Jin Sato is a Professor of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Asia, at the University of Tokyo. He specializes in development studies with a specific focus on the politics of natural resources and foreign aid in the context of Southeast Asia. He served as a visiting professor at the School of Public Policy at Princeton University from 2016 to 2020 and a visiting professor at Columbia University Climate School in 2024. He also served as a policy advisor (JICA expert) to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Royal Thai government (2004-2005) and the President of the Japan Society for International Development (2020-2023). Sato holds an MPP from the Kennedy School at Harvard University and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Tokyo. Soyeun Kim is Professor at the Institute of East Asian Studies and Chair of the Graduate Programme in Southeast Asian Studies at Sogang University, Korea.

Her research interests lie broadly in the political ecology and political economy of development cooperation, with a particular geographical focus on East and Southeast Asia. She is an associate editor of the journal TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia (2015 to date) and served as a civilian non-standing board member of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (2019 - 2020). She has published in Geoforum, Global Environmental Politics, Globalizations, Journal of International Development, The European Journal of Development Research, Third World Quarterly, World Development, and others.