Lisa-Maria Neudert is a researcher at the Computational Propaganda project, where her work is located at the nexus of political communication, technology studies and governance. For her doctoral work she focuses on the technical, regulatory and civil society countermeasures to propaganda in the digital sphere. Her previous research has focused on propaganda, social bots and fake news—in its relation to the evolving digital media ecosystem. Lisa-Maria has studied at the Oxford Internet Institute, the Ludwig-Maximialns-University and the Georgetown University as a Fulbright scholar. She also has conducted research at SDA Bocconi Milan and the National University of Singapore. 

Alice Mary Higgins was elected an independent Senator to Seanad Éireann in 2016. She is leader of the Civil Engagement Group in Seanad Éireann, a group of independent Senators with backgrounds in the NGO sector and civil society and is committed to bringing the voice of civil society into the Seanad chamber.  Previously Alice Mary worked in a number of civil society organisations and has over two decades of experience in policy, strategy and advocacy across the areas of equality, international development and social inclusion. She is currently exploring how to strengthen democracy in Europe along with working for Seanad Reform and citizens data protection in Ireland.

Bjorn Berge, a Norwegian national, has extensive multilateral experience. He is currently Director General and Secretary to the Committee of Ministers (CM) in the Council of Europe. He previously served over seven years as Director of the Private Office of the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General. Before that he worked as a Norwegian diplomat, including as Senior Adviser on international issues to the Norwegian Prime Minister as well as speech-writer to three Norwegian Foreign Ministers. He has published several books and articles.

Fausto Gernone studied Economics and Econometrics at the University of Nottingham and currently studies Economics at the London School of Economics. As a student, he has headed the university journal Nottingham Economic Review (NER) as Chief Editor and organised the conference Paths of Economic Development. Since 2013 he has been a member of the Service Civil International (SCI), regularly taking part in international projects to provide help to the communities in need. His most recent program was based in Tanzania and aimed to fight the desertification of the coastline by creating new forests and promote environmental awareness in local schools.

Lee Hibbard is the Internet governance co-ordinator at the Council of Europe. He liaises with governments and other stakeholders, including ICANN, the private sector (Apple, Google, Facebook…) and IGOs (UNESCO, ITU…), and is currently responsible for facilitating the Council of Europe’s Internet Governance Strategy 2016-2019 which includes pioneering new cooperation between the Organisation and Internet companies to promote human rights, the rule of law, and democracy online. In recent years, Lee has facilitated Council of Europe’s human rights policy on a range of issues relating to ISPs; games providers, network neutrality, freedom of expression, and children’s protection online.

Chowdhury Sadman Jahan is currently enrolled in the Masters in Science program in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He graduated from the same university in the same subject in 2017 with honors. He has been serving as the General Secretary of BUET Film Society and Sylhet Association of BUET Students from the beginning of this year. He has also been serving as a grant coordinator at a privately funded charity trust. He conducted his undergrad research on alternative solar cells.