KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr Solomon Arulraj David is an associate professor of education at the British University in Dubai. He is also an honorary visiting fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK and a visiting research associate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He has a PhD and M.Ed., in education from Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium and other degrees from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, India. He has 14 years of post-PhD and 23 years of experiences in teaching, research and administration in education. He worked in India, and South Africa prior to the current position in the UAE. He has been an intern at UNESCO (Paris, France), a trainee at European Commission (Brussels, Belgium), has been a volunteer and consultant to various organisations. He received many fellowships, awards and research grants; including the prestigious doctoral scholarship from Belgian development cooperation, post-doctoral research fellowship from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa and others. He serves in the editorial board of several international journals, and as external examiner for universities in different countries. His key research interests are comparative international higher education, educational management, leadership, and policy. His other research interests include curriculum/instruction, teacher education, sociology of education/knowledge, professional ethics, intercultural, peace, value and citizenship education. He conducts high quality research and actively publishes in scientific journals. He has a strong publication record (60 journal articles (22 in Q rated journals), 6 book chapters, 3 books, 4 edited books, 8 conference proceedings, and several abstracts in conference proceedings) and focus to publish in high impact factor journals. He is rated among top 3% of researchers in education by academia. He has supervised 25 doctoral, 5 Mphil., 80 masters’ students and currently supervise several doctoral and masters’ students. He is passionate about teaching. He has been invited as a guest & keynote speaker at various occasions/places. He is also a TEDx speaker. He is a licensed (by CAA-UAE) higher educational institution and programme reviewer.  

Ilithya Guevara is a social anthropologist with a Ph.D. in Rural Development. She has been a full-time Research Professor at UAQ since 2020 and has over ten years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. She belongs to the National System of Researchers in Mexico at Level 1 and has the PRODEP recognition by the Secretaría de Educación Pública. As the digital age advances, she explores ways to incorporate blended learning, eLearning, and the flipped classroom into bachelor's degree programs, inspiring students to think beyond the classroom. She is a professor in the online Criminology master's program at UAQ-Mexico and the online Magister in Gender and Social Intervention program at Universidad O’Higgins in Chile. She recently participated in the Twentieth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. Minds and Machines: Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, Ethics, and Order in Global Society. The primary topic of discussion at the conference was the incorporation of AIG into education and research. Her experience in social research spans more than two decades and focuses on migration, rural development, interculturality, identity, gender, and gender violence. She is interested in digital education as a new way to provide educational access to everyone. Her dedication to social issues has led her to collaborate with various non-governmental organizations that are committed to defending human rights, promoting sustainability, and achieving equity. Her work has been published in academic journals and book chapters.

Dr. Haida Umiera Hashim is a passionate educator and researcher in Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL), with a Ph.D. in TESL from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Currently serving as a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, she has extensive teaching experience across foundational and advanced English courses in higher education. Her research focuses on inclusive and innovative digital pedagogies, with a particular emphasis on EdTech applications for special education and ESL learners. Dr. Haida is the co-creator of award-winning innovations such as AReal-Vocab, an augmented reality mobile app designed to support English vocabulary acquisition for children with autism, which has earned gold medals at international invention competitions. She has developed micro-credential courses, supervised interdisciplinary research on AI, AR/VR, and gamification, and actively contributes to the academic community as a keynote speaker, journal editor, and reviewer. Her work bridges the gap between inclusive education and digital innovation, making her a valuable contributor to discussions on equitable and technology-driven learning environments.  

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ng Miew Luan, a distinguished academic and seasoned professional in the realms of education, journalism, and social sciences. Dr. Ng served as the Dean of the Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts at INTI International University, Malaysia from 2022-2024. With a rich background encompassing various roles in academia, she has previously held positions such as Acting Deputy Dean and Head of School of Communication, along with serving as a Senior Lecturer and Lecturer in several esteemed private higher institutions across Malaysia. Dr. Ng’s expertise extends beyond academia, having made significant contributions to the field of journalism as the former Head of Southeast Asia Regional News and senior writer for prominent Chinese language newspapers, Sin Chew Daily in Malaysia. Her multifaceted career also sees her actively involved in professional bodies, where she currently holds the position of Assistant General Secretary for the Malaysian Social Sciences Association. As a Program Assessor for Communication & Media with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), Dr. Ng ensures the quality and standards of communication and media education in Malaysia. With over two decades of teaching experience spanning from primary school to tertiary level, she brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to her areas of expertise, including education, journalism practice, media studies, media education, and critical discourse analysis.