Speakers

Katrin Kohl

18 September | 16.00 – 17.30: Transforming Higher Education in a whole system approach

Katrin Kohl is the Co-Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability at York University in Toronto, Canada. She is also the Focal Point for Sustainable Development Goal SDG 4 (Quality Education) of the Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development Global Cluster led by the International Association of Universities. Currently, Katrin is also completing her Ph.D. thesis with a focus on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at the International Islamic University Malaysia, doing research on ESD’s philosophical foundations while being a key enabler of all SDGs. With a background in law and management, she served in prior positions as Executive Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair at York University, Managing Director of the German Commission for UNESCO, and as Strategic Advisor to the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany.

Subarna Sivapalan

18 September | 16.00 – 17.30: Transforming Higher Education in a whole system approach

Subarna Sivapalan joined the University of Nottingham as Head of School of Education and Associate Professor in May 2022. She now serves as Associate Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Prior to joining the University of Nottingham, she was attached to Malaysia’s top STEM focused private university where she taught ESP, sustainability and research methodology modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She also held key roles in academic and research divisions, with the most reason being the Director of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Subarna also founded the institution’s first scholarship of teaching and learning research cluster, and its first education and social sustainability focused research centre. Apart from pioneering the advocacy of the SDGs amongst students and staff on campus, she also established and advised the institution’s first student led eco campus workgroup that went on to achieve a bronze award under WWF Malaysia’s Foundation for Environmental Education Eco-Campus programme.

At the national level, Subarna is actively involved in sustainability education advocacy. She sat on the National Committee of WWF Malaysia’s Eco-Schools Programme, and was also Chair of the Eco-Campus Programme. At the international level, Subarna is an Acumen Fellow, the world’s school for social change. She is a United Nations University Pro.SPER.Net Leadership “Building Transformational Leadership Towards The SDGs” fellow and has been actively involved in UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership initiative, particularly the Greening Community pillar and the Higher Education working group. Subarna is the Malaysia project lead for the UNESCO ESD Action Research Global Project.

DEIRDRE O'CAROLL

Chairing Parallel Session 3 – 3.2 (day 3) Sustainable campus initiatives

Deirdre O’Carroll holds a Master Degree in Sustainability and Climate Change. She has worked in environmental education for twenty years with an extensive background in supporting communities and groups to practice sustainability and to collaborate on projects to build community cohesion, reduce environmental impacts and enhance biodiversity. Deirdre currently works for An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland, managing the Green Campus programme.

PAUL PACE

Chairing Parallel Session 2 – 2.2 (day 2) Greening education across all levels

Prof Paul PACE, has been active in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as founder and former director of the Centre for Environmental Education & Research; chairperson of Malta’s National Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development; founder of the Malta Association of Environmental Educators; and as a researcher at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta where he is a full-time professor in ESD and science education.

Appointed Eco-Schools National Coordinator for Nature Trust FEE Malta and the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Programme Country Coordinator, he is the vice-chairperson of the Interdiocesan Commission for the Environment of the Maltese Archdiocese. He was involved in several local and foreign projects aimed at the development of curriculum material for ESD and science. He works actively with teachers in the implementation of sustainability policies in schools.

A former teacher of biology, he was involved in several examination boards (for biology and environmental science) and served on various national and international sustainable development boards, including the UNECE Steering Committee meeting on ESD, the National Curriculum Framework Review committee and the National Science Strategy committee.

On the 13th December 2024, he was awarded the Member of the National Order of Merit for his role in the promotion of ESD.

MARGARIDA GOMES

Chairing Parallel Session 3 – 3.1 (day 3) Sustainable campus initiatives

KATERINA ANANIADOU

Opening Event – Special Address

Katerina is currently coordinating the Greening Education Partnership team at UNESCO’s Education sector. She has been working as an education specialist at UNESCO since 2011, mostly on TVET, skills development and youth. Prior to joining UNESCO she worked for four years as a policy analyst at the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) of the OECD, and as a researcher at the UCL Institute of Education in London. Her academic background is in Psychology and Cognitive Science which she studied at the Universities of Athens, Cardiff and Warwick.

TAN SRI DZUL RAZAK

Keynote Address (day 1)

Dzulkifli Abdul Razak (Dzul, for short) is an Emeritus Professor in Universiti Sains Malaysia and an Adjunct Professor in the University of Malaysia, Sarawak, Department of Education, Language and Communication. Dzul was Universiti Sains Malaysia 5th Vice-Chancellor (2000 – 2011) and Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (2018 – 2024). Dzul was an Advisory Board Member at the Institute of Sustainable Development and Learning at Leuphana University of Luneburg. He was also a member of the Qatar Foundation Higher Education Strategy Advisory Panel. Dzul served as a member of the UN Academic Network for Development Dialogue (ANDD) and the National Digital Economy & Fourth Industrial Revolution Council. He was invited as an Expert for the Futures of Higher Education Project at UNESCO’s International Institute for Higher Education (IESALC) based in Caracas. Dzul was awarded the prestigious 2017 Gilbert Medal by Universitas 21 in recognition of “his long-term commitment to a sustainable approach to international higher education. In 2020, Dzul established the UIA-based Regional Centre for Experts. Dzul was an invited speaker at the 2015 Nobel Dialogue in Sweden and panellist for 3 sessions at the Nobel Prize Dialogue 2023 held in Seoul, Korea. Dzul is the recipient of the 2017 National Academic Laureate

KAREN CHAND

Chairing Parallel Session I – 1.1 (day 2) whole systems approaches

Karen is the Director of Education Studies at the SDSN’s Asia Headquarters. She is spearheading efforts under the Mission 4.7 initiative to transform K-12 education in the Asia Pacific by making sustainable development a key feature of national curriculums. Karen was previously the Director of Strategy and Operations at the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development at Sunway University, Malaysia.

Prior to joining Sunway, Karen was with the Razak School of Government, Malaysia, where she led the development and delivery of senior level public sector executive education programs; and research projects on public sector improvement. She began her career as a strategy consultant at PwC.

Karen holds a Master in Sustainable Development Management from Sunway University; a Master in ASEAN Studies from the University of Malaya; and a BSc in Finance and Accounting from the University of London.

DR. AFTAN UDDIN

Chairing Parallel Session 2 – 2.1 (day 2) Greening vocational education

IAN HUMPHREYS

Closing Event

Dr. Ian Humphreys– Vice-President of FEE is former CEO of FEE member Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and board member responsible for our Education Programmes at FEE.
Prior to joining Sunway, Karen was with the Razak School of Government, Malaysia, where she led the development and delivery of senior level public sector executive education programs; and research projects on public sector improvement. She began her career as a strategy consultant at PwC.

SANSKRITI MENON

Dr. Sanskriti Menon is Senior Programme Director responsible for programme development, research and partnership development, programme coordination, finance, and budgets, mentoring at Centre for Environment Education (CEE) India.

NIKOS PETROU

Opening Event

Dr. Nikos Petrou– President of FEE and President of HSPN – Hellenic Society for the Protection of NatureFEE member in Greece also a keen nature and wildlife photographer

LEE WRAY-DAVIES

Workshop 1: Ecosystem Restoration (day 2)

PRAMOD KUMAR SHARMA

workshop 1: Ecosystem Restoration (day 2)

Dr. Pramod Kumar Sharma is the Senior Director of Education with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). An Education for Sustainable Development professional with a broad experience over 27 years, he has worked with a wide range of stakeholders on conservation projects that include schools, corporate, programs focusing on school systems, and rural development issues of tribal communities. While working with Centre for Environment Education in India, he has mentored over 200 grassroots NGOs for projects in the area of education for sustainable development.

At FEE, he is responsible for the development of the Eco-Schools, Eco-Campus, Young Reporters for Environment (YRE) and Learning About Ecosystems and Forests in 101 countries. He is also leading FEE Academy – An Online Teaching and Learning platform for various stakeholders engaged with five programmes of FEE.

He is currently a member of the Scientific and Pedagogical Committee of the Office for Climate Education and represents FEE on the advisory group of UNESCO-led Greening Education Partnership and GenB EU project. He is also serving as European Regional Hub Co-Chair for The Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education (MECCE) Project.

He has also served as Global EE Group Moderator at eePRO of the North American Association for Environmental Education and a member of the Technical Expert Group at UNESCO for a global survey of teachers’ readiness to integrate education for sustainable development and global citizenship education into their teaching.

His doctoral research is in the area of Assessment of Environmental Literacy. He has a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) and also holds an integrated Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Education.

OLIVIA COPSEY

Organising Committee

DANIEL SCHAFFER