As a reader in neuroscience education at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, my primary interest lies in exploring ways to empower both students and staff. I am dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging among students, aiding them in achieving their goals, and supporting staff in their teaching and curriculum development. 

My current research activities heavily involve the student voice. I collaborate with students to investigate the development of a decolonised curriculum, evaluate interventions that promote wellbeing, and study authentic and inclusive assessment practices. 

As a firm believer in diversity and inclusion, I’ve developed and led two successful distance learning MSc programmes at King’s College London, Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health, and Applied Neuroscience. In my role as Associate Dean of Assessment and Feedback, I strive to enhance the student experience through developing initiatives to ease the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study, expand skills training opportunities to boost employability, and evaluate and improve assessment and feedback practices across the Faculty. 

As a founding member of the Applied Neuroscience Association’s Advisory Board, I support its mission to apply neuroscience for social impact. This role aligns with my activities as Chair of the Royal Society of Biology London Branch Committee, where I work to foster a culture of scientific literacy in schools and the wider public.

Tamsyn began her career in education as an adult basic skills tutor before teaching English and Media Studies in local schools and colleges for nearly a decade. Her interest in the potential of Technology Enhanced Learning grew as she worked as a Learning Technologist in Higher Education, and she joined the University of Southampton in October 2012.

Tamsyn is currently reading for a PhD in E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning and is a Microsoft Innovative Educator. She is an Associate Fellow of AdvanceHE (AFHEA), holder of Senior Certified Membership of the Association for Learning Technology (SCMALT) and recipient of a Collaborative Award in Teaching Excellence (CATE).

As Senior Learning Designer Team Lead, Tamsyn manages a small group of Learning Designers working on a wide range of projects across the University of Southampton. Tamsyn leads on digital capabilities at the University of Southampton, including the implementation of the Jisc Discovery Tool. She is also a member of the UCISA Digital capabilities Group (DCG).

Tamsyn offers specialist expertise and support in Technology Enhanced Learning, curriculum design, content creation, and development opportunities to enable staff to be confident and competent users of technology and embed evidence-based TEL approaches into their practice.

Professor and researcher in the area of public policies and digital information and communication technologies in education, Federal University of Minas Gerais.

Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay completed her master's degree in Educational Sciences with his thesis in the field of Education Technology, Distance Education. She graduated from the Near East University in the field of Educational Administration. Prof. Altınay completed the doctoral program in the field of Educational Technology at Middlesex University. She is a full-time faculty member at Near East University. Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay teaches at doctoral, master's and bachelor's degrees.

Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay is the Chair of the Center for Social Research and Development, affiliated with the Center of Excellence. She is the head of the Educational Sciences Ethics Committee and also the head of the Monitoring Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She takes part in national books, international books, projects and scientific studies on the scope of social issues. 

Prof. Dr. Fahriye Altınay graduated from the Faculty of Communication. She completed her master's degree in educational sciences in the field of educational technology, distance education. She completed her master's thesis as the subject of "communication barriers in distance education". She graduated from the Near East University, PhD program in Educational Administration.

The subject of the doctoral thesis is the adaptation of learning organizations and distance education institutions. Later, she completed her doctorate program in Educational Technology at Middlesex University. In her doctoral thesis, she worked on how student and teacher participation can be realized in the learning and teaching process with a focus on interaction in distance education.

In the field of educational technologies, especially in the field of distance education, since 2002, it has been sharing scientific studies with the academic world and conducting academic studies within the framework of international cooperation on current issues in this field. She works full-time at the Near East University and serves as the Vice Director of the Graduate Studies Institute and the Co-Chair of the Social Research and Development Center. It carries out social projects and scientific studies on disability, women and children. 

Anna is a well-versed Instructional Designer with prodigious experience in the provision of tailored e-Learning solutions. She holds an MSc from UNIPI [University of Piraeus] in Digital Systems & Education Technology with particular expertise in e-learning development. Her professional career in the field started back in 2013 when she started deploying and designing e-learning courses for high school students. Ever since, she has mastered her knowledge in widely-used Learning Management Systems [Moodle, Chamilo, Talent, Drupal LMS themes]. 

In 2017, she started working as an e-Learning Project Consultant and Instructional Designer for a software development company touching base on the area of Virtual Games development. Throughout her path, Anna has designed several ICT-enhanced solutions varying from online courses and MOOCs to digital games and complex mobile apps. Utilizing the ADDIE [Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation] model's main principles for Instructional Design, she has been exposed to technologies and platforms, such as H5P, Unity, Minecraft, and Augmented Reality, resulting in a deeper understanding of immersive educational technologies. Her infatuation to create vitally motivational user experiences for learning purposes led her in casting around for new approaches in the implementation of e-GBL [Digital Game-Based Learning]. Her motto: 'The future of Learning is in Gaming'.

Associate dean of teaching and learning,
Sheffield Hallam University

Peder Møgelvang Pedersen is an experienced professional in the fields of technology integration and digital transformation, particularly within education in higher education. He holds a master’s degree in digital technologies, didactic design, and learning, with a focus on vocational and higher education. Peder has extensive experience leading digitalization projects for municipalities and businesses, as well as developing educational programs that integrate digital technologies into professional training.

As an associate professor at UCL Erhvervsakademi og Professionshøjskole, Peder leads both internal and external digital projects and contributes to regional and national digital initiatives. He has designed various competency development programs focused on e-learning, hybrid learning, and blended learning formats.

Peder Møgelvang Pedersen is also engaged in research focused on digitalization and leadership. His research explores how digital technologies can transform organizational structures and leadership practices, with a particular focus on educational institutions and professional development. Peder investigates how leaders can effectively integrate digital solutions to enhance organizational efficiency and support learning environments, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities that come with digital transformation.

Wolfgang Rathert is an experienced business community manager and lecturer at several Swiss universities. He is head of the CAS Digital Customer Experience and Digital Business Design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Lucerne.

Isak van der Walt serves as the Digital Scholarship & Innovation Manager for the Department of Library Services at the University of Pretoria. Since 1999, he has specialized in academic ICT and information services at the university. As the head of the Digital Services and Systems unit, Isak strategically oversees projects to enhance the value of UP and Library Services. 

With over two decades of experience, Isak's expertise in emerging trends in academic librarianship is extensive. He is a recognized speaker, having presented at over 70 national and international conferences and workshops. 

As a co-founder and project lead of South Africa's first Academic MakerSpace, Isak has been instrumental in driving innovation. He also pioneered the implementation of Africa's first Robot Librarian, known as Libby. His current endeavour is establishing a Digital Scholarship Centre at the University of Pretoria to promote new forms of scholarly output and research discovery. 

Isak contributes to the Research Data Management steering committee, offering technical advice on RDM. Additionally, he serves as the Technical Lead for the South African Sustainable Development Hub (SASDGHub), where he is leading an AI project to enhance research discovery. 

His role expands as the Acting Deputy Director for the Department of Library Services, managing Digital Scholarship, Scholarly Communications, Open Scholarship, and Special Collections. Isak's embrace of disruptive technologies and commitment to innovation solidifies his reputation as a vanguard in the academic community.

Elshan Ahmadov Associated Professor on "Sustainable development planning and management" department at the Academy of Public Administration of Azerbaijan. He worked as senior research fellow on UNESCO department at the Academy of Public Administration. His research topic is "Sustainable water resources management in Azerbaijan". He has Lectured at APA, UNEC and Khazar Universities. Elshan Ahmadov was Post-doc researcher at the University of the Basque Country in Spain and Kassel University in Germany.

Awarded by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in 2017. He was participant and expert of training center in jointly project of UNDP and the Academy of Public Administration. Elshan Ahmadov is a Member of the National Coordinating Committee “Horizon EU”. He is holder of honourable “the letter of thanks” from Minister of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Editorial board member of “The International Journal of Sustainable Development”. In 2022, he was awarded with “congratulation certificate” by Elsevier. His article was linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, helping to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges.