Keynote Speaker
Prof. Giuseppe Ritella
University of Bari, Italy
Giuseppe Ritella is an Associate Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”. His research, grounded in dialogic and socio-cultural theories, investigates collaborative processes within technology-mediated learning. He focuses on the socio-material, emotional, and cultural dimensions of innovative educational practices and hybrid learning environments.
Title: Learning at the Boundary: Digital Tools as Enablers of Boundary Crossing in Education
Invited Speaker
Prof. Jean Max Tavares
Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Jean Max Tavares is a Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where he has taught Economics, Finance, and Investments for 25 years. Of these 25 years, 20 were also dedicated to teaching in distance education programs, in addition to in-person courses, during which he developed numerous analog and digital teaching materials for university students. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and completed postdoctoral research in Tourism Economics. His academic work includes 40 scientific publications and the book Game Theory Applied to Tourism, published in the United States. Professor Tavares has been a Visiting Professor at the University of South Florida (USA) and a Visiting Scholar at Panthéon-Sorbonne University (France). He has received 27 scientific and academic awards and has presented research at international conferences in the United States, France, Portugal, China, Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria, Spain, Malta, and the Czech Republic.
Title: COIL as a Low-Cost Strategy for Internationalizing Higher Education in Emerging Economies
Dr. Alex Pak Ki Kwok
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Alex Pak Ki Kwok is a Lecturer teaching in the Data Science and Policy Studies Programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He earned his PhD from The University of Hong Kong and has over seven years of university teaching experience, with a focus on applied data science and business analytics.
His research examines technology adoption and the use of emerging digital tools in education and everyday life. He has studied how virtual reality and AI meeting assistants may support learning effectiveness and teaching practice. His work also explores social commerce, telehealth acceptance, and data driven decision making.
He has published in journals including Internet Research, Educational Research Review, Computers & Industrial Engineering, Decision Support Systems, and International Journal of Information and Education Technology.
His recent projects examine public perceptions of generative AI, the use of AI tools in English medium university lectures, and digital inclusion among older adults in Hong Kong, China. His work aims to better understand how digital innovation may shape learning, well-being, and social inclusion.
Title: Trust, Risk, and Technology Acceptance in Higher Education
Assoc. Prof. Maria Concetta Carruba
Pegaso University, Italy
Maria Concetta Carruba is Associate Professor at Pegaso University (Italy), specializing in Special Education, Inclusion, and Technologies for Inclusive Education. She earned her PhD in Education in co-supervision with the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on accessibility and educational technology for students with special educational needs. Her research addresses inclusive education, Universal Design for Learning, artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, teacher professional development, and digital innovation. Her work aims to foster accessibility, educational equity, and the development of inclusive learning environments through technology-enhanced pedagogies.