Dr Bryan Carter received his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-Columbia and is currently the Director of the Center for Digital Humanities and a Professor in Africana Studies, at the University of Arizona. He specializes in African American literature of the 20th Century with a primary focus on the Harlem Renaissance. His research also focuses on Digital Humanities/Africana Studies and Afrofuturism. He has published numerous articles on his doctoral project, Virtual Harlem, an immersive representation of a portion of Harlem, NY as it existed during the 1920s Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance. Dr Carter’s research centers on how the use of traditional and advanced interactive and immersive technologies changes the dynamic within the learning space. Dr Carter has completed his first book entitled Digital Humanities: Current Perspectives, Practice and Research through Emerald Publishing, and his second manuscript through Routledge Press, entitled: AfroFuturism: Experiencing Culture Through Technology (June 2022). His current work has also led to exploring the African American, and expatriate experience through immersive and augmented technologies using handheld devices and wearable technologies. Dr Carter is currently the PI, working with a team of others, on a multi-million-dollar Commerce Department initiative to expand and enhance broadband access to underserved areas around the University of Arizona and its micro-campus sites. 

Paul Arthur is Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Research Fellow, and Professor of Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. He speaks and publishes widely on major challenges and changes facing 21st-century society, from the impacts of technology on communication, culture and identity to migration and human rights. Paul Arthur was Australia’s first Professor of Digital Humanities and is known as a leading figure in the development of the field in Australia and internationally. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he has held visiting positions in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. His latest book is Open Scholarship in the Humanities (Bloomsbury 2024, with Lydia Hearn).

Prof Blessed Nhlanganiso Ngwenya is an Associate Professor at NWU’s Optentia Research Unit and coordinator of the Inclusion & Decolonial Praxis programme. He holds a DPhil in Socio‑Legal Studies from Oxford and is author of Media Power and Hegemony in South Africa. His work focuses on decolonial theory and cognitive justice. Prof. Ngwenya also advises national media transformation efforts and is a devoted parent.  

Prof Liandi van den Berg is a professor in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University, and director of the Technology Enhanced Learning and Innovative Training in South Africa (TELIT-SA) research entity. Prof Liandi is a core member of the NWU institution’s Digital Business Strategy team, facilitating the Digital Transformation process within the university. She is actively involved in the institutional AI Steering Committee, AI Hub, the institutional digital assessment task team and the NWU T&L Strategy task team to develop and review policies, procedures and guidelines as well as develop, implement and research AI and digital assessment practices. She is involved in the development and training of faculty on AI integration in teaching, learning and research and is currently researching the educational affordances of GenAI use for lecturers and students.  

Professor Tunde Ope-Davies is a Full Professor of Digital Cultures, Digital Linguistics & Discourse Studies at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is the founder and director of the Centre for Digital Humanities, University of Lagos. He has been Commonwealth Fellow at the University of Westminster, London, and visiting researcher, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and visiting research professor at the University of Technology, Germany, and a grantee of the Volkswagen Foundation, Germany. He has served as Senior Advisor to the Governor and Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria, respectively. He is a member of the prestigious Nigerian Academy of Letters.  

“Christiaan Steyn is a specialist in Intellectual Property Law, with particular expertise in Trade Marks, Copyright, and Domain Disputes. He is the Founder and Managing Director of STEYN IP, a law firm focused on these areas. His passion for protecting intellectual property rights has led him to build a robust legal practice that serves clients in a wide range of industries. Christiaan has gained extensive experience in Intellectual Property Law through his roles at leading law firms, as well as his work managing the Trade Mark and Domain portfolios at Sasol Technology. He also held a key legal position at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) within the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission's (CIPC) Trade Marks Office. A graduate of North-West University, Potchefstroom, with an LLB degree, Christiaan is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa. His involvement in South Africa’s IP landscape extends beyond his practice; he serves as a Senior Domain Dispute Adjudicator and is actively engaged in the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL) ADR, Trade Marks Office Liaison, and Copyright Committees. He also contributes to the IPIRA Communications Committee and is a member of the Worldwide Independent Lawyers League (WILL). In addition to his work at STEYN IP, Christiaan founded FAME.org.za (the Foundation for the Advancement of Musicians Empowerment), a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and uplifting South African musicians. Christiaan also co-authored “Copyright Reform or Reframe” (JUTA, 2023), a publication specifically dealing with the implications of the RSA Copyright and Performers’ Protection Amendment Bills. Christiaan is deeply passionate about Intellectual Property Law, particularly within the creative industries. He is committed to advancing legal innovation and contributing to the development of intellectual property frameworks in South Africa, while continuously striving to enhance his expertise and reputation in the field.”