Programme


Conference Outline

Sun, November 23, 2025Mon, Nov 24Tue, Nov 25Wed, Nov 26Thu, Nov 27Fri, Nov 28

18:00-20:00: Welcome Reception | The Public Red Akasaka
This is a free event open to all registered delegates.

Join fellow delegates for a drink or two at the conference Welcome Reception. This event provides a great opportunity for delegates to network and get to know each other.

Conference Venue: Kioi Conference Center, Tokyo

09:30-10:30: Conference Check-in & Coffee | Foyer (4F)

10:30-11:00: Welcome Addresses & Recognition of IAFOR Scholarship Winners |
Grant Black, Chuo University, Japan

11:00-11:25: Keynote Presentation | Main Room (4F) & Online
Kan Suzuki, The University of Tokyo, Japan
11:25-11:40: Q&A

11:45-12:45: Panel Presentation | Main Room (4F) & Online
Internationalisation of Higher Education in East Asia: Challenges and Opportunities in Comparative Perspective

12:45-12:55: Conference Photograph

12:55-14:15: Extended Break

14:15-14:40: Keynote Presentation | Main Room (4F) & Online
Educational Leadership in the Age of AI Agents
Eric Hawkinson, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan
14:40-14:55: Q&A

14:55-15:55: Panel Presentation | Main Room (4F) & Online
Justin Sanders, Woven by Toyota, Japan (Moderator)

Conference Venue: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

09:00-09:15: Conference Check-in | Subaru Room (5F)

09:15-10:00: Information Session | Orion Hall (5F)
Matthew Chima, IAFOR, Japan
Melina Neophytou, IAFOR, Japan

10:05-11:05: The Forum | Orion Hall (5F)
Sean McMinn, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong (Respondent)
Melina Neophytou, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator)

11:05-11:35: Networking Coffee Break

11:35-12:35: Japanese Cultural Presentation: Shamisen | Orion Hall (5F)

12:35-14:00: Extended Break

14:00-15:00: Afternoon Session 1
Conference Poster Session 1 | Orion Hall (5F)
IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS) Poster Session 1 | Subaru Room (5F)

15:00-15:30: Networking Coffee Break

15:30-16:30: Afternoon Session 2
Conference Poster Session 2 | Orion Hall (5F)
IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS) Poster Session 2 | Subaru Room (5F)

19:00-21:00: Conference Dinner | Shunju Tameikesanno
This is a ticketed event.

Conference Venue: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

09:00-09:30: Conference Check-in & Coffee (6F)

09:30-11:10: Onsite Parallel Session 1
Room 601 (6F): Challenging and Preserving: Culture, Inter/Multiculturalism and Language
Room 603 (6F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 604 (6F): Higher Education
Room 605 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 607 (6F): Education, Sustainability and Society
Room 608 (6F): Educational Policy, Curriculum Design and Development
Room 702 (7F): Education and Difference
Room 703 (7F): Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education
Room 704 (7F): Assessment Theories and Methodologies
Room 705 (7F): Art and Design in Education
Room 707 (7F): AI in Education
Room 708 (7F): Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics

11:10-11:25: Break

11:25-12:40: Onsite Parallel Session 2
Room 601 (6F): AI in Education (Workshop)
Room 603 (6F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 604 (6F): Higher Education
Room 605 (6F): Educational Policy, Differences in Higher Education
Room 607 (6F): Education, Sustainability and Society
Room 608 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 702 (7F): Education and Difference
Room 703 (7F): Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education
Room 704 (7F): Teacher Education
Room 705 (7F): Curriculum Design and Development
Room 707 (7F): Architecture and Engineering Education
Room 708 (7F): Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics

12:40-13:40: Extended Break

13:40-15:20: Onsite Parallel Session 3
Room 601 (6F): Learning Experience, Student Learning and Learner Diversity (Workshops)
Room 603 (6F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 604 (6F): International Education
Room 605 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 607 (6F): Education, Sustainability and Society
Room 608 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 702 (7F): Mind, Brain and Psychology
Room 703 (7F): Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education
Room 704 (7F): Adult, Lifelong and Distance Learning
Room 705 (7F): Curriculum Design, Counselling and Adjustments in Education
Room 707 (7F): AI in Education
Room 708 (7F): Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics

15:20-15:35: Coffee Break

15:35-17:15: Onsite Parallel Session 4
Room 601 (6F): Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis (Workshops)
Room 603 (6F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 604 (6F): Higher Education
Room 605 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 607 (6F): Education, Sustainability and Society
Room 608 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 702 (7F): Education and Difference
Room 703 (7F): Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education
Room 704 (7F): Adult, Lifelong and Distance Learning
Room 705 (7F): Intercultural and Multicultural Education
Room 707 (7F): Education for STEAM
Room 708 (7F): Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics

17:15-17:30: Coffee Break

17:30-18:45: Onsite Parallel Session 5
Room 603 (6F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 604 (6F): Higher Education
Room 605 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 607 (6F): Education, Sustainability and Society
Room 702 (7F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 703 (7F): Primary Education
Room 704 (7F): Teacher Education
Room 705 (7F): Curriculum Design and Development
Room 707 (7F): Career Education

Conference Venue: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo

08:30-09:00: Conference Check-in & Coffee

09:00-10:40: Onsite Parallel Session 1
Room 601 (6F): International Education
Room 603 (6F): Higher Education
Room 604 (6F): Early Childhood Care and Education
Room 605 (6F): Language Learning and Multilingual Education
Room 607 (6F): Design and Implementation of Educational Policy
Room 608 (6F): Education Research and Development in Higher Education
Room 702 (7F): Adolescent and Adult Education
Room 703 (7F): Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity
Room 704 (7F): Technical-Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education
Room 705 (7F): Foreign Language Education and Applied Linguistics
Room 707 (7F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 708 (7F): Education, Sustainability and Society

10:40-10:55: Coffee Break

10:55-12:10: Onsite Parallel Session 2
Room 603 (6F): Higher Education
Room 604 (6F): Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education
Room 605 (6F): Service Learning
Room 607 (6F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Room 608 (6F): Higher Education
Room 703 (7F): Adult and Special Education
Room 704 (7F): Knowledge Creation, Preservation and Access
Room 705 (7F): Gender Issues in Education
Room 707 (7F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 708 (7F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration

12:10-13:10: Coffee Break

13:10-14:50: Onsite Parallel Session 3
Room 601 (6F): Assessment Theories and Methodologies
Room 603 (6F): Higher Education
Room 604 (6F): Social Studies and Citizenship Education
Room 605 (6F): Language Learning and Multilingual Education
Room 607 (6F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 608 (6F): Education Research and Development in Higher Education
Room 703 (7F): Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity
Room 704 (7F): Education for STEAM
Room 705 (7F): Foreign Language Education and Applied Linguistics
Room 707 (7F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 708 (7F): Special Topics in Education

14:50-15:05: Coffee Break

15:05-16:45: Onsite Parallel Session 4
Room 601 (6F): Higher Education
Room 603 (6F): Higher Education
Room 604 (6F): Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education
Room 605 (6F): Language Learning and Multilingual Education
Room 607 (6F): AI in Education
Room 608 (6F): Higher Education
Room 703 (7F): Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity
Room 704 (7F): Education for STEAM
Room 705 (7F): Art and Design in Education
Room 707 (7F): Innovative Technologies in Education
Room 708 (7F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration

16:45-17:00: Onsite Closing Session | Room 601 (6F)

Conference Venue: Online via Zoom

09:55-10:00: Message from IAFOR

10:00-11:00: The Forum
Apipol Sae-tung, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator)

11:05-12:05: Panel Discussion
Human-AI Partnership in Teacher Education: Rethinking the Hybrid Teacher of the Future
Nabila Nindya Alifia Putri, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, Indonesia
Danny Liu, University of Sydney, Australia
Jason Lodge, University of Queensland, Australia
Susie Kung, Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand (Moderator)

12:15-13:55: Online Parallel Session 1
Live-Stream Room 1: Higher Education
Live-Stream Room 2: Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity
Live-Stream Room 3: Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics
Live-Stream Room 4: AI in Education
Live-Stream Room 5: Innovative Technologies in Education
Live-Stream Room 6: Intercultural and International Education
Live-Stream Room 7: Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education

13:55-14:05: Break

14:05-15:45: Online Parallel Session 2
Live-Stream Room 1: Higher Education
Live-Stream Room 2: Curriculum Development and Educational Leadership
Live-Stream Room 3: Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics
Live-Stream Room 4: AI in Education
Live-Stream Room 5: Innovative Technologies in Education
Live-Stream Room 6: Intercultural and International Education
Live-Stream Room 7: Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education

15:45-15:55: Break

15:55-17:35: Online Parallel Session 3
Live-Stream Room 1: Higher Education
Live-Stream Room 2: Special Topics: Alternative Education and TVET
Live-Stream Room 3: Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics
Live-Stream Room 4: AI and Emerging Learning Modalities
Live-Stream Room 5: AI and Digital Literacy
Live-Stream Room 6: Education, Sustainability and Society
Live-Stream Room 7: Teacher Education

17:35-17:45: Break

17:45-18:45: Panel Discussion
Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence
Najwa Saba 'Ayon Fares, Rafik Hariri University, Lebanon
Mikel Garant, University of Helsinki, Finland
Martin Parsons, Hannan University, Osaka, Japan
Murielle El Hajj Nahas, Lusail University, Qatar (Moderator)

18:45-18:55: Closing Message from IAFOR


Conference Programme & Abstract Book

The draft version of the Conference Programme will be available online on October 13, 2025. All registered delegates will be notified of this publication by email. The Conference Programme contains access information, session information and a detailed day-to-day presentation schedule.

*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.


Featured Speakers

  • Grant Black
    Grant Black
    Chuo University, Japan
  • Mikel Garant
    Mikel Garant
    City University of Macau, Macau
  • Eric Hawkinson
    Eric Hawkinson
    Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan
  • Susie Kung
    Susie Kung
    Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand
  • Nabila Nindya Alifia Putri
    Nabila Nindya Alifia Putri
    Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Danny Liu
    Danny Liu
    University of Sydney, Australia
  • Sean McMinn
    Sean McMinn
    The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong
  • Murielle El Hajj Nahas
    Murielle El Hajj Nahas
    Lusail University, Qatar
  • Martin Parsons
    Martin Parsons
    Hannan University, Japan
  • Najwa Saba ‘Ayon
    Najwa Saba ‘Ayon
    Rafik Hariri University, Lebanon

Featured Presentations

  • Educational Leadership in the Age of AI Agents
    Educational Leadership in the Age of AI Agents
    Keynote Presentation: Eric Hawkinson
  • Human-AI Partnership in Teacher Education: Rethinking the Hybrid Teacher of the Future
    Human-AI Partnership in Teacher Education: Rethinking the Hybrid Teacher of the Future
    Panel Presentation (Online): Susie Kung
  • Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence
    Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence
    Panel Presentation (Online): Najwa Saba ‘Ayon, Mikel Garant, Martin Parsons, Murielle El Hajj Nahas

Accepted Presentations

One of the greatest strengths of IAFOR’s international conferences is their international and intercultural diversity.
As of September 20, 2025, ACE2025 has received over 1,640 submissions from 92 countries and territories - including: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

Previous Programming

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

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. He 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. Professor Black is a Chartered Manager (CMgr), the highest status that can be achieved in the management profession in the United Kingdom. In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). Professor Black 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). Professor Black serves as a Vice-President for the International Academic Forum (IAFOR).

Previous Presentations

Featured Interview (2021) | Undergraduate Research: Nurturing the Next Generation
Mikel Garant
City University of Macau, Macau

Biography

Dr Mikel Garant teaches English in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science at City University of Macau, Macau. He earned his BA in Political Science at The University of Tennessee, United States, his MSc in Teaching English for Specific Purposes at Aston University, United Kingdom, and his PhD in Organizational Communication at The University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His research interests include translation, intercultural communication, English language teaching, and virtual exchange practices. Dr Garant has been a Japanese National Scholar at Nara University of Education and The University of Osaka, Japan, and has held visiting researcher and professor roles at leading institutions all over the world.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence
Eric Hawkinson
Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Biography

Dr Eric Hawkinson is a self-described ‘learning futurist’ and Professor at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan, where he teaches courses on issues related to technology and touring. Known for his creative approach to immersive education, Professor Hawkinson designs experiences where digital and physical learning merge, such as augmented reality art exhibitions, mixed reality games, and virtual field trips. As founder of the educational AR platforms Together Learning and Reality Labo, and chair of the World Learning Labs symposium, his work blends curiosity, research, and play to rethink what education can be. Professor Hawkinson is an Adobe Education Leader, a Google Certified Innovator, and a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. He has published over 50 papers and delivered more than 150 talks worldwide, from TEDx to SXSW. His current research focuses on immersive learning, digital ethics, and automation in education, most recently exploring the concept of the ‘automation abyss’ and the shifting role of educators in AI-driven systems. Visit erichawkinson.com for a full listing of Professor Hawkinson’s active projects, research, and publications.

Keynote Presentation (2025) | Educational Leadership in the Age of AI Agents
Susie Kung
Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand

Biography

Susie Kung has been in education since 1980 and in teacher education for over 26 years. She is a Senior Lecturer within the School of Education at Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand, since 2006, and has substantial experience in the field of teacher education both in Malaysia and New Zealand.

Ms Kung has a special interest in teacher identity and its role in shaping the evolving teaching philosophy and practice of teachers and student teachers. Her passion for this area of teacher education has contributed to her teaching on human development ranging from child development to adult human development, reflective practice and teaching identity, teaching for social justice, and preparing student teachers for a diverse and fast-changing world. Case study and narrative approaches to research are her methodologies of choice, but she has a special interest in the Appreciate Inquiry approach to research and has used this methodology for several of her research projects. Her call for a reconsideration of teacher education as a holistic endeavor reflects her current interest in discourses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in tertiary education. She is currently investigating the rapidly evolving nature of human-Al partnerships in teacher education and how this might shape the Human-Al hybrid teacher of the future.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Human-AI Partnership in Teacher Education: Rethinking the Hybrid Teacher of the Future

Panel Presentation (2024) | Navigating AI in Higher Education: Multiple Perspectives from Policy to Practice
Panel Presentation (2023) | No One Left Behind: Advocating for Equitable Opportunities for
Success in Tertiary Education
Nabila Nindya Alifia Putri
Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, Indonesia

Biography

Ms Nabila Nindya Alifia Putri is a master’s degree graduate and a scholarship awardee from Universitas Islam International Indonesia (UIII), Indonesia. She received her bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication and Design at Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, where she initially discovered her passion towards education by creating a motion comic as a medium of learning physics. Her studies have since pivoted towards educational technology, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning and teaching, especially AI literacy. Her current research interests include educational well-being, AI literacy in education, and learning design and technology.

She was previously a grand finalist in the 2025 International Writing Competition hosted by Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia, where she presented her mixed-methods study titled ‘Does Being AI-Literate Lead to Academic Happiness? Exploring the Impact of AI Literacy on University Students’ Well-Being’.

In addition to her academic work, she has contributed to projects related to curriculum and instructional design, such as developing online learning content about a Udemy MOOC on Wasathiyah Islam. She is enthusiastic about discussing how emerging technologies, especially AI, can transform the future of education, but also the role of teacher preparedness and well-being in adapting to the changes.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Human-AI Partnership in Teacher Education: Rethinking the Hybrid Teacher of the Future
Danny Liu
University of Sydney, Australia

Biography

Dr Danny Liu is a molecular biologist by training, programmer by night, researcher and faculty developer by day, and educator at heart. A multiple international and national teaching award winner, he is Professor of Educational Technologies at the University of Sydney, Australia, where he co-chairs the University's AI in Education working group and leads the Cogniti.ai initiative that puts educators in the driver's seat of AI. His research interests include AI and learning analytics, educational technology, student engagement and transition.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Human-AI Partnership in Teacher Education: Rethinking the Hybrid Teacher of the Future
Sean McMinn
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong

Biography

Dr Sean McMinn is the Director of the Center for Education Innovation at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong. Previously, he served as Associate Professor and Director of the English Language Centre at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2020-2022) and held various academic roles at HKUST, including Associate Professor of Language Education and Co-Academic Director of the MA in International Language Education programme. As an early adopter of educational technologies, he has led initiatives in AI in education, blended learning, and fully online teaching modes. He currently serves on several international committees, including the AI and Education International Panel, Digital Education Council, Cyber-Physical Learning Alliance, and EduTech Asia organising committee.

The Forum (2025) | TBA

Panel Presentation (2024) | Navigating the Hype and Reality of Generative AI in Higher Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Trends
Panel Presentation (2023) | Unleashing the Potential: The Impact of AI and ChatGPT in Revolutionising Education
Murielle El Hajj Nahas
Lusail University, Qatar

Biography

Dr Murielle El Hajj Nahas is currently an Assistant Professor and Director of Lusail University Press (LU Press) at Lusail University, Qatar. She holds a PhD in French Language and Literature, specialising in Psychoanalysis of Literature and Textoanalysis from the Lebanese University, Lebanon and currently serves as an Associate Editor for the IAFOR Journal of Literature & Librarianship and the IAFOR Journal of Education (Language Learning in Education issues). Additionally, she is an Editorial Board Member for In Analysis, revue transdisciplinaire de psychanalyse et sciences (Elsevier Masson SAS, France), a Senior Reviewer for the IAFOR Journal of Education (Technology in Education issues), and a Reviewer for the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) programme in the United States. Her domain of research focuses on psychoanalysis of literature, the perspective on the unconscious in literary study, the roles of the instances involved in analytical/critical praxis, and the relation between literature and psychoanalysis. Her research interests include analysis of written narrative structure and focalisation; comparative studies of literary genres; discourse analysis and semantics; French linguistics, literature, modernism, and postmodernism studies; gender studies; literary semiotics and semiology; psychoanalysis; psychoanalytic criticism and textoanalysis; rhetoric and stylistics; and schizoanalysis. She has published book chapters, original articles, academic interviews, translated articles, book reviews and analyses, as well as poems. She has also authored a contemporary theatre book titled Fragments chaotiques (2022), published by Les impliqués Éditeur, France.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence

Previous Presentations

Panel Presentation (2024) | Blended Learning: Overcoming Challenges and Implementing Solutions
Panel Presentation (2023) | Unleashing the Potential: The Impact of AI and ChatGPT in Revolutionising Education
Panel Presentation (2022) | Mental Health in Action: Strategies to Build Teacher and Student Capacity
Roundtable Presentation (2021) | Being Resilient: Finding Ways to Publish in Difficult Times
Martin Parsons
Hannan University, Japan

Biography

Professor Martin Parsons is a professor in the Faculty of Information Sciences at Hannan University in Osaka, Japan, where he teaches courses on English and digital production. His research interests include interculturality, English language education in Japan, multimodality, and the intersection between digital literacy and foreign language learning. He has written extensively on the topic of digital production and language learning, including topics such as the use of podcasting and virtual exchanges in second language acquisition.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence
Najwa Saba ‘Ayon
Rafik Hariri University, Lebanon

Biography

Dr Najwa Saba 'Ayon is the academic coordinator of the Languages and Liberal Arts Unit at Rafik Hariri University, Lebanon. Dr Saba 'Ayon earned her PhD in Education (TEFL) from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. She has been recognised for teaching excellence and has been teaching at the university level for over ten years, leading courses on, English Communication, Linguistics, Intercultural Communication, and Public Speaking.

Dr Saba ‘Ayon’s research interests include teacher training and development, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), innovative teaching strategies, intercultural communication, preparation of professional intercultural communications, and multilingualism. She has published and presented in national and international conferences on a variety of topics in education, including student motivation, collaborative learning in ESP courses, intercultural communication, plagiarism and ethical integrity, and EFL teachers’ conceptions of teaching and their practice.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence
Educational Leadership in the Age of AI Agents
Keynote Presentation: Eric Hawkinson

What happens to teaching when the tools start teaching back? As Artificial Intelligence and extended reality become embedded in the daily practice of education, our roles as educators are evolving. This keynote draws on over a decade of student data and hands-on experimentation with immersive learning to explore a central shift: learning is no longer shaped only by pedagogy but by platforms that influence how knowledge is created, shared, and experienced. Through examples from projects like My Hometown, AR escape rooms, and shared virtual spaces, we will examine how new technologies are reshaping not just classrooms, but the professional relationships and responsibilities that surround them. As augmented and virtual reality move towards becoming the preferred lens with which humans interact with AI, they simultaneously serve as data gathering engines educators can use and, in turn, enrich.

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, this session proposes a new way of thinking about extended reality technology in education. Drawing on insights from educational AR projects Together Learning, Reality Labo, and World Learning Labs, the session highlights practical strategies for designing ethical, engaging, and flexible learning environments. The goal is not to escape disruption, but to lead through it with clarity and creativity. Participants will leave with a renewed sense of optimism about the future of education and have a set of operational strategies they can put to work in their own classrooms, institutions, and communities.

Read presenter's biography
Human-AI Partnership in Teacher Education: Rethinking the Hybrid Teacher of the Future
Panel Presentation (Online): Susie Kung

AI technologies are no longer passive tools but active agents in the professional lives of teachers: they are impacting teachers' ways of being, informing their pedagogical approaches, and contributing to new and complex conceptions of teaching identity. As the field experiences a surge of interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI), considerable literature exists on AI's application in education, but less attention has been paid to how technology-assisted learning and AI-mediated environments are reimagining the role and identity of teachers. This panel explores the evolving nature of Human-AI partnerships in teacher education and their role in shaping teacher identity, teaching philosophy, and professional practice.

This session offers a platform for reimagining the future of teacher education and the teacher of the future. Questions regarding current and future concerns about AI and the teaching profession will be discussed, including how emerging teacher identities are shaped in digital/AI-rich environments and how they differ from those in traditional settings; whether AI-mediated contexts intensify identity tensions or can catalyse positive transformation; how cultural, societal, and contextual factors influence responses to AI integration; and whether the future educator will inevitably be a Human–AI hybrid, and if so, whether this should be embraced, critiqued, or reimagined.

Read presenters' biographies
Teaching Leadership Through Artificial Intelligence
Panel Presentation (Online): Najwa Saba ‘Ayon, Mikel Garant, Martin Parsons, Murielle El Hajj Nahas

What happens to teaching when the tools start teaching back? As Artificial Intelligence and extended reality become embedded in the daily practice of education, our roles as educators are evolving. This keynote draws on over a decade of student data and hands-on experimentation with immersive learning to explore a central shift: learning is no longer shaped only by pedagogy but by platforms that influence how knowledge is created, shared, and experienced. Through examples from projects like My Hometown, AR escape rooms, and shared virtual spaces, we will examine how new technologies are reshaping not just classrooms, but the professional relationships and responsibilities that surround them. As augmented and virtual reality move towards becoming the preferred lens with which humans interact with AI, they simultaneously serve as data gathering engines educators can use and, in turn, enrich.

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, this session proposes a new way of thinking about extended reality technology in education. Drawing on insights from educational AR projects Together Learning, Reality Labo, and World Learning Labs, the session highlights practical strategies for designing ethical, engaging, and flexible learning environments. The goal is not to escape disruption, but to lead through it with clarity and creativity. Participants will leave with a renewed sense of optimism about the future of education and have a set of operational strategies they can put to work in their own classrooms, institutions, and communities.

Read presenters' biographies