Professor Mark Altaweel has worked in the Middle East for nearly thirty years. He has recently worked in Iraq, looking at ancient DNA, paleoclimate, and wider human-landscape interactions in his research. He also has spoken extensively about Iraq's heritage, destruction, and looting caused by various conflicts. He has published several books on ancient Iraq and Near East archaeology. His work has been published in many leading journals in various fields, with applications to modern and ancient studies. His interests also include the use of data science techniques in how cultural heritage and protection can be studied and improved.
Sam Hardy is the Head of Illicit Trade Research at the Heritage Management Organization. Trained in archaeology at the University of Sheffield, cultural heritage studies at University College London and social research methods plus socio-legal studies at the University of Sussex, Sam has served as a consultant for Global Witness, UNESCO, the UNESCO Office in Amman and the International Council of Museums (ICOM). He has delivered training for UNESCO; the UNESCO Office in Beirut; the ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre and Interpol; France’s National Police College (ENSP); the World Customs Organization (WCO); and the Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC), as part of European Union Police and Civilian Services Training (EUPCST). His research focuses on cultural property crime at times of socio-economic crisis, political crisis and political violence. Currently works as Illicit Heritage Research Officer for the Heritage Management Organization.
Dr Emiline Smith is a Lecturer in Criminology at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, University of Glasgow in Scotland (UK). She is also a Fellow at the Centre for Criminology at the University of Hong Kong, and an expert member of UK Blue Shield, the Trafficking Culture Research Consortium, and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Emiline's research focuses on the protection, securitisation, and restitution of cultural and natural resources, particularly within the Asia-Pacific region. Her recent research has also focused on multispecies justice.
