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Benno Werlen, born 1952 in Switzerland, holds the UNESCO Chair on Global Understanding for Sustainability (www.unesco.uni-jena.de), the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. He is a fellow of the World Academy of Art & Sciences and the Max Weber Center for Cultural and Social Studies, a member of and Section Chair at the Academia Europaea for ‘Human Mobility, Governance, Environment and Space’, chair of the IGU Commission on Global Understanding, is the Founder and Chair of The Jena Declaration on the Cultural and Regional Dimension of Global Sustainability’, Initiator and Executive Director of the International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) (www.global-understanding.info) including some 40 Regional Actions Centers, approved by the UNESCO General Conference, proclaimed by the three major science councils of the Human (CIPSH), Social (ISSC) and Natural Sciences (ICSU).
The long standing experience with the cooperation between engaged citizens, politicians, social and natural scientists as well as scholars of the humanities in a bottom-up approach is the focal point of his research, institutional and civic engagement as founder and holder of UNESCO Chair on Global Understanding for Sustainability and most recently of The Jena Declaration (www.thejenadeclaration.org), founded in cooperation with the Canadian and German Commissions for UNESCO, The Club of Rome, the World Academy of Art and Science as well as the International Geographical Union, partners form the International Science Council (ISC) and Academia Europaea, endorsed by many international science unions and academic organizations, as well as by more than 1000 signatories from over 100 countries of all Continents, more than 200 institutional supporters and so far about 40 project partners from science, the arts and civil society from all over the world.
In 2016 Werlen was awarded the Lauréat d’honneur of the International Geographical Union, the highest scientific honorary prize by the IGU, for his lifelong contributions to geographical science, as an internationally recognized scholar, and for opening new paths of scientific cooperation at the highest level. Until 2018 he was the Chair for Social Geography at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
Dr. Werlen holds degrees from the Faculties of the Humanities, and Natural Sciences. He worked at the Universities of Kiel, Fribourg, Zurich, Salzburg, Geneva, Nijmegen, and the ETH Zurich. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge (King’s College & Sidney Sussex College), the London School of Economics, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a ‘key thinker on space and place’ (Sage 2011), he published widely on society-space relations under globalized conditions.
He served as a panel member for the European Research Council for ‘Environment and Society’ for Advanced Grants (2008-15), the French National Research Agency (ANR) in the field of Social and Human Sciences (2008-12), as Chair of the IGU Commission ‘Cultural Approach in Geography’ (2004-16), as a Member of Council of the World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China) (since June 2016), and most recently – invited UNEP in partnership with Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) and the International Science Council (ISC) – participant of the Europe regional foresight workshop to establish an institutionalized approach to foresight and horizon scanning for future UN sustainability policies. He has published 17 books and more than 200 papers in scientific journals and books and has given more than 400 keynote presentations at universities and conferences across five continents in the fields of geography, sociology, economics, political sciences, philosophy, history, cultural anthropology, environmental sciences, linguistics etc., and organized about 100 scientific conferences and conference sessions on all continents.
Ramesh Balan is a serial entrepreneur, successful business executive, AI-patent holder and technologist who has always believed in thinking differently – using unconventional outside-the-box approaches to solve large-scale complex problems in many industries, including Interactive Media, Telecom, Healthcare, and, most importantly, Education.
William Nguru, CEO and Founder of Kurasa Africa, champions the integration of competency-based education through innovative technology to improve learning outcomes across Africa. A graduate of Strathmore University with a BSc in Telecommunications, William has over a decade of expertise in the tech and educational sectors. His leadership at Kurasa has been instrumental in developing solutions that support CBE, which is crucial for equipping Africa’s youth with the skills necessary for today’s dynamic workforce. Under his direction, Kurasa has become a critical tool in transforming traditional education models, enhancing both teaching and learning experiences. William is dedicated to leveraging CBE to foster economic growth and reduce unemployment among young Africans.
John Mugo is the Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation. His research and programs address key themes connected to foundational learning, whole-child development, parental engagement and empowerment, and assessment of core competences and values. He leads the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE), the largest initiative assessing and promoting social emotional learning competences in Africa. Over the past decade, John has researched extensively on youth skills and employment in Kenya, and the evidence produced by Zizi Afrique has informed many public and policy decisions, including the review of the TVET framework of competences, integration of essential skills in the Trainer curriculum, development of a national integrated communications plan for youth skills development, and the development of national safeguarding standards for TVET institutions in Kenya. Currently, John is working to establish a longitudinal observatory for the future of work, with a pilot commencing now in the city of Mombasa. Previously, John headed the Uwezo learning assessments in East Africa and chaired the Department of Special Needs Education at Kenyatta University. An accomplished and well-published scholar, John holds a Doctorate and Masters degree in special needs education from the University of Hanover (Germany), and a bachelors of education (Music) from Kenyatta University. He sits in many boards at local, regional and global levels.
Dr. Elikem Chosniel Ocloo is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Marketing Department at Accra Technical University. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (Marketing option) from the University of Leicester, UK, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Management Science and Engineering from Jiangsu University, China. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG). His research interests include E-Business, Social Marketing, Social Enterprise, SME Development, and Marketing Management. Dr. Ocloo has peer-reviewed articles published in top-ranking journals such as Taylor & Francis, Springer, Sage, and Oxford University Press and has presented papers at local and international conferences. He has acquired experience in both academia and industry and is an ardent seeker of innovation and creative ways to solve societal and business marketing problems.
Engr. Prof. Humphrey Danso is a highly motivated individual with Sustainable Construction, Competency-Based Training (CBT), and TVET Education background. He is a Professor, a Consultant and a Researcher in Sustainable Construction Materials, Construction Management, and TVE Education. He is currently the Dean of School of Graduate Studies of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi-Ghana. He was the former Dean of the Faculty of Technology Education, and Head of Department of the Construction and Wood Technology Education. He has twenty-seven (27) years of working experience in both pre-tertiary and tertiary education in Ghana, Russia, the United Kingdom and Australia.
He is a holder of PhD (Civil Engineering) from the University of Portsmouth, UK, MPhil (Civil Engineering) from the Voronezh University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Russia; MTech (Competency-Based Training) from the University of Education, Ghana; and B.Ed. (Construction Technology) from the University of Education, Ghana. He is also a holder of MSc. in Strategic Management and Leadership from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Ghana.
Engr. Prof. Danso possesses excellent communication and writing skills, interpretation and analytic skills, and fluent in written and oral English. This is evident in his over Ninety (90) international journal articles publication and international conference presentations.
He has consulted widely for the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, NUFFIC, National Teaching Councils (NTC), and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). Engr. Prof. Danso is a member of Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana; African Foundation for Quality e-Learning in TVET; International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures; Ghana Institute of Construction; International Building Performance Simulation Association; UK Higher Education Academy for Teaching and Learning; and International Association of Engineers.
Prof. Piero Dominici (PhD), Associate Professor, sociologist, philosopher, Educator and Systems Thinker, is Scientific Director of CHAOS (2011) – International Research and Education Programme on “Complex Human Adaptive Organizations and Systems” -, UNESCO IPL Expert and official delegate to UNESCO. Fellow of the World Academy of Art & Science (WAAS) and of the International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI), UN Expert and invited speaker, he is Director (Scientific Listening) at the Global Listening Center.
Vice President of the World Complexity Science Academy (WCSA) and of WCSA LatAm, Expert of JRC Group – European Commission – and Member of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), he teaches Public Communication, Education towards Complexity and Unpredictability, Sociology of Social Complexity, Global Networks and Security and Intelligence. Complex Systems and Networks, at the University of Perugia and he is a referee for prestigious scientific journals worldwide. As scientific researcher, educator, author and international speaker for almost thirty years, his main areas of expertise and interest encompass (hyper) complexity, complex systems, transdisciplinarity and knowledge sharing in the fields of education, higher education, systems theory, technology, intelligence, security, citizenship and communication.
Member of the MIUR Register of Revisers (Italian Ministry of Higher Education and Research) and Fellow of the New England Complex Systems Institute and of European Complex Systems Society, he is also standing member of several of the most prestigious national and international scientific committees. Author of numerous essays, scientific articles and books.
Jamie P. Halsall is a Reader in Social Sciences in the School of Human and Health Sciences and is currently the Director of Graduate Education at the University of Huddersfield. His research interests include communities, globalisation, higher education, public, and social policy. Jamie’s research has been published in high impact social science and pedagogy journals (e.g. Entrepreneurship Education, Housing Studies, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, International Journal of Sustainable Society, Labour & Development, Local Economy, Social Responsibility). He has published a number of books with other academics, the most recent of which is Contestations in Global Civil Society (2022) (with Roopinder Oberoi and Micheal Snowden). Jamie has also published numerous book chapters on ageing, entrepreneurship and innovation, and public policy, as well as reports commissioned by external organisations.
Please take a moment to complete the form below with all the relevant details about your exhibit. Whether you represent an institution, non-profit organization, or educational institution, we look forward to learning more about how your exhibit aligns with the themes and objectives of our conference.
Exhibit Categories: We welcome exhibits from a diverse range of technical fields, including but not limited to engineering, information technology, applied sciences, and sustainable technologies.
In case of submission challenges, kindly send your concerns to email: admin@arc-eds.com or call +233 24 772 1207 (Dr. Gyimah).
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