Anthony Patt is a Full Professor at the Department of Environmental Systems Science and Deputy Head of the Institute for Environmental Decisions at ETH Zürich. His research focuses on identifying effective governmental approaches to eliminate societal greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. His work involves understanding societal processes related to consumption patterns and technology use, as well as modeling the interactions between people, institutions, and technological systems.

Professor Patt has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Landscape Design from Yale University, a Juris Doctor from Duke University, and a Master of Public Policy and PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Before joining ETH Zürich in 2013, he worked as an Assistant Professor at Boston University and headed the Decisions and Governance research group at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria. He has also served as a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Benjamin Hofmann is currently a Scientist in the Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research group at Eawag and, from August 2025, will be Group Leader at TdLab of ETH Zurich. His work focuses on science-policy-practice interfaces and the roles of science in environmental sustainability. He leads the project “Transforming Science-Society Relations in the Anthropocene” (Anthro:Relate) and has led knowledge integration in the inter- and transdisciplinary project “Evidence-based Transformation in Pesticide Governance” (Trapego).

He holds a PhD from the University of St. Gallen, where he analyzed business influence in international ocean governance. He has experience in policymaking and diplomacy from an international organization and is a fellow of the Earth System Governance Project and the tdAcademy. He is also an elected member of the Swiss Young Academy and has taught university courses on environmental and climate politics.

Dr Mialy Rann is the Science-Policy Officer of the GSPI. She coordinates the capacity-building activities of the GSPI and oversees the implementation of science-policy projects funded by the GSPI. Mialy has extensive research experience in sustainability and marine biodiversity policy. She also has practical experience, she advised NGOs and contributed to the work of science-policy interfaces such as the IPBES. She holds a Master’s Degree in Nature Conservation Leadership from Cambridge University and a PhD in Geography from the University of Lausanne.

Professor Julia Steinberger researches Ecological Economics at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. 

After a PhD in experimental physics, Professor Steinberger moved to the interdisciplinary areas of industrial ecology and ecological economics, first as a postdoc at the universities of Lausanne and Zurich, then in Vienna at the Institute of Social Ecology, and subsequently as a professor at the University of Leeds in the UK.

Her research examines the connections between resource use (energy and materials, greenhouse gas emissions) and societal performance (economic activity and human wellbeing). 

From 2017 to 2022, she was the recipient of a Leverhulme Research Leadership Award for her research project ‘Living Well Within Limits’, investigating how universal human well-being might be achieved within planetary boundaries.

Since 2023, she co-leads the EU ERC Synergy grant “REAL- A Post-Growth Deal” on post-growth societies. She is Lead Author for the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report with Working Group 3.

Ginie Servant-Miklos is an engaged environmental educator with fifteen years of experience in education practice, research, and advocacy. Based at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, her research and education work focuses on developing innovative pedagogies for societal impact. She developed the Experimental Pedagogics educational design framework, co-founded the Bildung Climate School with Prof. Rutger Engels, and is the author of “Pedagogies of Collapse: A Hopeful Education for the End of the World as We Know It”. She is a Senior Fellow of the Comenius Network for educational innovators in the Netherlands, and an Associate Member of the Club of Rome. She is the founder and chair of the board of the FairFight Foundation, an organisation that provides girls and women from Zambia and Zimbabwe with the mental and physical benefits of martial arts practice, as well as educational support. Ginie is a vocal activist for sustainability and gender equality, advocating for change through public engagements like TEDx talks, debates, podcasts, and other digital media outlets.

Yasmine Farhat is an environmental chemist and currently serves as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Climate Change Division. She is passionate about climate change, environmental quality, food security, and sustainability. Her work involves developing and assessing solutions to boost local capacity while considering possible trade-offs.

She has a transdisciplinary background in environmental quality and significant outreach experience from working with communities and stakeholders in Lebanon and Cambodia. She is also interested in science communication and has been actively involved in organizations focused on this field.

Philipp Langer is an advisor to the President of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), focusing on strategic political and international topics. He provides analysis and recommendations on complex political, institutional, and international matters, ensuring alignment with the President’s vision and EPFL’s global strategy. He also manages relationships with key stakeholders and contributes to presidential projects.

Previously, he was in charge of the ‘Horizon package,’ which covers the innovation chain from basic research to startup funding across various scientific domains. This package includes Horizon Europe, the Euratom program, the ITER research infrastructure, and the Digital Europe Program. With over 16 years of policy experience at the intersection of the European Union and Switzerland, Philipp is a specialist in national and international Education, Research & Innovation affairs.

Philipp Langer has a diverse scientific background, including game theory, evolutionary dynamics, ecology, genetics, and pharmaceutical sciences. He completed a PostDoc at Harvard University, a PhD at Lausanne University and Flinders University of South Australia, and a MSc and BSc at Lausanne University. Additionally, he holds an Executive MBA from IMD, which has enhanced his skills in leadership, strategy, finance, entrepreneurship, cultural transformation, digital transformation, AI, social innovation, and impact investment.

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Dr. Jack R. Williams is the President of the Institute for Global Negotiation a non-profit association based in Zurich that promotes and supports the use of negotiation as an essential tool in building a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable world. 

Jack teaches negotiation and conflict resolution at universities across the world including as an Adjunct Professor at Sciences Po Paris and guest lecturers at the University of Zurich and EPFL. He is also an External Consultant leading workshops and courses in various programs for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Previously, Jack was an Assistant Professor of International Relations and Acting Dean of the College of International Studies at the American University of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. 

Jack received his PhD in Political Philosophy from the University of Zurich, during which time he was a visiting researcher at Princeton University. Jack has also worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of European and International Economic Law at the University of Bern as well as a Summer Academy and MILE Fellow at the World Trade Institute. 

Jack is a CEDR-accredited mediator and volunteers as a neighbourhood mediator for Mediation Plus in the United Kingdom.

Pr Foray is an Emeritus Professor at EPFL and holds the Chair of Economics and Management of Innovation (CEMI). He is an expert in the economics of innovation and knowledge, with a focus on the economic policy implications of the knowledge-based economy. His research interests include innovation policies and the role of science and technology in economic development.

Professor Foray has held a membership in the Swiss National Research Council and the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation of Germany. He has also served as chairman of the expert group “Knowledge for Growth,” advising the European Commission on innovation and growth strategies. He is a member of the Swiss Council for Science and chairman of the Advisory Board of the Swiss Economic Research Institute (KOF).

Professor Foray received his Ph.D. in economics from the University Lumière of Lyon and has held academic positions at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Ecole Centrale de Paris.

Erin is a strategic communications specialist advancing ocean, nature and climate action through high-impact storytelling, stakeholder engagement, and narrative development. At the World Economic Forum, she manages communications for the Ocean Action Agenda, which builds partnerships across business, government, academia, and civil society. Her work focuses on shaping the global dialogue around the business case for nature and the blue economy—building trust, driving collaboration, and mobilizing action across sectors to support a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive ocean future.

Prior to joining the Forum, Erin led programme communications at the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), supporting innovative approaches to finance and insurance that reduce ocean risk and strengthen coastal resilience. She has also developed strategic communications for leading conservation organizations including IUCN, WWF, and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. She brings a systems perspective and a focus on mainstreaming narratives translate complex ideas into compelling messages that drive action for people and the planet.

Melissa Gomis is the the Policy Engagement Officer of the GSPI, responsible for initiating, supporting, and promoting collaborative projects that engage the scientific community to address urgent and global challenges identified by multilateral U.N. stakeholders in Geneva. She has an environmental background with experience in chemical pollution, climate change, and plastic pollution. She also contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I. She holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from Stockholm University, where she focused her research on human exposure to PFAS.