Asia

Ananya Raihan is currently the Executive Director of D.Net (Development Research Network). Raihan started his professional career at Kharkov State University, Ukraine as an Assistant Professor. He also served as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a leading civil society think tank in Bangladesh. He immensely contributed at Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) as an Associate Professor and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) as a consultant. Raihan has a diversified research interest which includes access to information and knowledge, international trade, financial sector reform, corporate social responsibility and SME development. He was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in recognition of his contribution as a social innovator in the area of ICT for the rural community.
Raihan is currently the secretary General of Bangladesh Telecentre Network (BTN), which aims to build up information and knowledge system for the poor and marginalised. As a researcher he performed professional works for a number of international and regional organisations including UNCTAD, WTO-ITC, SAARCFINANCE, OXFAM, CENTAD, SAPANA, SCCI, UNESCO and ICTSD. Raihan completed his MS in Economics (specialisation: Economic Cybernetics) and was awarded Ph.D. in Economics from V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics, National Academy of Science, Ukraine.

Dr. Elizabeth Quat is the Founder and CEO of CB Strategic Investment Limited which focus in investment in ICT and Education areas. Dr. Quat is also the Co-Founder and Immediate Past President of Internet Professional Association which now represents over 2,500 ICT professionals. It contributes towards improving professionalism of information technology practitioners, encouraging ICT professionals to share social responsibilities, as well as striving to bridge the digital divide in Hong Kong. She holds a BBA, MBA and PhD degree in Management and has over 20 years of experience in Asia market entry, new business & product development, and M&A. Dr. Quat is an active member of many China and HKSAR Government Advisory Committees and community servicing organisations such as the Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee, Logistics Development Council, and the Personal Data (Privacy) Advisory Committee. She is also the Founder of Green ICT Consortium and the Hong Kong Energy Saving Association, and a member of the All-China Youth Federation of mainland China. She was awarded one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” and “Ten Outstanding Young Digi Persons, "The Most Successful Women", and "Hundred Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs in China". Dr. Quat was also elected District Councilor of Hong Kong Shatin District Council.
Dr. Quat recently completed a Master Degree in Social Sciences major in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Hong Kong University’s Family Institute.  Dr. Quat joined the scientists of the “ELYSIUM” project on a 20-day expedition of the Antarctic Peninsula and Southern Ocean to examine the impact of climate change on the oceans and Antarctica. Dr. Quat, a certified PADI dive Instructor was one of the members of the diving team and a supporting photographer of the expedition to document the underwater and above water world of Antarctica. Dr. Quat is married and has been a vegetarian for 23 years.

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Osama Manzar is a convert social entrepreneur spearheading the mission to overcome the information barrier between India’s rural sector and the so-called developed society, through Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) – the not-for-profit organization founded to accomplish the mission. Osama has been British Chevening Fellow and he was invited by the US State Department for the “International Visitors Leadership Program”. He just released his 4^th Book titled “NetCh@kra: 15 Years of Internet in India”. He is a member of the Advisory Board for National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN). At the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, for the Community Radio Licensing, Osama Manzar is a member of the Screening Committee.He has recently initiated a regional movement on “How Mobile can Empower Masses” through mBillionth Award South Asia, recognising and mentoring Mobile Content, Application & Services. He launched Manthan Award, India’s first ever award for choosing the best e-content practices. Manthan Award has extended its reach to the Asia Pacific region recently and has accumulated more than 4000 best e-content practices in its nomination database. Osama Manzar is e-Content Expert for India for World Summit Award (WSA), Grand Jury Member and member of the Board of Directors. In addition, he has been Jury Anchor for the Dataquest e-Gov Champion Award, for Bahrain e-Content Award, Sri Lanka’s e-Content Award & Bangladesh e-Content & ICTD Award-National Digital Innovation. He has been the moderator for e-North east Award Jury. Further, he is the facilitator of the “Pearson Teachers Award”.He has been a part of the Professional Social Entrepreneurship Program by Social-Impact International and worked for Computerworld as assistant editor and for Hindustan Times as head of Interactive Media Division. He is a physics graduate and holds a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. Osama has a credit of covering case studies in India and South Asia and has traveled villages, including 30 countries. Osama is fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi and can read and write Arabic and Persian.