IAFOR > The European Conference on Education (ECE) > ECE2025 > Programme

Programme

The European Conference on Education (ECE) is an interdisciplinary conference held alongside The European Conference on Arts & Humanities (ECAH) and The European Conference on Aging & Gerontology (EGen). Keynote, Featured and Spotlight Speakers will provide a variety of perspectives from different academic and professional backgrounds. Registration for one conference will allow participants to attend sessions in all three.

Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 will be held at SOAS University of London.
Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 will be held at University College London Torrington Place Training Centre.
Monday, July 14 will be held online.

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Conference Outline

Thursday, July 10Friday, July 11Saturday, July 12Sunday, July 13Monday, July 14

Conference Venue: SOAS University of London, Brunei Gallery Building

09:00-10:00: Conference Check-in | Brunei Gallery Suite Foyer

10:00-10:30: Welcome Addresses & Recognition of IAFOR Scholarship Winners | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Joseph Haldane, IAFOR & University College London, United Kingdom

10:30-10:55: Keynote Presentation | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Engineering Inclusivity, How?
Anne Nortcliffe, Wrexham University, United Kingdom
10:55-11:10: Q&A

11:10-11:40: Networking Coffee Break | Brunei Suite

11:40-12:40: Panel Presentation | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
Fiona Truscott, University College London, United Kingdom
Francesco Ciriello, King's College London, United Kingdom
Mo Zandi, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
Rana Khalife, University College London, United Kingdom (Moderator)

12:40-12:50: Conference Photograph | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre

12:50-14:00: Extended Break

14:00-14:25: Keynote Presentation | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Tim Beasley-Murray, University College London, United Kingdom
14:25-14:40: Q&A

14:45-15:45: Forum Discussion | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Melina Neophytou, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator)

15:45-16:45: Welcome Reception | Brunei Suite

19:00-21:00: Conference Dinner | The Savile Club
This is an optional ticketed event

Conference Venue: SOAS University of London, Brunei Gallery Building

09:00-09:15: Conference Check-in | Brunei Gallery Suite Foyer

09:15-10:05: IAFOR Information Session | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre
Grant Black, Chuo University, Japan
Dexter Da Silva, Keisen University, Japan
Melina Neophytou, IAFOR, Japan
Matthew Chima, IAFOR, Japan

10:10-10:20: Welcome Address | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
James W. McNally, NACDA & University of Michigan, United States

10:25-10:50: Keynote Presentation | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Prevention of Dementia: What We Have Learned in the Lancet Commission
Gill Livingston, University College London, United Kingdom
10:50-11:05: Q&A Session

11:05-11:35: Networking Coffee Break | Brunei Suite

11:35-12:35: Panel Presentation | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Gerontology & AI – How to Incorporate Robots into Elders’ Everyday Lives
Jane Biddulph, University College London, United Kingdom
Rosa Urbano Gutierrez, Manchester School of Architecture, United Kingdom
Bernadette Lee, Princess Alice Hospice, United Kingdom
Paul Nietert, Medical University of South Carolina, United States
Helge Wurdemann, University College London, United Kingdom

12:35-13:55: Extended Break

13:55-14:20: Keynote Presentation | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Politics of Education in Conflict and Protracted-Crisis Situations
Tejendra Pherali, University College London, United Kingdom
14:20-14:35: Q&A

14:40-15:40: Plenary Panel Discussion | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre & Online
Climate Change and International Cooperation - Educating in a Contested Space
Jun Arima, University of Tokyo, Japan
Antony Froggatt, European Federation for Transport and Environment, United Kingdom

15:45-16:45: Conference Poster Session | Brunei Suite

18:30-22:00: Networking Event: Classic British Pub Quiz
This is an optional ticketed event held at The Marquis Cornwallis

Conference Venue: Torrington Place Training Centre, University College London

09:15-10:00: Conference Check-in | Torrington Place Training Centre (Ground Floor Foyer)

10:00-11:40: Onsite Parallel Session 1
B07 (Basement): ECAH | Arts in Literature, Media, and History
B08 (Basement): ECAH | Knowledge Acquisition
B09 (Basement): ECE | Existence and Identity in Education
B17 (Basement): ECE/ECAH | Education and Innovation (Workshops)
G08 (Ground): ECE | Distance and Self-Directed Learning
G09 (Ground): ECE | Pursuing Education in Times of Change
G10 (Ground): ECE | Curriculum Design and Development for Inclusive Education
G12 (Ground): ECE | AI in the Education Ecosystem
G13 (Ground): EGen | Frailty and Mobility
G20 (Ground): ECE | Technology in Education

11:40-12:10: Networking Coffee Break

12:10-13:50: Onsite Parallel Session 2
B07 (Basement): ECE/ECAH | Arts and Curation
B08 (Basement): ECE | Knowledge Acquisition and Literacy Development
B09 (Basement): ECE | Education, Sustainability & Society
B17 (Basement): ECE | Student Learning and Learner Diversity
G08 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Collaborative Education
G09 (Ground): ECE | Comparative Strategies Towards Academic Achievement
G10 (Ground): ECE | Classroom Practices and Students' Engagement
G12 (Ground): ECE | AI and Technology in Teaching Approaches
G13 (Ground): EGen | Ageing Well
G20 (Ground): ECE | Technology and Pedagogy Development

13:50-14:05: Break

14:05-15:45: Onsite Parallel Session 3
B07 (Basement): ECAH | Arts Practices and the Humanities
B08 (Basement): ECAH | Mental Health and Well-being
B09 (Basement): ECE | Cultural Identities and Indigeneity in Education
B17 (Basement): ECE | Teaching and Learning Experiences in Multicultural and Multilingual Contexts
G08 (Ground): ECE | Leadership in Education
G09 (Ground): ECE | Approaches to Industry-Ready Education
G10 (Ground): ECAH | Socioeconomic Issues in Education
G12 (Ground): ECE | Teaching with AI
G13 (Ground): EGen | Built Environment and Elderly Care
G20 (Ground): ECE | Gender in Policy and Curriculum in Higher Education

15:45-16:15 Networking Coffee Break

16:15-17:55: Onsite Parallel Session 4
B07 (Basement): ECAH | Women in Arts and Politics
B08 (Basement): ECAH | Fashion and Society
B09 (Basement): ECE | Challenges in Accessing and Navigating Higher Education
B17 (Basement): ECE/ECAH | Application and Integration of Indigenous Knowledge in Education
G08 (Ground): ECE | Professional Development and Competencies in Education
G09 (Ground): ECE | Approaches to Academic Opportunities and Achievements
G10 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Toward Inclusive School Climate
G12 (Ground): ECE | AI in Academic Writing
G13 (Ground): EGen | Approaches to Elderly Care
G20 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Technology in Education

Conference Venue: Torrington Place Training Centre, University College London

08:45-09:00: Conference Check-in | Torrington Place Training Centre (Ground Floor Foyer)

09:00-10:40: Onsite Parallel Session 1
B07 (Basement): ECAH | Comparative Perspectives on Arts
B08 (Basement): ECAH | Cultural Issues in Media and Literature
B09 (Basement): ECAH | Cyberspace Literacy
B17 (Basement): ECE | Education & Special Education (Workshops)
G08 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary Education
G09 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics
G10 (Ground): ECE | AI in Language Teaching
G12 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Teachers' Efficacy and Professional Development
G13 (Ground): ECE | Emotional, Cognition, and Psychomotor Skills Development
G20 (Ground): ECE | Educational Management and Curriculum Design

10:40-11:10: Networking Coffee Break

11:10-12:50: Onsite Parallel Session 2
B07 (Basement): ECAH | Teaching and Learning the Arts
B08 (Basement): ECAH | Civil Rights and Identities
B09 (Basement): ECE/ECAH | Approaches to Skills and Knowledge Retention
B17 (Basement): ECE | Education & Difference: Gifted Education, Special Education, Learning Difficulties & Disability (Workshops)
G08 (Ground): ECE | Professional Development and Concerns in Education
G09 (Ground): ECE | The Intangible Concepts in Education
G10 (Ground): ECE | Perceptions of Technology and Its Impacts on Education
G12 (Ground): ECE | Teachers' Competency Development
G13 (Ground): EGen | Frailty and Resiliency
G20 (Ground): ECE | Sustainability Education

12:50-13:05: Break

13:05-14:45: Onsite Parallel Session 3
B07 (Basement): ECAH | Innovations and Digital Media
B08 (Basement): ECAH | History/Historiography
B09 (Basement): ECE | Education and Differences: Learning Difficulties and Disability
B17 (Basement): ECE/ECAH | Sexuality, Gender, Families and Education (Workshop & Presentations)
G08 (Ground): ECE | The Integration of the Arts in Education
G09 (Ground): ECE | Approaches to Effective Curriculum Implementation
G10 (Ground): ECE | The Application of AI and Technology in Education
G12 (Ground): ECE | Teacher Professional Development
G13 (Ground): EGen | Coping with Ageism
G20 (Ground): ECE | Mathematics Education

14:45-15:15: Networking Coffee Break

15:15-16:55: Onsite Parallel Session 4
B07 (Basement): ECAH | AI, Arts, and the Humanities
B08 (Basement): ECAH | The Humanism Discourse
B09 (Basement): ECE | Inclusive and Equitable Education
B17 (Basement): ECAH | Interdisciplinary Topics in the Humanities
G08 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Culture, Community, Communication and Education
G09 (Ground): ECE | Approaches to Teaching and Learning Academic Writing
G10 (Ground): ECE/ECAH | Integration and Critiques of AI in Education
G12 (Ground): ECE | Leadership in Education
G13 (Ground): EGen | Silver Economy and Active Ageing
G20 (Ground): ECE | International Education

17:00-17:15: Onsite Closing Session | G12 (Ground)

Conference Venue: Online via Zoom

07:55-08:00: Message from IAFOR

08:00-09:40: Online Parallel Session 1
Live-Stream Room 1: EGen | Cognitive and Physical Well-being
Live-Stream Room 2: ECE | Professional Development in Higher Education
Live-Stream Room 3: ECE/ECAH | AI, Virtual Technology, and Youth
Live-Stream Room 4: ECE | Curriculum Design and Development
Live-Stream Room 5: ECE/ECAH | Comparative Experiences of a Globalised World

09:40-09:50: Break

09:50-11:30: Online Parallel Session 2
Live-Stream Room 1: ECE/ECAH | Foreign Languages Education
Live-Stream Room 2: ECE/ECAH | History and the Development of Higher Education
Live-Stream Room 3: ECE | AI in Education
Live-Stream Room 4: ECE | Comparative Approaches to Pedagogical Development
Live-Stream Room 5: ECAH | Gender and Identities in Media and Literature

11:30-11:40: Break

11:40-13:20: Online Parallel Session 3
Live-Stream Room 1: ECE | English Teaching and Assessment
Live-Stream Room 2: ECE | Perspectives and Experiences in Higher Education
Live-Stream Room 3: ECE | AI-Driven Education
Live-Stream Room 4: ECE | Teaching and Learning Experiences
Live-Stream Room 5: ECE/ECAH | Comparative Issues on Race and Identity

13:20-13:30: Break

13:30-14:45: Online Parallel Session 4
Live-Stream Room 1: ECAH | Comparative Discourse Analysis
Live-Stream Room 4: ECE | Approaches to Achievement and Engagement in Education
Live-Stream Room 5: ECAH | History in Arts and Literature

14:45-14:50: Closing Message from IAFOR

Audience Registration Banner 1

One of the greatest strengths of IAFOR’s international conferences is their international and intercultural diversity.
As of March 11, 2025, ECE2025 has received over 680 submissions from over 75 countries and territories.

Accepted Presentations

Speakers


  • Jun Arima
    Jun Arima
    University of Tokyo, Japan
  • Grant Black
    Grant Black
    Chuo University, Japan
  • Anne Boddington
    Anne Boddington
    IAFOR, Japan
  • Evangelia Chrysikou
    Evangelia Chrysikou
    University College London, UK
  • Francesco Ciriello
    Francesco Ciriello
    King's College London, United Kingdom
  • Dexter Da Silva
    Dexter Da Silva
    Keisen University, Japan
  • Antony Froggatt
    Antony Froggatt
    European Federation for Transport and Environment, Belgium
  • Joseph Haldane
    Joseph Haldane
    The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan
  • Rana Khalife
    Rana Khalife
    University College London, United Kingdom
  • Bernadette Lee
    Bernadette Lee
    Princess Alice Hospice, United Kingdom
  • Gill Livingston
    Gill Livingston
    University College London, United Kingdom
  • James W. McNally
    James W. McNally
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States
  • Melina Neophytou
    Melina Neophytou
    IAFOR, Japan
  • Paul J. Nietert
    Paul J. Nietert
    Medical University of South Carolina, United States
  • Anne Nortcliffe
    Anne Nortcliffe
    Wrexham University, United Kingdom
  • Tejendra Pherali
    Tejendra Pherali
    University College London, United Kingdom
  • Fiona Truscott
    Fiona Truscott
    University College London, United Kingdom
  • Rosa Urbano Gutiérrez
    Rosa Urbano Gutiérrez
    Manchester School of Architecture, United Kingdom
  • Mo Zandi
    Mo Zandi
    University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

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Featured Presentations

To be announced

  • Engineering Inclusivity, How?
    Engineering Inclusivity, How?
    Keynote Presentation: Anne Nortcliffe
  • Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
    Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
    Panel Presentation: Fiona Truscott, Lillian Luk, Francesco Ciriello, Mo Zandi, Rana Khalife
  • Prevention of Dementia: What We Have Learned in the Lancet Commission
    Prevention of Dementia: What We Have Learned in the Lancet Commission
    Keynote Presentation: Gill Livingston
  • Education in Contexts of Political Resistance and Armed Struggles: Towards an Agenda for Peace with Justice
    Education in Contexts of Political Resistance and Armed Struggles: Towards an Agenda for Peace with Justice
    Keynote Presentation: Tejendra Pherali

Conference Programme & Abstract Book

The draft version of the Conference Programme will be available online on June 03, 2025. All registered delegates will be notified of this publication by email.

*Please be aware that the above schedule may be subject to change.

Important Information Emails

All registered attendees will receive an Important Information email and updates in the run-up to the conference. Please check your email inbox for something from "iafor.org". If you can not find these emails in your normal inbox, it is worth checking in your spam or junk mail folders as many programs filter out emails this way. If these did end up in one of these folders, please add the address to your acceptable senders' folder by whatever method your email program can do this.

Previous Programming

View details of programming for past ECE conferences via the links below.

ECE2024 ECE2023 ECE2022
ECE2021 ECE2020 ECE2019
ECE2018 ECE2017 ECE2016
ECE2015 ECE2014 ECE2013
Jun Arima
University of Tokyo, Japan

Biography

Professor Jun Arima is the President of IAFOR, and the senior academic officer of the organisation. In this role, Professor Arima is the Honorary Chair of the International Academic Advisory Board, as well as both the Academic Governing Board and its Executive Committee. He also sits on the IAFOR Board of Directors.

Jun Arima was formerly Director General of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), UK from 2011 to 2015 and Special Advisor on Global Environmental Affairs for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan, from 2011 to 2015. He has previously held various international energy/environment-related positions, including: Head of Division, Country Studies, International Energy Agency (IEA); Director, International Affairs Division, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, METI; and Deputy Director General for Environmental Affairs at METI’s Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau. In the COP (UN Convention on Climate Change) 14, 15 and 16, he was Japanese Chief Negotiator for AWG-KP.

Since 2015 Jun Arima has been a Professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan, where he teaches Energy Security, International Energy Governance, and Environmental Policies in the Graduate School of Public Policy. (GraSPP). He is also currently a Consulting Fellow at the Japanese Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). He is also Executive Senior Fellow at the 21st Century Public Policy Institute, Principal Researcher at the International Environmental and Economic Institute (IEEI), Distinguished Senior Policy Fellow, at the Asia Pacific Institute of Research (APIR), Senior Policy Fellow on Energy and Environment, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and was the Lead Author, the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC).

Panel Discussion (2025) | TBA
Grant Black
Chuo University, Japan

Biography

Professor Grant Black is a professor in the Faculty of Commerce at Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan, where he has taught Global Skills and Global Issues since 2013. Grant is engaged in diverse roles as a global manager, systems builder, executive leader and university professor. His research and teaching areas include global management skills, intercultural intelligence (CQ) and organisational management. He also has taught Japanese Management Theory at J. F. Oberlin University (Japan), and a continuing education course in the Foundations of Japanese Zen Buddhism at Temple University Japan. Previously, he was Chair of the English Section at the Center for Education of Global Communication at the University of Tsukuba where he served in a six-year post in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He holds a BA Highest Honors in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara; an MA in Japanese Buddhist Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a Doctor of Social Science (DSocSci) from the Department of Management in the School of Business at the University of Leicester. Dr Black is a Chartered Manager (CMgr), the highest status that can be achieved in the management profession in the UK. In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). Grant is President of Black Inc. Consulting (Japan), a Tokyo-based firm specialising in international and intercultural project management, communication projects, and executive leadership and training. He is the director of the Nippon Academic Management Institute (NAMI) and the author of Education Reform Policy at a Japanese Super Global University: Policy Translation, Migration and Mutation (Routledge, 2022). He serves as a Vice-President for the International Academic Forum (IAFOR).

Orientation Session (2025) | IAFOR Information Session

Previous Presentations

Special Seminar Session (2024) | An Introduction to the IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS)
Featured Interview (2021) | Undergraduate Research: Nurturing the Next Generation
Anne Boddington
IAFOR, Japan

Biography

Professor Anne Boddington is Executive Vice-President and Provost of IAFOR, and oversees the academic programs, research and policies of the forum.

Anne Boddington is Professor Emerita of Design Innovation and has held executive and senior leadership roles in Higher Education including as Dean of Arts & Humanities at the University of Brighton, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research, Business & Innovation at Kingston and Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at Middlesex University.

In 2022 she concluded chairing the Sub Panel (32) for Art & Design: History, Practice & Theory as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) and has extensive experience in the governance and conduct of peer review, research evaluation and assessment in REF2014 (Sub Panel Deputy Chair and Equality Diversity Advisory Panel [EDAP]) and RAE2008. A former member of AHRC’s Advisory Board, she is the current Chair of the Advisory Board for the UKRI’s National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) programme (£30M), Deputy Chair and a Trustee of the Design Council, the government’s strategic advisor for design, and a member of both the InnoHK Scientific Committee (Hong Kong) and the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ).

Since the 1990’s Anne has worked across the UK and internationally with a wide range of quality assurance, professional, statutory, and regulatory bodies in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong, and India.

As an independent consultant she now works as a strategic advisor and mentor and is committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in practice, developing effective governance, supporting career development, reducing bureaucracy, and improving organisational design, integrity, and productivity in the changing workplace.

Previous Presentations

Plenary Panel (2020) | Embracing Difference? Adaptive Lifelong Learning
Plenary Panel I (2017) | Think Like a System, Act Like an Entrepreneur
Evangelia Chrysikou
University College London, UK

Biography

Dr Evangelia Chrysikou is a registered architect and senior research fellow at UCL. She owns the award-winning SynThesis Architects (London – Athens), that specializes in medical facilities. Her work received prestigious awards (Singapore 2009, Kuala Lumpur 2012, Brisbane 2013, Birmingham 2014, London 2014). Parallel activities include teaching at medical and architectural schools, research (UK, France, Belgium, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Greece and the Middle East) and advisory. She advised the Hellenic Secretary of Health and is the author of the new national guidelines for mental health facilities. Dr Chrysikou is the author of the book ‘Architecture for Psychiatric Environments and Therapeutic Spaces’, healthcare architecture editor, reviewer, active member of several professional and scientific associations and a TED-MED speaker. She is a Trustee, Member of the Board and Director of Research at DIMHN (UK) and Member of the Board at the Scholar’s Association Onassis Foundation.

Francesco Ciriello
King's College London, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Francesco Ciriello is a Senior Lecturer in Engineering Education at King’s College London, United Kingdom, where he teaches interdisciplinary design. He researches how students learn by working on engineering projects and how they use computational intelligence to improve design processes and outcomes. He is also Director of Undergraduate Student Experience, Departmental lead for Project-based Learning & Design for the General & Electrical Engineering programmes at the same institution, and King’s Academy Fellow in Project-based Learning.

Dr Ciriello has broad expertise in Simulation and Engineering Design, with application to robotics and control systems, fluid dynamics, and manufacturing. He previously worked in the Education Group at MathWorks and provided consultancy services to educators and researchers on software development with MATLAB & Simulink. He also holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, for his work in experimental fluid dynamics and a MEng in Civil Engineering from Imperial College London, United Kingdom.

Dr Ciriello is also a visiting lecturer for continued professional development courses at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, where he teaches short courses on Artificial Intelligence for Generative AI, Cloud & Edge, and Digital Twins: Enhancing Model-based design with Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
Dexter Da Silva
Keisen University, Japan

Biography

Professor Dexter Da Silva is Professor Emeritus at Keisen University in Tokyo, Japan, where he has been teaching for 35 years. He is an Educational Psychologist who has taught at junior high school, language schools, and universities in Sydney, Australia, and at various educational institutions in Japan. He was educated at the University of Sydney, Australia (BA, Dip. Ed., MA), and the University of Western Sydney, Australia (PhD). He has presented and co-presented at conferences throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States, and published or co-published a number of books, articles, and book chapters on education-related topics. He is a past president of the Asian Psychological Association and currently a Vice-President of IAFOR. As an Educational Psychologist, he is very interested in how Artificial Intelligence will continue to be incorporated into and impact research and theory on the nature, types, and uniqueness of Human Intelligence(s).

Orientation Session (2025) | IAFOR Information Session
Antony Froggatt
European Federation for Transport and Environment, Belgium

Biography

Mr Antony Froggatt is the Senior Director for Aviation, Energy and Shipping at Transport & Environment (T&E), Belgium, a Brussels-based NGO advocating for clean transport and energy. He previously served as Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow in the Energy, Environment, and Resources Department at Chatham House, United Kingdom, where he focused on global energy policy and the geopolitics of climate change, including research on the energy and climate policy implications of Brexit and the impact of the war in Ukraine on global energy security.

With over three decades of experience, Mr Froggatt has collaborated with governments, environmental organisations, academic institutions, and public bodies globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, contributing to a broad spectrum of projects addressing energy and environmental challenges. He has been a special advisor to the House of Lords in the United Kingdom and the European Parliament, and has given formal evidence to governments and parliaments across Europe.

Panel Discussion (2025) | TBA
Joseph Haldane
The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan

Biography

Joseph Haldane is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of IAFOR. He is responsible for devising strategy, setting policies, forging institutional partnerships, implementing projects, and overseeing the organisation’s global business and academic operations.

Dr Haldane’s research and teaching is on history, politics, international affairs and international education, as well as governance and decision making, and he is a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network for Global Governance. Since 2015 he has been a Guest Professor at The Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) at Osaka University, where he teaches on the postgraduate Global Governance Course, and, since 2017, Co-Director of the OSIPP-IAFOR Research Centre, an interdisciplinary think tank situated within the University.

In 2020 Dr Haldane was appointed Honorary Professor of UCL (University College London), through the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction. He holds Visiting Professorships in the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade, and at the Doshisha Business School in Kyoto, where he teaches Ethics and Governance on the MBA, and is a member of the Value Research Center. He is also a Member of the International Advisory Council of the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa.

Professor Haldane has given invited lectures and presentations to universities and conferences globally, including at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and advised universities, NGOs and governments on issues relating to international education policy, public-private partnerships, and multi-stakeholder forums. He was the project lead on the 2019 Kansai Resilience Forum, held by the Japanese Government through the Prime Minister’s and Cabinet Office, and oversaw the 2021 Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned study on Infectious Diseases on Cruise Ships.

Dr Haldane has a PhD from the University of London in 19th-century French Studies, and has had full-time faculty positions at the Université Paris-Est Créteil, Sciences Po Paris, and Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, as well as visiting positions at the French Press Institute in the Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, and the schools of Journalism at both Sciences Po Paris, and Moscow State University.

From 2012-2014, Dr Haldane served as Treasurer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (Chubu), and since 2015 has been a Trustee of HOPE International Development Agency (Japan). He was elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society in 2012 and the Royal Society of Arts in 2015. He lives in Japan and holds a black belt in Judo.

Previous Presentations

Featured Interview (2021) | A Life in Language: Lessons in Language and Language Learning
Panel Presentation (2020) | Embracing Difference? Adaptive Lifelong Learning
Panel Presentation (2020) | That's NOT Online Learning!: The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning
Rana Khalife
University College London, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Rana Khalife is a Lecturer in the Department of Biochemical Engineering at University College London (UCL), United Kingdom.. She primarily teaches the Regenerative Medicine minor, covering a broad range of topics including Manufacturing of Cell and Gene Therapy Products, Bioprocessing, Cost Analysis of Therapies, Advanced Materials, and Devices, such as Bioreactors and Microfluidics. Dr Khalife brings over 10 years of research experience in pluripotent stem cell research and cancer research. Her expertise lies in integrating her deep knowledge of biochemistry, metabolism, and molecular biology with advanced stem cell bioprocessing techniques.

As the Regenerative Medicine Coordinator for the IEP minor within the department, Dr Khalife plays a pivotal role in designing and delivering content for this specialised programme. She also serves as the Programme Director and Admissions Tutor for the Manufacture and Commercialisation of Stem Cell and Gene Therapies MSc, where she oversees curriculum development, student recruitment, and programme management. Additionally, Dr. Khalife is the Chair of Recruitment within the Department of Biochemical Engineering, leading initiatives to attract applicants and promote departmental growth. Throughout her career, Dr Khalife has demonstrated a strong commitment to bridging fundamental research with practical applications, particularly within the rapidly evolving fields of regenerative medicine and bioprocessing.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
Bernadette Lee
Princess Alice Hospice, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Bernadette Lee has served as a consultant in palliative medicine at Princess Alice Hospice, United Kingdom since 2001. Dr Lee attended Guy’s Hospital Medical School, now part of the GKY School of Medical Education at King’s College London, United Kingdom. She trained in various specialties in general medicine and completed the four-year specialty registrar rotation in palliative medicine.

Dr Lee works mainly in the hospice inpatient unit, where patients with life-limiting diseases are admitted for symptom control or end-of-life care. She works closely with the hospice community team in the hospice’s Wellbeing Centre, providing care to over 1,000 patients in the local area. She is also active in medical education: she is currently a clinical supervisor to various grades of resident doctors and an educational supervisor to specialty registrars. She previously served as the Regional Specialty Adviser for the Kent, Surrey, and Sussex areas, stepping down after a two-year term as Chair of the Specialist Training Committee.

Her special interests include ultrasound and more recently sustainability. She has been running the Focused Abdominal Ultrasound Palliative Care Course (FASP) with Professor Max Watson since 2010.

Panel Presentation (2025) | TBA
Gill Livingston
University College London, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Gill Livingston is an academic psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatry of Older People with a research focus on dementia at University College London, United Kingdom. She leads the Lancet Standing Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, including the publishing of the Commission’s reports in 2017, 2020, and 2024. Her work with the Commission has resulted in producing new knowledge and enacting changes in individual and clinical practice and policy in various countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway and the United States.

Professor Gill collaborated in many international projects in the field of dementia research, and is involved in epidemiological work and systematic reviews to elucidate mechanisms as well as co-design and test interventions. Her most recent projects include ENHANCE, an intervention-based coaching application aimed to reduce cognitive deterioration for people with high risk of dementia, and the DREAMS:START trial, an intervention for sleep disruptions caused by dementia, which is currently completing a two-year follow-up study.

Keynote Presentation (2025) | Prevention of Dementia: What We Have Learned in the Lancet Commission
James W. McNally
University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States

Biography

Dr James W. McNally is the Emeritus Research Scientist for the NACDA Program on Aging, located in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, United States. He was trained initially in forensic anthropology at the University of Maryland and then in formal demography at Georgetown University. As part of this PhD work, Dr McNally was awarded the first minor degree in social gerontology from the Population Studies and Training Center at Brown University, followed by a two-year postdoctoral appointment examining policy applications of health data at Syracuse University’s Center for Policy Research. After teaching at Brown University as an Assistant Research Professor, Dr McNally directed the NACDA Program on Aging from 1998 to 2025, building an internationally recognised collection of seminal studies on the aging lifecourse, health, retirement, and international aspects of aging. In addition to lifecourse research, he has spent much of his career addressing mechanisms to maintain and strengthen family support networks, focusing on the needs of frail or cognitively impaired elders, presenting on these issues in the United States and internationally. Dr McNally also serves as the Vice-President of the International Academic Forum (IAFOR) based in Nagoya, Japan, where he chairs the Social Sciences & Sustainability division of the International Academic Board.

Previous Presentations

Special Seminar Session (2024) | An Introduction to the IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS)
Melina Neophytou
IAFOR, Japan

Biography

Dr Melina Neophytou is the Academic Operations Manager at IAFOR, where she works closely with academics, keynote speakers, and IAFOR partners to shape academic discussions within The Forum, bring conference programmes together, refine scholarship programmes, and build an interdisciplinary and international community. She is leading various projects within IAFOR, notably The Forum discussions and the authoring of Conference Reports and Intelligence Briefings, and she oversees the Global Fellows Programme.

Born in Germany and raised in Cyprus, Dr Neophytou received her PhD in International Development from Nagoya University, Japan, in 2023, specialising in political sociology, the welfare state, and contentious politics. She received an MA in International Development from Nagoya University, with a focus on Governance & Law, and a BA in European Studies from the University of Cyprus, Cyprus.

Forum Discussion (2025) | TBA
Paul J. Nietert
Medical University of South Carolina, United States

Biography

Dr Paul J. Nietert is currently Executive Vice Chair and Professor of Biostatistics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), United States. He earned a BS in Mathematics at Duke University, United States, and his PhD in Biostatistics at MUSC. As a collaborative biostatistician, he has directed several quantitative cores for large research centres, including the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Center, South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, MUSC’s Core Center for Clinical Research for rheumatic diseases, and MUSC’s Digestive and Liver Diseases Research Core Center. He also leads the Charleston Heart Study, a longitudinal study on aging, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging, a division of the United States’ National Institute of Health, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr Nietertethodological research interests include pilot study design, hierarchical data analysis, health services research methods, and randomisation in clinical trials. One of his passions is mentoring junior researchers on rigorous study design and data analysis techniques.

Panel Presentation (2025) | TBA
Anne Nortcliffe
Wrexham University, United Kingdom

Biography

Professor Anne Nortcliffe is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Computing and Engineering, Professor of Inclusive Engineering and Technology, and a member of the University Senior Leadership Team at Wrexham University, United Kingdom. Prior to her joining Wrexham University, Professor Nortcliffe was the Founding Head of Engineering, Technology and Design, a new equity, inclusive, and diverse engineering higher education provision at Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom. She has 30 years of experience in educating the next generation of engineering, technology, and design graduates for industry. Professor Nortcliffe is an experienced and internationally published researcher and developer of engineering and computing education. She passionately works with colleagues and students to develop good practice inclusive engineering and computing education. In 2022, she received the Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Award in the Contribution to Gender Diversity category and was awarded Executive Leader of the Year at the Engineering Talent Awards in 2021.

Keynote Presentation (2025) | Engineering Inclusivity, How?
Tejendra Pherali
University College London, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Tejendra Pherali is Professor of Education, Conflict and Peace at the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL), United Kingdom, where he leads research and teaching in the area of Education, Conflict and Peacebuilding. Professor Pherali developed a pioneering MA in Conflict, Emergencies and Peace at UCL, which provides advanced academic training to postgraduate students from around the globe. Currently, he co-directs the Education Research in Conflict and Crisis (ERICC) Programme, a global research and learning partnership that strives to transform education policy and practice in conflict and protracted crises around the world through building a global hub for rigorous, context-relevant and actionable evidence base.Professor Pherali is the former Chair of the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE). He is the founding editor of Education and Conflict Review, an open access peer-reviewed journal, author of Conflict, Education and Peace in Nepal (Bloomsbury, 2022) and co-author of Laboratories of Learning: Social Movements, Education and Knowledge-Making in the Global South (Pluto Press, 2024). He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in the United Kingdom in 2023 and is a current Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Keynote Presentation (2025) | Politics of Education in Conflict and Protracted-Crisis Situations
Fiona Truscott
University College London, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Fiona Truscott is an Associate Professor (Teaching) with the Integrated Engineering Programme and Centre for Engineering Education in the Faculty of Engineering at University College London (UCL), United Kingdom. She earned a BA/MSc in Natural Science (Chemistry) from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Following her PhD, she conducted postdoctoral research on the interface of Biology and Chemistry at the Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles (ICSN), part of the CNRS Délégation Île-de-France Sud. She then went on to conduct postdoctoral research in the Department of Biochemical Engineering at UCL, working on the application of automation technology to Biochemical Engineering.

Professor Truscott is the Engineering Challenges Module Lead, a cross faculty, large-scale team project module for first year undergraduates at UCL. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and co-chair of the SEFI DEI Special Interest Group. Her current research interests are interdisciplinary teaching, teamwork, and the embedding of social factors in Engineering Education.

Keynote Presentation (2025) | Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
Rosa Urbano Gutiérrez
Manchester School of Architecture, United Kingdom

Biography

Dr Rosa Urbano Gutiérrez is a Professor of Architecture at the Manchester School of Architecture, United Kingdom, leading the research by design programme in the school’s Non Standard Habitats Atelier. She was trained as an architect at ETS Arquitectura Madrid, Spain, and holds an MDesS in Design and Technology from Harvard University, United States. Professor Gutiérrez conducted her PhD studies in Madrid and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States. A registered architect in both Spain and Portugal, her academic journey includes a significant period at the Liverpool School of Architecture, where she was a Reader in Architecture and held different academic roles between 2010-24.

Professor Gutiérrez’s research lies at the interface between sustainable architectural design and material technology, with an emphasis on the impact of innovative environments on occupants’ comfort and health. She is the founding director of the Experimental Material Ecologies Research Group, and within it created two laboratories, ECALab (2011) and HouseLab (2020), to engage in the production of buildings and policy by developing neglected areas of inclusive, human-centred design.

Panel Presentation (2025) | TBA
Mo Zandi
University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

Biography

Mo Zandi is Professor of Chemical Engineering in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. He currently serves as the Deputy Faculty Director of Education for the institution, responsible for the strategic leadership of academic programmes and engineering curriculum development within the ‘Education’ pillar of the university's vision. He is deeply committed to advancing the fields of digital process manufacturing and engineering education. With a rich blend of industrial experience and academic research, Professor Zandi has developed a profound understanding of the complexities and opportunities within modern chemical engineering. His professional journey has been shaped by collaborative efforts to drive impactful solutions at the intersection of cutting-edge digital technologies, sustainability, and industrial processes. As a strong advocate for lifelong learning, he is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of engineers and equipping professionals with the skills they need to thrive in an evolving industry landscape. Through his work, he aims to contribute to a future where chemical engineering continues to play a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable, energy-efficient world.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
Engineering Inclusivity, How?
Keynote Presentation: Anne Nortcliffe

In 2017, an innovative and inclusive higher education provision in engineering, design, and technology was strategically conceived, designed, implemented, and operated at Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom. In 2018, the first cohort of BEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering students were welcomed to the programme, who graduated in 2022. This was followed by the inaugural cohorts of BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, BEng (Hons) Biomedical Engineering, and BEng (Hons) Product Design Engineering, who completed their programs in 2023.

This keynote will share the journey led by Professor Anne Nortcliffe and her team, highlighting how equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) research theory has been intricately woven into every aspect of the initiative — from building a diverse talent pipeline from primary to higher education, embedding EDI in the engineering curriculum and student experience, to fostering inclusive practises in collaboration with industry partners to support research, innovation, knowledge exchange, and graduate employment.

The session will conclude by reflecting on key lessons learned, offering valuable insights for educational practitioners seeking to design and implement EDI innovations that enhance student learning experiences, support social justice, and promote future graduate success.

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Technology and AI in Engineering/STEM Education: Preparing Engineering/STEM Graduates for Global Citizenship and Leadership
Panel Presentation: Fiona Truscott, Lillian Luk, Francesco Ciriello, Mo Zandi, Rana Khalife

Education systems worldwide are becoming more socially and culturally diverse due to globalisation. However, the way education is conceptualised is often shaped by Western perspectives, as globalised education systems are increasingly influenced by dominant knowledge economies. Pedagogical discourse with global stakeholders aids in regulating and normalising formerly biased understandings of what learning is and who counts as a learner.

This panel discussion will focus on the connection between STEM education and the themes of the conference, particularly around how the ongoing developments in technology and AI have impacted STEM/engineering education and how we prepare our graduates to be global citizens and leaders e.g. through developing global competence, embedding EDI, upskilling in transversal competencies, awareness of ethical and professional practice, responsible innovation, and sustainability, among other facets of global citizenship.

The aim of this discussion is to bring to light the interface between rapid global developments and our STEM leaders of the future, in hope that through pedagogical discourse with our fellow global colleagues, we can continue in efforts to level out the knowledge economy.

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Prevention of Dementia: What We Have Learned in the Lancet Commission
Keynote Presentation: Gill Livingston

Dementia is one of the most feared illnesses of older people. It is also one of the most expensive illnesses, as affected individuals may require care for many years, impacting them, their family, and society at large. The potential to prevent dementia is very high, with around 45% of the risk being accounted for by fourteen potentially modifiable risk factors. However, risks are more prevalent in underserved people, who are more likely to have dementia and at an earlier age. This panel will discuss how evidence was evaluated to decide on which putative risk factors to include in the Commission’s model, taking into account prevalence, relative risk, and communality.

Action to tackle these risk factors begins in early life and continues throughout life and is at the level of policy as well as the individual. There is evidence of the effectiveness of reducing such factors, even in individuals with high genetic risk for dementia. Early and continuous Intervention should lead to a lengthening of the health lifespan, and while some people will still develop dementia, a shortening of time in which people live with dementia. The discussion will focus on the risk factors, interventions, and economics of this, using evidence-based population-level as well as complex and individual interventions.

This knowledge offers hope, as it presents a large scope for individuals to reduce their risk of dementia. In addition, governments can decrease dementia in the population, helping individuals, families, and the economy.

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Education in Contexts of Political Resistance and Armed Struggles: Towards an Agenda for Peace with Justice
Keynote Presentation: Tejendra Pherali

Education is inherently political: policies, curricula, and teaching and learning processes are influenced by the political economy dynamics in the wider context of the society. In contexts of political resistance and armed struggles, education is not only victim to violence but also complicit in fuelling conflict drivers. Educational processes have the potential to address the root causes of inequities and structural inequalities and can build foundations for peace with justice and promote social transformation. Yet, there are significant gaps in research about how children in these politically unstable settings learn and develop. Where the evidence exists, it is generally fragmented and siloed by disciplines, making it difficult to assess progress or take stock of what we know about policies, programmes, and practices that are effective in improving holistic learning outcomes.

Practical, methodological, and ethical challenges in conducting research in these contexts make it difficult to generate rigorous evidence. More importantly, the top-down, formulaic, and often extractive research partnerships that promote the agenda of the donor and external development actors undermine what is needed in local contexts. They also limit how research knowledge can help Indigenous education actors to sustain education and utilise the knowledge to foster their educational struggle. In this presentation, I will discuss the nexus of education, conflict, and peace, and highlight the efforts of the Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crises (ERICC) research consortium to build a coherent body of knowledge in this field by aligning with the locally-developed research agenda that aims to foster policy-oriented and actionable solutions to education in challenging environments.

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