Africa.