Zichichi, em. prof. of Adv. Phys., U. of Bologna, authored over 1100 sci. papers incl. 7 discoveries, 5 inventions, 3 original ideas which opened new avenues in high energy subnuclear physics and 4 high-precision measurements of fundamental physics properties. Among the discoveries: nuclear antimatter; among the inventions: an electronic circuit for time-of-flight measurements with a precision of seventy thousandth of a billionth of a second; among the original ideas that which brought to the discovery of the third column in the fundamental structure of the Universe. The great projects of European Physics (LEP and LAA at CERN, GRAN SASSO at INFN, HERA at DESY) are linked to his name, for his seminal contributions in their conception, study and implementation phases. He has been in charge of high-level offices and received 102 prizes, distinctions and medals in 15 countries.

Murenzi (PhD Louvain, Belgium) has been professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute since 2024. He was Executive Director of TWAS from 2011-2023, with a year interruption across 2016-2017 when he served as Director of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building in UNESCO's Natural Sciences Sector (July 2016). He previously was Minister of Science, Technology and Scientific Research in Rwanda and Director of the Center for Science, Technology and Sustainability at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC; he was also visiting Professor at the University of Maryland. He was Chair and Professor in the Department of Physics at Clark Atlanta University, USA. He was also designer of the two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform. In 2012 he was elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS). He chairs the UN Secretary General's High-level Panel of Technology Bank and Science, Technology and Innovation Supporting Mechanism dedicated to the Least Developed Countries; he is a Member of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development and of the Carnegie Mellon University President’s Global Advisory Council.

Baralle (PhD 1969, U. of Buenos Aires -UBA) has been director general at Intl. Centre for Genetic Eng. and Biotech. (ICGEB) in Trieste, Italy (2004-14). He now leads the ICGEB RNA Biology Group and is vis. prof. in Buenos Aires. From 1968 to 1974 studied Medicine at UBA and completed his MD in 1984 at the U. of Naples. Previously, he worked at the Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Fundación Campomar and at the MRC Lab. of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK. From 1980 to 1990, he was university lecturer of pathology at Oxford and fellow of Magdalen College. In 1990 he joined ICGEB. He is an elected member of EMBO and of the Argentine Acad. of Sciences. In 1977 he published the first complete primary structure of an eukaryotic mRNA, βglobin mRNA. His current research focuses on RNA splicing and RNA-protein interactions in neurodegenerative diseases. He has published over 220 papers.

Mizrahi is Professor Emerita and Senior Scholar, former Professorial Director of the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Director of the Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Awards include the 2013 Christophe Mérieux Prize from the Mérieux Foundation and Institut de France; UNESCO-L'Oréal For Women in Science Prize (Africa and Middle East region, 2000); the Gold Medal of the SA Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2006); Platinum Lifetime award from the South African Medical Research Council (2017) and the Order of the Mapungubwe: Silver of South Africa (2006). She is fellow of the Royal Society, International Member of the US National Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, International Honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and Fellow of UCT. She has trained dozens of young researchers and participated in many capacity strengthening programs in Africa.

Hassan is currently president of Sudanese National Academy of Sciences. He was professor and dean of the Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, University of Khartoum; chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Centre for International Development, Germany; president of the InterAcademy Partnership; founding executive director and president of TWAS; president of the African Academy of Sciences; founding president of the Network of African Science Academies; chairman of the Council of the United Nations University; chairman, Honorary Presidential Advisory Council for Science and Technology, Nigeria. Among his honours: comendator, Grand Cross, and National Order of Scientific Merit, Brazil; and officer, Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He is a recipient of G77 Leadership Award and the Abdus Salam Medal for Science and Technology. He is a member of several merit-based academies of science, which include Pakistan Academy of Sciences; Academy of Sciences of South Africa; the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and the Royal Society.