Professor Laurine Chikoko (PhD) is distinguished scholar, with an established research and publication record in economics with over thirty articles in peer reviewed journals. Professor Chikoko has over 20 years of experience in administration of research grants, consultancy work and policy advisory. Currently, she is the Executive Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe and her key responsibilities include managing the entire research portfolio at the institution; ensuring ethical conduct in research; intellectual property and patent applications; research grants administration and training facilitation. Professor Chikoko has done consultancy work for international organizations such as Hand in Hand Zimbabwe and Sweden, Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Government of Canada (RoadMAPP). She has researched and produced technical and policy documents for these organizations. Over the years, Professor Chikoko acquired research skills that include: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research methodology; qualitative data analysis that uses computer-based software for analyzing qualitative data; research instrument construction; field-based data collection; report writing; presentation; project management and program evaluation. In the context of academia, government and industry collaborations, Professor Chikoko continues to make prolific and invaluable contributions to national policy formulation and reforms. She has distinguished herself academically by training and examining PhD scholars regionally and internationally. Outside the academic sphere, Professor Chikoko is a Board Member of the CEO Africa Round Table and participates in programs on economic policy issues run by international bodies such as Wilton Park (an executive agency of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office providing a global forum for strategic discussions) and she has been appointed recently as the Advisory Board Chair for Transforming Rural Agro-enterprises and Livelihoods Organisation (TRALO).

Nelson Chanza (PhD) holds a PhD in Environmental Geography, MSc in Environmental Policy and Planning, and BSc Honours in Biological Sciences. He once served as Director (Non-Executive) in the Environment Management Board, responsible for giving policy directions to the operations of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and to advise the Minister responsible for the environment in Zimbabwe. With country experience in Zimbabwe and South Africa, Nelson has greatly contributed towards advancing the knowledge of climate change, environmental and disaster mainstreaming in development programmes. He draws expertise from over 15 years of research and training in these fields, including poverty alleviation focused projects. He has knowledge and experience in participatory mapping and vulnerability assessment for managing adaptation barriers associated with environmental stress and climate change in Africa. He has participated in international and national development programmes in the fields of poverty alleviation, climate change adaptation, environment management and disaster management, including: 1) Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Managing Climate Change in Southern Africa, a project sponsored by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Wageningen, The Netherlands; 2) Development of Zimbabwe National Climate Policy, responsible for cross-cutting issues, a project supported by COMESA/UNICEF/UNDP; 3) Development of the Zimbabwe Youth Development Report, for the Zimbabwe Youth Council and co-sponsored by the African Capacity Building Foundation & UNFPA; 4) capacity building for CCARDESA staff on Monitoring and Evaluation of Agricultural Research and Development Projects as a co-consultant in Johannesburg, South Africa, targeting participants from Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique; 5) Capacity building for disaster management planning and risk reduction for UNICEF-Nigeria and government officials under the aegis of UNICEF; and many other development projects. Given the climate and environmental sensitivity of livelihoods targeted in this programme, Nelson will be responsible for environment, climate change and disaster mainstreaming.

Professor Gift Mugano (PhD) is a Professor of Economics and author with over 20 years of experience working on public policy, international finance, innovative finance, investment climate reforms, investment prospectus, regional integration, industrialisation master plans, special economic zones, value chain & trade analysis and academic work. He has consulted for the Governments of Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe; over 60 private sector companies and international organisations including the World Bank; United Nations; UKAID, BRICS; FAO; ILO; USAID; GIZ; National Opinion Research Centre at the University of Chicago (USA); GFA Consulting Group (Germany); Integration Consulting Group (Germany); COMESA; British Council; Adam Smith International (UK); IMC Worldwide LTD (UK); Cardno Emerging Markets (Belgium); KPMG (UK); Palladium Group (UK); Ecorys (UK); Syngenta (Switzerland); National Research Fund (SA); Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (Tanzania); Laws Africa (SA); and Transparency International Zimbabwe. He has published over 60 articles & book chapters with international peer reviewed journals and six (6) books with renowned international publishers [i.e., Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature and AOSIS]. Professor Mugano has supervised seven (7) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees to successful completion and examined 14 PhDs and several postgraduate theses. Over the years, he represented his country at various forums on trade negotiations, investment missions and conferences abroad (Heads of State and Government Summits, Council of Ministers, Senior Officials of Trade and Technical Committees) at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels in Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Botswana, China, South Korea, India, Tanzania, Thailand and Cameroon. Over the years, he acted as an external examiner for the University of Cape Town, University of Namibia, University of Western Cape, University of South Africa, North-West University, Durban University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, University of Zimbabwe and National University of Science and Technology.

Tonderai Kapesa (PhD) is a seasoned accounting academic and financial sector specialist with over 16 years of diverse experience spanning higher education, credit analysis, and banking operations. Dr Kapesa hold a PhD in Accounting (Nelson Mandela University), Master of Commerce in Accounting (Midlands State University) and BCom Accounting (Chinhoyi University of Technology). In his PhD thesis, he developed a framework for public infrastructure financing, he possesses deep technical expertise in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), financial reporting, management accounting, treasury management, and corporate governance. Currently, serving as a Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, he bridges the gap between theoretical accounting frameworks and practical financial applications, drawing from his significant industry tenure as a Supervisor and Treasury Operations clerk in Zimbabwe. Beyond his core teaching and research portfolio, Dr. Kapesa has assumed significant leadership roles, having served as the Chairperson of the Department of Accounting and Finance and Acting Dean at the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University. His professional influence extends across the SADC region, where he actively serves as a Peer Reviewer and Chair of accreditation panels for the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Namibia. He is a key contributor to the standardisation of financial education, acting as an External Examiner for KwaZulu Natal University, the Institute of Bankers Zimbabwe (IOBZ), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Zimbabwe) and Gwanda State University, while also engaging in high-level capacity building for institutions such as the Parliament of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions.

Pretty is a proactive and dedicated Economist and committed Monitoring and Evaluation specialist with experience in facilitating both local and foreign investment, implementing, monitoring investment processes and development programs that qualify to enhance industrial development and livelihood programs. She has more than 10 years’ experience on economic assessments. She has vast experience in development initiatives, particularly in the areas of trade, economic integration, and industrial development in emerging markets, and frontier economies. She has carried out evaluation projects that include Multi sectorial needs assessment to establish the needs of the community, Mid-term review, Impact Assessment and End-line evaluation with non-profit making organization. Over the years, she has provided policy recommendations to promote industrial development, designed and implemented M&E systems to monitor the effectiveness of government programs. Pretty has an advanced command of Excel and data packages like STATA, SPSS, E-VIEWS, NVivo and other research tools like Kobo Collect, ODK, etc. She holds Master of Science in Economics, Bachelor of Science in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Monitoring and Evaluation. She is a finalist of a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Management at the Durban University of Technology.

Mrs Abigail Nyahangare is an accountant by profession with over 20 years of experience in financial accounting and overall management as head of finance. She is Grants and Finance Director at AEDS. She worked as a Bursar/Finance Director at Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU). She has worked extensively for 6 years in Forward in Faith Church with its various entities around the globe and has successfully pioneered in setting up financial systems in over 20 nations amongst them, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other nations. She was the team leader in setting up the accounting system (SAP) at the FIF Head office in Zimbabwe. She has managed various church projects, amongst them is a project that was worth more than US$10 million that has seen one of the remarkable University’s in Zimbabwe (ZEGU) being constructed with good infrastructure and a full backup of solar system. She manages and approves over 30 bank accounts of the Forward in Faith church in Zimbabwe. She acquired 10 years of experience at PG Industries in financial accounting reporting and was part of the team leaders in setting up the accounting system (Navision). Abigail hold a B Compt in Financial Accounting (University of South Africa, UNISA) and currently studying Master of Business Administration majoring in Finance (Midlands State University, Zimbabwe). She successfully managed COVID-19 related grants amounting to US$300,000 and US$24,000 with Nottingham University (UK) and National Research Fund (NRF), respectively.

Ms. Latifa Kassim is a Banking executive with over twenty years of experience. She is currently the Executive Head of Treasury, Marketing, and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank Zimbabwe Ltd. She holds a BSc. Honours in Economics, a Master of Science in Economics, and a Masters in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Zimbabwe. Latifa is also a holder of a Nedbank-Gibbs (University of Pretoria) Leadership Development Certificate and holds other Banking, Treasury-specific, and Leadership certifications. Latifa is the immediate past Chairperson of the Treasurers Forum under the Bankers Association and also a member of the CZI Macroeconomic Committee. She actively contributes to key policy issues that affect the country, providing input in Monetary and Fiscal Policy formulation. She is Christian, a proud wife, and a mother. Latifa’s dedication to her profession and her community is evident in her active involvement in various fora and her commitment to mentoring the next generation of leaders. Her contributions to the banking sector and her efforts to support and uplift vulnerable groups make her a respected and influential figure in her field.

Professor Gift Mugano (PhD) is a Professor of Economics and author with over 20 years of experience working on public policy, international finance, innovative finance, investment climate reforms, investment prospectus, regional integration, industrialisation master plans, special economic zones, value chain & trade analysis and academic work. He has consulted for the Governments of Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe; over 60 private sector companies and international organisations including the World Bank; United Nations; UKAID, BRICS; FAO; ILO; USAID; GIZ; National Opinion Research Centre at the University of Chicago (USA); GFA Consulting Group (Germany); Integration Consulting Group (Germany); COMESA; British Council; Adam Smith International (UK); IMC Worldwide LTD (UK); Cardno Emerging Markets (Belgium); KPMG (UK); Palladium Group (UK); Ecorys (UK); Syngenta (Switzerland); National Research Fund (SA); Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (Tanzania); Laws Africa (SA); and Transparency International Zimbabwe. He has published over 60 articles & book chapters with international peer reviewed journals and six (6) books with renowned international publishers [i.e., Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature and AOSIS]. Professor Mugano has supervised seven (7) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees to successful completion and examined 14 PhDs and several postgraduate theses. Over the years, he represented his country at various forums on trade negotiations, investment missions and conferences abroad (Heads of State and Government Summits, Council of Ministers, Senior Officials of Trade and Technical Committees) at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels in Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Botswana, China, South Korea, India, Tanzania, Thailand and Cameroon. Over the years, he acted as an external examiner for the University of Cape Town, University of Namibia, University of Western Cape, University of South Africa, North-West University, Durban University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, University of Zimbabwe and National University of Science and Technology.

Tonderai Kapesa (PhD) is a seasoned accounting academic and financial sector specialist with over 16 years of diverse experience spanning higher education, credit analysis, and banking operations. Dr Kapesa hold a PhD in Accounting (Nelson Mandela University), Master of Commerce in Accounting (Midlands State University) and BCom Accounting (Chinhoyi University of Technology). In his PhD thesis, he developed a framework for public infrastructure financing, he possesses deep technical expertise in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), financial reporting, management accounting, treasury management, and corporate governance. Currently, serving as a Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, he bridges the gap between theoretical accounting frameworks and practical financial applications, drawing from his significant industry tenure as a Supervisor and Treasury Operations clerk in Zimbabwe. Beyond his core teaching and research portfolio, Dr. Kapesa has assumed significant leadership roles, having served as the Chairperson of the Department of Accounting and Finance and Acting Dean at the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University. His professional influence extends across the SADC region, where he actively serves as a Peer Reviewer and Chair of accreditation panels for the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Namibia. He is a key contributor to the standardisation of financial education, acting as an External Examiner for KwaZulu Natal University, the Institute of Bankers Zimbabwe (IOBZ), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Zimbabwe) and Gwanda State University, while also engaging in high-level capacity building for institutions such as the Parliament of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions.

Professor Laurine Chikoko (PhD) is distinguished scholar, with an established research and publication record in economics with over thirty articles in peer reviewed journals. Professor Chikoko has over 20 years of experience in administration of research grants, consultancy work and policy advisory. Currently, she is the Executive Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe and her key responsibilities include managing the entire research portfolio at the institution; ensuring ethical conduct in research; intellectual property and patent applications; research grants administration and training facilitation. Professor Chikoko has done consultancy work for international organizations such as Hand in Hand Zimbabwe and Sweden, Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Government of Canada (RoadMAPP). She has researched and produced technical and policy documents for these organizations. Over the years, Professor Chikoko acquired research skills that include: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research methodology; qualitative data analysis that uses computer-based software for analyzing qualitative data; research instrument construction; field-based data collection; report writing; presentation; project management and program evaluation. In the context of academia, government and industry collaborations, Professor Chikoko continues to make prolific and invaluable contributions to national policy formulation and reforms. She has distinguished herself academically by training and examining PhD scholars regionally and internationally. Outside the academic sphere, Professor Chikoko is a Board Member of the CEO Africa Round Table and participates in programs on economic policy issues run by international bodies such as Wilton Park (an executive agency of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office providing a global forum for strategic discussions) and she has been appointed recently as the Advisory Board Chair for Transforming Rural Agro-enterprises and Livelihoods Organisation (TRALO).

Rumbidzai Mashayahanya is an award-winning journalist, strategic communications expert, governance practitioner and peacebuilding advocate with more than fifteen (15) years of experience spanning print, broadcast, electronic and digital media. She has worked with some of Zimbabwe’s leading media institutions including the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group (Zimpapers), various private media houses and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. She has also worked within the civil society sector as a Communications Specialist, contributing to strategic communication programming, policy communication and development-focused public engagement. Rumbidzai is a holder of a Bachelor of Social Science Honours Degree in Media and Society Studies from Midlands State University, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Governance from Africa University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from Makerere University (Uganda). She is a certified Data Journalist from Rhodes University (RSA), a certified Leadership Trainer from the Julius Nyerere School of Leadership (Uganda), an IEP Ambassador with the Institute of Economics and Peace (Australia) and a certified Mediator with Mediators Beyond Borders. These qualifications reinforce her expertise across governance, leadership, communication strategy, peacebuilding and conflict mediation. She has spoken on various international and regional platforms on public relations ethics, greenwashing and corporate social responsibility, leadership communication and media professionalism. Rumbidzai has also served on several institutional boards as a media specialist, demonstrating strong governance capability and advisory expertise. Passionate about media development and professional standards, she continues to champion the welfare and rights of journalists while mentoring young and emerging practitioners in journalism and communications. Bringing a unique blend of communication intelligence, governance insight, leadership grounding and peacebuilding experience, Rumbidzai strengthens the AEDS Board’s capacity to advance impactful development communication, policy engagement and evidence-driven socio-economic transformation across Africa.

Professor Gift Mugano (PhD) is a Professor of Economics and author with over 20 years of experience working on public policy, international finance, innovative finance, investment climate reforms, investment prospectus, regional integration, industrialisation master plans, special economic zones, value chain & trade analysis and academic work. He has consulted for the Governments of Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe; over 60 private sector companies and international organisations including the World Bank; United Nations; UKAID, BRICS; FAO; ILO; USAID; GIZ; National Opinion Research Centre at the University of Chicago (USA); GFA Consulting Group (Germany); Integration Consulting Group (Germany); COMESA; British Council; Adam Smith International (UK); IMC Worldwide LTD (UK); Cardno Emerging Markets (Belgium); KPMG (UK); Palladium Group (UK); Ecorys (UK); Syngenta (Switzerland); National Research Fund (SA); Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (Tanzania); Laws Africa (SA); and Transparency International Zimbabwe. He has published over 60 articles & book chapters with international peer reviewed journals and six (6) books with renowned international publishers [i.e., Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature and AOSIS]. Professor Mugano has supervised seven (7) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees to successful completion and examined 14 PhDs and several postgraduate theses. Over the years, he represented his country at various forums on trade negotiations, investment missions and conferences abroad (Heads of State and Government Summits, Council of Ministers, Senior Officials of Trade and Technical Committees) at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels in Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Botswana, China, South Korea, India, Tanzania, Thailand and Cameroon. Over the years, he acted as an external examiner for the University of Cape Town, University of Namibia, University of Western Cape, University of South Africa, North-West University, Durban University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, University of Zimbabwe and National University of Science and Technology.

Tonderai Kapesa (PhD) is a seasoned accounting academic and financial sector specialist with over 16 years of diverse experience spanning higher education, credit analysis, and banking operations. Dr Kapesa hold a PhD in Accounting (Nelson Mandela University), Master of Commerce in Accounting (Midlands State University) and BCom Accounting (Chinhoyi University of Technology). In his PhD thesis, he developed a framework for public infrastructure financing, he possesses deep technical expertise in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), financial reporting, management accounting, treasury management, and corporate governance. Currently, serving as a Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, he bridges the gap between theoretical accounting frameworks and practical financial applications, drawing from his significant industry tenure as a Supervisor and Treasury Operations clerk in Zimbabwe. Beyond his core teaching and research portfolio, Dr. Kapesa has assumed significant leadership roles, having served as the Chairperson of the Department of Accounting and Finance and Acting Dean at the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University. His professional influence extends across the SADC region, where he actively serves as a Peer Reviewer and Chair of accreditation panels for the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Namibia. He is a key contributor to the standardisation of financial education, acting as an External Examiner for KwaZulu Natal University, the Institute of Bankers Zimbabwe (IOBZ), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Zimbabwe) and Gwanda State University, while also engaging in high-level capacity building for institutions such as the Parliament of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions.