Prof. Dr. Anastasia Sofroniou
Professor of Mathematics at the School of Computing and Engineering, University of West London, United Kingdom
Past Speakers
Topic: Navigating the Future of STEM Education: Diversity, Innovation, and Practical Insights
Dr Anastasia Sofroniou is a Professor of Mathematics, the Lead of Professional Engagement, and the Course Director for the BSc and MSc Mathematics and Statistics degrees at the School of Computing and Engineering, University of West London, United Kingdom. Her research focuses on Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos, and she has recently been active in Educational Mathematics. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, and an Editor for several academic journals.
Dr Sofroniou earned her BSc in Mathematics with Economics from University College London, her MSc in Mathematics from King’s College London, and a Certificate in Data Analysis for Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She received her PhD in Applied Mathematics from University College London in 2006. During her studies, she was awarded the Andrew Rosen Prize for research excellence in Applied Mathematics and twice received the Lighthill Scholarship Award in Mathematics.
Dr Sofroniou serves on the Advisory Board of The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, where she is affiliated with the Education Workstream. She is also a Trustee of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. As Chair of WInSTEM, she is dedicated to inspiring and motivating women and young girls to pursue studies and careers in STEM fields.
Prof. Dr. Laurence Peters
Professor at Johns Hopkins University, United States
Topic: Making the Case for New Paradigm Breaking Schools Designed for the Distracted Generation
Dr. Laurence Peters currently is an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University where he teaches courses on global education. He has authored several books on how to maximize the educational value of global education for classroom teachers. Prior to his teaching career he worked as a counsel to a congressional education subcommittee and later joined the Clinton administration as a Senior Policy Advisor.
His publications can be viewed here;
https://sites.google.com/view/laurencepeters/home
He is working on his next book with Himanshi Sharma on the future of learning in the 21st century due out in 2025.
Prof. Dr. Mª Teresa Vega
She is a professor of Social Pychology at Salamanca University in Spain. Her research interests are to analyse the impact of collaborative learning on the teaching of social psychology. She has published several articles about Interdisciplinary Collaborative Learning, Assessing psychosocial competences on psychology students, Self-efficacy and Academic Stress and Academic factors influencing stress in university students.
Assoc. Prof. Koichiro Kitamura
Koichiro Kitamura is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Communication at Kanda University of International Studies (Japan). His research interests include English Language Teaching and Sociolinguistics.
Prof. Zuzana Murčinková
Prof. MSC. Eng. Zuzana Murčinková, PhD. is a professor at the Technical University of Košice, Slovakia, Europe. She is a lead author and co-author of 21 scientific papers of Current Content journals, and 77 scientific papers in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. She focuses on the mechanics of materials, production machinery, and static and dynamic simulation of the mechanical behaviour of structures using the finite element method.
Prof. Natalie Lavoie
Natalie Lavoie is a professor at the University of Quebec in Rimouski and holds a doctorate in psychopedagogy. Her research in recent years has focused on spelling, graphomotor skills (manuscript, cursive, pencil, keyboard) and pedagogical practices to develop them. She received several research grants as well as the Alcide Horth distinction and an Excellence in research and creation award.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amalia Babayan
Dr. Amalia Babayan, PhD, is an associate professor at the Faculty of International Relations of Yerevan State University, Armenia. She currently teaches English for Diplomatic Intercourse, Aspects of Diplomatic Language, Diplomatic Correspondence. She is the author of many articles, books and manuals. Her research interests lie in methods of language teaching, ESP/EAP, communicative strategies, materials development and course design.
Prof. Dr. Wowek Sean Kearney
Dr. Wowek Sean Kearney is Professor of Educational Administration at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Dr. Kearney maintains an active research portfolio, which specific lines of inquiry in school culture and climate, the correlates of high performing schools, and principal preparation. He has developed a variety of validated educational climate indices including the Change Orientation Scale and the Classroom Climate Index.
Dr. Othman Abu Khurmaá
Dr. Othman Abu Khurma, a passionate science educator with a Ph.D. in Science Education and certifications in educational assessment (NCFE/UK, CACHE/UK, ACTVET/UAE), leverages 18 years of experience across Jordan and the GCC to develop engaging teaching materials and lead STEM training programs for postgraduate programs. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor of science education at the Emirates College for Advanced Education.
Dr. Lhoussine Qasserras
With a robust academic foundation, Dr. Qasserras holds an MBA from Cardiff University and an M.Ed. from Rabat Med V University, complemented by a Ph.D. in Linguistics with a specialization in Quality Teacher Education. He has been dedicated to teaching and training since 2004, contributing to renowned institutions such as Sunderland University, ESEF, Ibn Tofail University, CRMEF, and EMI.
An active participant in the global ELT community, Dr. Qasserras has presented at international conferences across Morocco, England, Greece, Spain, Romania, Italy, Turkey, Tunisia, Qatar, and Portugal. As Chair of the Rabat International ELT Conference and Co-Founder of the Global Bus Foundation, he is committed to advancing the field of TESOL through thought leadership and collaboration.
With over 16 published research articles, Dr. Qasserras’s expertise encompasses Teacher Education, TESOL, ELT, and Business English. His work is driven by a passion for fostering high-quality education and empowering educators to excel in diverse, multicultural contexts.
Mr. Manyi Nkongho Felix
Manyi Nkongho Felix obtained a Graduate Diploma in Database Management from the KiawitechIT Academy and am currently carrying out research work on Technology and Education in Cameroon. Presently is the Academic Coordinator with Higher Institute of Professional Studies, (HIPS- Buea) Cameroon.
Mrs. Judith Roxanne Kingston
Judith Roxanne Kingston is currently the Dietetic Internship Director for Aramark Healthcare+. She is a Registered Dietitian that has worked in dietetics education for the past 15 years. Her education was completed at The University of Southern Mississippi where she finished the Dietetic Internship and received her Master of Science degree. She is currently completing her PhD in Research, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment (RESA).
Mrs. Anna Rzepecka-Karwowska
Anna Rzepecka-Karwowska, BA,MA, MEd Dyslexia in the ESL Classroom (Pl/Eng) method ® Creator. She specializes in bridging neurodiversity with science and language education. Passionate about enhancing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching for students with dyslexia.
Mr. Fenta Belete Amera
Fenta Belete Amera has a BA in Pedagogical Sciences and an MA in Educational Psychology. Currently, he is a PhD student in psychology (developmental stream) and a lecturer at Bahir Dar University. He has been working as a teacher and principal in secondary schools, a TVET director, a planning officer, a counselor, a curriculum expert, an administrator, a capacity-building director, and a managing director. In addition, he is working as an educational consultant in private colleges. His research interest is positive education.
Mrs. Filipa Lemos Cristina
Filipa is a Biology graduated, has dedicated over 20 years to research and international projects in multinationals and start-ups. With postgrads in Marketing, Medical Affairs and a certification in Neurosciences, she’s currently serving as national ambassador for Digieduhack (and UE project) and is the founder of powerUP
Dr. Kew Si Na
Senior Lecturer at Language Academy, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Topic: Learning Analytics and Communication Skills in Education
Dr. Kew Si Na is a senior lecturer at Language Academy, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and doing her postdoctoral program at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She was the former coordinator of the Ph.D. and Master Full Research TESL Programme, FSSH, UTM. Her research interests are educational technology, online teaching and learning, learning analytics (LA), teaching English as a second language (TESL), technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), computer-assisted language learning (CALL), etc. She is active in research and publication. She is joining the Technology and Language Education (TLE) research group. She is also currently one of the members of the Young Scientist Network Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM), the Chair of the Science Leadership Working Group, and a member of the Golden Key Honor International Society. She is also an editor of the Innovative Teaching and Learning Journal and a reviewer for different journals. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and received different awards in exhibitions and competitions including the Best Presenters, and the indexed journal publication award. She was also the National Winner of Generation Impact Fellowship 2020. Her existing research grants focus on learning analytics in online learning, and she is leading the flagship program of YSN-ASM Chrysalis Award 2023.
Ass. Prof. Gayda AlZohbi
Gayda AlZohbi is currently an assistant professor in the College of Sciences & Human Studies at Prince Mohamed Bin Fahd University-Khobar, KSA. She holds a PhD degree in Engineering Sciences and Technology from the Engineering school of Brussels, ULB- Brussels, Belgium. Her research interest focuses on Renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen, sustainability, and higher education.
Dr. Callum Philbin
Dr. Callum Philbin is a Lecturer and Researcher in International Education with NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands. He was the winner of the Jeff Thompson Award from the University of Bath for his doctoral thesis exploring modalities of cosmopolitanism and mobility in international school students. His recent research focuses on the interdisciplinary nexus of education and machine learning.
Mrs. Filipa Lemos Cristina
“Filipa, a loving mother and a passionate advocate for humanity, underwent a transformative journey nearly 9 years ago when motherhood prompted profound self-reflection, leading her to rediscover her core values and life purpose. With a background of 20+ years in academia and multinational corporations, she transitioned from healthcare to education, where she supports a social impact EdTech initiative and founded a project focused on developing human skills – PowerUP.
PowerUp’s mission involves assisting organizations in adopting a more human-centred business model. This is achieved by fostering the development and acceleration of essential human skills, creating a positive impact on individuals and the overall organizational environment and reputation. Filipa also actively seeks out like-minded tribes that share her values.
It’s only together that amplification the importance the development of human skills can take place, both on a personal level and within organizations, advocating for a collective embrace of this purpose in this challenging new world.”
Ms. Keren Mamman Noar
Ms Keren Mamman Noar, RN MA, is an experienced nurse and clinical instructor specializing in internal medicine. With a passion for patient well-being, she combines her expertise with teaching, mentoring, and ongoing research to make a positive impact in healthcare and nursing education. With a passion for patient care, Keren has been working at Soroka University Medical Center in Israel, in the Department of Internal Medicine since 2003. Her responsibilities include promoting diabetes awareness and Keren’s commitment to education led her to become a Clinical Instructor at the School of Health Professions, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, where she teaches in the Internal Medicine division. She is actively involved in training and mentoring students, facilitating their practical and theoretical learning experiences.
Dr. Yaxin Bi
School of Computing, Ulster University, UK
Topic: Understanding Student Engagement through Sentiment Analysis of Response Times to Coursework Feedback
Dr. Yaxin Bi is a Reader in School of Computing at Ulster University. His principal research interests include multiple supervised and unsupervised machine learning-based classification systems and ensemble methods in conjunction with the Dempter-Shafer (DS) theory of evidence; data analytics and decision making with uncertainty methods for satellite data exploitation with an emphasis on anomaly/change detection; and sentiment analytics for opinion mining. He has recently conducted a series of studies in using sentiment analytics to analyse student emotional engagement. Yaxin has more than 170 peer-reviewed publications in international journals and conferences. He has served for a number of international conferences as general chair, program chair and program committee member, he also is an associate editor for International Journal of Intelligence Systems as well as a steering committee member for the series of International Conference on Knowledge Science, Engineering and management (KSEM).
Dr. Seda Saraç
Seda Saraç is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction in the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Bahçeşehir University. She has been a faculty member since 2016, where she has been serving as Vice Dean and the head of the Department of Elementary Education and coordinator of the graduate studies of the department. Her research mainly focuses on metacognition.
Dr. Mohamed Amish
Dr Mohamed Amish is a senior lecturer and oil and gas engineering programme leader in the School of Engineering at Robert Gordon University. Mohamed’s research activity covers engineering education, with a particular focus on technology enhancement, work-based learning, and drilling optimisation. He is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a quality assurance reviewer, and serve as a Faculty Chief External Examiner at a UK university. He has been recognised with the “University Personal Tutor of the Year” and “Excellence in Teaching and Learning”, STAR Awards.
Dr. Asma binti Abdul Rahman
Dr. Asma binti Abdul Rahman is a Professor of Arabic linguistic education and Education in teaching Arabic as the second language at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. She became a Deputy vice of CEO/Deputy vice chancellor at Al-Madinah International University Malaysia (MEDIU) starting 10 March 2023 until 09 March 2028 for 2-5 years. She has more than 29 years’ experience mainly in Arabic linguistic education teaching undergraduates as well as supervising postgraduate students both locally and internationally. She is also involved in Arabic education at Kolej Permata Insan school KPG (gifted children and students).
Mr. Christopher Horger
Christopher Horger has been teaching academic writing at American universities for thirty-five years, twenty-eight of them in the Arab world. His interests include rhetoric and composition theory, applied linguistics, and cross-cultural communications. Since 2005 he has been Editor-in-Chief of the First Year Reader, a collection of the best student essays from the American University of Sharjah’s first-year writing program.
Ms. Elaine Saunches
Ms. Elaine Saunches holds a Master of Education Degree and a BSc in Library and Information Studies from the University of the West Indies, Mona. Her research interests are Teaching, particularly at the High School level, and Gender and Development Studies. Currently, she is employed as a Librarian at the University of the West Indies, Mona Library.
Dr. Eleni Tsami
Dr. Eleni Tsami studied Mathematics at the University of Athens and she holds Masters in “Teaching Mathematics and Methodology” and in “Banking”, PhD thesis, “The use of new technologies in teaching economics”. She is member of the Laboratory Teaching Personnel at the School of Finance and Statistics of the University of Piraeus.
MSC. Elia Pineda
Elia Elizabeth Pineda is a Statistician with a postgraduate degree in Higher Education and a Master’s degree in Applied Statistics for Scientific Research from the Evangelical University of El Salvador. She currently works as a scientific researcher and professor with interests in Education, Operational Statistics and Research
Prof. Dr. Margo Kondratieva
Prof. Dr. Margo Kondratieva is a professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education at Memorial University. With her thirty years of teaching experience, she is a recipient of the Motivational Teaching Award and the Student Union Award for Teaching Excellence. Problem solving and the development of mathematical reasoning are amongst the topics of her scholarly interest.
Dr. Si Na Kew
She is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and doing her postdoctoral program at Nanyang Technological University. Her research interests are educational technology, learning analytics, TESL, technology-enhanced language learning, etc. She is the Chair of YSN-ASM Science Leadership Working Group. She received several awards in exhibitions and competitions, best presenters, chancellor award, indexed journal publication award, etc.