MEET THE ICSJSD 2024 Speakers
The speaker list is still being finalized, and additional distinguished experts will be announced shortly. We look forward to sharing more details about our exceptional lineup of speakers soon.
Dr. Helen Maher
Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, University of Galway
Dr. Helen Maher
Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, University of Galway
Speech topic:
From Margin to Centre: A Social Justice Approach to Women's Rights, Integrating Theory and Practice'
Dr Helen Maher is Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Galway. In that capacity she currently leads an EDI strategy and programme of work focused on four pillars: gender, race, sexual violence and harassment and universal design and accessibility. Helen’s experience has primarily been in the field of equality and social justice, working in a wide variety of contexts in higher education, civil society organisations and consultancy work. Helen holds an MA in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, and a PhD on the Gendered nature of the Transition to Democracy in South Africa, from Dublin City University. She is co-editor of a forthcoming book Transforming Gender Equality and Inclusion within Higher Education in Ireland – Contemporary Perspectives to be published by Palgrave Macmillan in Spring 2025. Helen has substantial experience in curriculum design, lecturing and programme leadership pertaining to social and political theory, policy and practice to progress equality. She has developed, implemented and evaluated equality projects under the Equal Programme, the Equality for Women Measure, Erasmus+ strategic partnerships and Irish Aid. These projects have focused on engaging with diverse constituencies to address issues of gender, citizenship, identity, equality, inclusion and social change. Helen also designed programmes under the EU Grundtvig programme examining equality, inclusion and social justice concepts and pedagogical practices for participants working in the field of education across Europe.Prof. Dr. Jessica OwleY
Professor of Law at University of MIAMI
Prof. Dr. Jessica OwleY
Professor of Law at University of MIAMI
Speech topic:
Human and Nonhuman Rights to a Healthy Environment
Dr. Jessica Owley is a Professor of Law and Director of the Environmental Law Program at the School of Law, where she also holds affiliations with programs in Business Compliance, Social Justice, and Human Rights. She has a secondary appointment in Environmental Science and Policy at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Sciences and serves on the Faculty Advisory Committee for the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. Previously, she held faculty roles at SUNY Buffalo and Pace Law School, where she specialized in environmental law and policy. Dr. Owley has received multiple awards, including the Mary E. Doyle Award for outstanding service, scholarship, and mentorship. She has authored influential publications, such as a Morrison Prize-winning paper on sustainability and environmental law, and has secured numerous grants for research on conservation and climate adaptation. An active member of leading environmental and legal networks, she participates in groups like the Academics for Climate Advocacy and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.Prof. Roja Fazaeli
Professor of Law and Islamic Studies
Prof. Roja Fazaeli
Professor of Law and Islamic Studies
Speech topic:
Human Rights, Islam and Debates around CEDAW
Roja Fazaeli is Established Professor of Law and Islamic Studies at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway. Professor Fazaeli has published widely on the subjects of women's rights in Iran, the relationship between human rights and religion, women religious authorities, and Islamic feminisms. As recipient of a European Research Council Consolidator Grant she is the principal investigator of a five-year project (2023-2028) on Building Conceptual and Methodological Expertise for the Study of Gender, Agency, and Authority in Islam (BILQIS). Professor Fazaeli is a member of a Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions funded project investigating the nature of hate in society (NETHATE). She additionally serves as the chairperson of the board of directors of the Immigrant Council of Ireland. Roja is also member of board of directors for Front Line Defenders, Scholars at Risk Europe, and Iran Academia, as well as being a member of the editorial board of Religion and Human Rights. Prior to joining University of Galway, Roja was Professor in Islamic Civilisations at Trinity College Dublin, where she was a Fellow of the College, and served as the Warden of Trinity Hall, a residential learning community of more than 900 students.Dr. Wannes Vandenbussche
Assistant Professor of Civil Procedure at Ghent University
Dr. Wannes Vandenbussche
Assistant Professor of Civil Procedure at Ghent University
Speech topic:
The role of apologies in civil proceedings: Bridging two trends in the Western legal tradition
Wannes Vandenbussche is a civil procedure professor at Ghent University (Belgium). His main research interests include domestic, comparative, European procedure, evidence, and ADR. His teaching involves courses on the same topics. Wannes studied law at KU Leuven (Belgium), the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France), and Tilburg University (the Netherlands). He was an associate research scholar at Yale Law School (B.A.E.F. and Fulbright fellow) during the academic year 2017-18. Wannes is also an attorney-at-law at the Brussels Bar and an accredited mediator in civil and commercial matters.Lorena Zenteno Villa
University of Miami School of Law
Lorena Zenteno Villa
University of Miami School of Law
Lorena Zenteno is a Chilean attorney with experience in human rights and environmental issues. She is a former member of the judiciary in Chile. Since 2015 she has been a Law Clerk for the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, drafting judgments for the Justices, mainly in environmental cases. Lorena is a member of the Environment and Human Rights Commission of the National Association of the Chilean Judiciary, dedicated to train judges and discussing climate change and environmental impacts on human rights. She was a senior researcher for the former UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, Karima Bennoune, from September 2018 until September 2021. Supported and assisted the UN Special Rapporteur to fulfil his mandate to the UN General Assembly and UN Human Rights Council. Lorena Zenteno got her LL.M. in Environmental Law from the University of Davis, California, in 2020, where she focused specifically on the intersections between human rights, cultural rights, and the environment. She also holds a master’s in business law from the University Pompeu Fabra, in Barcelona, Spain. Lorena’s primary research interests include the human rights dimensions of climate change and environmental impacts, climate change justice, gender, and the judiciary’s role in the climate change crisis. Currently, Lorena is undertaking her Ph.D. in Law at the University of Edinburgh. Since January 2022, she has been working as a senior researcher for the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, focusing on climate, energy and gender justice.
Fariba Ehsan
President of the Iran Human Rights Association in Spain
Fariba Ehsan
President of the Iran Human Rights Association in Spain
Speech topic: