School of Global Business & Economics
Dr. Kaelen Goossens Reader in International Finance Associate, Centre for Global Economic Strategy (CGES)
Dr. Goossens joins Eastbay from the University of Luxembourg, where he specialised in financial market regulation and emerging market investment. His research focuses on the economic integration of the Eurasian region and the impact of digital currencies on traditional financial systems. At Eastbay, Dr. Goossens teaches on the MSc in International Finance programme and leads a research group within the CGES investigating post-sanction economic recovery models. His teaching philosophy emphasises the application of complex theory to real-world financial case studies.
Selected Publications:
- Goossens, K. (2024). Digital Currency and Sovereign Risk in Emerging Economies. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-3-16-148410-0.
- Goossens, K., & Petrova, A. (2022). ‘Regulatory Arbitrage in Central Asian Financial Markets’. Journal of International Financial Management, 48(3), pp. 210-225. DOI: 10.1016/j.jifm.2022.04.002.
Professor Liena Ozoliņa Professor of Strategic Management & Head of School
Professor Ozoliņa is a leading authority on corporate strategy and organisational resilience. Before her appointment as Head of the School of Global Business & Economics, she held a chair at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. Her work explores how multinational corporations adapt their strategies in volatile geopolitical climates. Professor Ozoliņa’s leadership at Eastbay is driven by a commitment to fostering a strong link between academic research and actionable business insights, ensuring graduates are prepared for senior leadership roles.
Selected Publications:
- Ozoliņa, L. (2023). ‘Geopolitical Shock and Strategic Realignment in Global Supply Chains’. The Strategic Management Journal, 44(5), pp. 834-855. DOI: 10.1002/smj.3401.
- Ozoliņa, L. (2020). The Resilient Organisation: A Framework for Strategic Adaptation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 978-1-108-47266-9.
Dr. Tõnis Kask Senior Lecturer in Political Economy
An alumnus of the University of Tartu and the London School of Economics, Dr. Kask’s expertise lies at the intersection of public policy and economic development. His research focuses on governance structures, anti-corruption initiatives, and the role of international organisations in shaping national economic policy in post-Soviet states. He is a passionate educator known for his engaging seminars within the BA (Hons) in Political Economy programme.
Selected Publications:
- Kask, T. (2023). ‘The Institutional Impact of EU Foreign Aid on Governance in Eastern Europe’. Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions, 36(2), pp. 345-360. DOI: 10.1111/gove.12658.
Dr. Neža Mlakar Lecturer in International Marketing
Dr. Mlakar earned her PhD from the University of Ljubljana and brings extensive industry experience from her time as a brand consultant for several high-profile European firms. Her academic work examines cross-cultural consumer behaviour and nation branding, with a particular interest in how nations construct their image on the global stage. Her teaching is highly interactive, incorporating live case studies and projects with local and international businesses.
Selected Publications:
- Mlakar, N. (2022). Nation Branding in the Digital Age: Strategies for Emerging Markets. Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-367-62464-9.
Professor Valdis Zariņš Visiting Professor of Practice (Economics)
With over 30 years of experience, including senior roles at the European Central Bank and the Bank of Latvia, Professor Zariņš brings unparalleled practical wisdom to the university. He does not hold a permanent research position but contributes to the MSc and undergraduate programmes through masterclasses on monetary policy, central banking, and financial stability. His presence provides students with a direct link to the highest echelons of economic policymaking.
School of Science & Digital Technologies
Professor Radu Ionescu Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Director of the IDFAI
Professor Ionescu is an internationally acclaimed researcher in machine learning and natural language processing. He was recruited from the University of Bucharest to lead Eastbay’s Institute for Digital Futures and Applied AI (IDFAI). His work on deep learning models for low-resource languages has been transformative. As Director, he is spearheading initiatives in AI ethics and developing research partnerships to position Osh as a regional hub for technological innovation.
Selected Publications:
- Ionescu, R., & Popescu, M. (2023). ‘Cross-lingual Transfer Learning for Turkic Languages using Attention-based Neural Networks’. Transactions of the Association for Computational Linguistics, 11, pp. 350-365. DOI: 10.1162/tacl_a_00561.
- Ionescu, R. (2021). Foundations of Machine Learning Ethics. MIT Press. ISBN: 978-0-262-04536-3.
Dr. Klāra Jansone Reader in Environmental Science
Dr. Jansone holds a PhD in Glaciology from the University of Helsinki and is a leading expert on the impacts of climate change in high-altitude regions. Her research group at Eastbay uses a combination of remote sensing and fieldwork to monitor glacial retreat and water resource stability in the Tien Shan mountains. Her work is vital to the region and she is a passionate advocate for science-informed environmental policy, teaching core modules on the BSc (Hons) in Applied Environmental Science.
Selected Publications:
- Jansone, K., et al. (2023). ‘Accelerated Mass Loss of Central Asian Glaciers: A 20-Year Satellite Gravimetry Study’. The Cryosphere, 17(4), pp. 1545-1560. DOI: 10.5194/tc-17-1545-2023.
Dr. Marios Christofides Senior Lecturer in Cybersecurity
Dr. Christofides joins Eastbay from the University of Cyprus, where he was a key member of its cybersecurity research lab. His expertise covers network security, cryptography, and digital forensics. At Eastbay, he is developing a new curriculum in cybersecurity for the BEng programme and works closely with the IDFAI on research into protecting critical digital infrastructure from state-level cyber threats.
Selected Publications:
- Christofides, M. (2022). ‘A Framework for Post-Quantum Cryptography in Secure Cloud Environments’. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 17, pp. 2634-2645. DOI: 10.1109/TIFS.2022.3188445.
Dr. Eszter Varga Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering
With a background in both industry and academia, having worked at Ericsson Hungary before completing her PhD at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Dr. Varga specialises in large-scale software architecture and agile development methodologies. Her teaching focuses on practice-led learning, where students work in teams to develop and deploy complex software solutions for real-world clients, including NGOs and local government bodies.
Selected Publications:
- Varga, E. (2023). Scaling Agile: A Guide to Enterprise Software Development. Springer. ISBN: 978-3-031-14436-5.
School of Arts & Creative Design
Professor Inês de Sousa Professor of Contemporary Art Theory & Head of School
Professor de Sousa is a renowned art historian and critic whose work focuses on post-globalism and artistic practice in non-Western contexts. Recruited from the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Fine Arts, she brings a deep commitment to decolonising the curriculum and fostering critical creative practice. As Head of School, she champions interdisciplinary collaboration and is the driving force behind the Eastbay Studio for Creative Innovation (ESCI).
Selected Publications:
- de Sousa, I. (2022). Art at the Periphery: De-centring the Contemporary Art World. Duke University Press. ISBN: 978-1-4780-1768-4.
- de Sousa, I. (2019). ‘The Digital Canvas: Authenticity and Aura in New Media Art’. Journal of Visual Culture, 18(3), pp. 415-430. DOI: 10.1177/1470412919875151.
Dr. Anton Vella Reader in Digital Media Arts
Dr. Vella is a practitioner-researcher from Malta whose work spans interactive installation, virtual reality, and generative art. His projects have been exhibited at prestigious international venues. His research at the ESCI explores how immersive technologies can be used for cultural heritage preservation and storytelling. He leads the BA (Hons) in Digital Media Arts, encouraging students to combine technical mastery with critical and conceptual depth.
Selected Publications:
- Vella, A. (2023). ‘Embodied Archives: Using VR to Reconstruct Lost Cultural Heritage Sites’. Leonardo, 56(4), pp. 389-395. DOI: 10.1162/leon_a_02381.
Dr. Irena Novak Senior Lecturer in Fashion and Textile Design
A graduate of the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Textile Technology, Dr. Novak is a designer and researcher specialising in sustainable fashion and innovative materials. Her work investigates the application of circular economy principles to the fashion industry. She is a passionate advocate for ethical production and her teaching empowers students to become agents of change in the industry, blending creative vision with technical skill and environmental responsibility.
Selected Publications:
- Novak, I. (2022). ‘Bio-Fabrication in Fashion: An Exploration of Grown Textiles’. The Design Journal, 25(6), pp. 915-932. DOI: 10.1080/14606925.2022.2131924.
Mr. Joris Peeters Lecturer in Graphic Design
Mr. Peeters is a celebrated graphic designer and typographer from Antwerp, Belgium, where he ran a successful design studio before transitioning to academia. His practice-led teaching focuses on the fundamentals of visual communication, branding, and typography. He is known for his rigorous and supportive studio critiques, pushing students to develop a distinctive and conceptually strong portfolio.
Dr. Eglė Jankauskaitė Lecturer in Art History and Visual Culture
Dr. Jankauskaitė holds a PhD from Vilnius University and her research explores the visual culture of the Silk Road, both historic and contemporary. Her work brings a unique and highly relevant perspective to the university’s location. She teaches across the high school and undergraduate programmes, introducing students to non-Eurocentric art histories and providing a critical framework for understanding the visual world.
Selected Publications:
- Jankauskaitė, E. (2023). Nomadic Aesthetics: Art, Mobility, and the Modern Silk Road. University of Washington Press. ISBN: 978-0-295-75123-1.