Professors Without Borders Think Tank
Leadership
Dr. Caroline Varin
CEO And Co-Founder Of Prowibo
Caroline holds a PhD in International Relations and an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics, an LLM in International Law from the Universita di Bologna, Italy and a BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as a lecturer, a mentor and a tutor in Europe, the UK, the United States and in Central America. Caroline is passionate about education and finding new ways to stimulate and encourage students.In addition to pursuing her dreams of making education more accessible to all, Caroline has experience managing projects, organizing conferences and developing communication strategies for a variety of clients and sectors in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. She has also written a number of articles on international security issues and education and has published five books.
Sven Botha
Think Tank Director & Journal Editor Of Higher Education Compass
Sven Botha is a lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Prior appointments include Internationalisation Liaison in the Office of the Executive Dean in the Faculty of Humanities and Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations both at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa Sven holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Political and International Studies (Summa Cum Laude) from Monash University, a BA Honours (Politics and International Relations, Cum Laude) and a Master of Arts (Politics, Cum Laude), both from the University of Johannesburg. Sven is a member of the South African Institute of International Affairs and the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS). Sven is a past National Council Member of SAAPS and past Chairperson of the SAAPS Research Committee on Early-Career Research (2019-2021). In November 2022, Sven was appointed the Director of the Professors Without Boarders Think Tank.Sven has worked and published on the following areas: terrorism, counter-terrorism, gender, foreign policy, diplomacy, Africa-Nordic Relations, pedagogy, and early-career development. His work promotes internationalisation and equal access to education for all.
Nicole Ritzinger
Think Tank Coordinator
An advocate for equal access to quality education, Nicole joins Prowibo as the Think Tank Coordinator. She holds a BSc in Elementary Education from William Jewell College, a primary teaching diploma from the North American Montessori Center, a MEd in Special Education from Missouri State University, and a post-graduate certificate in Educational Leadership from Lamar University. She is the STEM Outreach Director with the College of Engineering at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.Nicole is a National Geographic Certified Educator, a registered yoga teacher, and a sea kayak guide with certification from the International Wilderness Leadership School.
Daniel Ekup-Nse
Events And Communications Coordinator
Daniel Ekup-Nse is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar who is completing his Masters in the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria. He holds a BA Hon. in Political Sciences from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, as well as a BA Hon. in Education and History from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. His primary research areas are Protest, Patriotism, 4IR, Constructive Decoloniality, Pan-Africanism, African Philosophy of History, and Educational Self-efficacy. He has a wealth of experience in new media management, corporate stakeholder engagement, audio-visual productions, programme design and management. He believes in Education aimed at empowering individuals to maximise their potential towards improving our shared world, humanity, and ecosystem.
Clémentine de Cabissole
Associate Editor
Clémentine graduated from the University of Limerick, Ireland, with a MA in Psychology and holds a BSc in Psychology and Criminology, and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from Monash University. Currently, she is a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and sits on the committee for the PSI’s Early Graduate Group which strives to support psychology graduates. As a dual citizen of South Africa and France, she relocated to Ireland in 2021 and currently works in France. Clémentine has previously worked as an academic tutor, supporting students both at a secondary and tertiary level and has worked with students from all walks of life. A lifelong student herself, her research interests lie mainly within social and developmental psychology, having developed an interest in neurodiversity and interpersonal relationships, and their impact on various developmental and educational outcomes.
Caitlin Homstad
Associate Editor
Caitlin supports Prowibo as an Associate Editor, working on the editorial team of Higher Education Compass. Originally from the United States, Caitlin calls many places home. She holds a BA (with honors) in Psychology and Health Studies from Bryn Mawr College in the United States and a MSc. in International Development and Management at Lund University in Sweden. While at Lund University, she held student representative positions on the Africa Strategy Group and South Africa Sweden University Forum. These experiences sparked an interest in South Africa Sweden relations as well as knowledge diplomacy within the international higher education, research and innovation sphere. Overall, she is excited to work alongside this intercultural team to take new initiatives such as the academic journal forward.
Nida Ryall
Associate Editor
Nida has a B.Ed. in English from Gazi University, Turkiye and an MSc in Applied Linguistics & Second Language Acquisition from the University of Oxford. She also holds a Trinity Licentiate Diploma in TESOL. She has 25 years (and counting) of experience in delivery, management, pastoral and academic care across the Adult, Further, and Higher Education sectors in the UK, Turkiye, the Netherlands, Jordan, and India. Her work as an educator has been complemented and supported by her role as an assessor and a moderator for several UK and European examination boards. Nida enjoys writing - in both professional and personal contexts. Her areas of interest include the empowerment & education of girls, equality of access to education, current affairs, history, and the intersection of these themes. Nida believes in giving back to the community and hopes to learn more about the mission and work of education and humanitarian focused NGOs. She is very happy to be given an opportunity to be a part of this international community and to take on new challenges at Prowibo.
Brieanne Beaujolais
Co-Host For The Women In Higher Education Fellowship
Brieanne Beaujolais, PhD, MSW, MA, LSW, has a background in social work research, teaching, and direct practice that has been driven by her passion for racial and gender justice. With her love for travel, she has taught students and faculty in Moldova, Turkey, China, and Uganda on topics such as gender-based violence, leadership and service for social justice, cross-cultural education, and personal safety and empowerment.She is currently co-director of research and evaluation at Mighty Crow Media in Columbus, Ohio.
Chiedza Mutsaka Skyum
Co-Host For The Women In Higher Education Fellowship
Chiedza is an educational experience designer and Futures thinking facilitator who has had the privilege of working with UNESCO, Malala Fund, NGOs, and multicultural higher education institutions. Her journey began with a deep interest in learning theory, which has guided her in creating meaningful learning experiences for learners across different demographics. Currently, she serves as one of the Program Directors of a global fellowship program aiming to be the largest community of young eco-innovators, guiding young people in designing and launching planet-positive projects worldwide. Continuously seeking ways to improve and innovate, Chiedza is passionate about designing impact-making learning experiences that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible.
Clémentine de Cabissole
Liaison For The Women In Higher Education Fellowship
Clémentine graduated from the University of Limerick, Ireland, with a MA in Psychology and holds a BSc in Psychology and Criminology, and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from Monash University. Currently, she is a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and sits on the committee for the PSI’s Early Graduate Group which strives to support psychology graduates. As a dual citizen of South Africa and France, she relocated to Ireland in 2021 and currently works in France. Clémentine has previously worked as an academic tutor, supporting students both at a secondary and tertiary level and has worked with students from all walks of life. A lifelong student herself, her research interests lie mainly within social and developmental psychology, having developed an interest in neurodiversity and interpersonal relationships, and their impact on various developmental and educational outcomes.
Montana Cantagalli
Associate For The Women In Higher Education Fellowship
Montana has a BSc in Psychology from Regent’s University and a MSc in War & Psychiatry from King’s College London, where she graduated with Distinction.She has been working in the NGO and non-profit sector since finishing her studies, also spending a considerable amount of time volunteering. Her areas of expertise lie in: mental health and psycho-social support and women’s peace and security. She is passionate about building a career in the peacebuilding and humanitarian sector.
Suhaimah Suliman
Associate For The Women In Higher Education Fellowship
Suhaimah is currently an undergraduate student studying BA International Relations and Politics and History at the University of Johannesburg. It has always been her ambition to research and work on political and human rights issues and play a key role in discussions and negotiating for democracy. Her undergraduate degree persuaded her to continue her studies in the humanities field through postgraduate level. Suhaimah’s experience in the past few years in the humanities field allowed her to participate in various conferences, and panel discussions with well-known guest speakers, which opened her eyes to the wonders of International Relations.Her involvement as a member of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) under the Youth@SAIIA, Youth Policy Committee network deals with combatting issues faced by young people and the rights of all individuals through policies framework. Her internship at Prowibo involves work in the Operations Team as well as Prowibo’s Think Tank team. Her dedication towards creating a platform of diversity and contest against prejudices occurring today in the world highlights her desired line of work in the field of humanitarian work.
The Editorial Board is comprised of Prof Cecilia Christersson, Prof Suzanne Graham, Prof Liisa Laakso, Prof Crystale Lim Siew Ying, Dr Samantha Louden-Cooke, Prof George Richards, Prof Andrew Ssemwanga, Dr Caroline Varin, Prof Casandra Veney.
Jennifer Lauren
Research Fellow
Jennifer is the co-editor and co-author of the forthcoming book Global Youth Protest, Climate and Education. She has worked globally on youth development, education and livelihood initiatives in collaboration with governments, the private sector, grassroots organisations and multinational agencies.
Carina Racine
Research Fellow
Carina holds a master's degree in International Relations and Security from Université Laval (Québec, Canada). Over the past 3 years, at UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), she has worked on several youth projects including global campaigns and intergenerational dialogue forums, as well as various capacity building projects including policy and advocacy initiatives. Her passion for education, peace and working with policy development led to join Prowibo as a Research Officer to help to maintain research outputs and build the internal research capacity of the organization.
Cara Rau
Research Fellow
From Johannesburg, South Africa, Cara holds a Masters in Terrorism and Security Studies from Charles Sturt University, alongside a BA Honours in Linguistics and a BA in Linguistics and International Politics from the University of South Africa. Her background is in Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) collection and analysis with a focus on Jihadism in Africa. Cara is a firm believer that education can aide in the prevention and countering of violent extremism, especially in impoverished regions. This passion for improving the world through quality education led her to Prowibo. In addition to her native languages of Afrikaans and English, Cara speaks Russian and French and is currently learning Levantine Arabic. She loves travelling and hopes to explore parts of North Africa and the Levant in the future.
Sophia Hieker
Conference Coordinator
Sophia is a PPLE (Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics) graduate from the University of Amsterdam with a specialisation in law.She currently works as a Global Security and Legal Intern at Ashoka, a non-profit organisation dedicated to driving systemic change through social entrepreneurship. Here she works with global organisations and law firms to ensure Ashoka Fellows personal and organisational safety whilst they are pursuing the purpose of their NGO activities.With over two years of practical experience as a paralegal in a financial technology company, Sophia is passionate about bringing legal and policy expertise to bear on today's challenges in security, migration and education. She has been involved in Prowibo initiatives for many years, including organising a conference on 'Teaching Tech to Gen Z' at her school, which brought together experts, teachers and students to foster a comprehensive discussion.
Annika Zahn
Conference Coordinator
Annika is an outgoing student currently finishing her BSc in International Event Management at the University of Surrey. During her industrial placement year, she worked at the Olympic Parc Munich, where she was an active contributor to a small team in charge of the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games, which included over fifty sports, cultural and business events. Afterwards, Annika worked at the football club FC Bayern Munich, where she worked on numerous football matches, partner and sponsor events, press releases and interviews, as well as special events. As an open-minded individual who enjoys collaboration, teamwork and socialising with others she has joined the Prowibo network to actively contribute to future society. During her studies, Annika has completed various volunteering roles and casual work, including Royal Ascot, charity galas, international conferences and smaller local events and built a solid portfolio to kick-start her professional career. Furthermore, she was a student ambassador for "It's A Penalty", organising a marketing campaign to spread awareness and educate her peers on human trafficking and further challenges in the events, hospitality and travel industry. Her passion for the events industry and her experience in organizing and executing various events across England and Germany provide the foundation to create lasting experiences that foster community engagement and positively impact society's future.
Mancha Johannes Sekgololo
Conference Assistant
Mancha Johannes Sekgololo is a highly motivated and accomplished doctoral student in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Johannesburg. His early experiences instilled a deep passion for advancing knowledge and social justice. He completed his International Relations undergraduate studies at the University of South Africa in 2018. He then pursued a BA Honours (2019) and a Master’s degree (2020-2021) in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Johannesburg. His doctoral research focuses on the interplay between technology and politics. Other interests include education advancement, international political economy, political risk analysis and African democratic processes. He is also a Lead Editor for the Department of Politics and International Relations’ Political Animal newsletter, which is published biannually. His commitment to excellence and passion for social justice has led him to accept a volunteer position with Prowibo as a Conference Assistant. In this role, he will be responsible for helping to organise the Prowibo conference titled “Teaching in Complex and Disaster Environments (pandemics, climate disasters, and war zones)” and ensuring its smooth operation. His expertise in editing and supervision will also be invaluable in ensuring the quality of the conference materials. He is a highly accomplished and dedicated individual. His commitment to advancing knowledge and social justice makes him an invaluable asset to any organisation he works with.
Joseph Skousen
Intern
Joseph is finishing his Master's Degree in International Relations at Richmond American University London, and will be completing his dissertation over the summer. His previous background is in the arts, with his undergraduate degree in acting. Joseph has been a teacher and tutor for years, and is excited to work with Prowibo. He has experience in social media and marketing, as well as event planning. His areas of interest are diplomacy, terrorism/counter-terrorism, and human rights.
Deborah Kwalira
Intern
Deborah is a dedicated student who is currently working towards her undergraduate degree in Political Science and International Relations. She combines academic rigour with a passion for comprehending the complexities of international relations and a deep interest in world affairs. Deborah actively engages in discussions, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Her dedication to promoting intercultural understanding and tackling global issues demonstrates her desire to make a significant contribution to the subject. With the goal of having a beneficial influence on the global scene, Deborah seeks for opportunities to use her knowledge in real-world circumstances as she advances in her academic career.