Speakers

Deputy-Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education & Internationalisation at University of Warwick. Jo leads on the development of existing and new mobility schemes with strategic partners and on the intercultural experience on and off campus to ensure UW delivers an excellent student learning journey which is international, interdisciplinary and inclusive. Jo is a National Teaching Fellow, and International Subject Chair for Linguistics, Language, Communication and Media on the SCOPUS board

Jakub is responsible for following the European policy developments on HE with a particular focus on Quality Assurance, Micro-credentials, and the European Universities Initiative. He is also involved in European projects concerning these areas.

Michael Gaebel is the Director of the higher education policy unit at the European University Association. M. Gaebel joined the EUA in 2006, where he was first in charge of Global Dialogue and internationalisation, to become in 2009 Head and then later on the Director of the Higher Education Policy Unit. This unit focuses on issues related to higher education learning and teaching, including the Bologna Process, lifelong learning, e-learning and MOOCs, internationalisation and global dialogue. He worked for more than a decade in higher education cooperation and development in the Middle East, the former Soviet Union and Asia. From 2002 to 2006, he was the European Co-Director of the ASEAN-EU University Network Programme (AUNP) in Bangkok.

Koen Nomden is currently Team Leader for “Transparency and Recognition of Skills and Qualifications”, within the Unit on Skills and Qualifications of the European Commission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion). Before that he was a policy officer in charge of the validation of non-formal and informal learning and career guidance within the same unit. Other positions he held within the European Commission were that of Erasmus Mundus Programme Manager and of policy officer in charge of setting up a European Executive Agency in charge of implementing programmes in education, training, culture and media. Before joining the Commission in 2003 Koen worked at the University of Antwerp (researcher) and at the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht (the Netherlands). Koen studied public policy and public administration at the University of Twente (NL) and holds a Master in European Studies from the College of Europe.

A director at DIGITALEUROPE in 2010-2023, Patrice Chazerand was Secretary-General of the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), the trade body of PC and videogames publishers in Europe in 2002-2009, establishing PEGI, the pan-European system of harmonised rating of digital content, and dealing with a wide range of topics, from internet content to protection of minors, privacy, freedom of expression, intellectual property, competition law, and net neutrality. In 1999, Patrice set up the Brussels office of Viacom as Vice President, European Affairs until 2002. In 1989-1995, he was Director, Public Affairs, at AT&T France, and subsequently Managing Director from 1995 to 1999. Patrice spent the first fifteen years of his career with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seven of which posted at the Embassy of France in Washington DC. He holds an MBA from HEC, France’s top business school, and a degree from Sciences Po Paris. 

Gina Ebner is President of the Lifelong Learning Platform and Secretary General of the European Association for the Education of Adults. She worked as a language trainer in adult education and as a pedagogical manager for a vocational training institute in Austria. In Brussels, she was a project manager at EUROCADRES (Council for European professional and managerial staff). She is also secretary general of the European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning. EAEA represents non-formal adult education with 142 member organisations in 44 countries. EAEA promotes adult learning and access to and participation in non-formal adult education for all, particularly for groups currently under-represented

Nora is 27 years old and she is from Sofia, Bulgaria. She is a PhD student in Organic chemistry at the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy in Sofia and works as a chemistry teacher in high school. Before joining ESU, she was the president of her local student union for two consecutive mandates (2019-2023). During this time, she was also a member of the EC in NASC (2020-2024). She joined the student movement in order to be able to advocate for students rights and she has always had a strong focus on academic freedom.

Wim Gabriels is the Director of ESN and he has a thorough experience in project management of European-level projects and a deep understanding of the educational landscape in Europe. He has experience in project coordination but also of grant-specific regulations, project reporting, contact with stakeholders outside the partnership and strategic planning. He is also experienced in planning effective communication and dissemination, having a Bachelor in Communication Studies (Communication Science) and a Master in Communication Studies (Media Sociology and Strategic Marketing) from University of Antwerp. Wim has also worked at the International Relations Office of Vrije Universiteit Brussels and he has represented ESN in various other roles, notably as a Board member in the Erasmus Student and Alumni Association. In these last two capacities he has build an extensive knowledge on non-EU projects and programmes in order to build an global awareness of European higher education. Active in the field of Diversity and Inclusion and Community Engagement, Wim strives to make Internationalisation of Education contribute to society

Christopher Tulloch holds a PhD in Journalism from Pompeu Fabra University. He also has an M.A in Japanese Studies from the Universities of Essex and Tokyo and a degree in English Language from the University of York. At the MPD, Tulloch teaches the subject Global Justice, War and Poverty in the Media. He is a visiting professor at the United Nations Peace University in Costa Rica and Geneva and director of the International Journalism and Global Media unit at EUTOPIA University, consortium of which the UPF is part. He was director of the MA in International Political Journalism at the UPF-iDEC (2010-2020). As a journalist, he has worked as editor for Spain and Portugal of the American weekly European Press Survey and has worked with many national and international media.

Ivan Svetlik is a Professor of Human Resources and Social Policy at the University of Ljubljana. He was Rector of the University of Ljubljana (2013-2017), Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs of Slovenia (2008-2012) and a member of the editorial board of the European Journal of Vocational Education and Training published by CEDEFOP. He was involved in the reforms of the Slovenian labour market, social security and education and training, as well as in consulting in these areas in the Balkan countries and the field of HRM in companies. His main research topics and interests are labour, employment, education, human resources, social security and quality of life. He has been involved in international networks and institutions such as ITF, CEDEFOP and the CRANET network for human resource management research. He has published over 400 articles, book chapters and books. He is currently chairing the Council of the Republic of Slovenia for Higher Education. He is involved in the EUTOPIA Alliance project as a senior researcher and contributes to its activities in the Western Balkans and the FLECSLAB project for the Lifelong Learning Business Model.

Member of the EUTOPIA Advisory Council, VUB Fellow and visiting lecturer with expertise inf ICT and education; competences development for educators; development of transversal skills such as entrepreneurship; digital competences; collaboration; creativity & innovation; EU-wide approaches modernising education & training through innovative teaching & learning. Van den Brande was Principal Administrator at the Directorate-General (DG) for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion of the European Commission, working in digital and entrepreneurial skills and competencies.

Senior Adviser to the vice-rector of Education & Student Affairs at VUB. In her former position of Secretary-General of the Flemish Inter-University Council, she handled a wide range of policy-related issues and interacted with the ministry of education in Flanders. 

Vice-rector for internationalisation at VUB, full professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chair of the Oncology Cluster. EUTOPIA Vice-President for VUB.

Director at Lifelong Learning Platform. Steering Committee member of Civil Society Eruope. Co-chair European Economic and Social Committee Liaison Group of Civil Society Organisations.

Nicoletta Merlo is National Head of Youth Policies for CISL, one of the largest Italian trade union confederations, and represents her confederation on the Italian National Youth Council. Currently a member of the bureau of the European Trade Union Confederation Youth Committee, she's very committed to mainstreaming youth engagement at the EESC and has recently been appointed as a member of the NAT Bureau of the EESC.