Sorin RADU, PhD

Professor

Rector of the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania

Sorin RADU - Professor at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (Romania) and, currently, Rector of the University. He is a convenor for Romania at the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions and member of European Information and Research Network on Parliamentary History. Also, he is chief editor of the journal Studia Universitatis Cibiniensis. Series Historica, and member of the Editorial Boards of Komunizm.net.pl (Poland), and Parliaments, Estates and Representation (UK). His fields of research contain Romanian and East European history in the 19th and 20th centuries, history of the political parties, political culture and modernisation in modern and contemporary Eastern Europe.

Daniel MARA, PhD

Professor Ph.D.

Dean, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania

Daniel Mara is a Ph.D. professor and dean at the Faculty of Socio-Human Sciences of the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, qualified to conduct Ph.D.s in the field of “Education Sciences”.
The main scientific fields he deals with are inclusive education, non-formal education, differentiated pedagogy, curricular adaptation, cognitive and metacognitive intervention, social inclusion, and training of trainers.
In these fields, he has held positions as project manager, member of research or training teams of projects, and coordinator of ERASMUS+ programs, as well as a member of national and international associations and societies. He has also produced numerous scholarly works - single-authored, coordinated, and collaborative, aiming to support the work of teachers and educators.

Alexandra BARBĂNEAGRĂ

PhD, Associate Professor

“Ion Creanga” State Pedagogical University of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Alexandra Barbăneagră (PhD in Education) is an Associate Professor at the Department of Language and Communication, Faculty of Philology and History, “Ion Creanga” State Pedagogical University of Chisinau. Her research interests focus on multilingual and intercultural education, the didactics of teaching Romanian in institutions with instruction in the languages of national minorities (early childhood education, general education, and adult education), as well as the didactics of teaching Romanian as a foreign language to children, adults, and refugees. She has published numerous studies and articles in the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, and Georgia. She is a member of national and international research projects dedicated to multilingual and intercultural education and serves as a national expert in linguistic education policies and practices for national minorities. She is a member of the National Qualifications Council of the Republic of Moldova and participates in working groups for the development of professional qualification standards in higher education for the field of Educational Sciences. She is the national coordinator of the working groups responsible for developing the Romanian language curriculum in educational institutions with instruction in the languages of national minorities (early childhood education, general education, and higher education), and she is an expert evaluator of Romanian language teachers working in these institutions. She has served as coordinator and trainer in several national educational projects initiated by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova, as well as international projects supported by the World Bank, OSCE, UNICEF, GIZ, and others.

Victoria BELOUS

Director, National Center for Digital Innovations in Education – Future Classroom Lab (FCL Moldova)

PhD student, university assistant, “Ion Creanga” State Pedagogical University of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Victoria Belous is the Director of the National Center for Digital Innovations in Education – Future Classroom Lab (FCL Moldova), a national hub for educational innovation operating under the “Ion Creangă” State Pedagogical University of Chisinau. Her leadership is central to the design, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale initiatives that advance digital transformation in the Moldovan education system. Over the past years she has built the Center from its foundational stage into a national reference institution that supports teachers, school leaders, policymakers, and educational communities in adopting modern pedagogies and emerging technologies. Her professional activity integrates strategic planning, pedagogical innovation, and capacity-building programs aimed at developing teachers’ and school managers’ digital competences. She has coordinated national projects aligned with international frameworks such as DigCompEdu and the European Schoolnet Future Classroom Lab model. Through these initiatives, she has elaborated training programs, methodological resources, digital pedagogical scenarios, and professional development pathways that strengthen teachers’ capacity to design active, collaborative, and technology-enhanced learning environments. Victoria Belous has extensive experience in curriculum development, policy analysis, and educational research. She has contributed to national curriculum reform processes, evaluation methodologies, and quality assurance initiatives, collaborating closely with the Ministry of Education and Research, UNICEF, ESTDEV, and other international partners. Her work includes authoring strategic institutional documents, operational plans, methodological guidelines, and digital learning frameworks that support the modernization of general education. A significant dimension of her expertise lies in fostering communities of practice and cross-institutional cooperation. Under her leadership, the FCL network has expanded to over one hundred innovative schools across the country, creating a collaborative ecosystem where teachers engage in peer learning, experimentation with digital tools, and the co-creation of educational resources. She has moderated, designed, and implemented national conferences, training programs, and innovation labs aimed at strengthening digital leadership and enhancing the pedagogical use of emerging technologies such as AI, robotics, immersive environments, and interactive learning platforms. Her research interests include digital transformation of education systems, teacher professional development, leadership in technology-rich environments, and the design of innovative learning spaces. She has authored and co-authored studies, training programs, methodological materials, and educational policy analyses, and represents Moldova in international forums focused on digital innovation and the future of education.

Mușata-Dacia BOCOȘ

Professor Ph.D.

Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Mușata-Dacia Bocoș (Ph.D. in education) is Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and PhD supervisor in the field of "Educational Sciences" since 2009. In 2023 he was awarded the Romanian Academy Prize – "Constantin Rădulescu Motru" Prize for the coordinated work entitled "Dicționar de pedagogie", published by the Presa Universitară Clujeană Publishing House of the Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca in 2021. The main scientific fields covered are: theory, methodology and management of instruction; theory, methodology and management of curriculum; mentoring in education and training; initial and continuing teacher training; interactive pedagogy; didactics of educational sciences. She has authored, co-authored, and coordinated a large number of scientific works on these topics (specialized dictionaries, books, collective volumes, chapters in collective volumes, scientific articles) and has held various scientific conferences and workshops. She is a member of the Romanian Association for Research in Education (ARCE).

Rossella CERTINI

Associate Professor Ph.D.

University of Florence, Italy

Rossella Certini (Ph.D. in education) is Associate Professor of General & Social Pedagogy at the Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology of the University of Florence (Italy) where she teaches General Pedagogy & Epistemology of Education. Her research focuses on “Care in education”, Epistemological approach to educational processes, pedagogical theories in teacher education. She specializes in studies on John Dewey and American Neopragmatism. She is the Erasmus delegate of the School of Humanities and Education. She has participated in several local, national and international research projects funded by Italian Ministry of Education, the Tuscany Education Office and the European Union (DI.CO.ECH, LEARN, WIN, TEFF ACADEMY Projects). She is the author of 5 volumes and numerous articles and essays for nationally and internationally accredited scientific journals. She is a member of the Italian Society of Pedagogy (SIPED), Italian Society of General & Social Pedagogy (SIPEGES). She is editorial board of the international review “Studi sulla Formazione”.

Richard D. HAMMETT

Professor Ph.D.

Walden University, The EITRI Institute, USA

In 2004, after completing a 28-year career in the U.S. Navy, Richard (Rick) Hammett enrolled in the doctoral program for Educational Leadership at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK).  While at TAMUK, he met the creators of transformative emotional intelligence (TEI) and worked as a graduate assistant (GA) for one of them, Dr. Gary Low.  In addition to teaching Introduction to Education, a course that emphasized TEI for first-year students at TAMUK, one of his GA assignments was to coordinate the 2nd Annual Institute for Emotional Intelligence in February 2005. He has coordinated the annual EI conference ever since. This year will mark the 23rd Annual Institute for Emotional Intelligence, which will convene over the dates of November 5 -7, 2026, on the beautiful island campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. After graduating from TAMUK in 2007, Dr. Hammett cofounded Emotional Intelligence Learning Systems, Inc. (EILS) with Drs. Gary Low and Darwin Nelson. EILS was created to research, develop, and disseminate learning materials on transformative models of emotional intelligence, including strength-based EI assessment instruments.  Shortly thereafter, he co-founded the Emotional Intelligence Training and Research Institute (EITRI), a DBA of EILS, which serves as a forum and virtual gathering place for individuals to learn more about TEI and get involved between conferences. In 2018, Dr. Hammett founded the Transformative Emotional Intelligence Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, with the mission of extending the life’s work of Drs. Nelson and Low through Darwin B. Nelson, the research grant, and Gary R. Low Excellence in Education scholarship. Dr. Hammett is a contributing faculty member at Walden University, teaching and providing research oversight in the Richard Riley College of Education and Human Development.

Domagoj HRUŠKA

Professor Ph.D.

University of Zagreb, Croatia

Domagoj Hruška is a Full Professor in the Department of Organization and Management at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Economics and Business. He teaches courses and seminars in the fields of organization and management and currently serves as the Chair of the Department as well as the Director of the graduate study programs in Leadership and Management. His research focuses on strategic planning, decision making, leadership, and organizational behavior, with a particular emphasis on entrepreneurial leadership and the psychological aspects of learning and development. He also works in the domain of corporate governance structures and their impact on business competitiveness. He is the author of numerous academic publications.

Anna Giulia INGELLIS

PhD, Vice-Dean of Mobility and International Relations- Faculty of Social Sciences

University of Valencia, Spain

Anna Giulia Ingellis, Ph.d. at University 'La Sapienza', Rome-Italy- is associate professor at the Departments of Sociology and Social Anthropology and researcher at UICIE (University Institute of Creativity and Educational Innovation) at the University of Valencia-Spain. As Vice-dean of mobility and international relation at the faculty of Social Science, she is currently leading a plan of internationalization at home for all the degree programmes of the faculty. She teaches Contemporary Sociological Theory and Society, family and education at the Master for secondary teaching training. Her main current research interests are intra-EU migrations, gender inequality in Southern Europe, youth participation and social change. She leads the research Group JOCASOT (Youth, social change and work) and is member of the research group MIDICO (Migrations, diversity and social cohesion). She has participated and leaded more than 40 research projects in Italy and Spain and published more than 20 papers in well indexed journals, and more than 30 books and chapters. The most recent: Ciaffoni S., Ingellis A.G., Condom Bosch J.L., Rubini M., and Moscatelli S. (2025) Barbie is a doctor, a lawyer, and so much more than that!: Perceiving gender inequalities is associated with higher professional aspirations. Current Psychology, 44 (10); Masanet-Ripoll E. and Ingellis A.G., (2024). Las políticas de retorno de migrantes del Gobierno valenciano en el contexto de recuperación de la Gran Recesión. Papers, 109 (4), 1-24; Ingellis, A.G. & Stornaiuolo L. (2022). Italians in Valencia: a new Lifestyle Migration in an Urban Context. Migraciones, 55, 1-20. She has been visiting researcher at the Instituto Gino Germani- (Universidad de Buenos Aires) 2025 y 2023; CES (University of Coimbra) 2023; WOERCC-School Management (University of Sheffield) 2016; Faculty of Economics- (University "La Sapienza") 2012. She is director of the PhD "Gestión de proyectos de innovación social, cultural y educativa" and in the last 4 years has been director of 3 phd tesis about migration, youth precariousness and gender violence.

Ioannis KARRAS

Professor Ph.D.

Ionian University, Greece

Ioannis Karras is a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Communication at Ionian University, Greece. He has over 27 years of teaching experience in applied linguistics, TEFL methodology, and intercultural communication across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. Moreover, he has lectured as a visiting professor and invited speaker at universities worldwide, delivered numerous keynote and conference presentations, and conducted seminars and workshops for national and international audiences. He has (co-)authored and edited several books, as well as book chapters and articles published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, in the areas of his scholarly expertise.

Gary LOW

Professor Emeritus Ph.D.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville, The EITRI Institute, USA

Gary Low, Professor Emeritus, College of Education and Human Performance at Texas A&M University-Kingsville; Founding Faculty, Emotional Intelligence Training and Research Institute. Teaching and research in Counselor Education, Educational Leadership, Psychology, Transformative Emotional Intelligence as well as serving in academic leadership positions. Gary’s pioneering research of 50+ years co-created with Darwin Nelson and Rick Hammett the emerging theory, practice of human behavior development and Transformative Emotional Intelligence (TEI) Emotional Learning System. TEI is person/team-centered, relationship focused, skills-based to understand, build inner self-knowledge to lead with intelligent self-direction for a positive life and career to embrace change for high performance, resilience, growth.  He is co-author of positive assessments, books, and works with Rick Hammett, Delia Mateais, and associates globally.

Nuria LÓPEZ-ROCA

Associate Lecturer Ph.D.

University of the Balearic Islands, Spain

Nuria López-Roca (Ph.D. in education) is Associate Lecturer in Inclusive Education at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), where she teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the areas of inclusion, diversity awareness and inclusive curriculum design, specifically in subjects such as Educational Intervention from the Family and Social Context of Persons with Disabilities and Scientific Content of Subjects specific to the Educational Guidance Specialisation of the UIB's Master's Degree in Teacher Training. With more than 20 years of university teaching experience, she directs the classrooms of the juvenile justice centres in the Balearic Islands, promoting innovative educational practices based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and strategies that promote successful pathways for students at risk of exclusion and deprived of their liberty. Her research focuses on the creation of inclusive educational pathways for students with judicial needs, as well as methodological innovation and universal design. In addition, she is a trainer of teachers and trainers, participating in shared teaching programmes and specialised training for professionals working in juvenile justice contexts. She has numerous publications, including several articles in high-impact journals such as “Intervención con familias de alumnado en privación de libertad por medida judicial” (Pedagogía Social, 2019), 'Factors and interventions for the educational success of juvenile offenders' (Educar, 2024), “Invitation to care at school: a world for life”, in the journal Márgenes (2025).

Matej LOZAR

Co-Director

Waldorf Teacher Training of Maribor, Slovenia

Matej Lozar (a Political Science / International Relations graduate, Waldorf Education specialist) is a Pedagogical Media Adviser, independent lecturer, teacher, and teacher trainer, working with education practitioners, schools, parents, and students/pupils of various age groups. He has been a regular collaborator of K–12 educational institutions in the field of media literacy (including the whole-school approach), early childhood media abstinence, developmentally appropriate media exposure, smartphone policy, sociological and political aspects of media-constructed reality, and self-regulation in media use. He has co-launched or partnered in a number of local, national, and international projects funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, and the European Union (OPUS_M, ŽIVI ŽIVO, RANE EKRANA, PROMETHEUS, FOCUS). He is the author of one book, five book chapters, and several scientific and professional articles on political science, media literacy, and education. He co-directs Waldorf Teacher Training programme in Maribor, Slovenia, and is an external expert associate of two NGOs focused on positive parenting and the prevention of digital addiction in children and adolescents, respectively.

Emiliano MACINAI

Full Professor Ph.D.

University of Florence, Italy

Emiliano Macinai (Ph.D. in education) is Full Professor of General & Social Pedagogy at the Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology of the University of Florence (Italy) where he teaches Childhood education, Intercultural education, Pedagogy of educational and school policies. His research focuses on social history of childhood, children’s rights, theory of education in the multicultural society, education to citizenship, early childhood and preschool education. He directs the Single cycle degree program in Primary Teacher Education. He has participated in several local, national and international research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, the Tuscany Education Office and the European Union (CARE, LEARN, FREASCO Projects). He is the author of 8 books, 13 edited books, 62 book chapters, and 32 scientific articles. He is a member of the Italian Society of Pedagogy (SIPED), Italian Society of General & Social Pedagogy (SIPEGES). He is the Coordinator of the Pedagogy Section of the Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology of the University of Florence.

Delia Elena MATEIAŞ

Visiting Professor Ph.D.

The Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, ICUB, Romania, The Ionian University, Greece

Delia Mateiaş is a Visiting Professor at the Research Institute of the University of Bucharest - ICUB, Romania and a Postdoctoral Researcher at Ionian University, Greece. Her pioneer research focuses on „Patterns of Intercultural Leadership for agile organizations” to advance experiential research evidence-based analytics for authentic leadership. Fulbright and UNDP scholar, Delia leads the implementations of training programs in “Leadership and Emotional Intelligence” for teachers, accredited by the Ministry of Education, via Asociatia Transformational Leadership (www.eilead.org). As main correspondent of the EITRI Institute, the USA, in Europe, her training programs put forward new transformative models of emotional intelligence in leadership to nurture future entrepreneurial leaders who will reinforce the quality of education throughout Romania and beyond. She is a (co)author of research grants proposals, and book chapters and articles under Springer, Routledge, and Taylor and Francis, working with practitioners and researchers to enhance leadership in education and business, globally.

Louis MEULEMAN

Guest Professor Ph.D.

Politics & Public Governance, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Louis Meuleman is a Guest Professor at the Politics & Public Governance research group and GOVTRUST Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp. He is also Chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency (EEA) in Copenhagen, and Chair of the think tank Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future. His research focuses on (meta)governance of sustainable development. In his book Metagovernance for Sustainability (2018) he shows how to combine different governance styles (hierarchy, networks, and market) to implement the UN SDGs. Management development and inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG4) are part of this overall framework.

Francisca MORENO-TALLÓN

Assistant Professor Ph.D.

University of the Balearic Islands, Spain

Francisca MORENO-TALLÓN (Ph.D. in inclusive education) has Bachelor's Degree in Educational Psychology (2003), and Diploma in Music Education (2001) from the University of the Balearic Islands. Currrently, she’s Assistant Professor at the University of the Balearic Islands and her research focuses on inclusive education, active methodologies, universal design for learning, and teacher professional development. She is author of various articles and has participated as a speaker at different national and international conferences. Her research stays have been conducted at national universities (Salamanca and Oviedo) and international institutions (Reykjavík University and Università di Macerata), which have provided her with a multidisciplinary perspective and deepened expertise in the field of Inclusive Education. She has taught in Psychopedagogy, Primary Teacher Education programmes, and currently teaches in the Bachelor's Degrees in Early Childhood and Primary Education, where she serves as tutor for Final Year Projects. She has been an instructor in postgraduate courses at the UIB and in continuing education programmes at Teachers' Training Centers. Additionally, she currently teaches in the Master's Programme in Teacher Training, the Master's Degree in Psychoeducational Research and Intervention, and is a collaborating professor at the UOC. She is a member of the Research Group on Inclusive Schools and Diversity (GREID), participates in various research projects and teacher innovation initiatives, and she has numerous publications, among which the following can be highlighted: ‘Preventing Dysgraphia: Early Observation Protocols and a Technological Framework for Monitoring and Enhancing Graphomotor Skills’, in Information (2024); ‘Inclusive Education and Social Inclusion: A Community Commitment’, in the journal Teoría de la Educación (2025) and ‘Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Education: Technological Solutions for Accessible Teaching. A Systematic Review’, in the journal Digital Education Review (2025) for example.

Mercè MOREY-LÓPEZ

Associate Professor Ph.D.

University of the Balearic Islands, Spain

Mercè Morey-López (Ph.D. in education) is Associate Professor of Intercultural Education at the Department of Applied Pedagogy and Educational Psychology of the University of Balearic Islands (Spain) where she teaches Intercultural Education, Socio-educational Intervention and Immigration, Lifelong Learning and Adult Education. She is co-principal investigator of the Academic and Scientific Integrity research group (GRIAC) at the University of Balearic Islands. Her research career has focused on Intercultural Education, Information Literacy and Academic Integrity, participating in various projects I + D + I of regional, national and European level. Among his recent publications can stand: Natives and immigrants enrolled in Spanish intermediate vocational education and training: a comparative study (2020) in Research in Post-compulsory Education; the chapter entitled ‘La atención a la diversidad cultural en los centros de máxima vulnerabilidad: la respuesta del claustro como eje vertebrador de la inclusión’ (2021); the work entitled ‘Spanish contract cheating website marketing through search engine advertisements’ (2021) in Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education; or the article ‘Factores condicionantes en la relación entre escuela y familias de origen extranjero’ (2023) in the journal RASE and ‘Faculty influences on academic integrity at postgraduate level-views from Spanish universities’ at Práxis Educativa (2025). She currently holds two six-year research fellowships, she is a member of the Ibero-American Research Network on Academic Integrity (‘RED-IA’) (https://red-ia.org), Instituto Paulo Freire España (https://institutpaulofreire.org/) and co-director of the Master's Degree in Teacher Training at the University of Balearic Islands.

Arianna MORINI

Associate Professor Ph.D.

Roma Tre University, Italy

Arianna Morini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Roma Tre University. She teaches General Didactics and Educational leadership and training process design. The main lines of her research are related to: the promotion of reading, with particular reference to metacognitive strategies, comprehension skills and motivation to read; the integrated use of new technologies in teaching; and the professional development of teachers. More specifically, she explores strategies for improving teaching and learning processes, the exercise of educational leadership and the development of an integrated education system for children aged 0–6.

Mihaela-Gabriela NEACȘU

Associate Professor Ph.D.

The National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania

Mihaela-Gabriela Neacșu (Ph.D. in education) is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Social Sciences, and Psychology at The National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest – Pitești University Centre, Romania. She participates in both initial teacher training programs and continuing professional development programs for teachers. With extensive expertise in the field of teacher training and mentorship, she has served as an expert trainer. She has trained early-career teachers and has extensive experience in adult education and training programme management. Her principal areas of activity are social pedagogy, alternative pedagogies, mentorship, specialist didactics and complete quality management in education, quality standards in training teachers, methodologies for educational research, child assistance and rights protection. She also possesses extensive experience as a trainer and expert in European projects. Her research on mentorship, educational quality, and teacher psycho-pedagogy has been published in numerous scientific journals. She is also a member of the following scientific organisations in the educational field: Romanian Association for Research in Education (ARCE), European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA) and The Balkan Society for Pedagogy and Education (BASOPED).

Igor PESEK

Associate Professor Ph.D.

University of Maribor, Slovenia

Igor Pesek, PhD, Associate Professor for Digital Education at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. His research focuses on technology-enhanced learning, learning analytics, digital and media literacies, and the integration of AI in education. From 2021 to 2025, he served as Head of the Digital Education Service at the Ministry of Education in Slovenia, where he was involved in shaping national digital education policies and leading strategic projects. He actively participates in international research and policy networks, including expert groups at the EU level. He has been actively involved in several national and international projects (e.g., Erasmus+), focused on AI in education, teacher training, and digital citizenship education. He has worked directly with teachers, school leaders, policymakers, and researchers, which allows me to bring both strategic insights and practical experience to the group.

Robert PFÜTZNER

Professor Ph.D.

University of Applied Sciences for Social Work and Pedagogy (HSAP), Germany

Lucan Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania

Robert Pfützner (Ph.D. in Education) is currently a lecturer in fundamentals of education and history of education in the German-language elementary and preschool education program at “Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu. From March 1, 2026, he will be Professor of International Cooperation in Education at the University of Applied Sciences for Social Work and Education (HSAP) in Berlin (Germany), where he will teach intercultural education, communication skills, and counseling. His research focuses on the history and present of the German-speaking school system in Romania and the intercultural exchange of educational ideas, as well a processes of inclusion, exclusion and othering in education. His practical work focuses on providing educational consulting to schools and kindergartens, in particular coaching managers in Germany and Romania. He is the author of two books, co-author of two books and five edited books, author of 27 book chapters, and 14 scientific articles. His areas of expertise are theory and history of education, schools and kindergartens in intercultural settings, mediation, and conflict management in educational institutions. He is a member of the German Society for Educational Science (DGfE), the Romanian Society for Educational Science (ARCE), the School History Section of the Working Group for Transylvanian Regional Studies (AKSL), and a member of the Research Group for Intercultural Dialogue (FID) at the Research Center for Cultural Heritage and Sociocultural History at “Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu.

Elena María PÉREZ GONZÁLEZ

Professor Ph.D.

Universidad Europea de Canarias, Spain

Elena María Pérez González PhD in History, Territory, and Culture: theoretical perspectives and research methodologies from the University of La Laguna and Extraordinary Doctorate Award from the same university. She is currently a Professor at the Universidad Europea de Canarias. Head of the Research Group “Integration of the SDGs in Tourism”. Main lines of research focused on cultural heritage management and cultural tourism, in particular archaeological heritage, with emphasis on perception and social participation as management strategies. She is a member of ICOMOS Spain and has been a representative of the ICAHM International Scientific Committee on archaeological heritage management and coordinator of the CCNPGA. She has been director, scientific manager, and member of research and knowledge transfer teams in numerous local, national, and international projects, both in the field of archaeological heritage, tourism, heritage education research and educational innovation. She is a member of the Red de Estudios en Turismo (REMTUR), in Mexico.

Manuel Pestano PÉREZ

Professor Ph.D.

Universidad Europea de Canarias, Spain

Manuel Pestano Pérez (PhD, International Mention in Educational Innovation) Innovation manager, university lecturer and European project consultant. For over a decade, he has worked to promote scientific and technological vocations, strengthen digital skills and foster a culture of innovation — always guided by the belief that innovation only makes sense when it transforms realities. His mission is to connect knowledge, innovation, and people to drive projects with social, educational, and business impact, understanding education as both the matrix and the root of transformation. Holding a PhD cum laude from the University of La Laguna and the University of Bologna, he has consolidated expertise in social and educational inclusion, digital competences, innovation management, organisational leadership, and e-learning methodologies. He currently teaches Innovation Management, Social Research, and Digital Learning at the European University of the Canary Islands (Spain), while coordinating and participating in Erasmus+ projects, knowledge transfer networks, and digital transformation programmes for SMEs. He has contributed to international publications, research, and evaluation projects with universities and innovation centres in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, and Romania, integrating diverse perspectives on innovation, education, and digital policy. A certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator, content creator and mentor for entrepreneurs, he promotes active learning and creative processes for territorial development. Passionate about inclusive and sustainable innovation, he advocates for a human-centred approach to change and technology.

Veronica RICCARDI

Associate Professor Ph.D.

Roma Tre University, Italy

Veronica Riccardi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Roma Tre University. She teaches General Pedagogy, as well as Intercultural and Social Pedagogy. Her research focuses on integrating students from migrant backgrounds into the Italian education system, with particular attention to primary schools, early years education, lifelong learning and adult education. She also works in the field of education for peace and global citizenship. She is the author of numerous academic publications.

Lucia SAVA

Associate Professor Ph.D.

“Ion Creanga” State Pedagogical University of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Lucia SAVA (PhD in History) is Associate Professor at the History and Social Sciences Department, Faculty of Philology and History, “Ion Creanga” State Pedagogical University of Chisinau. She has published interdisciplinary studies and articles in the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan. Her scientific interests focus on modern and contemporary national and universal history, anthropology and culturology, European history, European nations and identities, globalization and national, cultural, religious identity, national and European educational policies, quality assurance, academic management. Holder of the research scholarships of the Romanian Cultural Institute, New Europe College, New Europe Foundation. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research (from 2019 to present). National expert in the field of quality assurance in education and research, author and coordinator of working groups for the elaboration of professional qualification standards in higher education. International expert in the field of quality assurance in higher education (ARACIS, since 2021). Author of studies and analyses on external quality assessment, quality assurance in the higher education system, internationalization of university study programs. Coordinator and trainer in several national and international projects, obtained with the financial support of the World Bank, AUF, Koerber Foundation, EUROCLIO, etc.

Andrea SIXTO-COSTOYA

PhD, Assistant Professor and Mobility Coordinator in the degree of Social Work

University of Valencia, Spain

B.A in Social Work at the Universidade de Vigo in 2014; Master in Research Treatment and Associated Pathologies in Drug Addictions at the Universitat de València in 2016; and PhD at the Universitat de València in 2021. She was predoctoral researcher in Social Sciences at the Department of History of Medicine and Documentation of the UV with a grant from the Spanish Ministry (FPI). She was postdoctoral researcher Margarita Salas at Polytechnic University of Valencia (2022-2023). She was awarded a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship in 2023, but at the same time she obtained a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Valencia, a position she finally chose. She has taught teaching in 6 different degrees and 3 master at the Universitat de València and the Universitat Politècnica de València, one of them the Interuniversity Master's Degree in Social Work in Health. Also, she is currently the mobility coordinator in the degree of Social Work. Her main lines of research are open science and open data; gender perspectives in health sciences; addiction research; and social work in the healthcare field. From the beginning of her research career, she has continuously published peer-reviewed articles in journals of recognized international prestige indexed in Journal Citation Reports and Scimago Journal Rank, as well as several book chapters and a total of 60 conference communications, mainly international. She has participated in 6 national competitive research projects and one Erasmus+ project. She is part of the Health and Social Research and Information Unit (UISYS group) of the University of Valencia. She did research stay at Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) of the University of Leiden (Netherlands) and at the Juiz de Fora Federal University (Brasil). At the transfer level, it has been part of part of agreements with the City Council of Valencia, the Conselleria de Sanitat de la Generalitat Valènciana; and the Subdirección General de Drogodependencias de la Generalitat de Catalunya. In addition, she was part of the NGO Doctors of the World - Valencian Community as a member of the board of directors for six years. Moreover, she was involved in the Càtedra de Transparència I Gestió de Dades that includes the Valencian Observatory of Open Data and Transparency, which is part of an agreement between the Conselleria de Participació, Transparència, Cooperació i Qualitat Democràtica and the Universitat Politècnica de València. In the context of this collaboration, studies have been carried out in the area of citizen science.

Margareta M. THOMSON

Full Professor Ph.D.

NC State University, Raleigh, USA

Margareta M. Thomson, Ph.D. is a Full Professor in Educational Psychology at North Carolina State University, in the USA. Her research, funded by major federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), investigates teacher and student motivation with the aim of improving instructional practices and student outcomes. Additionally, she mentors doctoral students and teaches courses in Educational Psychology and related areas. Dr. Thomson is a recipient of several prestigious professional awards, including the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Award and the University Faculty Scholar Award. Webpage: https://ced.ncsu.edu/people/mmpop/

Paolo VITTORIA

Associate Professor Ph.D.

Federico II University of Napoli, Italy

Paolo Vittoria (Ph.D. in education) is Associate Professor of General and Social Pedagogy at the Department of Human Studies at Federico II University of Naples (Italy). Since 2019, Italian National scientific qualification of Full Professor in general and social pedagogy. From 2011 to 2017 Professor of Philosophy of Education at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Faculty of Education - Department of Education; Post-Doctorate in Education Policies - Fluminense Federal University - UFF - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - FAPERJ scholarship (2010). Since 2018, scientific director of the International Journal "Educazione Aperta. Rivista di Pedagogia Critica". Member Emeritus of the Paulo Freire Platform Community Museology; Honorary Member of ABREMC (the Brazilian Association of Ecomuseums and Community Museums). Guest Researcher at Paulo Freire Chair - Catholic University of Santos (UNISANTOS). He has published works on Paulo Freire, Theeatre of the Opressed, Critical Pedagogy, Popular Education, translated into several languages. Among them Paulo Freire. Un alfabeto di speranza TAB Edizioni, 2024. Critical Education in international perspective. Bloomsbury Academy, 2023 (with Peter Mayo). He has also published in Romanian Paulo Freire. Viață și operă (Translation by Daniel Mara, Editura didactica și pedagogică. 2009)