Associate Professor (with tenure), Department of Human Development and Family Science (Concentration in Child and Adolescent Development), Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Keynote Speech Title:Human Resilience in the Age of AI: A Transdisciplinary Approach to the Role of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Dr. Kee Jeong Kim is a tenured faculty member in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech in the United States, with two decades of experience in academia. She serves as the Director of The R³ Lab | Risk, Resilience & Recovery, where her research team examines risk and resilience factors shaping the developmental trajectories of children and adolescents impacted by both acute and chronic traumatic life events. Her work includes studying resilience in at-risk youth for antisocial behaviors, Syrian refugee children, first-generation college students, and currently, first responders who have experienced trauma and now play a key role in responding to others’ traumatic experiences, a research project funded by the American Psychological Foundation. Dr. Kim has been honored with the Sporn Award, the university’s highest distinction in teaching, and is a member of the Academy of Teaching Excellence.
Valbona Kalo is a lecturer at “Aleksandër Xhuvani” University in Elbasan, Albania, specializing in literary studies, folklore, anthropology, and Albanian literature. She holds a PhD with a dissertation on The Historical Novel in Albanian Literature and has actively contributed to the academic field through conference presentations and scholarly publications. Her research explores the intersection of tradition, society, and literature, with a particular focus on Albanian cultural narratives. One of her notable works, Anthropological and Literary Reading of the Sworn Virgins: A Study on the Influence of Tradition in Society and Literature, examines the role of customs in shaping both social structures and literary representations. Through her academic contributions, she continues to analyze and promote the rich heritage of Albanian literature and folklore.
Rene R. Calandria is the Care Coordination Manager at Inova Psychiatric Assessment Center, Fairfax, Virginia USA, and also an Associate Professor at the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta in the Philippines. He finished his Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University, Virginia USA., and his Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila. He is currently finishing his PhD in Psychology from the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, Philippines. His research interests include philosophy, psychology, and social sciences. He is a recipient of the Most Outstanding Migrant Award in Community Service and Leadership in Washington, DC sponsored by the Global Migrant Heritage Commission.
Samuel Vinck is a current PhD candidate at National Chengchi University (Taiwan) in the International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies (IDAS). Bachelor in Political Sciences at Unamur (Belgium) with Distinction and Master in International Relations with Great Distinction at UCLouvain (Belgium). Research interests are Defense Studies focused on future paradigms of war and Japanese Studies focused on Shinto and conservative identities.
Yang Liding, a Ph.D. student at Universiti Teknologi MARA, specializes in Chinese lacquer painting. Her research focuses on color expression through multiple layering techniques. At this conference, she presents “Color Expression in Lacquer Painting: The Interaction of Materials and the Multiple Layering Technique,” exploring how materials and layering techniques enhance color depth, texture, and visual effects in lacquer painting.
Vasiliki Chelidoni holds a Bachelor’s degree in Translation Specialization from the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting (DFLTI), Faculty of Humanities of the Ionian University (2021), a Master’s degree in Translation Science from the same Department (2023), and is a graduate of the Foreign Language Teaching Program, obtaining a Teaching Proficiency Certificate in English and French (2022).
Since January 2024, she has been a Ph.D. candidate at the DFLTI with her research focusing on the use of European and national corpora to study the adoption of inclusive language in drafting and translating EU administrative documents into English, French, and Greek. Finally, since April 2024, by unanimous decision of the Ionian University Senate, she has been appointed as a member of the Gender Equality Committee (GEC) of the Ionian University for a three-year term (2024-2027).
Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Weber State University
Keynote Speech Title:Leveraging Higher Performing Peers to Support Students with Diverse Learning Needs in General Education Classrooms.
Prior to arriving at Weber State University, Dr. Dan Pyle completed a post-doctoral fellowship at San Diego State University. Dr. Pyle earned his Ph.D. at Utah State University in the Special Education and Rehabilitation Department. He has worked as a special education inclusion support teacher in secondary schools for 12 years where he had the unique opportunity to open a fully inclusive, comprehensive high school in southeast San Diego, CA. His research interests include peer-mediated interventions, multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS), and evidence-based instructional supports and services to improve academic and behavioral outcomes for secondary students with disabilities accessing general education settings.
Benjamin Wai-ming Ng, professor of Japanese Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University. His areas of specialization include early modern Japanese history, history of the Yijing in East Asia and Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges. He is the author of The I Ching in Tokugawa Thought, Imagining China in Tokugawa Japan.
Prof. Dr. Slavka Demuthova
Slavka Demuthova works as a Professor at the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. She is also the director of the university Center for Psychological Counselling and Research. Her research focuses on thanatology, self-harm, and evolutionary aesthetics.
Prof. Kee Jeong Kim has been a faculty member of the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech for two decades. Her area of expertise is analyzing risk and resilience factors associated with the developmental trajectories of children and adolescents who experience adjustment problems. She has been recognized with Sporn Awards for her excellence in teaching, which is the university’s highest distinction in teaching awards, and has been inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence.
Yanica Dimitrova graduated from Sofia University “Saint Kliment Ohridski”. She has master’s degrees in Cultural studies, Management and Public Relations and a PhD in Public communication. Now she is a Professor of Corporate Culture, Communication and Innovation, Head of Department of Public Communication, University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, Sofia, Bulgaria. Yanica Dimitrova is the author of four monographs and more than 60 studies, articles and scientific reports on the study of corporate culture, communications, innovation, and corporate reputation management.
Mona Ashour is an Assistant professor of English Language and Literature at Ain Shams University in Egypt. She got her Doctor of Philosophy in Ecological Humanities in 2019, and she joined University of Florida to conduct research in the department of Gender, Sexuality and Women Studies. Dr. Ashour is also an activist and member in UNA and UNICEF and exerts potential academic and community service efforts for the prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Violence against Women (VAW). During her Fulbright mission in Santa Fe College in Florida, Ashour supervised a literary research project of “Comparative Planetary Literature.” In 2023, she has been awarded Certificate of Outstanding Merit & Professional Award by University of Florida and Tybel Spivack Fund Award in Women Studies.
Ms. Dana Brahm is a PhD candidate, research assistant, and lecturer at the University of St.Gallen (Switzerland). She obtained her BA in history from the University of Lausanne and her MSc in history from the University of Edinburgh. She specialises in economic history in the late modern period. Her research focuses on the development of economic experts in times of financial crisis.
Ruotong Liu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Capital Normal University and a Master of Arts degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester. With a background in media, advertising, and education, Liu has acquired valuable skills in content creation, analysis, and teaching. Liu has been recognized with awards such as First Prize in the Annual English Day Contest, Third Place in the CNU 34th Campus Singer Competition, and First Place & Viewer’s Choice in the CNU 34th Campus Singer Competition of the School of Foreign Languages.
Associate professor at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb.
Keynote Speech Title:Mutual Relations of Geographical Distribution of Population and Economic Activities: Examples from Croatia
Zdenko Braičić is associate professor at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb. He received his doctoral degree from the same University in 2011. He teaches Geography and Didactics of Science and Society. His research interests include economic and industrial geography as well as geography of education.
Mihaela Aghenitei is a PhD Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Administrative Sciences at the University of the “Lower Danube” and participates in a grant funded from the funds of the research project carried out by the University “Lower Danube” from Galati. She is an associate researcher at the Institute of Legal Research – Romanian Academy and a member of ELI and ESIL. She has published 81 articles indexed in national and international databases and 5 specialized books in criminal law.
Dr. Irina Mukhina, Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department, has been teaching Russian, Central European and World history at Assumption College, Worcester, MA, since 2007. She is also the author of dozens of scholarly publications, including books (Women and the Birth of Russian Capitalism: The History of the Shuttle Trade, 1987-1998, and The Germans of the Soviet Union), book chapters, articles, encyclopedia entries, book reviews, and review essays. Dr. Mukhina is currently working on a manuscript-length project titled GULAG Spaces in Public Memory and Daily Life.
Ms. Diana Nurmukan
Ms. Diana Nurmukan is a bachelor at the K.Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University. She is member of the Eurasian Union of Designers. Studies engineering graphics and the art of design. She is a participant of international conferences. Awarded the title of “Best Student of 2019” at the national level. Participated in various art competitions and exhibitions (Czech Republic, Turkey).
Dr. Seppo Poutanen
Dr. Seppo Poutanen is Senior Research Fellow and Docent of sociology at School of Economics of University of Turku, Finland. His areas of expertise extend from sociology of science & technology and gender studies to work life studies. Dr. Poutanen’s latest publications include two books: Gender and Innovation in the New Economy, with Anne Kovalainen (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) and Digital Work and the Platform Economy, edited with Anne Kovalainen and Petri Rouvinen (London & New York: Routledge, 2020).
Dr. Allassad Alhuzail, senior Lecturer, School of Social Work, Sapir Academic College, Israel. Her research deals with the implications of social change for the lives of three generations of Bedouin women; Poverty; youth at risk; Indigenous social work and social work in conflict areas; women in traditional, and religious societies.
Zdenko Braičić graduated in geography from University of Zagreb. He received his doctoral degree from the same University in 2011 (topic of doctoral thesis: Socio-geographical transformation of Sisak and Petrinja under the influence of industry). Currently, Zdenko Braičić works at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb. His research interests include economic and industrial geography as well as regional geography of Croatia.
Lu Ying has received her Master Degree in Thai Studies from Chulalongkorn University. Her areas of Interest are Thai Studies; Gender studies; Overseas Chinese studies. She has been awarded: University-level Academic Scholarship from 2014 to 2017, The Third Prize in the 5th National Students Writing Competition, and The Third Prize of Excellent Science Fiction in the 23rd Kunming China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest.
Tipu Sultan is a Doctoral Student in Sociology (Oct. 2020-to date), at Bielefeld Graduate School of History and sociology, Germany. His Research Interests are Gender and Household. Life course research, Work-Life Balance, Family Studies, Gender and Social Inequality. He has got Master’s degree in European Political Sociology (2010) from Dalarna University, Falun Sweden, and Master in Sociology (2007) at Punjab University, Pakistan .
