Speakers
This page details all the speakers who will be participating in Plenary Sessions. To find the details of the many other speakers in parallel sessions, please use the 'Participants' directory. Please note that you will need to be registered and logged in to view this.
Nanaia Mahuta
Nanaia Mahuta brings a unique lived experience that bridges Indigenous values with global citizenship, advancing inclusion, peace, and care for the planet.
With 27 years in Parliament, serving under the Clark and Ardern governments, she has championed Indigenous rights, environmental sustainability, and inclusive governance.
As New Zealand’s first female Minister for Māori Development and Foreign Affairs, she promoted mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge) and Māori values into Aotearoa New Zealand’s diplomatic toolkit as an opportunity to deepen an independent foreign policy stance. By promoting kaitiakitanga (guardianship), manaakitanga (reciprocity), and kotahitanga (collective responsibility) the connection between culture, diplomacy and commerce serve to align with care for the planet, peace and prosperity. Her leadership reflects how Indigenous knowledge systems can address global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and cultural preservation - offering a powerful framework for a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future.
Ingrid Gogolin
Ingrid Gogolin is Senior Professor for International Comparative and Intercultural Education Research at University of Hamburg, Germany. Her research is focused on the problem of educational equity in diversity contexts. In an asset-based perspective, she particularly works on the question of how potential disadvantages of migration-related socio-economic, cultural and language diversity can be counterbalanced and how the advantages of diversity can be utilized for the learning of all. She is a founding member of the Research Center “Literacy in Diversity Settings (LiDS)” @ University of Hamburg.
Ingrid was awarded honorary doctor degrees by the University of Dortmund/ Germany in 2013 and the National Kapodistrian University of Athens/ Greece in 2017.
Verónica Boix-Mansilla
Veronica Boix Mansilla, EdD, is a senior principal investigator at Project Zero, the renowned educational research institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and an international expert on global and intercultural education.
Her research examines conditions that enable individuals to understand and take action on the most pressing issues of our times (migration, sustainability, climate change) through personal transformation and quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary work.
Her research portfolio focuses on quality interdisciplinary education and assessment; the development of global and intercultural competence Pre-K-12, and the healthy integration of immigrant-origin children and their peers in today’s migration societies with particular attention to multilingual settings. In each case, she works closely with educators in schools, museums, policy circles to advance conceptual frameworks and tools able to shift educational mindsets and practices.
Verónica co-led the development of the OECD PISA Global Competence International Assessment framework, the AFS framework for Active Global Citizenship, as well as key global and intercultural frameworks at Harvard Project Zero, Asia Society, Council of Chief State School Officers. She works nationally and internationally with institutions such as the OECD, UNESCO, the International Baccalaureate, National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution.
Originally from Argentina, she brings cultural sensitivity to her work in schools, cultural institutions, youth centers, think tanks, museums, and policy circles.
Felisa Tibbitts
Felisa Tibbitts is dedicated to the role that education can play in advancing human rights. She is UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Higher Education and Chair in Human Rights Education at the Human Rights Centre of Utrecht University (Netherlands). She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University and Visiting Professor at Nelson Mandela University (South Africa).
Her research and policy interests include human rights, global citizenship and sustainable development education; curriculum policy and reform; critical pedagogy; and human rights and higher education transformation. In addition to her widespread scholarship, she has written practical resources on curriculum, program development and evaluation on behalf of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNICEF, UNESCO, OSCE/ODIHR, the Council of Europe and non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and the Open Society Foundations. Most recently she was the lead author for UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance.
Felisa was a Fulbright Fellow (Fall 2014, Fall 2024) and a Human Rights Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (2011-2013). Felisa is the co-founder and director of Human Rights Education Associates (www.hrea.org).
Momodou Sallah
Professor Momodou Sallah (PhD, MPhil, MA) is the Operational Manager of the Central Projects Coordinating Unit at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs in The Gambia, a role he has held since May 2024. In this capacity, he oversees a portfolio of major development projects supported by the World Bank and other international partners.
He was previously Director of the Centre for Academic Innovation at De Montfort University, UK (2019-2024), and as of February 1, 2025, was conferred the title of Professor Emeritus in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the university, where he served for over two decades in various academic and leadership roles.
A recognised leader in higher education, Momodou was named “Most Innovative Teacher” in the UK by Times Higher Education in 2015 and received a National Teaching Fellowship from the UK Higher Education Academy in 2013.
He is the founding Director of Global Hands and The Catalyst Academy; two social enterprises committed to capacity building and advancing social justice in The Gambia and the UK. As Principal Investigator for a transformative partnership between De Montfort University and the newly established University of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology (USET) in The Gambia, he led the institutional transformation of GTTI into USET from De Montfort University's engagement, including the establishment of an Innovation and Incubation Lab, development of Quality Assurance frameworks, a Placement and Internship Unit, and a Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
An accomplished scholar and passionate scholar-activist, Momodou has authored seven books and numerous academic articles and chapters. His research focuses on Youth and Community Development, Diversity, Globalisation, and Pedagogical Innovation, reflecting a lifelong commitment to harnessing education and social entrepreneurship as tools for meaningful and sustainable development.
Libby Giles
Libby Giles is an independent consultant on global citizenship education and Director of the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies. With a background in philosophy and international relations, her work is grounded in understanding who we are and what makes us citizens of the world. As a teacher and senior leader in schools, she developed a holistic and whole of school approach. Recent roles have given Libby a range of opportunities to provide support across sectors, levels of learning, and regions. She is developing a suite of initiatives under the banner, ‘Step up to the World|Tū māia ki te Ao’, that are about learning to embrace opportunities with courage and responsibility, in response to local and global challenges. Inspired by her role as a ‘global critical friend’ to the Dublin Declaration and partnership in the Asia Pacific dialogue on UNESCO’s Recommendation, Libby seeks to coordinate and support regional efforts, prioritising Aotearoa and the Pacific.
Sascha Vogt
Sascha Vogt is Director at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Katja Weigelt
Katja Weigelt is Head of the Division for Development Education at the BMZ. Having supported the European Commission in the negotiations for the 2030 Agenda and its implementation, Katja is committed to Education for Sustainable Development and is happy to put a focus in her work on empowering young people especially to think critically and act in a sustainable way.
Jens Kreuter
Dr. Jens Kreuter is the Managing Director of Engagement Global gGmbH, the central service organization for development initiatives funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). A theologian and legal scholar, he earned his doctorate from Heidelberg University, focusing on state crime and the limits of criminal law in dealing with human rights violations.
Areej Alsayed
Areej Alsayed is a human rights activist based in Cologne, Germany, focusing on climate justice, education, sustainability, and migration policy. As a member of the Education for Sustainable Development youth forum youpaN, she works to strengthen meaningful youth participation in shaping a just and sustainable future.
She currently serves as the German Youth Delegate to the UNFCCC 2025 and contributes to the Federal Foreign Office’s Working Group on Youth and Climate Foreign Policy. She also serves as the spokesperson for the BMZ Youth Advisory Council (German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) and is a member of the Reference Group for the GENE Global Education Peer Review of Germany. In addition, she is a Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Youth Leader.
