Jaroslava Barbieri is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham, looking at Russia's involvement in post-Soviet de facto states (with a focus on Ukraine and Moldova) and related challenges to conflict resolution. She is also a researcher at the Arena programme based at Johns Hopkins University which gathers experts from a variety of fields to analyse the impact of disinformation and malign propaganda on modern democracy and to provide innovative solutions.
Major General John L. Gronski (U.S. Army Retired) is CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a leadership training and consulting firm. John is the author of two books, Iron-Sharpened Leadership and The Ride of Our Lives and he is an international speaker. John served over 40 years in the Army both on active duty and in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Key assignments included brigade commander in Ramadi, Iraq, Commanding General of the 28th Infantry Division, and Deputy Commanding General for National Guard at US Army Europe.
Linda Yueh is Visiting Professor at LSE IDEAS and chaired the LSE Economic Diplomacy Commission. She also serves on the Policy Committee of the Centre for Economic Performance at LSE. She is Fellow in Economics, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford and Adjunct Professor of Economics, London Business School. She was Visiting Professor of Economics at Peking University. Professor Yueh is the Editor of the Routledge Series on Economic Growth and Development and the author of numerous books, including China’s Growth: The Making of an Economic Superpower and The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today.
Leon Hartwell is the Sotirov Fellow at LSE IDEAS and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Washington D.C. His research interests include conflict resolution, genocide, transitional justice, diplomacy, democracy, and the Western Balkans. Previously, Hartwell was CEPA’s Acting Director of the Transatlantic Leadership Program and a Title VIII Fellow. From 2012 to 2013, he was also the Senior Policy Advisor for Political and Development Cooperation at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Zimbabwe, where his work included government and civil society engagement, political reporting, peace building projects, and supporting human rights defenders. In 2019, Hartwell completed a joint doctoral degree summa cum laude at Leipzig University (Germany) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). His thesis analyzed the use of mediation in the resolution of armed conflicts.