Ms. Daniela BAS

Director, Division for Inclusive Social Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations

Ms. Daniela Bas, of Italian nationality, is the Director of the Division for Inclusive Social Development at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs since May 2011.

Political scientist with a major in International Politics, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a dissertation on “The elimination of architectural barriers and the employment of people with physical disabilities”. She is also a certified journalist and multicultural / life coach. Ms. Bas’ interest has always been people-centred in the various activities, associations, and professional roles she has held.

In addition to her work at the United Nations from 1986 to 1995, she held managerial roles from 1996 until 2011 in the private sector in Italy and was, inter alia, adviser for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on human rights and social affairs. Designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, she was a member of the Board of Directors of the European Union Agency of Fundamental Rights; Special Adviser to the Vice President of the European Commission (On. Frattini); at the European Union, she was representative on the topic “Tourism for All” on behalf of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of her country.

Ms. Bas worked in radio and TV shows (RAI and Radio 24/ Il Sole 24 Ore in Italy, and TV Channel 4 in the UK), moderated conferences and wrote articles for magazines on tourism for all.

Professor Daniel SHEK, SBS, JP

Chairman, Family Council, HKSAR
Chair Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Interim Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences & Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professor Daniel T.L. Shek (PhD, FHKPS, BBS, SBS, JP) is Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), Interim Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Chair Professor of Applied Social Sciences, and Li & Fung Endowed Professor in Service Leadership Education at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is also Advisory Professor of East China Normal University, Honorary Professor of Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, and Adjunct Professor of University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Professor Shek has to date published 170 books, 423 book chapters and more than 700 articles in international refereed journals. He is the Chief Editor of Journal of Youth Studies and Applied Research in Quality of Life and Associate Editor of Frontier in Child Health and Human Development. He is a Series Editor of Quality of Life in Asia published by Springer. He is an Editorial Advisor of British Journal of Social Work and an Editorial Board member of many journals. He has received many teaching awards, including the Bronze Award (Ethical Leadership) and the Bronze Award (Social Enterprise) in the QS Reimagine Education Awards 2016.

Professor Shek has served on many high-level government advisory committees in the Hong Kong SAR Government and is currently Chairman of the Family Council.

Professor Richie POULTON, CNZM FRSNZ

Director, Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit
University of Otago, New Zealand

Professor Richie Poulton is Director of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit which conducts the Dunedin longitudinal study, one of the most detailed studies of human health and development ever undertaken.

In 2007, he established and became a Co-Director of the National Centre for Lifecourse Research, with partners located at universities across New Zealand and internationally. He has published 250+ peer-reviewed scientific papers, with many appearing in leading international journals. His research interests include mental health, nature-nurture interplay, and psychosocial determinants of chronic physical disease. In 2014, he was named as a Highly Cited Researcher by Thomson-Reuters and was listed in 2015 World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds.

Professor Poulton has received many notable medals and awards over the past years. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2010. He has also held a part-time position as the inaugural Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Ministry of Social Development since October 2014. In 2016, he received the Celebrating Research Excellence Award from the Health Research Council for “an outstanding contribution to health research throughout an established career”. Earlier in 2017, the Dunedin Study Research Group, which he leads, received the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Science Prize for work that has had a significant impact on New Zealand and internationally.