Education Conference Speakers

Meet Our Speakers for ICEDU 2027

ICEDU 2027 proudly brings together an inspiring lineup of global thought leaders advancing the future of education, innovation, and lifelong learning. At this landmark gathering, you’ll engage with distinguished experts whose work is transforming teaching practices, digital education, policy development, and inclusive learning worldwide.

From pioneering research in educational technology and curriculum design to innovative approaches in skills development and equitable access, our speakers offer perspectives that shape the evolving landscape of education. Their insights will explore emerging trends, address critical challenges, and inspire solutions that empower learners and educators alike.

Join us as these visionary voices share knowledge that drives impact, ideas that foster innovation, and strategies that strengthen education systems across the globe.

These are the influential leaders shaping the next era of global education.

Distinguished Keynote Speakers

Sanna Järvelä is a professor in the field of learning and educational technology and a head of the Learning and Educational Technology Research Lab (LET). Her research focuses on self-regulated learning, computer-supported collaborative learning, and AI in education. Järvelä is internationally recognized in theoretical and methodological advancement of socially shared regulation in learning and multimodal research methods. In 2015, she was inducted as a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. She is a past president of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) and a holder of Francqui Chair 2015-2016 at Ghent University, Belgium. She is a member of the OECD PISA 2025 ‘Learning in the Digital World’ expert team. She was granted for Learning Sciences Fellow 2022; Knight First Class of the order of the White Rose of Finland 2022 and Finnish Ostrobothnia Cultural Foundation science prize 2023. She was the co-Chief editor of International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (iCSCL) and co-PI of the Center for Learning and Living with AI (CELLA) funded by Jacobs Foundation. Järvelä is the leader of Profi 7 Hybrid Intelligence research programme at the University of Oulu. She has been recognized 2024 in Stanford University’s top 2 % scientist list.

Gold medalist in M.A. in Economics from Andhra University and Doctorate from the Delhi School of Economics, Dr Tilak taught, besides at the National University/Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, at the University of Delhi, the Indian Institute of Education, and as a Visiting Professor, at Centre for International Cooperation in Education, Hiroshima University, School of Education, Virginia University, and Department of Economics, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.  Prof Tilak was also on the research staff of the World Bank, Washington DC. 

Author of several books including Economics of Inequality in Higher Education (Sage, 1987), Education for Development in Asia (Sage, 1994), Higher Education, Public Good and Markets (Routledge, 2018), Education and Development in India: Critical Issues in Public Policy (Springer/Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), Dilemmas in Reforming Higher Education (Orient BlackSwan 2018), Economics of Engineering Education in India (Routledge 2023), and more than 300 research articles in journals of high repute.

Prof Tilak served as the Editor of Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, and is on editorial boards of several national and international journals. He also served as the President of the Comparative Education Society of India, and is on the Board of Governors of Comparative Education Society of Asia.  Recipient of several honours and awards including Swami Pranavananda Saraswati National Award of the UGC (1999), Dr. Malcolm Adiseshiah Award (2003), Inspirational Teacher of the Year Global Education Award (2012), and Devang Mehta Award (2015) for outstanding contributions to education.  Among many other honours, he had the privilege of delivering a keynote address in a meeting of the Nobel laureates in Barcelona in 2005.

An eminent education policy analyst, Dr Tilak served on Academic Council and Board of Studies and other bodies of several universities; and also as member/Member-Secretary/ Chairperson of several committees in education constituted by Government of India, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Government of Kerala, Government of Maharashtra, Government of Goa, etc and was involved in policy formulation in a few states and at the centre ….. besides serving as a member of committees constituted by international organisations like the UNESCO, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF etc.

Professor Tilak also travelled widely across the world and delivered invited lectures — including memorial/foundation/special lectures/addresses in several universities in India and abroad.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Koehler holds a Chair in Educational Technology at the Vocational Education Institute, TU Dresden (since 2005). He studied Physics, Psychology, and Sociology at Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) Jena and Swarthmore College, and earned his Ph.D. in Communications Psychology from FSU Jena in 1999. He received his Facultas Docendi in Learning-Teaching Research and Multimedia Learning from the University of Potsdam in 2006. He serves as Director of CODIP (Center for Open Digital Innovation and Participation) and Chairman of GMW, the Society of Media in Science. In addition to his professorship, he has served as Director of the Media Center at TU Dresden since April 2008, and as Managing Director of the Institute for Vocational Education since December 2007. Since May 2007, he has been the Speaker of the eLearning Working Group (Advisory Council) of the State University Conference of Saxony. He also serves as Director of CODIP (Center for Open Digital Innovation and Participation) and Chairman of GMW, the Society of Media in Science. His academic disciplines span Media and Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Educational Technology, and Vocational and Higher Education

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas-Koehler-2

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9438-5786

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-k%C3%B6hler-a542061a3/

Other:
https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/ew/ibbd/bt/die-professur/inhaber/koehler

Title: "Cultivating resilience and joy in sustainable education"

Prof. Annette Bos is an interdisciplinary academic and educational entrepreneur committed to understanding and influencing sustainability transitions. Her work centers on how transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning—both within society and formal education—can drive transformative, systemic change toward sustainable and just futures.

Her professional experience spans the strategic development and management of sustainable development education and applied graduate research programs. She has played a leading role in building key organizational capabilities in these areas. She envisions, designs, and delivers educational programs for a wide range of audiences, from senior executives to postgraduate students, while also conducting research and supervising PhD candidates. In all her roles, she collaborates with and leads multidisciplinary teams……..

Esteemed Plenary Speakers

Title: "Unlearning Colonialism: Disciplinary Power and Body-logic"

Professor Brendan Hokowhitu is internationally recognized as a leading scholar in critical Indigenous studies, credited with establishing the sub-disciplines of Indigenous masculinities, Indigenous sociology of sport, and Indigenous critical physical education. As the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures (IFC) at the University of Queensland, Professor Hokowhitu provides visionary leadership, working in close collaboration with Indigenous communities, community partners, and national and international researchers. Together, they pursue the Centre’s mission to realise an equitable Australia for Indigenous peoples by 2050.

At the heart of the IFC’s innovative research approach is a transdisciplinary relational research design, combined with the synthesis of findings through systematic reviews and existing knowledge frameworks, notably via NIKI (the National Indigenous Knowledge Integration platform). The Centre’s groundbreaking scope necessitates a leader with a pioneering scholarly profile—one that Professor Hokowhitu exemplifies.

With a diverse academic background, Professor Hokowhitu has made significant theoretical contributions across multiple disciplines, including Indigenous film and media, Indigenous healthism, and Indigenous critical theory. As the Centre’s Area of Responsibility Leader for Knowledge Transfer, his extensive experience in Indigenous research leadership and community-centric, collaborative methodologies will be pivotal in shaping policy impact ………

Title: "Quality Assurance Framework in Higher Education"

Dr. Ni Luh Nyoman Seri Malini is a distinguished faculty member at the Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University, where she teaches in the English Literature Department. She holds a Doctorate in Linguistics (2011), a Master’s in Linguistics (2004), and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature (1993), all from Udayana University. With over two decades of experience in language education and assessment, Dr. Malini has completed several advanced training programs from prestigious institutions such as the University of Oregon, The University of Queensland, and the American English Institute. Her expertise spans language teaching methodology, assessment, and research methodology. In addition to her academic contributions, she serves as Coordinator of the External Quality Assurance Center at Udayana University, Editor-in-Chief of the Udayana Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, and an assessor for the National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (BAN-PT). She is also the Coordinator of the Bali, Nusa Tenggara Barat, and Nusa Tenggara Timur Chapter of TEFLIN (The Association for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia) and remains actively involved in professional organizations such as ASIA-TEFL, AALA (Asian Association of Language Assessment), and the Indonesian Linguistic Society (MLI).

Title: "Philosophical Qualitative Research in Higher Education: Bridging Reflection and Empirical Inquiry"

Ana M. Martínez-Alemán researches topics at the forefront of higher education and campus culture. Her book Online Social Networking on Campus: Understanding What Matters in Student Culture was the first to explore social media’s impact on campus. Currently, she examines college students’ political engagement, and online racialized aggression. Her most recent book explores student sexual violence activism and institutional practice.

The author or coauthor of seven books and dozens of publications, she has also delivered more than 100 talks. Since 2002, she has edited the Educational Policy journal and has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Higher Education and the American Educational Research Journal. Martínez-Alemán and her coauthors received the 2016 AERA Division J Outstanding Publication Award for their book Critical Approaches to the Study of Higher Education and the 2019 AERA Division J, Outstanding Publication Award, and 2018 Outstanding Publication Award, Association for the Study of Higher Education for Technology and Engagement: Making Technology Work for First-Generation College Students.

Martínez-Alemán is Professor of Education and has served as the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics since 2017. She joined the Lynch School in 1998 and served as department chair for the Educational Leadership and Higher Education Department from 2007 to 2017. In 2023, Martínez-Alemán served as the President of the Association for the Study of Higher Education. In 2016, Martínez-Alemán was elected Vice President of Postsecondary Education (Division J) at the American Educational Research Association (AERA).Martínez-Alemán earned a doctorate in higher education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and received master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the State University of New York, Binghamton.

Title: "Educational leadership for impact and success"

As a Professor in Educational Leadership within the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, his responsibilities include preparing and teaching in pre-service and post-graduate programs, supervision of Masters and Doctoral research and representation on appropriate committees. He is the leader of the educational leadership academic group of the faculty and was the Associate Dean (staffing) in 2019) which involved him in all matters to do with academic staff appointment and development, teacher allocation, academic workload, and direction setting. Over recent years David has served on the following committees: faculty executive, staffing, finance, learning and teaching, diversity and inclusion, honours, master of education, and academic programs. He teaches in the areas of educational leadership, strategic leadership, and school effectiveness and improvement. He is a founding member of the International Successful School Principalship Project, and co-led an Australian team that was awarded a national grant for this project in 2005. He is also a founding member of the International School Leadership Development Network, which is a joint partnership between UCEA and BELMAS. He is a founding member of the Association for Teacher Leadership and Scholarship. He has more than 250 publications and has presented more than 230 times at international and local ……..

Title: "Curriculum as Assemblage: Responding to Climate Change through Education"

Samantha Govender is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies and is currently the Deputy Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand in South Africa. She holds a Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies from the University of Zululand. Her scholarly and professional research field of interests are curriculum and teacher development, teaching, learning and assessment in higher and tertiary education. She has supervised Doctoral and Masters’ students to completion and has published several articles and book chapters in accredited journals. Samantha has also peer reviewed numerous scholarly articles and examined master’s and doctoral thesis for different institutions. She has presented research papers at various local and international conferences. She is part of the Fundisa for Change Professional Learning Community and steered the Keep It Cool Climate Change Education Project. She is also currently involved in initiatives for Education for Sustainable Development, climate action and environmental learning with an emphasis on teacher education.

Title: "Transforming Language Education : Innovations in Literacy Development and Language Acquisition"

Panel Speaker

Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise, PhD, is a multi-award-winning associate professor in the College of Education at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Her research expertise spans digital transformation in Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL), faculty and student support in higher education and distance education, academic and professional development, technology adoption, and the integration of ePortfolios in teaching and learning. She serves on the executive committee of the South African Education Research Association (SAERA), where she actively advocates for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) across South Africa and the African continent. Her dedication to research excellence has been recognised through several prestigious awards, including commendations for her PhD thesis from the Education Association of South Africa (EASA) and SAERA in 2022, the Women in Research Emerging Researcher Award in 2023, and the UNISA/Sunday World Unsung Heroes Award in 2023. She also serves on numerous local and international editorial boards.

Plenary Title: "Dementia and Gendered dimensions: How women navigate care and social support systems, and implication for citizenship – A literature Review and its Relevance for Educators"

Education Conference Speakers

Meet Our Speakers for ICEDU 2027

Distinguished Keynote Speakers

Prof. Sanna Järvelä

Professor Jandhyala B G Tilak

Prof. Dr. Thomas Koehler

Prof. Annette Bos

Title: "Cultivating resilience and joy in sustainable education"

Esteemed Plenary Speakers

Prof. Brendan Hokowhitu

Title: "Unlearning Colonialism: Disciplinary Power and Body-logic"

Dr. Ni Luh Nyoman Seri Malini

Title: "Quality Assurance Framework in Higher Education"

Prof. Ana M. Martínez-Alemán

Title: "Philosophical Qualitative Research in Higher Education: Bridging Reflection and Empirical Inquiry"

Prof. David Gurr

Title: "Educational leadership for impact and success"

Assoc. Prof. Samantha Govender

Title: "Curriculum as Assemblage: Responding to Climate Change through Education"

Prof. Dr. phil. Steffen Kersten

Prof. Emi Emilia, M.Ed., Ph.D

Title: "Transforming Language Education : Innovations in Literacy Development and Language Acquisition"

Panel Speaker

Prof Mpho-Entle Modise

Gøril Ursin, PhD

Plenary Title: "Dementia and Gendered dimensions: How women navigate care and social support systems, and implication for citizenship – A literature Review and its Relevance for Educators"

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