Invited Speakers

Prof. Sebastian Speiser

Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart, Germany

Bio: Sebastian Speiser is a Professor of Computer Science at HFT Stuttgart, Germany, and serves as the Study Dean for the Bachelor programme in AR/VR-Engineering. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly its applications in education, where he aims to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and effective learning methodologies. Beyond academia, Sebastian brings extensive experience in operational and leadership roles across industry, specializing in AI and Data Analytics.

Prof. Antonio Cedillo-Hernandez

Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico

Bio: Antonio Cedillo holds a PhD degree in Communications and Electronics, obtained with honors. He as the recognition as a National Researcher Level 1 in Mexico. He has twelve years of experience in academia and research including a postdoctoral position. During his academic career, he has gained distinctions, such as the best evaluated professor at the undergraduate and master’s levels, best professor of generation, member of the circle of outstanding professors and national award as inspiring professor. In addition, he has been auditor leader in the security review of informatic systems for the gubernatorial elections in Mexico. He has non-academic work experience of 7 years in the Mexican Federal Government, being his last position as Deputy Director of IT in the Ministry of the Interior, managing projects of high technological and political impact. He holds the international credential PMP? No. 1411515, and the SCRUM?. ITIL? and Security+ certifications. He was winner of the best presentation award in ICETC'23 and ICETC'24.

Prof. Kenzi Watanabe

Hiroshima University, Japan

Bio: Kenzi Watanabe received the B.Sc. and the M.Sc. degree in Physics from Saga University, Japan, in 1987 and 1989, respectively. He received the Ph.D. degree in engineering from Saga University in 1998. From 1989 to 1993, he was a research associate at Saga University. From 1993 to 1999, he was a lecturer and an associate professor at Wakayama University, Japan. From 1999 to 2012, he was an associate professor and a professor at Saga University. From 2012 to 2024, he was a professor at Hiroshima University, Japan. He is presently a professor and a vice president at Fukuyama City University, Japan, since April 2025. His research interests are development of educational systems, advanced Internet technologies and applications and so on.

Prof. Daniel Otto

European University for Innovation and Perspective, Germany

Bio: Prof. Dr Daniel Otto is a habilitated scholar in media didactics and serves as a Professor of E-Learning and Digital Teaching at the European University for Innovation and Perspective (EHiP). His academic career includes appointments as Professor at the Hamburg Distance Learning University of Applied Sciences and Interim Professor at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. He has made significant contributions to the field of online and distance education through his leadership in various research projects and his extensive publications. His work has primarily focused on trends and success factors in online and distance learning, with a particular emphasis on the transformative potential of Open Educational Resources (OER) to foster equitable and inclusive access to education. His current research explores the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for instructional design in distance education, with a specific focus on its impact on teaching and learning practices.

Prof. Jesús Enrique Beltrán Virgüez

Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, Colombia

Bio: Jesús Enrique Beltrán Virgüez is a Business Administrator with a Master’s degree in Contemporary Philosophy and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in Spain. He serves as a research professor at the Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO-Colombia). With over 14 years of experience in university teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, his academic work focuses on higher education, organizational management, Hermeneutic Phenomenology, and Critical Theory. He is a member of the Research Core in Phenomenology of Brazil and the research groups GEDESE and Ereignis in Colombia. His research includes topics such as leadership, innovation, and artificial intelligence in higher education. Additionally, he has explored subjects such as aesthetics, affectivity, and organizational phenomena from phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches.

Prof. Clara Karjo

Bina Nusantara University, Indonesia

Bio: Prof. Dr. Clara Herlina Karjo obtained her extensive education in English language teaching and applied linguistics from Indonesian Catholic University of Atmajaya, Jakarta. She joined Bina Nusantara University in 2002. She has been teaching several linguistics related subjects such as English Phonology, Sociolinguistics, Pragmatics and Translation. Doing research and writing research papers have been Dr. Clara’s passion for quite a long time. She has produced a lot of research papers in the area of English linguistics and applied linguistics. Some of her topics of research include machine translation, language acquisition, critical discourse analysis and digital language learning. Besides, Dr. Clara also presents her research papers in various conferences and seminars around Indonesia and abroad.

Prof. Pushp Lata

Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India

Bio: Prof. Pushp Lata, a distinguished academic affiliated with the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani- Pilani Campus since 1994. In her illustrious career of 30 years she has held various teaching and administrative positions. Her broad areas of interest include English Language Teaching, Translanguaging and Multimodality, Gender and Culture in Education, Language and Migration, and Critical Pedagogies. Prof. Lata has authored sixteen seminal books and disseminated her scholarly insights through 24 research papers in Scopus-indexed and peer-reviewed international journals, along with 25 book chapters and good number of papers in esteemed national journals. She serves as a reviewer for several national and international journals. Prof. Lata is a passionate teacher and is known for her interactive and engaging pedagogy. Additionally, she has conducted over 90 workshops and training programs catering to students, educators, and corporate professionals, covering diverse topics such as Effective Communication, Managerial Communication, Innovative Pedagogy, Academic Writing, Soft Skills, Group Discussions, and Job Interviews, thereby enriching academic and professional domains alike.

Assoc. Prof. Mohd Elmagzoub Eltahir

Ajman University, United Arab Emirates

Bio: Dr. Mohd Elmagzoub Eltahir is the Head of the Education Department and an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the College of Humanities and Sciences, Ajman University, UAE. His expansive research portfolio encompasses cutting-edge areas such as Artificial Intelligence in Education, e-Learning, Educational Technology, Blended Learning, and Multimedia in Education. Dr. Eltahir is widely recognized for his impactful contributions to the field, with a substantial body of work presented at prestigious international conferences and published in high-ranking, peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition to his academic achievements, he brings extensive consultancy expertise, having successfully implemented technology-driven educational solutions across schools in the UAE. In 2009, Dr. Eltahir was honored with the Sharjah Award for Excellence in Education, a testament to his dedication, innovation, and leadership in advancing modern educational practices. His unwavering commitment to integrating technology into education continues to inspire and shape the future of learning.

Assoc. Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Hujailan

King Saud University, Saudi Arabia

Bio: M Alhojailan completed his doctorate under the supervision of professor Bernd Stahl at the university of DMU after taking up his academic position as a lecturer at King Saud University 2006. Mohammed awarded best paper in SIC 2012, London, Brunel University. He listed in distinction board in Saudi Cultural Bureau in London in 2012 and 2013 in Saudi Cultural Bureau in London, received distinguished PhD student award from Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, Saudi ambassador at UK. He is now consultant in educational technology projects, especially in eLearning design. His worked in the themes of eLearning management design and evaluation includes e-Content management, e-training, electronic of Community of inquiry (Col), blended design with Instructional models, Creative and critical thinking themes with content are his interest. He focused in Learner’s attitude and developing skills due technology, especially in K-12 school. Further, align practicing with theories are the main crave.

Assoc. Prof. Farrah Dina Yusof

Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

Bio: Farrah Dina is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. She earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instructional Technology and Human Computer Interaction from Iowa State University. She was the former Director of ADEC, the university’s centre for managing professional development programs for its academics, as well as spearheading various e-learning initiatives, including MOOCs and microcredentials. Dr. Farrah is a scholar-researcher-practitioner specialising in instructional design and development, professional development, the use of educational technologies for effective learning, online, experiential, and service-learning. Her work has appeared in a number of high-impact journals. She received numerous awards, locally and internationally, including the Young Researcher Award, the Outstanding Woman in Humanities and Social Sciences Award, and the Malaysian Minister of Education's Special Award (AKRI) in teaching and learning, in addition to various research-based educational innovation awards.

Dr. Nashwa Ismail

Imperial College London, UK

Bio: Dr. Ismail is an academic researcher at Imperial College London, UK. She holds an MSc and a PhD in Education from the Southampton Education School and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She is currently conducting academic research on the role of Generative AI (GenAI) in teaching and learning, exploring how AI can inform pedagogical design and support academic practices. Her expertise lies in bridging the gap between technology and pedagogy in online learning environments, with a focus on innovative approaches such as Games-Based Learning (GBL). Recognizing the growing need to develop academic capabilities in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Dr. Ismail has also led and researched a series of workshops in the Global South, equipping academics with the skills and knowledge to embed AI effectively in teaching and research practices.