IAFOR > The Southeast Asian Conference on Education (SEACE) > SEACE > Speakers

Speakers

Speakers will provide a variety of perspectives from different academic and professional backgrounds. This page provides information about presenters. For details of presentations and other programming, please visit the Programme page.

  • Syed Mehboob Ali
    Syed Mehboob Ali
    Southern Methodist University, United States
  • Chih-Pu Dai
    Chih-Pu Dai
    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
  • Ariana Eichelberger
    Ariana Eichelberger
    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
  • Mary Hattori
    Mary Hattori
    East-West Center, United States
  • Daniel Hoffman
    Daniel Hoffman
    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
  • Peter Leong
    Peter Leong
    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
  • Shamila Janakiraman
    Shamila Janakiraman
    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
  • Michael Menchaca
    Michael Menchaca
    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
  • Seungoh Paek
    Seungoh Paek
    University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States
  • Stefanie Pillai
    Stefanie Pillai
    Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
  • Apipol Sae-Tung
    Apipol Sae-Tung
    IAFOR, Japan
  • Nurhasmiza Sazalli
    Nurhasmiza Sazalli
    Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia

Become a Speaker

Excellent plenary speakers are central to our conferences, ensuring that timely, innovative and engaging content is presented to our audiences around the world. If you would like to be considered for a speaking slot at one of our conferences, please apply below.

Apply to Speak

Previous Speakers

View details of speakers at past SEACE conferences via the links below.

SEACE2024 SEACE2023 SEACE2021 SEACE2020
Syed Mehboob Ali
Southern Methodist University, United States

Biography

Syed Mehboob Ali is a doctoral candidate at Southern Methodist University, United States. His research interests focus on mental health, cultural intelligence, Islamic psychology, and technology. His doctoral work aims to develop a culturally competent, proactive mental wellness framework that addresses modern challenges, including the impact of AI and mobile technology on human behaviour and relationships.

In addition to his academic endeavors, Mr Ali is a seasoned global leader with extensive experience driving innovation and leading strategic initiatives, including the successful launch of global technology-led programmes for Fortune 500 companies.

Mr Ali is also a Licensed Professional Counselor who is passionate about bridging the worlds of technology and mental health. After earning a master’s degree in Clinical Counseling and Mental Health, he deepened his expertise through the study of culturally informed approaches to mental wellness and counseling.

Through this unique intersection of corporate leadership and counseling, Mr Ali offers a dual perspective on human behaviour. He is dedicated to fostering meaningful discussions on the integration of technology, mental health, and cultural understanding to meet the evolving needs of today’s global community.

Forum Discussion (2025) | Human and Artificial Intelligence: Questions of Culture, Psychology, Ethics and Education
Chih-Pu Dai
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Dr Chih-Pu Dai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Learning Design and Technology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His research interests include Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education, Extended Reality, Game-Based Learning and Simulation-Based Learning.

Specifically, he designs and studies immersive and experience-oriented advanced learning technologies to enhance teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for diverse K-12 and adult learners. He aims to support and enhance learning with design features and solutions, as well as with the applications of AI and machine learning techniques in advanced learning technologies. As such, in a research project, he examines the effects of learning support for preservice teachers when they practise teaching in virtual reality with AI-powered virtual student agents.

Dr Dai uses quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and AI and machine learning approaches to address research questions. His work has been published in academic journals such as Computers & Education, Educational Technology Research & Development, British Journal of Educational Technology, Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence, and International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. In addition, he speaks at conferences of International Society of the Learning Sciences, American Educational Research Associations, and Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration

Previous Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2024) | Change for Resiliency: One Department’s Strategies for Implementing Culturally Relevant Education with a Focus on Asia and the Pacific
Ariana Eichelberger
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Ariana Eichelberger is the Director for Technology and Distance Programs in the College of Education at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Ari manages the Instructional Support Group of the College and coordinates the College’s faculty professional development program. As a faculty member of the Department of Learning Design and Technology, Ari teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in instructional design and technology integration. She is also an instructional designer with the College’s Technology and Distance Programs.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration

Previous Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2024) | Change for Resiliency: One Department’s Strategies for Implementing Culturally Relevant Education with a Focus on Asia and the Pacific
Mary Hattori
East-West Center, United States

Biography

Dr Mary Therese Perez Hattori is a daughter of Guåhan (Guam), of the clan Familian Titang, born to Paul Mitsuo Hattori† of Kalihi, O’ahu, Hawaii and Fermina Leon Guerrero Perez† of the village of Chalan Pago, Guam. She currently serves as Director of the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) with the East-West Center and previously enjoyed a long career in various technology and education-related positions. PIDP is a regional organisation, a founding member of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific and secretariat of the Pacific Islands Council of Leaders.

Dr Hattori is also affiliate graduate faculty in Pacific Studies, Learning Design and Technology, and several Educational Doctorate programs, a community organiser, advocate for Pacific Islanders in the United States, public speaker, author, and poet. She is co-founder and co-organizer of cultural events such as the Cultural Animation Film Festival and the Celebrate Micronesia Festival, both held annually in Honolulu. She serves the state of Hawaii as a member of the Board of Education and Associate Member of the Consular Corps of Honolulu.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration
Daniel Hoffman
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Dan Hoffman is an Associate Professor of Learning Design & Technology (LTEC) at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. He is the principal investigator of the Advancing Culturally-Relevant Computing project and the president of the International Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. A former classroom teacher, his research focuses broadly on the complex relationships between education and technology. In addition to his research, Dan enjoys working as an Associate Editor for the IAFOR Journal of Education - Technology in Education issues.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration

Previous Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2024) | Change for Resiliency: One Department’s Strategies for Implementing Culturally Relevant Education with a Focus on Asia and the Pacific
Peter Leong
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Dr Peter Leong is Chair of the Department of Learning Design & Technology at University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa. Dr Leong has extensive experience in the development and delivery of online courses and distance education. He was honoured as one of Hawaiʻi’s 2007 top high-technology leaders and was recognised with the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents’ Medal for Teaching Excellence award in 2012. He was the President of the Pan-Pacific Distance Learning Association and the President of the International Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, as well as an executive board member of the International Council on Educational Media. Dr Leong was previously a co-principal investigator on the RadGrad National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to evaluate new approaches to improving engagement, diversity, and retention in undergraduate computer science. He is currently a co-principal investigator on the Advancing Culturally-Relevant Computing NSF grant.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration

Previous Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2024) | Change for Resiliency: One Department’s Strategies for Implementing Culturally Relevant Education with a Focus on Asia and the Pacific
Shamila Janakiraman
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Shamila Janakiraman is an Assistant Professor in Learning Design & Technology (LTEC) at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. 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. Shamila 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 (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration

Previous Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2024) | Change for Resiliency: One Department’s Strategies for Implementing Culturally Relevant Education with a Focus on Asia and the Pacific
Michael Menchaca
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Michael Menchaca is a professor at the Department of Learning Design and Technology at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States. He specialises in distance education, and has designed, implemented, and coordinated online and hybrid programs for over 20 years. He serves as editor for the IAFOR Journal of Education: Technology in Education Edition. He was an IT specialist for many years in the public and private sector. As an educator, he teaches and conducts research in the areas of online learning, technology integration, and social justice with technology.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration
Seungoh Paek
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States

Biography

Dr Seungoh Paek is a Professor in the Department of Learning Design and Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, United States. Her research primarily explores children’s interactions within digital learning environments, with a focus on enhancing their comprehension of abstract concepts in mathematics, science, and computer science. Dr Paek has served as a co-investigator on two grant projects funded by the United States’ National Science Foundation (NSF). One project evaluates innovative strategies for improving engagement, diversity, and retention in undergraduate computer science programmes, while the other focuses on fostering research and practises in culturally relevant computing to support school teachers teaching computer science in Hawaii’s public schools. In addition to her research, Dr Paek teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses covering topics such as instructional design, instructional technology for K-12 (in-service and pre-service teachers), cognitive science, and research methodology. Her work as both an educator and researcher bridges educational theory and practical application in both teaching and research contexts.

Panel Presentation (2025) | Promoting Cultural Awareness in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education: East-West Collaboration
Stefanie Pillai
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

Biography

Dr Stefanie Shamila Pillai is a Senior Professor in the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics at Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia and is an Adjunct Professor at the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, Thailand. She was previously Dean of this Faculty and headed UM’s Social Advancement and Happiness Research Cluster and Centre for Industry and Community Engagement. Professor Pillai is currently a member of UM’s Board of Directors. Professor Pillai’s research focuses on language use in multilingual contexts, including the use of English in Malaysia and language education. She is known for her work on Melaka Portuguese (Papia Kristang), an endangered language in Malaysia, digitally archiving this language and works with community representatives to develop materials and programmes to encourage its use. Both her scholarly output and knowledge-sharing activities have caught the attention of government agencies overseeing languages, museums and archives, along with local and international media.

Professor Pillai has been actively involved in capacity-building and mentoring programmes, having been recognised as one of the pioneering members who developed a three-part leadership training programme for new deans at local universities in Malaysia. She was part of the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership Programme. She has developed and conducted a research training programme for early career researchers partly funded by the Association of Commonwealth Universities. She also organised workshops to build capacity for the language documentation of endangered languages as part of her Newton grant with Professor Emeritus Dr Peter K. Austin. Professor Pillai has received a number of accolades for her work, including recognition as a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and a 2024 Top Research Scientist Malaysia and as a Mercator Fellow in the recently funded research unit on Convergence on Dominant Language Constellations: World Englishes in their local multilingual ecologies (CODILAC) at the University of Hamburg, Germany. She was previously an Ian Gordon Fellow at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Keynote Presentation (2025) | Rethinking Language Education: Lessons from Malaysia
Apipol Sae-Tung
IAFOR, Japan

Biography

Apipol Sae-Tung is an Academic Coordinator at IAFOR, where he contributes to the development and execution of academic-related content and activities. He works closely with the Forum’s partner institutions and coordinates IAFOR’s Global Fellowship Programme. His recent activities include mediating conference reports for the Forum’s international conference programme and facilitating the IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS).

Mr Sae-Tung began his career as a Program Coordinator for the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He was awarded the Japanese Government’s MEXT Research Scholarship and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan. His research focuses on government and policy analysis, particularly on authoritarian regimes. He currently takes part in research projects on international student education in Thailand, Southeast Asian politics, Japan-Asia digital economy, and AI-language model training.

Mr Sae-Tung holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Thammasat University, Thailand, where he studied foreign policy analysis and Thailand-China relations. He also holds a BA in History from the same institution, with a focus on modern Western and Southeast Asian comparative history and historiography.

Mr Sae-Tung has interned for the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) in Japan, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Thailand. He served on the Lifelong Learning Team while with UNESCO, working specifically on projects enhancing education access through online platforms among Thai NEET individuals and supporting Myanmar migrant children, providing shelters and access to proper education along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Forum Discussion (2025) | TBA
Nurhasmiza Sazalli
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia

Biography

Dr Nurhasmiza Sazalli has over 22 years of experience in education. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom, specialising in AI tools training, mobile learning, and design thinking. She also holds three master’s degrees, including an MBA in Digital Entrepreneurship. As the CEO@Faculty Fellow at McDonald’s Malaysia, she developed mobile app content for onboarding new employees and designed the company’s Talent Development Programme, enabling McDonald’s staff to pursue MBAs at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

An advocate for digital learning, Dr Sazalli has trained school teachers, university academics, and McDonald’s employees in mobile learning since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Her workshops emphasise design thinking and aim to create future-ready educators capable of delivering engaging, meaningful training. She also leads the Bijak Lestari University Social Responsibility (USR) team, offering AI training for educators, STEM activities for students, leadership workshops, and parenting skills programs.

Passionate about collaboration, Dr Sazalli has worked with institutions such as the Okayama University of Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and McDonald’s Malaysia. Currently, she leads the PhD and Master in Education TESL programs at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, supervising 15 PhD students. The courses taught by her include ‘Innovations in Education’, ‘Materials and Syllabus Design’, ‘Second Language Acquisition’, and ‘English for Professional Communication’.

Featured Presentation (2025) | Turning Hesitation into Action: Inspiring Rural Area Teachers to Embrace AI in Education