Nancy Qian (Northwestern University)
Nancy Qian is the James J. O’Connor Professor of Economics at the Kellogg School of Management, MEDS Department, at Northwestern University. She is an applied microeconomist whose research focuses on topics in economic development, political economy, and economic history. Her work was published in leading academic journals and has contributed to policy discussions on development and governance. She serves as Co-Director of the Global Poverty Research Lab at Northwestern and is the founder of the independent China Econ Lab.

Mathias Thoenig (University of Lausanne)
Mathias Thoenig is Professor of Economics at the School of Business and Economics, University of Lausanne. He is also a Distinguished Research Scholar at IMD Business School and was the inaugural Centenary Visiting Professor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford, in association with University College and Queen’s College. His research explores the intersections of development, international trade, geoeconomics, and the political economy of conflict and migration. His work has been published in top academic journals and frequently informs public debate and policymaking.

Nancy Qian is the James J. O’Connor Professor of Economics at the Kellogg School of Management and the MEDS Department at Northwestern University. She is an applied microeconomist whose research focuses on economic development, political economy, and economic history. She serves as Co-Director of the Global Poverty Research Lab at Northwestern University and founded the independent China Econ Lab.

Michael Clemens is Professor of Economics at George Mason University, USA. He is a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a fellow of the RFBerlin network through CReAM. His research focuses on international migration and development economics, studying the economic consequences of labour mobility and the role of migration policies in shaping labour markets.

Jan Dannenbring is Head of Labour Market Department at the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH), a non-profit national umbrella organisation representing the interests of the German crafts sector. His work focuses on labour market policy, collective bargaining, skilled migration, residence law, integration and European social policy.

Katharina Thote is the Representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Germany, a role she stepped into in February 2025. She has worked with UNHCR for more than twenty years and has held assignments in Eritrea, Mauritania, Guinea, and Colombia, as well as several roles at the organisation’s headquarters in Geneva. She advocates for strong international refugee protection and greater global solidarity with displaced people.