Mohsen Ghafory-Ashtiany is a distinguished professor of earthquake engineering and risk management. He currently holds a position at the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES). He is also an Associate member of the Iran Academy of Science, member of Iran National Science Foundation, and guest Professor of Beijing Technical University (BJUT). Additionally, he serves as the Chairman of the SP Insurance Risk Management Institute (SPRMI). Throughout his career, Mohsen Ashtiany has collaborated with various international organizations such as UNESCO, UNDRR, UN-HABITAT, UNESCAP, UNDP, WB, WHO, Global Alliance of Disaster Risk Institutes (GADRI), International Institute of Applied System Analysis (IIASA), and Inter-Academy on risk and resilience.

As the founder of the IIEES in Iran in 1989, he served as its president until 2007. He has made significant contributions to the field of earthquake engineering, structural design and analysis, strengthening of existing structures, structural resilience, development of guidelines for safe school and hospital design, seismic and flood hazard and risk analysis, risk management, disaster risk insurance, disaster risk economy and finance, urban resilience, system approach for urban resilience to natural hazards, climate change, and water and energy stress, and risk reduction policy development.

Mohsen Ashtiany is a prolific author, having written over 380 papers, 6 books, and 75 research reports. He serves as the Editor of the Journal of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering and Co-editor of the Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM) Journal. He is also an editorial member of several other journals. He is the founder and past President of the Iranian Earthquake Engineering Association (IEEA), and a pioneer in Risk mitigation activities in Iran. He has served as a member of Iran’s Natural Disaster Prevention and Management Headquarters, Iran’s Risk Reduction Comm., Iran Scientific Research Council, National Building Code Council, Natural Disasters Think Thanks and Housing Think Thank of Iran Academy of Science, Expert Engineer at Law, Insurance Loss Adjustor, Chairman of Tehran Disaster Risk Finance WG, etc. He is also a member of many scientific associations such as: The International Association of Earthquake Engineering, European Earthquake Engineering, UNESCO Scientific Board of the International Geoscience Program, IUGG-GeoRisk, IUGG-IASPEI, ex-member of UNISDR-STC, ex-chairman of IASPE-SGM- Hazard-Risk, WSSI, etc. With more than 43 years of professional experience, Mohsen Ghafory-Ashtiany has demonstrated expertise in project management, structural design, program directorship, institutional building, disaster risk finance, stakeholder engagement, and policy development at national and international levels.

Paraskevi (Evi) Nomikou is a Professor at the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece).  She is a marine geologist studying the morphology of underwater volcanoes and has extensive experience in marine volcanic and seafloor extruding processes. She has participated in more than 80 oceanographic cruises on submarine volcanism, mud volcanoes, landslides and slope stability and the exploration of seafloor mineral deposits. She is the Principal Investigator of SANTORY (SANTORini seafloor’s observatorY», which monitors Kolumbo submarine volcano and provides solutions to understanding and mitigating impacts of explosive volcanic eruptions. Recently, she has played a leading role in the evaluation of the potential hazards associated to the tectono-magmatic activity NE of Santorini volcano. Prof. Nomikou inspires her students to explore sea floor using innovative marine technologies and is a role model for women considering a career in oceanography.

Kalliopi Sapountzaki is Professor Emerita (Spatial Planning and Disaster/Risk Management) at Harokopio University of Athens, Department of Geography, Greece. She has been Dean of the Faculty of “Environment, Geography and Applied Economics” (2017-2024).

She holds PhD on Risk Management and Spatial Planning from the National Technical University of Athens (1990), MA diploma in Urban Design from the University of Manchester and Diploma in Architecture from the National Technical University of Athens.

She is Board member of the Society for Risk Analysis – Europe and she has offered lectures as visiting professor at several universities across Europe (University of Vienna, Technical University of Dortmund, University of Valencia etc). She has contributed to the UNISDR Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2019 and in several chapters of the report of the European Commission “Science for Disaster Risk Management 2020: Acting today, protecting tomorrow”. She has been Guest Editor of International Scientific Journals for open access Special Issues featuring disasters, climate change and spatial planning. She has been the principal author of a co-authored textbook on Risks and Disasters (in Greek) and the scientific leader of European Commission funded and national research projects focusing on risk and vulnerability analysis, resilience building and risk governance, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, sustainable development, urban and regional planning. She has published her work in international books and scientific journals and she has chaired the organizing and scientific committee of the 2024 international conference “Risk in Time and Space” (under the auspices of the Society for Risk Analysis – Europe) that was held in Athens (2-5 June 2024).

Ioannis SPILANIS is an economist, graduate of the University of Athens (1979). After postgraduate studies in “European and International Studies”, he obtained a PhD on “Tourism and regional development. The Greek case” in 1985 at the University of Grenoble (France). He worked at the Ministry of the Aegean as an expert in regional development (1987-1990).

He was Professor in the Department of Environment of the Aegean University and used to teach at the Master Programs “Planning, Management and Tourism Policy” and “Islands”. Today is Professor Emeritus.

His research interests within sustainable development issues, focus on islands’ development and tourism planning. As director of the Laboratory of Local and Insular Development, he was recently responsible for various studies as “European Islands and Cohesion Policy” (EU/ESPON), «Towards an Observatory and a Quality label of tourism sustainability in the Mediterranean» (UNEP / MAP / Plan Bleu), the “Atlas of Greek Islands”, “Insularity and Development Paths through funding opportunities” and “Strategic Planning for sustainable tourism in Ionian Islands”. In his capacity of director of the Aegean Sustainable Tourism Observatory, is taking part at the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories and the Measuring Sustainable Tourism initiative of UNWTO. He was General Secretary of Aegean and Island Policy at the Ministry of Marine and Aegean during July 2012 – July 2013 and regional councilor at Vorio Aigaio Region (Region of Northern Aegean) during 2014-2023.