Contributors

Abdellatif Atif is a postdoctoral researcher at Galway University specializing in the intersections of political and educational theory. He is particularly passionate about exploring the instrumentality of education in general and within populist discourses in specific. Rather than dismissing populism and instrumentality as mere pathologies to be condemned, Abdellatif adopts a nuanced approach that examines their complex relationship with education. His work seeks to advance democratic education by offering updated and constructive responses to the challenges posed by populism.

Aga M. Buckley is a social pedagogue, social work academic, and doctoral
researcher at Kingston University London, UK, where she leads the Master of
Social Work programme. As a neurodivergent educator and a parent of children
with learning differences, she favours relational, creative, and progressive approaches to learning and teaching. Aga is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and a lifelong learner, advocating for equity, inclusion, and human agency. She is part of Kingston’s Network of Equality Champions and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Group,
as well as a member of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) EDI Advisory and the Neurodivergent Social Worker Special Interest Group. Before joining Kingston’s Department of Social Work and Social Care, Aga worked in acute psychiatric NHS settings, advanced statutory roles, and workforce development.

Akangshya Bordoloi is an Assamese Indian social researcher from Department of Sociology, Maynooth University, Ireland. Her research interest lies in gender, sexuality, deviancy studies and social movement. She is also interested in classical sociological theory and considers herself a Foucauldian. She has been awarded the John and Pat Hume Doctoral Awards, the Department of Sociology Teaching Studentship, and the National University of Ireland Travelling Scholarship for her doctorate research.

Akshita Rawat is a PhD researcher at the University of Vienna. Her research focuses on social inequality and education in India. Her research interests include teaching-learning practices in classrooms, sociology of education and qualitative research methods. Her research aims to inform policies and practices that promote inclusivity and equity in education.

Alessandra Galletti is working as an educator in a secondary school, focusing on supporting students with learning difficulties. In addition to her role in education, she founded an association on Autism in Südtirol, GRETA. Her broader work centers on rethinking school spaces to ensure they are functional and inclusive, fostering a sense of well-being for teachers and students alike. She collaborates with educators, administrators, and designers to promote a culture of inclusivity in schools. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, she integrates diverse expertise to create solutions that address the needs of the majority of users effectively.

Alessandra Imperio has a PhD in General Pedagogy, Social Pedagogy, General Didactics, and Disciplinary Didactics. She has been a primary school teacher for about 18 years and is currently a research assistant at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Education. Her main research interests are formative and inclusive assessment, pedagogy of the question and dialogic teaching/learning, learning approaches for inclusion, and life skills development.

Alessio Di Paolo is a PhD candidate in “Didactics, Special Pedagogy, and Technology for Inclusive Education” at the University of Salerno. His research interests focus on the inclusive potential of music in teaching-learning processes and the educational aspects it can have in formal and informal contexts, all following the theoretical framework of simplexity.

Alexandra Anton, researcher specialising in teachereducation at the Åbo Akademi University. Her research is situated at the intersections of early childhood, teacher agency, and just pedagogies for multicultural and multilingual learners. She is an experienced practitioner in early childhood, language learning and teaching, and is involved in cross-cultural research projects.

Dr Alison Stapleton is a multiply neurodivergent Chartered Psychologist, lecturer, and advocate. Alison co-founded the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science (ACBS) Neurodiversity-Affirming Research and Practice Special Interest Group, served on the ACBS Board of Directors (basic science Member at Large), and assists psychological services in identifying, accommodating, and supporting a range of neurotypes. Alison has published several book chapters and scientific articles, including contributions to The Oxford Handbook of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and a systematic review of adults’ experiences of being identified as autistic in adulthood.

Andreas Hinz was a teacher. From 1999 to 2020 professor for Inclusive Education at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg in Eastern Germany, from 1986 to 1999 member of a research team on ‘integrative’ school experiments in primary schools in Hamburg. Co-founder of a small inclusive hotel (barrier-free and with a mixed team of employees) in Hamburg, working since 1993. Active in Democratic Education since 2008, ten years cooperating with the Institute for Democratic Education at the Kibbutzim College for Education in Tel Aviv, joining lots of European and worldwide conferences of the Democratic Education movement.

Andrew B. Campbell (DR.ABC) is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in Leadership for Racial Justice in Teacher Education in the Master of Teaching Program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto OISE. He is the Coordinator for the Black Future Educators’ Program (BFEP) and the Director of the Centre for Black Studies in Education (CBSE). DR. ABC is known to the OISE and broader community for his leadership on advancing equity, leadership, 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and teacher education. He presently teaches courses in anti-discrimination education, leadership, educational change, urban education, and Black Educators’ Identity and Pedagogy. He has presented at numerous conferences and has delivered many presentations as a keynote speaker, motivational speaker, and workshop facilitator. He loves people, food, fashion, travelling and bringing his community together for a good meal.

Angeline is an international educator, author, consultant and pedagogical leader. She has undertaken multiple roles within schools, as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, accreditation coordinator and professional learning and development coordinator. Angeline is an advocate of inclusion, coaching, concept-driven learning and teaching and contributes as an active citizen on social justice issues through her role as a country network leader of WomenEdDE, facilitator of the Humanising Pedagogy Committee of the International Schools Anti-discrimination Task Force and work with the Council of International Schools. Her book, Becoming a Totally Inclusive School: a Guide for Teachers and School Leaders was published by Routledge in November, 2022.

Ann-Kathrin Arndt, research, teaching and developing teacher education in the field of inclusive education. PhD on collaboration between general and special education teachers (Leibniz University Hannover). Main research areas: Multidisciplinary teamwork, constructions of difference in inclusive classrooms, inclusive, diversity-sensitive teacher education.

Anna Frizzarin has a PhD in Pedagogy and Didactics and works as a researcher in the field of inclusive education. Her research focuses on inclusive teaching and learning, inclusive development processes of educational contexts, attitudes and social representations in relation to perceived diversity and the resulting implications for students’ participation in schools.

Anna studied Inclusive Education at the University of Bremen to become a secondary school teacher. As a student assistant, she participated in the project “All Means All!”. She is now working as a Research assistant at the University of Bremen.

Anne is an educational researcher from Germany. In her research she is interested in educational relations, the implementation of inclusive education and the potential and limitations of data collection on discrimination. She is also involved in an initiative to improve educational relations called “Reckahner Initiative für Pädagogik”.

Assimina Tsibidaki is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Department of Primary Education at the University of the Aegean, Greece. Her research interests include students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), families raising children with SEND, home-school collaboration, social support networks, technology in inclusive education, and the portrayal of disability in children’s literature and cinema. She has authored two books and contributed to edited volumes, academic journals, and conference proceedings. Additionally, she has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences.

Ayana Pathak is an aspiring academic, currently pursuing her doctorate in the Department of Education from the University of Oxford. Her research interests surround the area of qualitative aspects of gender education in developing countries, with a focus on school education. This largely draws upon various theoretical concepts of sociology of education, as well as the concept of the hidden curriculum, through which the social construction of gender as a category is aimed to be evaluated. Her academic background is in the discipline of Sociology, having done her Bachelor’s and Master’s in the same, before embarking on an MPhil in Education and thereafter, the current DPhil programme at Oxford. She is a passionate feminist who aims to study questions of inequality in the field of education- through the lens of gender based reproduction theory.

Baran Yousefi holds a degree in Health Studies from York University in Toronto, Canada. As a graduate of the Participatory School, Iran’s first alternative and democratic school, she brings extensive hands-on experience in educating children through a humanistic approach. Currently, she serves as the coordinator and a key member at the Peace School in Toronto, and she is a board member of Humanist Kids. Baran is deeply committed to promoting humanistic values and fostering a culture of peace through education. She has completed numerous courses in educational methodologies, UN sustainable development programs, and participatory systems, all of which align with her dedication to humanistic psychology and UNESCO’s peace charter. Her unique blend of lifestyle, educational philosophy, lived experiences, and academic background has positioned her to make a meaningful impact in the field of children’s education.

Beausetha Bruwer, instructor of inclusive education, deaf education, and sign language. Experiences as a teacher of deaf children and as a teacher and sign language interpreter trainer at college and university level. Her key areas of research interest include, among other things: language education, early literacy and language acquisition/development for deaf learners, sign language linguistics and practices, Deaf culture, mother tongue education, multilingual education, early childhood inclusive practices, play pedagogy, outdoor pedagogy, and teacher preparation for inclusive practices.

Becky Ward, PhD, is a collaborative researcher in psychologically-informed practice. She pursues research with and for marginalised groups and individuals, but also has a particular interest in neurodiversity, homelessness and young people. She supervises and teaches both undergraduates and postgraduates in Psychology, including Clinical, Developmental and Educational Psychology. Her PhD from the University of Southampton explored a collaborative model of co-producing school staff ADHD resources. She is an experienced youth worker, trainer and advocate with a demonstrated history of working with vulnerable young people.

Bhuvan works as an Assistant Lecturer at Technological University Dublin. Before joining Technological University Dublin, she worked at DBS, ECBM, and IBAT colleges in Ireland. She holds a Bachelor’s (Hons) and a Master’s degree in Psychology, both with first-class honours, and is currently completing her doctorate.
With over five years of experience as a Special Educational Needs (SEN) teacher in India and Ireland, Bhuvan is deeply passionate about Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Her research in this field has been featured at both national and international conferences. A strong advocate for continuous professional development (CPD), she is actively engaged in advancing her academic and professional journey.
Bhuvan has contributed multiple publications to RTE Brainstorm and maintains an active ResearchGate profile, where her work continues to make a meaningful impact.

Bodine Romijn is a researcher and lecturer at Utrecht University. Her work focuses on equality, diversity and inclusion in early childhood and primary education. She studies professionals’ intercultural competences and the role organisations play in supporting and facilitating their staff in implementing culturally sensitive and inclusive practices.

Brian Lynam was born and raised in Ireland and has experience of working in international education, specifically in the PYP International Baccalaureate program and International School Teacher training. He is passionate about inquiry based learning, inclusive education, UDL and the role of technology within education.

Büşra is a researcher in early childhood education from Istanbul Aydın University in Turkey. She has experience teaching children aged 3-5 and has worked on various projects with children from diverse groups, especially those affected by poverty and migration. Currently, she supervises teacher candidates during their practicum. Her research interests include school well-being, socio-emotional learning, children at risk, and inclusive education.

Charlie’s academic and professional journey spans across disciplines: philology (BA), anthropology (MA), and education (PhD). In 2019, he funded a democratic school (Suvemäe) within a public school (Tallinna Kunstigümnaasium) in Estonia, where he worked as head of studies until 2024. Furthermore, he has researched various topics (Educational Commons, Democratic Education and Social Justice, Nation-State Formation and Education) within the framework of Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020-funded projects. He currently works as a consultant on democratic education, self-directed learning, media literacy, and fostering social justice through education.

Catherine Reid is a lecturer in Teacher Education at the University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on widening participation in Higher Education for young people from areas of high deprivation. She is particularly interested in highly able learners and the role of teacher knowledge in education.

Cennet Engin is a full professor who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses related to education, curriculum, social foundations of education, needs assessment and classroom management at the Faculty of Education. She worked as an expert and consultant at various international projects, on inclusion, gender equality in education, gender sensitive schools, strengthening democratic culture in primary education, prevention of domestic violence against women and digital citizenship. Her academic works included girls’ education, democratic schools, inclusive education, democratic citizenship and human rights education, child labour and education and gender policy in education.  She was awarded a Fulbright Senior Research scholarship and conducted research at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Dr. Chloë Keegan is a Lecturer in the Froebel Department of Primary Education and Early Childhood in Maynooth University. With over a decade of experience in the early childhood sector as a researcher, lecturer, educator, content developer, and early childhood specialist, Chloë’s passion lies in conducting qualitative research directly with young children and advocating for children’s voices to be heard and reflected in policy and legislation. Her research has explored how power dynamics, educational structures, and shared environments between adults and children shape children’s participation through her Doctor in Philosophy (Ph.D) in Education entitled “It’s Like a Baby Jail!’ The impact of regimented daily routines on children’s participation in early childhood education”. Chloë has led national and international campaigns and initiatives as an outdoor and nature specialist in early childhood education, contributed to Ireland’s alignment with international practices, particularly for outdoor play, policy and provision, and is conducting research to inform national Irish policy and guidance for children and adults with disabilities.

Chris Carstens, based in Bremerhaven, brings extensive experience in teaching English and German, alongside certification as a trauma educator with a specialization in supporting children and young adults facing social and emotional challenges.

Claire O’Neill is a writer and researcher with a background in education.  Her research focuses on Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence.  Core principals of the Neurodiversity paradigm and Universal Design inform her research, writing and approach to education.

An experienced educator, Clíona is Principal at a large all-boys primary school on the outskirts of Dublin. Having previously worked as a classroom teacher, in curriculum development and in teacher education she has a wide range of research interests these include leadership selection processes in education, inclusive education particularly in relation to learners with additional educational needs, Catholic education and social teaching, and the teaching of History, Geography and Science.

Cynthy Kaliinasho Haihambo Ya-Otto is a teacher-educator at the University of Namibia. Her teaching and research areas are in Educational Psychology and Inclusive Education.

Damini Sharma is an educator and researcher specialising in inclusive education and child development. She has worked as an inclusive facilitator at schools in India. Damini’s work focuses on social justice, teacher education, and policy development, exploring inclusive practices and their implementation to promote equitable education.

Danielle Farrel has both lived and professional experience in the field of disability. She has a passion for changing the narrative for disabled people and those from other marginalised groups. Danielle graduated with her PhD from the University of the West of Scotland in 2015 and her thesis was entitled ‘The 2012 Child Abuse Scandal: The Multifuctional Nature of Online Discourse’.

Dean Vaughan is an experienced primary school teacher in Ireland. He holds a Bachelor of Education, Master of Education and Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership & Management. Dean has spent most of his teaching career in the infant classroom where he is passionate about playful approaches to teaching and learning and works closely with student teachers as a research supervisor and part time lecturer in teaching training colleges. Throughout his M.Ed, he recognised a communication for all approach which focused on inclusive practices through Play in the classroom.

Declan Markey works on a programme called Turn to Teaching, which provides an alternative pathway to becoming a teacher for students who have experienced educational disadvantage or are from communities who are under-represented in the teaching profession in Ireland. Turn to Teaching’s objective is to diversify the teaching profession and support teachers and schools in becoming more inclusive teaching and learning environments. Through his work he constantly encounters the impact and legacy that teachers have on their students – be that teachers who inspire students to break-through societies preconceptions or judgements and reach their full potential or those teachers that uphold these prejudices and stereotypical beliefs, which then impact negatively on their students. All teachers have the opportunity and, it could be said, the responsibility to ensure that they become the former – the teacher that can inspire.

Dirk has been part of the All Means All! Project from the beginning. He recorded almost all interviews and took nearly all profile pictures.

Before Dirk Vaihinger joined the ZMML (Center for Multimedia in Higher Education) at the University of Bremen in 2012, he worked for national and international film productions, mainly as an editor but also as a director, producer, and cameraman. His work includes feature films, commercials, music videos, documentaries, industry and image films, etc.

MA, education counsellor and family and couples therapist, working from 1992 until 2018 at Hadera Democratic School as a teacher, mentor and mentoring supervisor.

Dua Jabr Dajani, Ph.D., is the regional counselor for English language teaching at East Jerusalem School and holds a lecturer position at the David Yellin College of Education. Her research interests encompass enhancing critical thinking in schools, exploring the impact of schooling on cognitive development, English teaching methodologies, and preparing educators to lead professional learning communities effectively.

Eileen Schwarzenberg is a qualified special education teacher. Eileen graduated with her PhD in 2013 and is since then working as a lecturer in inclusive education at a university in Germany. Before that, she worked as a research assistant and lecturer at various universities in the field of special education. Her research interests are teacher education, teaching assistants and inclusive education for students with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Emer Byrden is the Deputy Principal of a primary school in south-east of Ireland, and is doing a PhD in the School of Education in Maynooth University, Ireland. Her interests are relational pedagogy, inclusive education and restorative practice, particularly where these areas intersect. Her current research is on the relational soundscape of the primary school classroom. Emer is contributing a chapter on relational research to the upcoming Routledge Handbook of Relational Pedagogy.

Emma Pearson works in the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education at Maynooth University in Dublin. Her research and outreach work centres around understanding and documenting the perspectives and experiences of children and families from under-represented communities. During the past 15 years, she has worked with a range of international, regional and national government and non-government early childhood agencies (including UNICEF, UNESCO, Plan International and the UK Department for International Development / FCDO) to advocate for policies that promote community-centred, equitable access to early childhood education and development supports.

Eva Kleinlein is a university assistant and PhD student at the Centre for Teacher Education at the University of Vienna, Austria. In her research and her work she mainly focuses on inclusive education in an international comparative / transcultural perspective. Moreover, she is engaged in topics such as inclusive assessment, digital methods in qualitative research, inclusive teaching practices, and teacher diversity.

Evrim Çetinkaya Yıldız is working as an associate professor at Akdeniz University, Türkiye, Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance. Her research interests are inclusive education, prevention of student problem behaviours, and school counsellor education.

Fatma is a PhD candidate in Psychological Counselling and Guidance and works as a research assistant. Her research interests include basic psychological needs, social media-mental health, international students’ mental health, and racial microaggressions in the university environment.

Federica Festa focuses on participatory practices in schools and conducts research on how to include individuals with predominantly or entirely non-verbal communication in such practices. She works as a special education teacher in upper secondary schools and teaches in specialization courses for special education teachers. Her teaching focuses on how to analyze oral and written texts in schools from a sociolinguistic perspective, aiming to design their accessible adaptation within an inclusive framework.

Dr. Fetiye Erbil is a researcher and a lecturer at Bogazici University. She completed her PhD at the Learning Sciences Program of Bogazici University. Her research interests include social-emotional learning, teacher professional development, children’s rights and participation and educational policies.

Francesca Mara Santangelo is a pedagogist with expertise in disability, marginality, and Behavioral Neuroscience. Her research focuses on Special Education and Inclusion. As a musician and teacher trainer, she also works on designing and implementing early educational interventions coordinating networks of schools, institutions, families, and various stakeholders. Her professional experience combines solid expertise with a continuous commitment to promoting inclusive education and fostering neuropsychological well-being starting with children.

Prof. Dr. Frank J. Müller is a professor for “Inclusive Education for Learning and Intellectual Development Impairments in Secondary Schools” at the University of Bremen following his work as a special ed teacher at the Grünauer Gemeinschaftsschule in Berlin.

He works on support structures for teachers in heterogeneous learning groups through inclusive Open Educational Resources (OER), research-based study programs to make (the history of) inclusive education accessible to future generations, and questions of including more dimensions of diversity.

Georga Dowling is a Lecturer in Early Childhood Education in the Froebel Department in Maynooth University, Ireland and an experienced practising Early Childhood Educator. Her research interests include accessing the voices of young children from birth, examining their participation within their learning journey, inclusive teaching practices and innovative qualitative research designs. She is an advocate for children’s rights, quality early childhood education and children’s participation in their education. She has co-authored several chapters on these research topics.

Graham Maher is a teacher in a secondary school in Dublin, Ireland. He has been working in secondary schools around Dublin, ranging from private schools to DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) band 1. The reason he became involved in All Means All is to increase the diversity of teaching in Ireland. Graham is a white, middle class, highly educated, Irish national; and this is mirrored across most of the education sector in Ireland. The representation of diverse teachers must increase to better reflect the multi-cultural development of Ireland. This increase of diversity, he believes, will increase the inclusivity, diversity, and equality in Irish education.

Günalp Turan is an NGO professional and an educator with a focus on communities of practice and teacher empowerment. He has a BA in language education and has taken graduate studies in cultural studies. He has been managing and advising national and international projects and organizations on inclusive education, critical thinking, community building, and andragogy.

Han is a researcher in the Curriculum and Instruction field. He has completed Ph. D. in the Curriculum and Instruction program at Middle East Technical University, in Ankara-Turkey with the dissertation titled “Constructing a democratic school community: A grounded theory study”. He participated in the project “Increasing Participatory and Democratic Processes in Schools” funded by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Ankara. His scholarly and personal research interests include curriculum as a generative and generated force of cognition, reciprocality of culture and education, democratic education and alternative education.

Hannah Solley (she/her) is a qualified Dramatherapist who has worked in the area of youth, family and mental health for over fifteen years. She has designed and implemented mental health awareness programmes as well as working in anti-bullying programmes in schools. She has been working with the trans community for several years, providing family and teen support, as well as educational guidance to schools and organisations in Ireland. This includes trans inclusive policies, best practice ways to support gender diverse students and peer education in gender diversity and allyship. She is passionate about youth mental health and creating positive changes to help young people reach their full potential.

Hazar Chaouni is a passionate disability rights advocate and a member of Feminists Against Ableism, an intersectional disability justice collective. She actively advises organizations on inclusive policies and accessibility, working to ensure that spaces and practices are inclusive and just for all. Through her essays, workshops, and speeches, Hazar aims to create awareness about disability and ableism, promoting intersectional justice and systemic change. Her advocacy is deeply rooted in her personal and professional experiences, and she emphasizes the importance of the principle “nothing about us without us” in all her work.

Her work centers on equity in education, with a particular focus on supporting diverse learners, fostering inclusive teaching practices, and driving inclusive school development. She is deeply involved in research and teacher training, dedicated to creating and sustaining inclusive learning environments.

Dr Hermione Xin Miao was born at a rural village in China, raised by her maternal grandparents since she was eight. She stayed in her hometown for schooling while her parents migrated to a big city to make a living. She was one of millions “left-behind children” who experienced exclusion in education. Hermione is a first-generation university student in her family. She has developed research interests in curriculum making, teacher agency, climate change, inclusive education, and intersectional feminism. She has degrees in both geography and education, and a PhD degree from University of Stirling (2024). Hermione has been involved in creative and participatory methods in both research and community building, in particular early career researchers’ network communities. Hermione also has started a Mapping Inspirational Women initiative from 2023 as open educational resources to re-tell women’s contribution to the world.

Once teacher in so called Integration-Classes at a comprehensive school (Reformschule Hamburg Winterhude), from 2002 until 2017 researcher and lecturer for Inclusive Education at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg.

Ira Schumann works on the topic of inclusive school development at the University of Bremen. She also gives workshops on topics such as inclusion, diversity, racism/critical whiteness and fat acceptance/fat liberation.

Irati Sagardia-Iturria after completing her studies at Mondragon Unibertsitatea (Spain) in Primary Education and specialising in Special Education, she adopted the principle of creating inclusive environments and processes as a core value in her life. Motivated by this, she decided to further her education by pursuing both a master’s and a doctorate at the same university, with a focus on educational transitions and inclusive processes. This academic journey provided her with a unique opportunity to actively engage in a research project led by the Zehar and Hazitegi groups, which also forms the context for her thesis, following the purpose of generating and transferring knowledge in the field of innovation and intervention in inclusive education. Additionally, she has gained experience as a university lecturer across various modules, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of the healthy development of all children (emotional, social, cognitive, motor, and linguistic), and the role of the educational community in that development and creating inclusive contexts (the role of the teacher, organisation of time and space).

Jan Gondol is the Director of Technology at Open Education Global, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing open education and science. A fervent advocate for open policies and open government since 2014, he has spent over a decade championing open data and open-source software. Jan co-founded SPy o.z., the Slovak Python civic association that organizes PyCon SK conferences and trains elementary school teachers to inspire young minds in programming. With a PhD in information science, he is passionate about building personal knowledge management systems—second brains that empower individuals with transformative capabilities. Jan developed the OpenReview System and the Chapterwise-Print-On-Demand Tool at All Means All, underscoring his commitment to innovative, accessible technology solutions.

Jane O’Toole is a primary school teacher who specialises in language education. Jane’s doctoral research explored student and parent engagement with the Irish language utilising a participatory action research methodology. Jane has also served as a school principal and has a special interest in inclusive education and curriculum. Jane has been a coordinating member of the Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) since 2016.

Janneke Eising is an enthusiastic teacher trainer with a passion for learning and developing; and languages and literature. To foster inclusive education, she works on topics such as formative assessment, differentiation, classroom management, teaching adolescents and mentoring. Using practitioner research, for instance the Lesson Study approach, she works with (student-) teachers on how to enhance all students’ learning in the classroom.

Jean Karl Grech is from Malta. A gay primary teacher with a particular passion for inclusion and cultural integration. A recent graduate with a Master’s in Euro-Comparative Education. In his studies at the University of Malta, he focused on the inclusion and visibility of the LGBTIQ+ community in schools through subjects and daily school practices.

Jessica Lament is a specialist in inclusive practice, especially for students with disabilities. She has worked in schools in the US, Singapore, and France supporting teachers – from pre-k to secondary school to teachers in higher education training programs – always with the same goal, to increase the implementation of research-based inclusion.

Josefine Wagner is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Education and Social Work at the University of Luxembourg.
She has completed several postdoctoral fellowships with a focus on inclusion and the origins of special needs education, including a visiting fellowship at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (2020), at the Departments of Education and Anthropology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (2024) and the Department of Teacher Education and School Research at the University of Innsbruck in Austria (2021-2024).

Dr. Jules Buendgens-Kosten is a researcher and teacher educator at Goethe University Frankfurt. Their research interests encompass computer-assisted language learning and inclusive education.

Julia Bialek is working as a research assistant at the University of Bremen in the “All Means All!” project. She is a pedagogist, has a degree in special education, and has been working in the field of trauma-sensitive education for many years. She teaches this topic at the university, in training courses for educational professionals, and works as a trauma therapist.

Julia Schlam Salman, Ph.D., is a lecturer and teacher educator at the David Yellin Academic College of Education in Jerusalem. She also teaches in the MA TESOL program and the Division of Languages at Tel-Aviv University. Her research interests include language education, language learning and teaching, and English language learning in areas of intractable conflict. She lives near Jerusalem with her spouse and four children.

As a science educator, Karen Buttigieg is committed to advancing Bildung-oriented, transformative, and inclusive pedagogies within neoliberal contexts through research and practice. She believes in inclusion and the provision of quality education to every child and young person and strive to develop educational practices that are not only effective but also accessible to all learners. This conviction guides her approach to teaching and academic research. Karen is also an activist for women’s rights and disability issues, trying to raise awareness, influence policy, and implement practices that bring about positive change towards equality and inclusion. 

Katarina Rončević has more than 10 years of experience in education for sustainable development and inclusive education and has been working on whole school approaches. Since 2019 she works for Greenpeace Germany in the education team and is a PhD Student at the University of Vechta(Germany). Katarina is a member of the international ESD Expert-Net and CO-Founder of The Turquoise Change e.V.

Kavyta is a course leader for the MA in Race, Education and Decolonial Thought and Senior Lecturer in Race and Education at Leeds Beckett University. Her teaching cuts across undergraduate and postgraduate levels and she teaches on Education Studies degrees, as well as contributing to undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree supervision. Her teaching, writing and research interests lie in intersectional ways of thinking through race, gender and identity across multiple platforms namely education, popular culture, graphic novels and more recently nature spaces. Her work, so far, has also been influenced by anti-racist pedagogies and decoloniality as a theoretical framework to examine South Asian representation.

Kerstin Merz-Atalik has been working as a special education support teacher in mainstream classes (in Berlin during the 90s). Since 1995 she was working at different German Universities as a researcher, her actual research focus is on teacher education for inclusion, governance of inclusive education and transformation processes in the actor network of education systems. Since 2004 she has a full professorship at the University of Education Ludwigsburg for “Education, considering disability and Disadvantage/ Inclusion” and is actively engaged into developing an inclusive teacher education.

Konstantin Korn is interested in subjects around critical political and civic education (in German schools). He wants to highlight overheard student-voices in educational settings and research about didactics. In particular, through participatory action research. His aim is to democratise education and society towards anti-discrimination and against neoliberalism.

Kristina Pennell-Götze (she/they) (M.Ed) is a queer Filipino-Australian social change agent, focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and antiracism (DEIJAR) in international education. She is an educator and leader with experience working in public, private and international schools in England and Germany. She is the facilitator of the student Social Justice Committee and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance groups, providing support and opportunities for students to lead. Kristina is a leader within Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color (AIELOC), and a former fellow of the organisation, providing guidance and support to educators and leaders who are AIELOC school and community members, in addition to creating space for BIPOC to lead and share. Additionally, Kristina founded the Association of German International Schools’ (AGIS) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) working group and developed the first DEIJ student-led conference hosted at the Bavarian International School in 2024. She has led multiple workshops and keynoted on topics related to DEIJAR at various conferences around the world and online.

Laura Torres Zúñiga is a lecturer and teacher trainer at the Department of Philologies and Didactics of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), where she teaches English Language, Syllabus Design and Children’s Literature in English to pre-service teachers of all educational stages. Her research interests center on contemporary short narrative forms, English language teaching and active learning methodologies.

Lea Bussas studied a bachelor’s degree in history and Spanish with the option to become a teacher in Berlin and a master’s degree in history at the University of Bremen. She then studied inclusive pedagogy for primary schools in Bremen.

Dr Leah O’Toole is Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education in the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education in Maynooth University, Ireland. With an academic background in Psychology, her research interests include early childhood education, particularly accessing the voices of the youngest children from birth, relational pedagogy, bioecological theory and working with parents and communities. Inclusion across multiple dimensions is central to all elements of this work.

Leslie-Ann Webster is a lecturer in Early Childhood Teaching and Learning at Maynooth University, Ireland. She has a deep passion for educating and values the power of transformative education. Her research interests include children and educator well-being, relationships, progressive teaching methods and a specialised focus towards embedding trauma informed practices within educational settings.

Lina Render de Barros is a queer of color activist from Pernambuco and Münsterland. She completed her first state examination (teaching degree) and her master’s degree in bilingual European education at the University of Education in Karlsruhe and her master’s degree in sociology at the Goethe University Frankfurt. She researches, lives and works in Cologne, always with the aim of taking a stand against group focused enmity and contributing to a more peaceful coexistence.

Linjie Zhang is a researcher at the University of Vienna. Her primary research interests encompass structural inequality within the educational system, the development and management of international schools, elite education, neoliberalism and globalization, educational policy, and the application of capital theory in education.

Lisa Johansson is a lecturer of English within the teacher training programs at the University of Gävle. She teaches courses in proficiency, language structure, didactics, and world English across primary, secondary, and upper secondary school levels. She has a teacher’s degree in English and history for upper secondary school and her interests cover sociolinguistics, language and gender dynamics and language and power.

Lisa M. Rosen is a University researcher and teacher at PhD level, working on the topic of various forms of (policy-based) concepts of diversity and inclusion and their contextualized enactments in educational settings from comparative and intersectional perspectives.

Ludovica Rizzo holds a Master’s Degree in Primary Teacher Education from the University of Salento (Italy). She has been awarded a scholarship for a PhD Programme of National Interest in Teaching & Learning Sciences: Inclusion, Technologies, Educational Research and Evaluation. Her research field is twice-exceptionality, differentiated instruction for gifted and twice-exceptional students, personalisation of teaching and learning processes and educational technologies.

Lydia Murphy is a trained educator in Early Childhood Care and Education. Her special interests include relational pedagogy, love in education, empowering voices, and reflective practice. As an early years researcher she studies the role of the early years professionals supporting reciprocal relationships with themselves, babies /toddlers/children, their carers and educational environments/communities. Within this she explores potential deficit narratives that trickle into communities particularly those experiencing disadvantage.

Madhusudhan Ramesh is an assistant professor in inclusive education. He heads a PG diploma programme in Inclusive Education designed for mid-career educators. His research interests include teacher agency, inclusive pedagogy, teacher professional development, and children’s experiences of difference and disability.

Mahvand is educated in English Literature. She is educated kids music teacher at Adamak institute (orff schulwerk association) in Iran. She is a vocal coach and  kids music teacher around 21 years. She is teaching in an alternative school in Iran (kodakan Donya) from 2013 until now, also has experiences in working with kids 3-5 years old, Working with autistic children , low concentration children and hyperactive children. Managing many different kids event such as Pinocchio, Little black fish, Alice in wonderland, manage play week, nations celebration, manage many internal and external travels for kids, manage different visit for kids and invite many different musicians, manage many workshops for parents in different fields, member of literature work group,music work group, child friendly work group and report writer work group. She’s got many certifications about vocal pedagogy, education and kids music in Iran and outside of Iran.

Mai Trang Vu is Associate Professor of TESOL Teacher Education, Department of Language Studies, Umeå University, Sweden. Her teaching and research areas include teacher education, teacher professionalism, teacher knowledge, critical pedagogy, and education policy. She has also conducted research on inclusive education, gender, and internationalisation.

Dr Margaret is an Assistant Professor in Inclusive Education and the MAP Academic Advisor for the Education Department. Her experience in inclusive and special education includes teaching, teacher professional learning design and delivery, policy development and curriculum design. She is a leading expert in UDL. Margaret’s research interests include contextual dimensions and the role of teachers in inclusive policy and practice enactment, teacher engagement with professional learning for inclusion and student voice. As a Fulbright Scholar, in 2021 Margaret worked with Lynch School of Education and Humanities at Boston College and CAST to explore equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice through the lens of UDL. Margaret is the creator and host of the Podcast ‘Talking about all things Inclusion’.

Maria Moscato is deeply passionate about democratic human development and global citizenship. During her academic journey, she has specialised in Methodologies of Teaching and Special Education, concentrating on critical areas such as Inclusive Education, Outdoor Education, participatory and transformative processes, teaching strategies, and the professional development of teachers and educators. Her extensive experience as an educator, teacher trainer, and workshop facilitator for prospective teachers has further enriched her profile. Throughout her doctoral studies, she has had the opportunity to contribute to research and projects focused on Inclusive Education and inclusive strategies.

María Pilar Gray Carlos was born and raised in Spain but spent over 20 years living and working in the United Kingdom, where she built a distinguished career in higher education. Her primary role was at the University of Reading, where she implemented, managed, and coordinated the Spanish program at the Institution-Wide Language Centre. Under her leadership, the Spanish program became one of the most successful alongside French and Mandarin Chinese.

Pilar also held notable academic roles as a visiting lecturer at Oxford University and as an external examiner for Spanish programs at the University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield. Beyond teaching, she contributed to university-wide initiatives, including the Electronic Management of Assessment (EMA) project, which streamlined and digitized the submission and evaluation of assessments across all schools and programs at the University of Reading.

Pilar holds a BA in English Literature and Linguistics, an MA in Translation, and an MSc in Digital Education, reflecting her commitment to both language and technology-enhanced learning.

Currently based in Spain, she has worked as a consultant for online Spanish language teaching start-ups and as an associate professor of Spanish at IE University. Currently she teaches part-time at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo.

Her career has been enriched by her dedication to social impact. Pilar has worked on community development projects in Mexico, raised awareness about endemic violence against children and women in the Middle East (Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan), and created programs for Spanish learners to enhance their language skills while participating in development projects with communities in Nicaragua.

Her current focus is on exploring the impact of technology on teaching and learning, particularly how shifts in delivery methods influence pedagogy, methodologies, and the experiences of educators and students.

Marie Mc Loughlin is a qualified primary teacher with experience of teaching in educational disadvantaged schools. She also worked as a national co-ordinator for a programme of teacher professional development and is currently working as a teacher educator in initial teacher education in a university in Ireland. Her research interests are play, early childhood education, organisational culture, mergers and teacher education.

Maryam Mohammadi holds a master’s degree in painting and brings 17 years of teaching experience as the Executive Director of the Participatory School in Iran. The school fosters a humanistic approach to education, focusing on alternative methods that emphasise active participation from children, parents, and teachers to promote the holistic development of young learners.

For years, Maryam and her colleagues have worked to build an inclusive environment where all students, regardless of their background or abilities, can thrive. Addressing individual needs, they help students cultivate self-awareness, confidence, empathy, and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world.

Melanie Eilert has lived experience as someone living with personal assistants. Graduated with a Bachelor Professional in HR Management she is employed at a service provider that provides personal assistance to people with disabilities.

Melike Özüdoğru completed her doctorate in the Curriculum and Instruction Department at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Turkey. She is interested in flipped learning, integrating technology into the teaching and learning process, differentiated instruction, teacher training, curriculum design, learning environments, teacher identity, situated learning, reflective thinking using videos in the teaching practicum, and curriculum evaluation. She obtained her associate professorship from the higher education institution in Turkey.

Merja Kauppinen is adjunct professor (language didactics and literature education) and senior lecturer of the pedagogy of L1, L2 (Finnish) and literature in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. In addition to this, she works as a poetry therapist. Her main work and research areas are multiliteracy, arts-based learning, creative methods in language learning, (reading and writing) literacy pedagogy, holistic literature education (Store® – Stories Make Readers -model) and poetry therapy in educational context. She works in both pre- and in-service teacher education in the levels from elementary to secondary education.

Merve Ayvalli Karagöz works as a lecturer at Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey. She has a Ph.D. in educational measurement and evaluation. Her areas of expertise include psychometric applications, educational assessment practices, and item response theory. Her scholarly work focuses on advancing robust assessment techniques that enhance the reliability and validity of educational evaluations, contributing to higher standards in educational measurement.

Miriam Cuccu, pedagogist and subject expert in general and social pedagogy at the University of Macerata (Italy). She is involved in projects focused on intercultural education with a community-based and arts-based approach. She collaborates in monitoring and evaluating interventions to counter educational poverty and in training for education professionals. Her main research interests include dialogue between cultures, community participation and empowerment through creative languages.

Miriam Sonntag, practitioner and researcher in the field of inclusive education, focusing on interdisciplinary and multiprofessional collaboration. Experiences as a special education teacher in inclusive schools, research associate, teacher trainer, in-service trainer, director of a pedagogical consulting centre for inclusive school development, lecturer at colleges and universities.

Mridula Muralidharan is a sociologist and social worker specialising in education, disability, and gender studies. Her doctoral research focuses on inclusive schooling practices for students with disabilities in India. In addition to her academic pursuits, she serves as the Digital Outreach Manager for the National Platform for the Rights of Disabled (NPRD), a pan-India cross-disability rights organisation.

Nariko Hashida is a Japanese educational researcher at Chiba University. She specialised in social education and lifelong learning and worked as a social education officer in a community learning centre. Her doctoral thesis was a study of learning activities for the inclusion of people with disabilities, based on fieldwork in Japan and the UK. She is the author of the book “Learning Activities to Develop a Sense of Agency around Disability Issues” (Akashi Shoten, 2024, in Japanese).

Nico Leonhardt is research assistant at the Leipzig University (Institute of Special Education). His work and research focuses are inclusive school development and social space orientation, inclusion-sensitive higher education development, accessible language, participatory research and teaching.

Nicola Ryan, clinical nurse specialist in child & adolescent mental health, cognitive behavioural therapist, senior lecturer at Kingston University in the UK. Areas of interest and research include intersectionality, child and adolescent mental health, neurodiversity, psychological and behavioural therapies, education of autism and ADHD for students and educators.

Nika Maglaperidze is an English teacher and a beginning educational researcher from Georgia. A first-year PhD student from the Department of Education, Maynooth University. His research focus centres on teacher education, social justice in education, curriculum making and philosophy of education.

Nina Goretzko studied special needs education and democracy education in Cologne and Berlin. She worked as a teacher in different inclusive and special schools in Bonn and Berlin and as a research assistant at the university of Cologne and at the research institute anDemos in Dresden. Her work focuses on democracy education, theory of democracy, educational and social inequality and inclusion.

Nysha Chantel Givans is currently pursuing a Professional Doctorate in Education at the University of Wolverhampton, with a research focus on the educational challenges faced by marginalised communities from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Her work encompasses a range of topics, including navigating the English education system, decolonising education, and addressing Afro hair discrimination. Employing methods such as autoethnography, film analysis, and literary text examination, her doctoral thesis will delve into Shane Meadows’ This Is England to illuminate the educational barriers encountered by working-class individuals and explores the impact of communitarianism on these communities.

Outi Kyrö-Ämmälä, PhD, is a University Lecturer in Teacher Education at the University of Lapland, Finland. Her research interests include teacher education and teacher professional development, inclusive and special education, and students’ cognitive skills. She has been involved in several national and international projects developing inclusive education and teacher education. Outi is also a member of the Finnish Teacher Education Forum.

Özge Özdemir works in extracurricular political education with a strong focus on anti-racism, anti-discrimination and empowerment. During and after her studies of political science and sociology in Frankfurt am Main, she specialised in working with young people and adults in educational work. Her activist experiences form the basis for both her practical educational work and her academic career.

Dr Pamela J. February is a senior lecturer in the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care in the School of Education at the University of Namibia. Her areas of interest and expertise include inclusive education practices; early childhood education and care; deaf education; how learners/students learn and how we should assess them; reading acquisition and fluency; vocabulary acquisition; mathematics education and the use of technology to enhance inclusive learning. In addition, she has written articles and book chapters and supervised postgraduate students in these areas.

Dr Patricia Kennon is an Associate Professor in children’s and young-adult literature and youth culture at Maynooth University, Ireland. She is the General Editor of The International Journal of Young Adult Literature, and the Secretary of NAES (the Irish national section of the European Society for the Study of English). Her research interests include global citizenship education, power and childhood, and inclusive education.

Paty Paliokosta is an Associate Professor in Inclusive Education at Kingston University and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. With over two decades of experience in the field of special and inclusive education, my journey has been dedicated to promoting social justice and empowering diverse learners, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEN/D). As an educator, inclusion manager, local authority advisor, researcher, and advocate she has actively contributed to shaping inclusive policies, leading innovative participatory research projects, and championing social justice within schools, local authority, higher education and the community. She leads the ‘Inclusion and Social Justice’ SIG and the ‘Inclusivity, Anti-oppression and Underserved Communities’ bidding network. Her full profile can be found here: https://www.kingston.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-paty-paliokosta-730/

Petra Auer is a trained primary school teacher qualified to teach children with special educational needs. She holds a PhD in General Pedagogy, Social Pedagogy, General Didactics and Disciplinary Didactics. Her main research interests are diversity and inclusion in education settings, children’s values, value transmission, and socialization and acculturation in the school context.

Elftorp, Petra; Dr., Associate Professor, lecturer and course director of a Masters in guidance counselling and lifespan development at University of Limerick in Ireland. Key research interests relate to inclusive practices, person-centred approaches and career development.

Ramona Thümmler is an educational scientist and child and adolescent psychotherapist who works at various universities in Germany. She conducts research on refugee children, multi-professional cooperation and the professionalisation of teachers.

Rhianna is a former primary school teacher with international teaching experience. She has a background in educational research, with a focus on curriculum-making and teacher agency. She has also worked on a range of small scale research projects with British Educational Research Association (BERA) and has experience lecturing on a range of teacher education courses.

Rosa Anna Ferdigg earned her degree at Bologna University in Italy and has since had a long career in the South-Tyrolean (Italy) school system, holding various positions such as teacher, headmaster, inspector, and evaluator. In addition to these roles, she collaborates with universities in Italy and Germany on inclusion topics. Rosa Anna is also a consultant for inclusive school development on an international level. Her interests are focused on system changing and development, exploring how people can learn and develop their skills, and how they can contribute to changing systems in an inclusive direction with their individual influence.

Dr Rose Ryan is Director of Access at Maynooth University with responsibility for leading strategic change in relation to widening participation in higher education in Ireland. Dr Ryan leads the Maynooth University Access Programme (MAP) which works in partnership across the University and alongside under-represented learners, schools, and communities to increase equity of access and support student success.

Sam Blanckensee (they/he) is a equality, diversity and inclusion practitioner based in Ireland with extensive experience in equality in Higher Education through their role as the Equality Officer at Maynooth University. Sam holds an MA in management for the nonprofit sector. Sam has worked within Irish LGBTQ+ organisations in voluntary and professional roles since 2013. Sam’s work covers a broad range of equality, diversity, inclusion and interculturalism initiatives including LGBTQ+ matters, gender equality, anti-racism, disability awareness and access for those within the international protection system. Sam is a non-binary trans person who is also neurodivergent and queer, All Means All is a project where the personal meets professional for Sam.

Fietkau, Sandra; Dr., social worker, has been working on different projects promoting inclusive structures and societal development in the south of Germany for almost 20 years, researcher on support circles, more inclusive service settings and social space development, also a facilitator for Person Centred Planning and convinced of the generative power of these forms of planning and getting together.

Sara Baroni is Doctor of Research in Pedagogy and Didactics and primary school teacher. She is interested in wellbeing and equity at school, education in emergency situations, teacher reflective practices and inclusive education. She is part of different research groups in Italy and abroad.

Sarah Volknant is an educator and researcher from Germany with a passion for the topics of inclusion, multilingualism, and intersectionality with a focus on teacher education. Her work delves into prejudiced perceptions of language within educational contexts, aiming to uncover the underlying beliefs and socially constructed norms. Sarah’s approach involves critically reflecting on and deconstructing biases by employing intersectional perspectives.

Seán Gleasure is an educational researcher in the field of sociology of education. With a background as a primary school teacher, his research focuses nurture and care in schools, particularly those serving working-class communities, as well as pedagogy in schools more broadly, with an emphasis on children’s rights, voice, and participation. He lectures on issues related to in/equalities in children’s learning and children’s rights, voice, and participation.

Sebastian Nemeth teaches social education at VIA University College in Denmark. With a specialization in the philosophy of social education, he is actively involved in the Research Centre for Management, Organisation, and Social Sciences. Sebastian’s work focuses on norm-critical perspectives in youth pedagogy, demonstrating his passion for exploring and addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. Beyond his academic pursuits, he enjoys engaging in creative projects and sharing his insights through various publications and podcasts, he has been involved with the LGBT+ in Denmark and is reward-winning for creating safe and meaningful spaces for youths and women in boardgame and roleplay communities across Denmark.

Dr Seun Adebayo has over 10 years of experience and a diverse background in global education, equity and quality education, EdTech, research and policy advocacy. His dedication lies in cultivating transformative learning journeys that transcend barriers and amplify possibilities, particularly for learners from marginalized communities. His journey encompasses collaborations with international organizations, steering curriculum improvements, and integrating technology to establish an educational landscape that is both inclusive and poised for the future. His passion revolves around ensuring education’s accessibility, equitability, and readiness for all.

Sevcan Karataş is a Assistant Professor in First and Emergency Aid Program, Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University (Turkey). She completed her doctorate in Florence Nightingale Nursing Faculty Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing Department, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. Her research focuses on different topics in the field of mental health, especially sexual identity and sexual orientations.

Shichong Li is a PhD candidate at the University of Leeds, UK, with a research focus on the Left-behind Children (LBC) in China and their agency in peer relationships. Her work challenges the dominant narrative of LBC’s vulnerability and emphasises the importance of LBC’s relational agency in peer relationships within and beyond the school setting. Holding a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Southwest University, China, she has contributed to research projects on teacher training, an experience that has significantly shaped her current PhD research. She advocates for incorporating children’s perspectives into teacher training programs to support diverse learners better.

Silver Cappello has accomplished a PhD in General Education, General and Social Pedagogy at the Free University of Bolzano-Bozen (Italy). He is qualified as primary school teacher with a specialisation as support teacher and he has worked as primary school teacher (mainly teaching second language), as assistant for people with disabilities, and as research assistant on different research projects at the Competence Centre for School Inclusion of the Free University of Bolzano-Bozen.

Simon Klippert is a Berlin-based teacher and teacher trainer. He has been working in various educational contexts: coordinating youth exchange programs in France, teaching students at university in Colombia, giving classes for newcomer-students in Berlin. For the last 10 years, he has been working as a class teacher at a secondary school in Berlin-Neukölln, with a focus on language and political education, trying to empower less privileged students. Furthermore, he shares his experience as a teacher trainer in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Simon is a founding member of related (www.related-bildung.de), an initiative fighting injustices within the German school system.

Associate Professor Sofia Ahlberg is Vice Dean at the Faculty of Languages, Uppsala University, with responsibilities for education and public engagement. Her research is in the intersection of literary studies and pedagogy. She is the author of Teaching Literature in Times of Crisis (Routledge, 2021) and Magic, Literature and Climate Pedagogy in a Time of Ecological Crisis (Bloomsbury, 2024).

Suzanne O’Keeffe is Assistant Professor of Education in the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University, Ireland. Her work focuses on sociological questions in education, with a particular interest in questions of gender and masculinities. Areas of interest include children and childhood, feminist research designs, and gender and sexualities. Recent publications include Masculinities and Teaching in Primary Schools (2022, Palgrave MacMillan).

Dr. Tamara van Woezik is assistant professor in teacher education with a focus on affective learning processes. She coordinates and teaches courses about pedagogy and teacher professionalisation. Her research focuses on sense of belonging, inclusion and autonomy-support using qualitative and arts-based methods.

Thomas is a graduate of the University of Limerick at both undergraduate (BSc. in Computer Systems) and postgraduate level (MSc. in Software Engineering). With a background in accessibility, teaching and assistive technology, Thomas has extensive experience promoting and facilitating inclusive practice in primary, post-primary and post-secondary education. Thomas has experience guest lecturing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in assistive technology, accessibility, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Thomas’s interests include wider institutional approaches to inclusive practice, the role of third space professionals in higher education and the use of communities of practice in fostering and promoting more inclusive practice.

Tommaso Santilli conducts research in the area of Didactic and Special Pedagogy and holds a Master’s Degree in Communication and Digital Cultures. He is a trained WOSM educator and a visual designer. His main research interests concern inclusive processes in educational and recreational settings, educational technologies, inclusive design practices and accessibility of cultural contexts.

Tracy Fletcher is a teacher in the subject of English, and researcher, originally from the U.K but has been based in Sweden for the last 14 years. She has experience of curriculum planning and management, co-ordinating CPD for teachers, as well as working to support newly arrived immigrant students integrate into a new school system. Her research interests include anti racist education, inclusive education, and student mental health. She is also an activist for autism awareness and trans rights.

Tracy is a practising early childhood educator and Lecturer in Early Childhood Education. She has worked in the early childhood sector in Ireland for 25 years, teaching children from 2 to 5 years old. Her areas of expertise include curriculum and assessment for early childhood education, and the theory and practice of play as a pedagogy in the early years. Her doctoral work explores the implications of the hidden curriculum on children’s articulation of gender in early childhood education. She is a passionate advocate for the transformative capacity of relational pedagogy to build child, family, and educator identity.

Ulla Sivunen is a doctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), focusing on media use, multiliteracies, and linguistic agency among young deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals using signed languages, primarily Finnish Sign Language. Throughout her career, she has worked as a teacher, lecturer, in NGOs, and in the media. This diverse experience and being as a member of a minority group, the deaf community, has provided her with a broad perspective and deep expertise in her research areas.

Valentina

Valeria Occelli is a lecturer in psychology at Edge Hill University. Her work focuses on human sensory and cognitive processes, and how they are affected by individual variability in personality traits, beliefs, as well as neurodevelopmental conditions. She is interested in the promotion of inclusive practices in higher education and scientific research environments.

Valerio Ferrero does research in the field of intercultural education, focusing on equity and inequality in schools. He is also interested in community philosophical practices, on which he also carries out training activities. Before starting his research work, he was a primary school teacher.

Valerio Rigo is a PhD student at the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano and works on formative assessment from the perspective of the capability approach. He has a master’s degree in philosophy and a second master’s degree in education. He is coordinator of the Evaluation Team of the Movimento di Cooperazione Educativa (MCE, a movement inspired by the pedagogy of Célestin Frenet).

Vana Chiou loves teaching and training future teachers on contemporary teaching methods and techniques. Her research interests include contemporary methods of teaching and assessment, teacher training, inclusion and education. Her published work includes editing books, chapters in books and articles in Greek and international journals.

Veronica Punzo is attorney at the Macerata Bar. Dealing with the governance and regulation of personal and non-personal data and ethical-legal consulting, her research area focuses on the domains of artificial intelligence and education with a focus on dignity, equality and fundamental rights enhancement and protection.

Victor Tan Chee Shien has over ten years of experience in special education and is a trained counsellor and educational psychologist. He recently received his Associate Fellowship in higher education from the University of Stirling. His research interests include special education, higher education, and international mobility (ORCID: 0009-0006-3403-4649).

Dr. Wurud Jayusi is a senior lecturer, researcher, and the head of the Arab Academic Institute at Beit Berl College. Being a member of the Palestinian minority in Israel, Wurud Jayusi is passionate about fostering greater understanding and acceptance among diverse cultural groups. Through Wuruds’ research and academic work, Wurud has published articles, presented at conferences, and co-edited two books on diversity, including topics such as integrating Palestinian teachers into Jewish schools, peace education, and creating a shared society.

Wurud strongly believes in the power of diversity in teaching. A diverse teacher embodies various facets, such as being an ethnic minority educator in a predominantly different cultural setting in her case, or simply a teacher with cultural competence who fosters multiculturalism, equality, and respect for others who are different from them.

As a researcher Wurud has had the privilege of interviewing Palestinian teachers as part of the research on their integration into Jewish schools. Their stories are both enlightening and inspiring. The stories reflect Engaging, Being emotionally and culturally competent.

After working as a primary school teacher and principal for 20 years, Yasemin Acar Ciftci has been serving as a teacher educator for the past years. She is a faculty member at Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University in the Child Development and Youth Services Department. Yasemin holds a PhD in Educational Sciences with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction. Her PhD thesis focused on multicultural education and teacher competencies, and her academic work is primarily guided by critical theories.

Yuko Uesugi, Ph.D (American literature), a Japanese professor of English at Eikei University of Hiroshima, a newly founded public university located in the central part of Hiroshima. Yuko has over 20 years of teaching experience at a junior high school, high schools, the National Institute of Technology, and universities. Yuko has two specialties: one is American literature, and the other is global/ inclusive/ education. Yuko has obtained Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japanese government on Developing Global Collaboration and Intercultural Competencies for L2 Learners: The International BEVI Project. Yuko has dedicated her career to promoting CLIL and cross-cultural understanding, by conducting active learning communication lessons with partner universities overseas online.

Xu, Yuzhen; worked as an itinerant teacher in 2006, helping teachers to plan to profile and address the needs of students, and has chaired research programs on changes of special schools in the context of inclusive education, transition for the disabled children, etc.

Zeynep Karaosman is a Palestinian-Syrian queer, feminist and peace activist and a teacher. She was born and grew up in Turkey. She studied English Language Teaching(BA) at Anadolu University and  English Language&Literature at Istanbul Aydin University. After 8 years of teaching English in Turkey, she moved to Germany in 2020. She is currently a student in the Turkish language teaching department at the University of Essen and has been working as an Inclusion Assistant at a secondary school for 3 years.
Apart from her teaching profession, she has been doing queer, feminist activism. She is also one of the founders of Palestinian and Jews for Peace activist group. Considering teaching as a political act, she advocates for anti-bias education for everyone.

Zhicheng Huang, is professor of Institute of International and Comparative Education in East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. His research interests include comparative education, international education theories, curriculum and instruction, teacher education, inclusive education, educational administration, Latin America education, Paulo Freire education theory, etc. In 2004 he published the first book in China on Inclusive Education——All means all. He was visiting scholar in Chile, Mexico, Spain, USA, UK, Germany and Japan. He has managed several national and international cooperative research projects on inclusive education and others topics. He was vice-dean of Faculty of Education, director of Department of Curriculum and Instruction, director of Institute of International and Comparative Education in East China Normal University. He was vice president of China Association of Comparative Education.

Graphic designer and art director based in Trento, in the heart of the Alps. She specializes in branding and complex editorial projects and has been collaborating for over 10 years with companies, start-ups and institutions operating in the fields of education, social health, medical, tourism and sustainability.