Arie Trouwborst is a full professor of nature conservation law. Recent work has focused on megafauna restoration, rewilding, and human-wildlife coexistence, analysing the law within its ecological and ethical context. His work spans 25 years and various continents, and species from European to African elephants.
Trouwborst works at Tilburg University and is also an extraordinary professor at North-West University in South Africa. He is a regular advisor of international entities (e.g., Bern Convention, European Commission), national governments, and NGOs. His keynote will discuss the topic of human-bear coexistence in Europe within the bigger picture of international wildlife law and policy. Ingredients include the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ and the ‘intrinsic value’ of wildlife.

Fun fact: Much of Trouwborst’s fascination with the topic of human-wildlife coexistence is captured in this observation by a US park ranger: “There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists”

https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/staff/a-trouwborst

Carsten Nowak is a zoologist and population geneticist focusing on the re-expansion of large carnivores and other wildlife in Europe and associated human–wildlife conflicts. As Germany’s national reference centre for large carnivore genetics, his laboratory monitors the spread of wolves and lynx and has developed novel genetic marker systems for in-depth assessment of European wildlife population from environmental samples. He is co-founder of international initiatives on transnational genetic wildlife monitoring and a member of the national wolf documentation and consultation centre as well as the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE). In this presentation, he reviews the current state of wildlife genetics in Europe, highlighting recent advances in analytical tools for assessing relatedness, population structure, genetic diversity, and hybridization. Particular emphasis is placed on the increasing use of whole-genome data, which now allows reconstruction of population histories, identification of adaptive introgression, and estimation of inbreeding-related genetic load. Case studies across wolves, bears, lynx, wildcats, bison, hamsters, and bustards demonstrate the power and applied relevance of modern molecular approaches, but also expose widespread genetic erosion and inbreeding in European wildlife driven by long-term anthropogenic pressure. The overarching goal of this work is to support evidence-based wildlife management by integrating genome-wide measures. Such approaches can inform reintroduction strategies, enhance habitat connectivity, and better link ex situ and in situ conservation efforts, ultimately contributing to the maintenance of genetically viable wildlife populations within Europe’s highly fragmented, human-dominated landscapes.

Fun fact: “From butterflies to bears - My introduction to large carnivores was a near-bear collision as a student on a narrow Wisconsin trail while catching swallowtails. Lacking knowledge and a cool head my reaction was instant flight. I’ve traded the butterfly net for a career in large carnivore research - but damn: I’d still run.”

www.researchgate.net/profile/Carsten-Nowak-2
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GZMmvIEAAAAJ&hl=de
www.senckenberg.de/en/Mitarbeiter/100458/

Christian Radu Chereji is an informal governance & conflict analyst specializing in socio-environmental conflict systems, stakeholder intelligence, and informal governance systems with a focus on community-based governance, conflict prevention, and the human dimensions of conservation and natural resource management. His research focuses on the informal social mechanisms through which communities manage tensions, maintain cooperation, and prevent conflicts around shared natural resources and environmental change. With experience spanning Romania, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, and Africa, he has contributed to research and practical initiatives on conservation conflicts, stakeholder engagement, natural resource governance, and community relations in protected and resource-dependent areas. His work combines conflict analysis, political anthropology, and field-based research on the “invisible” social infrastructures that sustain coexistence and cooperation beyond formal institutions. Currently, he works at Babeș-Bolyai University as Professor of Conflict Studies and Director of the Conflict Studies Center, where he leads initiatives on environmental conflict analysis, participatory governance, and community engagement in conservation and development contexts. His keynote will address the role of informal norms, local institutions, and community-based mechanisms in preventing conflict and sustaining social order in contexts of environmental governance and conservation change.

Fun fact: “During fieldwork in the Apuseni Mountains, I’ve learned that local shepherds can often predict bear movements more accurately than official wildlife reports, usually over coffee, not GPS data.”

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-chereji-677217157/
https://substack.com/@christianchereji

Mihai Pop is a forester and wildlife ecologist based in Romania, with a background spanning forestry, government, NGO work, and academia. Over the past two decades, his research has centred on brown bear ecology and the practical challenges of coexistence between people and large carnivores in the Carpathians. His work has consistently aimed to connect field-based ecological knowledge with the needs of conservation management and wildlife policy. He is a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group and the International Association for Bear Research and Management. Currently he is involved in European projects on human-wildlife coexistence and leads a research grant on how intraspecific interactions shape human-brown bear conflicts. His keynote will explore the science and governance of brown bear management in Romania, highlighting the gap between ecological evidence and current policy.

Fun fact: "He has spent two decades studying one of Europe's most contested animals, and remains convinced that the hardest part of coexistence is not the bears but getting people in the same room."

Relevant links:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mihai-Pop-8?ev=hdr_xprf

Nuria Selva is an animal ecologist and conservation biologist, with a research focus on brown bear ecology and conservation. An important part of her work addresses human-bear coexistence, the impacts of human activities, food and infrastructure on brown bear behaviour, and the ecosystem services provided by bears. With two decades of experience in the Carpathian region, she led the preparation of the management plan for the brown bear in Poland. She is member of the SSC/IUCN Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe and Bear Specialist Group.

Fun fact: “She loves any research around bear shits”

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nuria-Selva/research
https://scholar.google.es/citations?hl=es&user=_Myf0AEAAAAJ
https://carpathianbear.pl/