Programme

Speakers at The Southeast Asian Conference on Education (SEACE) will provide a variety of perspectives from different academic and professional backgrounds. This page provides details of featured presentations, the conference schedule and other programming. For more information about presenters, please visit the Speakers page.

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Conference Outline

All presentation times are UTC+ 8

Wed, February 4, 2026Thu, Feb 5Fri, Feb 6Sat, February 7Sun, Feb 8Mon, Feb 9

17:30-21:00: Pre-Conference Networking Event | Aventis Graduate School
Singapore Education Lounge: February 2026

As part of the conference, IAFOR is pleased to co-host a special edition of the Singapore Education Lounge, Singapore Education Network (SEN)’s signature networking event for local education professionals. This exclusive gathering joins together IAFOR, Inspera, Aventis Graduate School, and SEN’s networks of educators, researchers, EdTech innovators, and policymakers for an evening of discussion and networking.

    17.30-18.00: Registration & Networking
    18.00-18.15: Welcome Address and Introductions
    18.15-19.15: Panel Discussion
    19.15-19.30: Q&A
    19.30-21.00: Refreshments & Networking

Participation is free, but registration is required.
Further Details can be found here

Venue: Singapore Expo, Hall 1: Meeting Rooms

12:00-13:00: Conference Check-in | Peridot Pre Function Area (Level 2)

13:00-13:25: Cultural Presentation | Peridot 201 (Level 2)
Twin Lion Dance and the God of Fortune
Lion Dance Singapore

13:25-13:50: Welcome Address & Recognition of IAFOR Scholarship Winners | Peridot 201 (Level 2) & Online
Joseph Haldane, IAFOR, Japan

13:55-14:20: Keynote Presentation | Peridot 201 (Level 2) & Online
Achieving Competency-Based Learning with LLMs
Ben Leong, National University of Singapore, Singapore
14:20-14:35: Q&A

14:40-15:40: Featured Panel Presentation | Peridot 201 (Level 2) & Online
Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
Jervais Choo, National Heritage Board, Singapore
Lisa Lim, VinUniversity, Vietnam
David Ocón, Singapore Management University, Singapore
Tim Winter, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Umberto Ansaldo, VinUniversity, Vietnam (Moderator)

15:40-15:50: Conference Photograph

16:00-17:00: Afternoon Tea Welcome Reception | Peridot Pre Function Area (Level 2)

20:00: Conference Dinner | Singapore Cricket Club
This is an optional ticketed event

20:00: Conference Dinner | Singapore Cricket Club
Join us after the plenaries for the conference dinner at a local restaurant, where you reconvene with fellow delegates and our keynote presenters to continue conversations from the conference over a meal. This is a ticketed event.
This is a ticketed event

Venue: Singapore Expo, Hall 1: Meeting Rooms

12:00-13:00: Conference Check-in & Coffee | Peridot Foyer (Level 2)

12:10-12:50: Conference Information Session | Peridot 201 (Level 2)
Amina Batbold, IAFOR, Japan
Apipol Sae-tung, IAFOR, Japan

This session provides an overview of what to expect at the conference, including guidance on preparing your presentation, publishing opportunities, and ways to engage with IAFOR. You will receive practical tips on setting up your presentation, understanding your role at the conference, including how to attract a larger audience to your session. We will also outline the publishing opportunities available, including how to submit your work to be included in the Conference Proceedings or IAFOR Journals. This session also offers a chance to explore the opportunities for deeper engagement, whether through networking with fellow delegates or getting involved more with IAFOR. Join us, and get ready to present, publish, and participate.

13:00-14:00: The Forum | Peridot 201 (Level 2)
AI-Enabled Futures: Collaboration, Learning, and Strategic Decision-Making in Asian Higher Education
Philip Teow Huat Kwa, Asian Institute of Management, Philippines (Respondent)
Apipol Sae-tung, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator)

14:15-15:15: Featured Workshop | Peridot 201 (Level 2)
Building Networks, Building Careers
Joseph Haldane, IAFOR, Japan
Michael Klemm, Singapore Education Network, Singapore

15:30-16:30: Conference Poster Session & Networking Coffee Break | Peridot Foyer (Level 2)

16:30-17:30: Featured Workshop | Peridot 201 (Level 2)
Designing Virtual Learning Environments with Augmented Reality and Interactive H5P Activities: A Practical Workshop for Educators
Shamila Janakiraman, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, United States
Justin Quezon, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States

Venue: Singapore Expo, Hall 1: Meeting Rooms

09:30-10:00: Conference Check-in & Coffee | Opal Foyer (Level 1)

09:15-09:45: Flash Presentations | Opal 101
Maximise your visibility with the opportunity to promote and showcase your research highlights. Simultaneously, you will gain a comprehensive overview of other presenters, helping you identify potential collaborators and must-see sessions.

10:00-11:40: Onsite Parallel Session 1
Opal 101 (Level 1): SEACE | Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education
Opal 103 (Level 1): SEACE | Higher Education
Opal 104 (Level 1): SEACE | Education, Sustainability and Society
Opal 105 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Teaching and Learning Experiences
Tourmaline 207 (Level 2): SEACE | Innovation and Technology
Tourmaline 208 (Level 2): SEACE/SEACAH | Language/Linguistics
Tourmaline 209 (Level 2): SEACAH | Literature/Literary Studies

11:40-11:55: Break

11:55-12:45: Onsite Parallel Session 2 (Workshops)
Opal 103 (Level 1): SEACE | Curriculum Design and Development (Workshop)
Opal 104 (Level 1): SEACE | Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis (Workshop)
Opal 105 (Level 1): SEACAH | Teaching and Learning (Workshop)
Opal 106 (Level 1): SEACE | Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis (Workshop)
Opal 107 (Level 1): SEACAH | Globalisation (Workshop)

12:45-13:00: Break

13:00-14:40: Onsite Parallel Session 3
Opal 101 (Level 1): SEACE | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Opal 103 (Level 1): SEACE | Higher Education
Opal 104 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Education, Sustainability and Society
Opal 105 (Level 1): SEACAH | Teaching and Learning
Opal 106 (Level 1): SEACE | Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics
Opal 107 (Level 1): SEACAH | History/Historiography
Tourmaline 207 (Level 2): SEACE/SEACAH | Information and Technology in Education
Tourmaline 208 (Level 2): SEACAH | Language/Linguistics
Tourmaline 209 (Level 2): SEACAH | Literature/Literary Studies

14:40-15:10: Coffee Break | Opal Foyer (Level 1)

15:10-16:50: Onsite Parallel Session 4
Opal 101 (Level 1): SEACE | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Opal 103 (Level 1): SEACE | Educational Research and Development
Opal 104 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Education, Sustainability and Society
Opal 105 (Level 1): SEACE | Teaching and Learning Experiences
Opal 106 (Level 1): SEACE | Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics
Opal 107 (Level 1): SEACE | Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis
Tourmaline 207 (Level 2): SEACE | Innovation and Technology
Tourmaline 208 (Level 2): SEACAH | Language/Linguistics
Tourmaline 209 (Level 2): SEACAH | Literature/Literary Studies

Venue: Singapore Expo, Hall 1: Meeting Rooms

09:30-10:00: Conference Check-in & Coffee | Opal Foyer (Level 1)

09:15-09:45: Flash Presentations | Opal 101
Maximise your visibility with the opportunity to promote and showcase your research highlights. Simultaneously, you will gain a comprehensive overview of other presenters, helping you identify potential collaborators and must-see sessions.

10:00-11:40: Onsite Parallel Session 1
Opal 101 (Level 1): SEACE | Assessment Theories and Methodologies
Opal 103 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Teaching and Learning
Opal 104 (Level 1): SEACE | Curriculum Design and Development
Opal 105 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Counselling, Guidance and Adjustment in Education
Opal 106 (Level 1): SEACE | Education, Sustainability and Society
Opal 107 (Level 1): SEACAH | Science, Environment and the Humanities
Tourmaline 207 (Level 2): SEACAH | Literature, Technology and Ethics
Tourmaline 208 (Level 2): SEACAH | Media Arts Practices
Tourmaline 209 (Level 2): SEACAH | Political Science/Politics

11:40-12:55: Extended Break

12:55-14:35: Onsite Parallel Session 2
Opal 101 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Innovative Technologies in Education
Opal 103 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis
Opal 104 (Level 1): SEACE | Curriculum Design and Development
Opal 105 (Level 1): SEACE | Primary and Secondary Education
Opal 106 (Level 1): SEACE | Education, Sustainability and Society
Opal 107 (Level 1): SEACE/SEACAH | Development Issues and Concerns in Education
Tourmaline 207 (Level 2): SEACAH | Media and Communication
Tourmaline 208 (Level 2): SEACAH | Media and Literature Studies
Tourmaline 209 (Level 2): SEACAH | Science, Environment, Politics and the Humanities

14:35-15:05: Coffee Break | Opal Foyer (Level 1)

15:05-16:45: Onsite Parallel Session 3
Opal 101 (Level 1): SEACE | Innovative Technologies in Education
Opal 103 (Level 1): SEACE | Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis
Opal 104 (Level 1): SEACE | Curriculum Design and Development
Opal 105 (Level 1): SEACE | Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity
Opal 106 (Level 1): SEACE | Education, Sustainability and Society
Opal 107 (Level 1): SEACE | Education and Difference
Tourmaline 207 (Level 2): SEACAH | Literature, Media and Communication
Tourmaline 208 (Level 2): SEACAH | Social, Political and Community Agendas in the Arts
Tourmaline 209 (Level 2): SEACAH | Ethnicity, Gender, Identity

16:45-17:00: Onsite Closing Session | Opal 101
Join us as we close the onsite conference to celebrate our achievements and look ahead to the future with insights from representatives of the Conference Programme Committee and IAFOR. To celebrate our journey, we will conclude with a slideshow of photos, capturing the connections, energy, and highlights of the conference.

Venue: Online via Zoom
All streamed presentation times are UTC+8.
Use the time converter tool to show times in your timezone.

09:55-10:00: Message from IAFOR

10:00-11:00: The Online Forum | Live-Stream Room 1
AI-Enabled Futures: Collaboration, Learning, and Strategic Decision-Making in Asian Higher Education
Melina Neophytou, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator)

11:05-12:45: Online Parallel Session 1
Live-Stream Room 1: SEACE | Higher Education
Live-Stream Room 2: SEACAH | Special Topics in Humanities

12:45-12:55: Break

12:55-14:35: Online Parallel Session 2
Live-Stream Room 1: SEACE | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration
Live-Stream Room 2: SEACAH | Media/Film Studies/Theatre/Communication

14:35-14:45: Break

14:45-16:00: Online Parallel Session 3
Live-Stream Room 1: SEACE | Studies on Primary and Secondary Education
Live-Stream Room 2: SEACAH | Special Topics in Arts

16:00-16:05: Closing Message from IAFOR

The above schedule may be subject to change.

Featured Speakers

  • Umberto Ansaldo
    Umberto Ansaldo
    VinUniversity, Vietnam
  • Jervais Choo
    Jervais Choo
    National Heritage Board, Singapore
  • Eric Hawkinson
    Eric Hawkinson
    Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan
  • Michael Klemm
    Michael Klemm
    Singapore Education Network, Singapore
  • Philip Kwa
    Philip Kwa
    Asian Institute of Management, Philippines
  • Ben Leong
    Ben Leong
    National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • Shamila Janakiraman
    Shamila Janakiraman
    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
  • Lisa Lim
    Lisa Lim
    VinUniversity, Vietnam
  • David Ocón
    David Ocón
    Singapore Management University, Singapore
  • Tim Winter
    Tim Winter
    National University of Singapore, Singapore

Featured Presentations

  • Achieving Competency-Based Learning with LLMs
    Achieving Competency-Based Learning with LLMs
    Keynote Presentation: Ben Leong
  • Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
    Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
    Panel Presentation: Lisa Lim, David Ocón, Tim Winter, Umberto Ansaldo
  • AI-Enabled Futures: Collaboration, Learning, and Strategic Decision-Making in Higher Education
    AI-Enabled Futures: Collaboration, Learning, and Strategic Decision-Making in Higher Education
    The Forum: Philip Teow Huat Kwa, Apipol Sae-Tung, Melina Neophytou
  • Building Networks, Building Careers
    Building Networks, Building Careers
    Featured Roundtable: Joseph Haldane, Michael Klemm
  • Designing Virtual Learning Environments with Augmented Reality and Interactive H5P Activities: A Practical Workshop for Educators
    Designing Virtual Learning Environments with Augmented Reality and Interactive H5P Activities: A Practical Workshop for Educators
    Featured Workshop: Shamila Janakiraman, Justin Quezon

Networking Events

Networking Event: Singapore Education Lounge

Networking Event: Singapore Education Lounge

This exclusive gathering joins together IAFOR and SEN’s networks of educators, researchers, EdTech innovators, and policymakers for an evening of discussion and networking ...
Conference Dinner at Singapore Cricket Club

Conference Dinner

Join us for the SEACE/SEACAH2026 Conference Dinner, where you can relax, unwind, and get to know fellow delegates over an array of modern international cuisines ...

Accepted Presentations

One of the greatest strengths of IAFOR’s international conferences is their international and intercultural diversity. As of December 3, 2025, the conference has received over 520 submissions from 54 countries and territories - including: the United States, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Philippines, and Taiwan.

View Accepted Presentations

Conference Programme & Abstract Book

The online version of the Conference Programme is now available to view below via the Issuu viewing platform. Alternatively, download a PDF version. The Conference Programme can also be viewed on the Issuu website (requires a web browser). An Issuu app is available for Android users.

Click to download as a PDF
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The Conference Programme contains access information, session information and a detailed day-to-day presentation schedule.

Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations

A number of presenters have submitted pre-recorded virtual video presentations. We encourage you to watch these presentations and provide feedback through the video comments.

Virtual Video Presentations
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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.

Previous Programming

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

SEACE2025 SEACE2024
SEACE2023 SEACE2021 SEACE2020
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.

The Forum (Online) (2026) | AI-Enabled Futures: Collaboration, Learning, and Strategic Decision-Making in Higher Education
Michael Klemm
Singapore Education Network, Singapore

Biography

Michael Klemm is an education professional with extensive experience in international education, employability, education technology, and entrepreneurship in Asia. In 2020, he founded and currently heads the Singapore Education Network (SEN), a regional alliance of 3,000+ education professionals & organisations in South East Asia and beyond, with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. SEN is an education community-builder as well as training provider for the education sector and also manages e-commerce platform ‘EdTech Marketplace Asia’, offering 500+ technology-enabled solutions for the education sector in Asia.

Mr Klemm is also a Venture Partner - Higher Education & EdTech for education consultancy EDT&Partners, as well as Public-Private Partnership Specialist for the ADB-funded STEP UP project in Cambodia. He mentors EdTech Startups in accelerators Singapore National Youth Council, Start2 (Germany) and Next Challenge Foundation (South Korea). He is listed among the Top 100 influencers in EdTech 2023/24 by EdTech Digest.

Previously, Mr Klemm worked for Minerva University, National University of Singapore, Training Institute NTUC LearningHub, World Vision International, and the International Labour Organization in several countries across Asia (Singapore, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia), gaining substantial expertise in the education and development sector.

Featured Roundtable (2026) | Building Networks, Building Careers

Jervais Choo
National Heritage Board, Singapore

Biography

Jervais Choo is the Deputy Director for Organisational Design and Innovation and currently heads the Innovation Programme office at the National Heritage Board (NHB) of Singapore. His division is responsible for business and digital transformation through creative solutioning and leads NHB’s digital heritage initiatives. Mr Choo has also held other portfolios with the NHB in the past decade, including Programme Director for the Singapore Heritage Festival and Singapore Night Festival, and Deputy Director of the National Museum of Singapore.

Panel Presentation (2026) | Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
Lisa Lim
VinUniversity, Vietnam

Biography

Dr Lisa Lim is Director of Engagement and Development for the UNESCO Chair in Environmental Leadership, Cultural Heritage and Biodiversity at VinUniversity, Vietnam. She previously held professor positions at universities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Sydney, and Perth.

Her interests centre on language contact and evolution, particularly Asian multicultural ecologies; issues of language shift, endangerment, revitalisation, postvernacular vitality, and intangible cultural heritage of minority and endangered language communities; the sociolinguistics of globalisation; and environmental linguistics. Her books include Languages in Contact (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and The Multilingual Citizen: Towards a Politics of Language for Agency and Change (Multilingual Matters, 2018), which was shortlisted for the BAAL Book Prize. Passionate about engagement and impact, Dr Lim’s Knowledge Exchange grants at the University of Hong Kong supported student-led research on linguistic minorities in Hong Kong. For this body of work, she won a Knowledge Exchange award, was featured in Time Out HK, and pitched at a TEDxWanChaiWomen Open Mic event. She is currently a consultant for the Oxford English Dictionary and has been writing a fortnightly ‘Language Matters’ column in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post since 2016.

Panel Presentation (2026) | Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
David Ocón
Singapore Management University, Singapore

Biography

Professor David Ocón is an interdisciplinary cultural anthropologist and historian who works on the intersections of Asian cultural heritage with preservation, AI and digitalisation, tourism, geopolitics, and sustainability. He also analyses cultural diplomacy and cooperation in the Asian region, particularly between China, Japan, South Korea, and the ASEAN countries, as well as with external parties like the EU.

Professor Ocón has over twenty years of experience in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors. As a practitioner, he has led departments within organisations such as the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF, Singapore), ENCATC (Belgium), and the Cervantes Institute (Beijing, China), where he was the Head of Culture.

He is currently affiliated with Singapore Management University, where he leads courses including Cultural Relations and Diplomacy in Asia, Urban Cultural Anthropology, and Cultural Heritage and Social Sustainability. He is also an associated faculty member within the School of Humanities at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His academic career includes previous positions at City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, and James Cook University, Australia, and for over a decade, he has been a visiting faculty member at the University of Barcelona’s International Cultural Cooperation and Management Postgraduate Programme. Professor Ocón has authored numerous book chapters and articles, published in renowned peer-reviewed journals such as Sustainability Science, AI & Society, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, The International Journal of Heritage Studies, The Journal of Asian Public Policy, The Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, and the European Journal of Cultural Management and Policy, amongst others.

Panel Presentation (2026) | Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
Philip Kwa
Asian Institute of Management, Philippines

Biography

Philip Kwa has more than 20 years of broad global working experience across multiple corporate and entrepreneurial environments. He has held key roles as CEO, CFO, Sales and Marketing Head, as well as Strategic Consulting Director, demonstrating a versatile skill set and adaptability to a diverse range of sectors.

He is currently the incoming Academic Program Director for the Master of Cybersecurity programme at the esteemed Asian Institute of Management, Philippines.

Professor Kwa’s main areas of focus include cyber security training and exercises, cyber risk and governance assessment, business process transformation, factory automation, and entrepreneurship.

In addition to his hands-on experience, he holds an MBA from the University of Hull, United Kingdom, an SMU-SID Diploma in Directorship, a NUS-ISS Post Graduate Diploma in Knowledge Engineering, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia. Professor Kwa’s additional professional certifications include CISSP, CISM, PMP, Practitioner Certificate in Data Processing, and Certified Accountant status.

The Forum (2026) | TBA

Ben Leong
National University of Singapore, Singapore

Biography

Dr Ben Leong is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the School of Computing, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore. Dr Leong received his SB, MEng, and PhD degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States. He has been recognised for his excellent teaching with a number of teaching awards, including the NUS Outstanding Educator Award in 2015. Dr Leong also served as the Chair of the university’s Computer Science Department Standing Teaching Committee from 2017 to 2020. His research interests are in the areas of Computer Networking and Distributed Systems. More recently, he has been working on applying AI for education.

From July 2014 to June 2019, Dr Leong served as the Director of the Experimental Systems and Technology Laboratory at the Ministry of Education (MOE). In this role, he set up and managed an in-house software development team that successfully delivered a number of applications for MOE. In addition, Dr Leong served as a consultant to the Student Learning Space (SLS) team that built a new learning management system for MOE schools.

From January 2021 to December 2023, Dr Leong set up and served as Director of the Centre for Computing for Social Good & Philanthropy (CCSGP) at School of Computing (SoC). Since 2020, Dr Leong has served as Chief Data Officer of AI.SG, the national AI Programme, and concurrently as Director of the AI Centre for Educational Technologies (AICET), where his team applies AI to build software platforms for education.

Keynote Presentation (2026) | Achieving Competency-Based Learning with LLMs

Tim Winter
National University of Singapore, Singapore

Biography

Professor Tim Winter is Research Leader of the Inter-Asia Engagements Research Cluster at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. He is the Lead Investigator of the international research project Heritage Diplomacy; connecting histories and futures, (2026-2030; 3.9 Million SGD). Professor Winter has led the development of heritage diplomacy as a cross-disciplinary concept and introduced geocultural power to the analysis of international affairs. His recent articles on these topics appear in Geopolitics, International Affairs, International Journal of Cultural Policy, and Environment and Planning D. His most recent books are Geocultural Power: China’s Quest to Revive the Silk Roads for the Twenty First Century (University of Chicago Press, 2019) and The Silk Road: Connecting Histories and Futures (Oxford University Press, 2022). His current work addresses the re-emergence of civilisational discourses across Eurasia, and how this speaks to current debates about a shifting world order. Professor Winter currently holds an h-index of 33.

Panel Presentation (2026) | Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
Umberto Ansaldo
VinUniversity, Vietnam

Biography

Dr Umberto Ansaldo is Professor of Linguistics and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at VinUniversity, Vietnam. As a linguist, he specialises in research on languages of Asia from a comparative and historical perspective. His publications advance an evolutionary framework of language contact that highlights the role of multilingualism and variation in language change. He previously worked in language documentation and researched endangered contact languages of the Indian Ocean.

As an educator, Professor Ansaldo has long promoted a student-centred, innovative, and interdisciplinary pedagogical philosophy. In his current role as Dean, he represents a governance style that emphasises meritocracy and transparency and fosters a culture of empathy and belonging. Away from work, Professor Ansaldo enjoys wining and dining and the practice of martial arts. He has lived and worked in many different countries prior to Vietnam, including Amsterdam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia.

Professor Ansaldo serves on IAFOR’s International Academic Board.

Panel Presentation (2026) | Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
Shamila Janakiraman
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Dr Shamila Janakiraman is an Assistant Professor in Learning Design & Technology (LTEC) at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States. She teaches graduate level courses in LTEC and her research interests are in emerging technologies, attitude change instruction, online teaching and learning, and competency-based education. Dr Janakiraman is keen on exploring the use of emerging technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, game-based learning in facilitating attitude change regarding the learning of different subjects, and attitudinal and behavioural learning regarding environmental sustainability and other socio-scientific topics.

Panel Presentation (2026) | Designing Virtual Learning Environments with Augmented Reality and Interactive H5P Activities: A Practical Workshop for Educators

Previous Presentations

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration
Featured Panel Presentation (2024) | Change for Resiliency: One Department’s Strategies for Implementing Culturally Relevant Education with a Focus on Asia and the Pacific
Designing Virtual Learning Environments with Augmented Reality and Interactive H5P Activities: A Practical Workshop for Educators
Featured Workshop: Shamila Janakiraman, Justin Quezon

Many schools arrange field trips to zoos, museums, botanical gardens, and other locations to provide authentic learning experiences. While these environments allow students to engage directly with real-world contexts, not all students are able to participate due to physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities. In addition, there are other factors to consider, such as costs associated with on-site field trips. To address these barriers, virtual learning environments, including virtual tours and Augmented Reality (AR)-based activities, can provide inclusive alternatives by replicating these experiences in immersive, interactive platforms (Parmaxi & Demetriou, 2020). These environments support accessibility needs while also fostering engagement for all learners. The goal of this hands-on workshop is to introduce educators to the development of virtual learning environments using user-friendly, budget-conscious platforms. Participants will learn how to:

The session is designed for educators and instructional designers with limited technical experience, and will demonstrate how these tools can be used as resources for designing interactive, place-based learning.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be equipped to produce a basic prototype of an accessible virtual environment. Attendees will receive templates, planning guides, and additional resources to support independent development in their own classrooms and institutions.

Read presenters' biographies
Building Networks, Building Careers
Featured Roundtable: Joseph Haldane, Michael Klemm

This roundtable discussion with Dr Joseph Haldane, Chairman and CEO of IAFOR, Japan, and Michael Klemm, CEO of the Singapore Education Network, Singapore, will consider the role of professional networks in shaping careers and sustaining international collaboration. Drawing on their experiences building and working within global organisations, the panellists will reflect on how networks support individual career development while also enabling others to access opportunities, mentorship, and collaboration. The discussion takes place at a moment when internationalisation is increasingly constrained, and will invite participants to consider the continued value and responsibility of maintaining international networks in an uncertain and fragmenting global context.

Read presenters' biographies
Heritage for Cultural Dialogue: Digital Futures and Shared Memory
Panel Presentation: Lisa Lim, David Ocón, Tim Winter, Umberto Ansaldo

Beyond the preservation of traditions, heritage is a practice of dialogue and an arena where cultural memory is negotiated. As technologies transform the way traditions are archived, performed, and circulated, new opportunities and risks emerge: heritage becomes a site of diplomacy and soft power, but also of contestation. Educational institutions are in a position to mediate the tensions between the monopolisation of digital memory and the need for pluralistic datasets and inclusive participation of diverse groups. Through research and education, universities can contribute towards ethical datasets and interpretations, as well as foster the next generation of digital humanists and social scientists capable of managing the rapid technological turn. This panel explores how digital futures and shared memory can open pathways for inclusivity, transnational dialogue, and social justice.

Read presenters' biographies
AI-Enabled Futures: Collaboration, Learning, and Strategic Decision-Making in Higher Education
The Forum: Philip Teow Huat Kwa, Apipol Sae-Tung, Melina Neophytou

The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) presents significant opportunities to transform the higher education sector through new forms of institutional collaboration and decision-making practices. Universities and academic organisations should take the lead in adopting GenAI technologies in both teaching and institutional management. Emerging technologies can help shape the future of higher education by personalising learning, enhancing human capabilities, and strengthening international connections in the classroom and within institutional operations.

However, the ongoing development of GenAI introduces significant challenges for educators, researchers, and policymakers alike, particularly its ethical application and potential for sustainable solutions, cultural diversity support, and institutional preparedness and acceptance. In this Forum session, we will bring together educational practitioners, researchers, and academic leaders to analyse GenAI’s possibilities and obstacles for supporting instructional practices and strategic decision-making, with a particular focus on the evolving educational setting. Participants are called to consider institutional case studies alongside present challenges they themselves are experiencing, and future possibilities to understand how GenAI applications can benefit higher education.

Read presenters' biographies
Achieving Competency-Based Learning with LLMs
Keynote Presentation: Ben Leong

The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 created much excitement in diverse fields. This development also challenges our long-held assumptions about assessment, academic integrity, and the very purpose of schooling. Some folks claim that a revolution is happening, and perhaps teachers might no longer be relevant, yet more recent reports claim that ChatGPT might be causing harm to our students.

We believe that as AI becomes more powerful, human skills will become more important and that AI can assist in competency-based learning of said skills. In this talk, we will describe how at the National University of Singapore, we have developed and deployed LLM-powered role playing chatbots in diverse disciplines such as social work, law, and nursing to train human skills. We will also share some learning points from our experiences and our views about the longer term impact of AI on higher education in Singapore.

Read presenter's biography