Highlighted Speakers
Assoc. Prof.Dr. Meng-chi Hsueh
Meng-chi Hsueh is an architectural historian and licensed architect with a Ph.D. from Taiwan. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture at Tunghai University. Her research focuses on comparative architectural and urban history, design theory, and heritage conservation and revitalization.
Prof. Rinat Kitai-Sangero
Prof. Rinat Kitai-Sangero is a legal scholar. She graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She currently serves as the Dean of the School of Law at Zefat Academic College. Her research focuses on criminal procedure, therapeutic jurisprudence, and law and literature.
Prof. Dr. Beliz Güçbilmez
Prof. Dr. Beliz Güçbilmez is a Turkish theorist and playwright, formerly of the Department of Theatre at Ankara University. She is best known for her concepts of the "off-stage" and "miniaturesque dramatic structure." Her influential article, “An Uncanny Theatricality: The Representation of the Offstage”, was published in New Theatre Quarterly. Her plays have been staged in Turkey and New York, including by state theaters. Güçbilmez is the author of Zaman/Zemin/Zuhur [Time/Space/Emergence], which explores theatrical representations of the past in both Western and Eastern cultures, and İroni ve Dram Sanatı [Dramatic Irony: From Sophocles to Stoppard], tracing irony’s evolution across dramatic traditions. Her latest book, Anne Ben Düştüm Mü? [Mom, Did I Just Fall?], expands on her Magnetic Field Theory of Fiction, exploring the relationship between reality and fiction. Since 2017, she has led online programs in Turkish and English through applied methods like “Reverse Engineering,” which combine narrative theory with creative practice.
Dr. Tayyaba Kiran
Dr. Tayyaba Kiran is currently serving as Deputy Director, Talent Acquisition and Employer Branding at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan.
She holds a PhD in Management Science. Her doctoral research, titled “No Boundaries, No Breaks: Contextualizing Young Professionals' Perspective on Work-Life Balance,” explores the emotional, social, and structural challenges faced by young professionals in navigating work-life balance, and their coping mechanisms.
With over 15 years of experience in academic HR, she has led strategic initiatives in faculty hiring, policy formulation, and employer branding. Dr. Kiran is an HR practitioner who actively applies her research insights to institutional practice.
She has served as a thesis examiner for MS students at various higher education institutions and was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Commendation Certificate for her professional contributions. Her work bridges academic research with real-world HR strategy and organizational development.
Dr. Burcu Dabak Özdemir
Burcu Dabak Özdemir icompleted her PhD at the University of East Anglia with a dissertation titled Being Tourist in Geographies of Power. She holds master’s degrees from Kadir Has University and SOAS, University of London. In 2023–2024, she conducted postdoctoral research at HFF Potsdam-Babelsberg with a TÜBİTAK scholarship, focusing on Turkish film festivals in Europe. Dr. Özdemir is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Communication, Yaşar University. She is the author of Cross-Dressing in Turkish Cinema: Politics, Gender and National Trauma (I.B. Tauris, 2021) and Experiencing National Culture Abroad: Turkish Film Festivals in Germany (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024). Her award-winning documentaries, including Yerin Ruhu (2023) and Yersiz Yurtsuz (2009), alongside numerous scholarly articles, explore themes of memory, space, gender, and cultural identity.
Ms. Feng Nana
Feng Nana, originally from China, is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Performing Arts at City University of Malaysia. With over a decade of experience in the media industry, she is also an accomplished entrepreneur, having founded her own media company, Na Nian Culture. In addition to her business ventures, FENG is a writer and director with a substantial online presence, boasting nearly 300,000 followers, more than a million trending topic mentions, and over 10 million total reads. Her work focuses particularly on female-themed documentaries, with a special emphasis on stories about pillar mothers in China. Her documentaries have earned multiple awards of excellence and have been featured on official Chinese media platforms, reflecting both her talent and impact in the field.
Some of our Past Speakers
Prof. Paulo Afonso B. Duarte
Assistant Professor at Universidade Lusófona do Porto and Invited Professor at the University of Minho, Portugal. PhD in Political and Social Sciences, by Catholic University of Louvain.
Recent publications:
Duarte, P.2024. Multilateralism and Soft Power Made-in-China: (re)Adjusting Role Conceptions to meet International Expectations. East Asia.; Duarte, P. 2023. A 'Soft' Balancing Ménage à Trois? China, Iran and Russia Strategic Triangle vis-à-vis US Hegemony. Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs
Recent publications:
Duarte, P.2024. Multilateralism and Soft Power Made-in-China: (re)Adjusting Role Conceptions to meet International Expectations. East Asia.; Duarte, P. 2023. A 'Soft' Balancing Ménage à Trois? China, Iran and Russia Strategic Triangle vis-à-vis US Hegemony. Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs
Prof. Dr. James Overholser
James Overholser, Ph.D., ABPP is a licensed psychologist, board certified in clinical psychology, and professor in the psychology department at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio, USA. He earned his Ph.D. from the Ohio State University and completed postdoctoral training at Brown University. His teaching and research interests focus on the understanding and treatment of depression and suicide risk in adults. He has published a series of articles and a book on the use of the Socratic method in various professional settings.
Ass. Prof. Dr. Ertugrul Gokcekuyu
Dr. Ertugrul Gokcekuyu is Assistant Professor at Anadolu University, specializing in Political Sciences and Public Administration. Some of the subjects he taught are Methods and Techniques, Political Sciences, Immigration Policies, Human Rights and Political Sociology.
Prof. Dr. Dorota Rynkowska
Dorota Rynkowska, sociologist, doctor of humanities. Assistant professor at the Institute of Sociological Sciences of the University of Rzeszów. Scientific interests focus on the issues of old age and aging, attitudes towards old age and the changes in contemporary social assistance in the area of care and activation activities with the participation of non-governmental organizations, including the Polish Red Cross. Author and co-author of numerous publications on sociological and gerontological topics.
Dr. Hubert Kotarski
Hubert Kotarski - sociologist, employee of the Institute of Sociology at the University of Rzeszów. Deputy Director of the Institute of Sociology at the University of Rzeszów from 2012 to 2019, Vice-Dean of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Rzeszów from 2019. Author of books, articles, reports, strategies and analyses. Participant of several foreign and national scientific conferences, workshops and seminars on urban studies. In recent years, he has completed scientific internships, at the world's leading universities.
Ass. Prof. Dr. Magdalena Pokrzywa
Magdalena Pokrzywa - doctor of humanities in the field of sociology, Assistant professor at the Institute of Sociological Sciences of the University of Rzeszów, Poland. Sociologist conducting research in the field of sociology of social problems. Her research interests include social inequalities. Participant of a research internship (postdoc) at The New School for Social Research (New York, USA).
Mr. Amit Saha
Amit Saha is a PhD scholar in the Department of Politics and International Studies at Pondicherry University, specializing in South Asian Studies and International Relations. He has contributed a chapter titled "Local Self Government in Bangladesh" to *Rural Governance: Glimpses from India and Bangladesh* and authored an opinion piece titled "Vedanta to Vikas: Vivekananda's Economic Wisdom in Union Budget 2024" for *Samvada World*. Amit’s research and writing reflect his deep interest in regional governance and the economic philosophies shaping South Asia's political landscape.
Mr. Nayandeep Sardar
Nayandeep Sardar is a Postgraduate Student at the Department of Politics and International Studies at the Pondicherry University. He is the author of the article "Globalisation and Indian Indigenous Community" at an International Conference, highlighting globalization's effects on indigenous tribes also published a critical analysis titled "Understanding Hegemony: Through the Lens of Antonio Gramsci" in IJFMR and contributed a chapter on globalization and Indian foreign policy to the book "Recent Trends in Humanities and Social Science."
Mr. HaoXuan Feng
Since joining Macau University of Science and Technology, HaoXuan Feng has been involved with studies related to hospitality. Before joining University, Johnathan showed great interest in cultural heritage and try to do the relative research.
Mr. Seung Woo Lee
Seungwoo Lee, a student at Dulwich College Seoul, is the founder of GlideGreen, a water sports business, and "It Starts With Doremi," a volunteer group. His ventures focus on promoting environmental awareness through water sports and fostering cultural unity by helping multicultural families bond through music.
Prof. Dr. Tamriko Lekiashvili
Associate Professor at the University of Georgia, School of Arts and Humanities and Tamaz Beradze Institute of Georgian Studies, senior researcher
Professor Tamriko Lekiashvili is one of the most successful and distinguished researchers and lecturers of the Department of History of the University of Georgia. She teaches World History and the History of Georgia. Tamriko regularly participates in national and international conferences; she is actively involved in international projects and grants. She is the author of numerous scientific publications. Her area of interest is the recent period of the history of Georgia.
Topic of presentationSouth Caucasus under the interests of the great empires (XVI-XVIII centuries)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Salih UCAK
Salih UCAK completed his undergraduate education at Inonu University, Faculty of Educatio and Istanbul University, Departmant of Polıtıcal Scıence and Internatıonal Relatıons. He completed his master's degree at Dumlupınar University and his doctorate at Fırat University. Ucak, who worked as an academy coordinator and academician, participated in many international symposiums and congresses. He has more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and 4 published books. İn 2021, the title of “Associate Professor” was given by the Higher Education Council. Now, he is a Faculty Member of University of Georgia.
Dr. Tea Meshvelishvili
Tea Meshvelishvili is a teacher and guest lecturer at the University of Georgia, as well as a researcher at the Tamaz Beradze Scientific Institute of Georgian Studies. She is a graduate of Tbilisi State University, majoring in Turkish language and literature. She received her master's degree in international relations at the University of Georgia. She is a current PhD student at the Doctorate Program in History, specialization in Near East History.
Dr. Yulin Zhou
Yulin Zhou is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Theater, Film and Television of Communication University of China, with research interests in film theory, visual studies, film senses and bodies, and film narratology. She has won honors such as Outstanding Graduate, Outstanding Scientific Research Achievement Award and First-class Scholarship.
Prof. Dr. Tina Gudushauri
Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at University of Georgia. PhD in Ethnology/Anthropology, Professor. Scientific internships in Germany. Participation in about 32 conferences. The spheres of scientific interests and research: early systems of religious thought in Caucasus, ethnos and related theories, the problems of identity (ethnic and cultural). More than 42 scientific articles in Georgian, Russian, German and English languages.
Prof. Dr. Tsira Chikvaidze
Professor Tsira Chikvaidze teaches at the University of Georgia (Tbilisi). She is the head of the department of history and the B.A. and Ph.D. programs in history. Her research interests are American studies, Holocaust studies, and history teaching methodology. Tsira is the author of 30 scientific publications and the coordinator of EU, USAID, and Vishegrad Fond projects.
Dr. Michail Fountoulakis
"Dr. Michail Fountoulakis, a distinguished academic and linguist, holds a Ph.D. in English Language & Literature from the University of Athens, Greece. Currently an EFL & ESP Instructor and Interpreter-Translator at Hellenic Police Headquarters, he specializes in literature, linguistics, and specialized language teaching. He is an acclaimed author and adjunct faculty member at Hellenic Police Officers School."
Dr. Lucia Ramona Ceciu
Ramona L. Ceciu, Ph.D., is lecturer at Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, as well as scientific researcher in psychology at the “Ion Creanga” State Pedagogical University of Chișinău. She is a Certified Psychologist, having authored 2 books and chapters in 3 collective volumes, along with several articles in international peer-reviewed journals. Her interdisciplinary research areas of interest include psychology, neuroscience, intercultural studies and humanities.
Dr. Chihab SELKA
Dr. Chihab SELKA holds Doctorate in Architecture, at the University of Tlemcen.
He was the project manager from August 2007 to March 2014 at TECHNORIUM in Tlemcen, Algeria. Subsequently, from September 2014 to November 2023, he joined the University of Tlemcen as a teacher-researcher, contributing to knowledge dissemination and research in the field of architecture.
He is passionate about architecture, deriving joy from exploring innovative designs and sustainable solutions.
Ms. Yaqiao Liu
Yaqiao Liu is a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Manchester and a visiting student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interest includes students’ transnational mobility, the internationalization of higher education, and global citizenship education.
Ms. Linda Steele
Linda Steele is a recent graduate of a Masters in Art and Architectural History. Linda decided to go to university after retiring from her 40-year nursing career in maternal and early infant health. She worked on a research internship in which she examined the intersections between maternal, perinatal grief and the study of art history. She is pursuing graduate work in Cultural Mediations, focusing on expanding her previous work.
Mr. Alexander McWilliam
Alexander is currently in the final year of his PhD with the Institute for Psychology of Elite Performance at Bangor University. As an applied practitioner, he has worked with clients across many sectors of business and education. Research interests include public speaking anxiety and performance under pressure. In 2023, he became a fellow of the Learning and Performing Institute (FLPI).
Ms. Lara Torbay
Lara Torbay has obtained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in law from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. She is currently a research assistant in its chair for administrative and constitutional law where she is also a doctoral student. Her approach is generally interdisciplinary and comparative. Her research interests include gender law, federalism and minority rights.
Ms. Songyan Li
Ms Songyan Li is currently a PhD student in Chinese Studies in the University of Manchester. She focuses on link and transformation between traditional culture and contemporary culture in China, especially in online fiction. She has published a paper ‘Women in the Mirror: Chinese Online Fan Fiction of Dream of the Red Chamber’.