Jozef Konings currently serves as the Dean of the Graduate School of Business at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Business. He obtained his PhD in Economics at the London School of Economics. His research focuses on firm dynamism, international macroeconomics, and micro drivers affecting macroeconomic fluctuations. To this end, he makes use of ‘big data’ analytics to answer pressing economic questions. He has been involved in numerous research projects from the EU, the OECD, the Asian Development Bank and other international institutions and private firms. Konings has published various papers in leading academic journals, such as the American Economic Review, The Review of Economic Studies, Information Systems Research and the Review of Economics and Statistics. Konings has advised various governments on economic policy. He is a regular guest speaker for private firms, government institutions and Central Banks. He is a research fellow of the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the director of the Center for Regional Economic Policy (VIVES, KU Leuven).

Chandra Pathki is an Assistant Professor in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources management at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Business. He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from the University of Illinois. His research focuses on leadership, workplace interactions and individual differences. His research has been published in top management journals including Journal of Management and Journal of Organizational Behavior.

Dr. Jason Lewis is a postdoctoral researcher with NU LEAD. He most recently served as a Teaching Fellow in Leadership at NU. He received his Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies in 2019 where the focus of his research was on exploring and understanding ethical leadership in the Kazakhstani business context. In addition to leadership, his research interests include organizational behavior and management across cultures. Dr. Lewis has been living in Kazakhstan since 2011, where he has been able to learn about and experience Kazakhstani cultural nuances first-hand. Prior to living in Kazakhstan, Dr. Lewis gained leadership experience working as an executive in the music industry in the United States. Additionally, in 2012 he founded and continues to lead the 50+ member NU Choir.

Professor Makoelle is one of the recipients of the prestigious Nelson Mandela scholarship to UK. He holds a PhD in Inclusive Education from the University of Manchester, UK and a D Ed in Education Management from University of South Africa. He has been a General Director for Research and associate professor and lately Vice Dean of Research at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. His span of experience in education stretches for more than 22 years in South Africa during which he was notably a Senior Lecturer, in Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg; an Education Lecturer at the Cape peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town; a High school Principal, deputy principal, Head of Department and a teacher in several schools in the Free State education department.

Aigerim Seken is a Research Associate at the Nazarbayev University Center for Leadership (NU Lead). She completed undergraduate studies in Journalism at Renmin University of China from September 2016 to July 2020. Following that, She pursued a master's degree in Eurasian Studies at Nazarbayev University, which spanned from August 2020 to August 2022. Her research interests lie in the field of Kazakh co-ethnic migration and the experiences of women in Central Asia. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is currently engaged in the operation of a podcast called "Kazakh Girls Club."

Mohammad Habib Abdullah is a Research Associate at the Nazarbayev University Center for Leadership (NU Lead). Prior to his work at NU Lead, he also worked as a Research Assistant at the Nazarbayev University’s Research Centre for Entrepreneurship (NURCE). Mohammad is a recent graduate of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program of the Graduate School of Public Policy of Nazarbayev University from Afghanistan who also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Beijing Normal University of China.

Daystar Selorm Atti serves as a Research Associate at the Nazarbayev University Center for Leadership (NU Lead). He earned his undergraduate degree in Integrated Business Studies with a focus on Accounting from the University for Development Studies in Ghana. Furthermore, he holds a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Nazarbayev University, with Duke University serving as their esteemed Strategic Partner. Daystar's research expertise spans various domains, including cross-cultural management, organizational management, diversity and adaptation, leadership, and digital marketing. He also has a strong passion for case study publications, particularly emphasising settings within Central Asia.

Sneh Shakti is a Post-Doc Scholar at the Center for Leadership, GSB, Nazarbayev University. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, where her research focused on the qualitative and discursive analysis of social and cultural norms surrounding the body and the production, perception, and interpretation of appearance within contemporary consumer culture. She specializes in Culture, Gender, Body, and Media. She has also served as Visiting Faculty
in Amity University, Noida and as an Assistant Professor of Sociology under the state government of Uttarakhand. Furthermore, she has held the position of Gender Specialist at Hand in Hand India, an esteemed international NGO. In this role, she actively promoted gender equality and empowered marginalized communities.