Jomana is a third-year student studying law, politics and economics. I whakapapa to Egypt and grew up in Ōtepoti, Dunedin. She is heavily involved in politics and am the secretary for the Politics Students’ Association (POLSA). Last year, she was a Youth MP for Francisco Hernandez and delivered a TEDx Youth talk on political resistance to authoritarianism in art. Jomana is very excited to be part of this panel discussion!

Robert Patman is one of the University of Otago Inaugural Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chairs and a specialist in international relations. Robert has authored or edited 14 books, and is currently completing a book called Rethinking the Global Impact of 9/11. Robert is an Honorary Professor of the New Zealand Defence Command and Staff College and makes regular contributions to the national and international media. In 2024, he was the winner of New Zealand Universities’ Critic and Conscience of Society Award.

Mo is a PhD candidate in Human Geography at the University of Otago. His research explores how young people navigate and reshape public space with a focus on urban Iran. Drawing on affect theory and atmospheric approaches, his work examines how emotions, everyday practices, and digital life intersect to shape experiences of inclusion, mobility, and resistance in Iran.

Mr Rodriguez was born in Havana, Cuba. He has a Masters in International Political Relations and has served in the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well working at the Cuban Embassies of Turkey and Germany. He has been the Cuban Ambassador to Aotearoa New Zealand since 2024.