​​National Science Chair, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi; Invited Professor, IIT Delhi; Distinguished Professor, Sharda University, Greater Noida; ​Robert Koch Fellow (Berlin); Formerly: Vice-Chancellor, Univ of Hyderabad; Hon. Prof., JNCASR, Bangalore; first Director, CDFD, Hyderabad. Hasnain received PhD from JNU (1980), DSc (h.c.Multiple), DMedSc (h.c.); postdoc. training in Canada/USA, and was Staff Scientist, National Inst. of Immunology, New Delhi. Awards include: Germany's Das​Verdienstkreuz, 1. Klasse Award (2014) from German President; Humboldt Res. Prize, Germany; SS Bhatnagar Prize; Ranbaxy Res. Award; GD Birla Award; JC Bose Natl. Fellow, ​B.R. Ambedkar Award of the ICMR, Padma Shri (Civilian Award). Frmr Member, Sci. Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India (2004-2014); Frmr President, All India Cell Biology Soc.; Elected Fellow of German National Acad. of Sciences, Leopoldina; American Acad. of Microbiology, USA; National Science Academies of India (INSA, IASc, NASI, etc.). He is Editor/Member editorial ​boards of natl./intl. journals and Biotech Advisory Council of various states and has authored +350 publications/patents.

Jairajpuri is retired professor of zoology and Indian Natl. Science Acad. (INSA) senior scientist, Aligarh Muslim U., India. His work in the taxonomy and systematics of free-living and plant parasitic nematode is acknowledged internationally and his books on the Dorylaimida and Mononchida etc., are valuable tools for the identification of these difficult groups of free living, plant parasitic and predaceous nematodes. His awards include: Gold Medal, Zoological Soc. of India, 1978 and 1998; Janaki Ammal Natl. Award on Taxonomy, Min. Env. For., India, 1999; Har Swarup Memorial Award, Jawaharlal Nehru Vis. Fellowship, INSA; Lifetime Achievement Award, Ind. Soc. Parasit., 2007. He is fellow of: Natl. Acad. of Sciences, India, Allahabad, 1990; INSA, New Delhi, 1992; Indian Acad. of Sciences, Bangalore, 1993; Natl. Acad. of Agric. Sciences, New Delhi, 1993; and hon. fellow, Nem Soc India, 2006.

Jha (PhD 1965, Stanford U.) is Honorary Professor at DAE-UM Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, U. of Mumbai. He completed postdoctoral work at Harvard and the IBM Research Centre in Yorktown heights, NY, and then returned to the Faculty of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). He retired in 2002 as distinguished professor of physics and as its director, a position which he had held since 1997. He was honorary professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai (2003-08), and a distinguished guest professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (2002-12). His honours include: SS Bhatanagar Award; SN Bose INSA Medal for Theoretical Sciences; CV Raman Birth Centenary Medal; and the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary INSA Lecturership. He is a fellow of all major science academies in India as well as the American Physical Society.

Lin is research professor in mathematics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and dean of the Science Faculty at Beijing University of Aero/Astronautics. He was previously assistant professor from 1956-59, lecturer from 1960-78 and associate professor from 1979-82 at CAS. He is a prominent figure in numerical analysis in China. He is well-known for his theory of extrapolation of finite and boundary element solutions of partial differential equations. His awards include: First Place Award of Natural Science Prize, CAS; expert at national level with Outstanding Contributions; the Science and Technology Progress Award of the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation; and the B. Bolzano Gold Medal for Merits in the field of mathematical sciences. His membership includes: CAS; standing committee, CAS, the Chinese Mathematical Society and the SIAM Fellow.

Viana is professor of mathematics at IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, where he has been a researcher since his doctorate in 1990. He has written over eighty research papers and books, covering several topics of dynamical systems and ergodic theory, and supervised thirty six doctoral students. He was plenary speaker, International Congress of Mathematicians, Berlin, 1998; invited speaker, ICM, Zurich, 1994; plenary speaker, International Congress of Mathematical Physics, Paris, 1994; plenary speaker, Latin American Congress of Mathematicians, Córdoba, 2012. He was awarded the TWAS Award in Mathematics; Latin American Mathematical Union Award; Grand Croix of Scientific Merit, President of Brazil; Ramanujan Prize, ICTP/IMU; Grand Prix Scientifique Louis D. Institut de France. He is member of the Brazilian, Portuguese and Chilean Academies of Sciences, and was the Scientific Coordinator of the Latin American Mathematical Union (UMALCA), the president of the Brazilian Mathematical Society and a vice-president of the International Mathematical Union (IMU). He is the director of IMPA and the head organizer of the International Congress of Mathematicians ICM 2018.

Abegaz was Exec. Dir. of African Acad. of Sciences (2011-2017). He has contributed to the development of the Acad. by securing recognition by the African Union and NEPAD and steep increase of the fellows. Under his leadership and partnerships with global funders, AESA, the alliance for accelerating excellence in science in Africa has been established. He's been promoting South-South cooperation and is the co-founder of highly successful networks: Natural Product Research Network for Eastern and Central Africa (NAPRECA), Network for Analytical and Bioassay Services in Africa (NABSA), and pan-African Natural Products Library (p-ANPL). Abegaz served as Chair of UNESCO Science Board, the CSPR of ICSU, as sen. Advisor to IOCD, IFS, etc. He has also received a number of awards, the IFS-DANIDA award, the Pierre Crabbe Award and the CNR Rao Award. He is elected fellow of TWAS, AAS and EAS.

Cheetham is Goldsmiths' Professor of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge, UK. He has been: Director, Materials Research Laboratory, UC Santa Barbara; Reader and University Lecturer, University of Oxford; E. P. Abraham Cephalosporin Junior Research Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford. He has contributed extensively to research on advanced materials, including magnetic oxides, defect structures, porous solids and catalysis. His work on open framework inorganic and hybrid materials is particularly noteworthy. His honours include: Corday-Morgan Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry, London; Chaire Blaise-Pascal, Paris; Leverhulme Medal, Royal Society; TWAS Medal lecturer; Raman Professor, IAS; Honorary Doctorates, Versailles, St. Andrews and Tumkur Universities. His membership includes Royal Society, London, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Indian Academy of Sciences and the Leopoldina.

Datta was educated at the University of Kolkata, India (PhD, 1968, and DSc, 1974). He is Distinguished Professor, Natl. Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi. His previous positions include: Vice chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University; General President, Indian Science Congress (2003-2004); founder director and Professor of Eminence, NIPGR; and President, National Academy of Sciences (2009-2010). His honours include: SS Bhatnagar Prize; Guha Memorial Award; GD Birla; BR Ambedkar; RD Birla; Sir Amulya Rattan Oration Award; Om Bhasin; TWAS Award; Adhar Chandra Mookerjee Award, Goyal Prize in Life Sciences; Ranbaxy Award; Padma Shree; Padma Bhushan; Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini, G. M. Modi Science award, Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa Gold Medal Award, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Medal Award, Bharat Vikas Award, Glory of India Award, Best Citizens of India and Bharat Jyoti Puraskar. His membership includes: INSA; Indian Academy of Sciences; National Science Academy, India; and New York Academy of Sciences.

Moura is director, Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia and vice-Pres., World Meteorological Organization. He was previously: Dir. Gen., Intl. Res. Inst. for Climate and Society, Columbia U.; snr. researcher and dir. meteorology, INPE, Brazil; and physics prof., U. of Taubate, Brazil. He has advanced research in climate forecasting, El Nino and Atlantic influences on droughts in northeastern Brazil and contributed to application of meteorological satellites and climate modelling in agriculture and water resources. He works on climate forecast system for global food security and relationships between climate and vector-born diseases. Awards include: Rossby Award, MIT; Awards from U. Fed. de Minas Gerais, Brazil; Award for Young Scientists, WMO, Geneva; Santos Dumont Medal, Min. of Aeronautics; Tamandaré Award, Navy, Brazil; elected Hon. Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, 2013.

Pal is a distinguished scientist and former Director of Indian Statistical Institute. He founded its Machine Intelligence Unit & the Natl. Center for Soft Computing in Calcutta. Currently, he is a SERB-National Science Chair; ISI-President and Emeritus Professor; and AICTE-Distinguished Chair Professor. Obtained PhD (Sc) from Calcutta U. and PhD (Engg) & DIC from Imperial College, London. Worked at UC Berkeley; UMD, College Park; NASA JSC, Houston; and US Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC. His awards include: SS Bhatnagar; Padma Shri; GD Birla; OP Bhasin; J Nehru Fellowship; FICCI; Vikram Sarabhai; IETE-Wadhwa Gold Medal; INSA-Zaheer Medal; ISC-PC Mahalanobis Gold Medal; INAE Chair Professor; INSA Distinguished Professor; INAE-SN Mitra; INSA-JNBC Lecture; JC Bose Natl. Fellow; DAE Raja Ramanna Fellow; Al-Khwarizmi Intl. 1st Prize; NASA Space Act Tech Brief; NASA Patent Appl.; IEEE Distinguished Speaker; IEEE NN Soc. Outstanding Paper; NRC (USA) Senior Associate; and IEEE Editor. He is Fellow of all 4 Indian sci. and engg. academies, IEEE, IAPR, IFSA, IRSS & AAIA; and Member of European Acad of Sci & Arts. He has visited 45 countries as keynote/invited speaker and academic visitor.

Patnaik is INSA Senior Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies,and was Vice Chancellor, Defence Inst. of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Deemed Univ., Pune, India. He was previously Honorary Professor, Dept of Electronic Systems Engg, Prof., Dept. of Computer Science and Automation, and Convener, Computational Neurobiology Group, IISc. He obtained his PhD (1978) and DSc (1989) in computer science and engineering from IISc. He has been honoured with over 20 awards for contributions to electronics, communications, and information technology including the Technical Achievement Award (1999), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), USA, Computer Society; Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Natl. Award for Engineering and Technology, 1999; and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Award for Innovation in Applied Research, 2002. He is a Fellow of IEEE and all 4 leading science and engineering academies in India.www.lmpatnaik.in.

Ramos is recognized for his studies on tectonic evolution of the South American basement and the Andes, in particular for his research in structural geology and tectonics. He is Emeritus Professor at the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales of the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), and a researcher of the Instituto de Estudios Andinos of UBA-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). He is an honorary member of the Geological Society of America and of the Asociación Geologica Argentina, and a member of the national academies of sciences of Argentina, Chile, Brazil and the USA. He is also a member of many editorial boards of international journals and has received several natational and international scientific awards. His research includes topics like flat-slab subduction, collision of aseismic and seismic ridges in the Andes, as well as continental growth of South America. His major publications are related to the Andes.

Sreenivasan is professor of physics, mathematical sciences and engineering at New York U. and pres. and dean of its Polytechnic School. He taught at Yale for 22 years where he was the Harold W. Cheel prof.; dist. u. prof. and dir., Inst. of Physical Science and Tech., U. Maryland; and Abdus Salam professor and dir. of the Intl. Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste. He is a member of the US Natl. Acad. of Sci.; US Natl. Acad. of Eng.; Accademia dei Lincei; American Acad. of Arts and Sci.; Indian Acad. of Sciences; Indian Natl. Science Acad.; Indian National Acad. of Eng.; and African Acad. of Sciences. His honours include the Guggenheim Fellowship; Otto Laporte Award and Dwight, American Physical Society; Distinguished Alumnus Award, Indian Inst. of Science; Intl. Panetti-Ferrari Prize and Gold Medal, Torino Acad. of Sciences; and Natl. Order of Scientific Merit, Brazil.

Tang is emeritus professor in the department of optical engineering at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China; former chairman, Optical Coatings Speciality Association of China; and member of the dditorial board of Acta Optica Sinica and Acta Photonica Sinica. His research has resulted in significant contributions to computer aided design of optical multilayer systems, specifically in applied optics. His awards include: Award of Science and Technology Progress, First Rank; Chinese National Outstanding Expert in Science and Technology; Chinese National Award in Natural Science, Fourth Rank, State Science and Technology Committee; and the Chinese National Invention Prize, Fourth Rank. He was former vice president of the Zhejiang Provincial Association of Science and Technology and former Vice President of the Zhenjiang University.

Balali-Mood (MD, Tehran Univ., 1968; PhD, Edinburgh Univ., 1981) is prof. of medicine and clinical toxicology; co-founder, Medical Toxicology Research Ctr (MTRC).and Clin Toxicol Dept (CTD), Mashhad Univ. of Medical Sciences (MUMS); clin. toxicol. adviser, OPCW and IPCS-WHO. His previous positions include: asst. prof. and dir. medical education, Ferdowsi Univ. Mashhad; res. fellow and lecturer, Edinburgh Univ.; dirs. MTRC and CTD, MUMS; and pres., Iranian Soc. of Toxicology and Asia Pacific Assoc. of Medi. Toxicol. He has received Int. and Nat. awards for teaching, research and medical care by Iranian authorities and Intl. organizations including Natl. Research Medal, Int Prof. Alireza Yalda Found. Award 2011 and The 2015 OPCW-The Hague Award. The National Elite Foundation recognized him as the Father of Toxicology of Iran and held commemoration in his birth place (Birjand, Mood) on 29 October 2016. Chief editor, JBUMS and assoc. editor of AJM. His membership includes: Iranian Medical Council; Iranian Acad. of Medical Sciences; Ir. Soc. Toxicology; Europ. Assoc. Poison Centr. Clin Toxicol; Asia pacific Association of Medical Toxicology and Program Advisory Committee, IPCS-WHO.

Balasubramanian is Distinguished Scientist and Director of Research-Emeritus, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. After his PhD at Columbia Univ. and postdoctoral research (Univ. of Minnesota), he joined the IIT, Kanpur in 1967. In 1977, he moved to the Univ. of Hyderabad as Professor and later Dean. In 1982, he joined the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, where he was Director (1992-98). He is Fellow of all science academies of India, the German Acad. of Sciences Leopoldina, the Mauritian Acad. of Sciences, the African Acad. of Sciences, and of AAAS, US; member, Intl. Molecular Biology Network and World Innovation Foundation; winner, TWAS Prize in Medical Sciences; Khwarizmi Award, Iran; Bhatnagar, FICCI, Ranbaxy, Goyal and Bhasin Awards, India; UNESCO KALINGA Prize; Indira Gandhi National Award of India, Popularization of Science; Padma Shri; and Chevalier de l'Orde National du Merite, France. His field of research is: the biology of the eye