It was my pleasure to Chair this important education panel for the Horasis Global Meeting, 25-27 October 2024, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil with the Theme: Building Bridges to the Future on the topic “Teaching STEM and Not Forgetting the ‘A’.”
Thank you to the Secretary of Education for Espírito Santo, Vitor de Angelo for being part of our expert panel and for his important insights into his education initiatives and transformative plans for Schools of the Future. Michele Notari expertly led our attendees in meaningful exchanges and set the context for methodology and didactics. Prof. Akinori Seki shared his insights on educational practices in Japan and motivating students. May Garces spoke on her experiences as Chief Education Officer at IFFAmerica, designing and implementing education programs related to Transformational leadership & Social Innovation for young people, and then graced us with the gift of song. Claudiu Butacu reminded us of a looming teacher shortage of 63 million and the difference between residual vs emotional memories. Thank you to everyone who joined and shared their question and concerns! See you next year.
Photo right to left:
Jasmin Cowin: As a Fulbright Scholar, I currently hold the role of CETL Fellow and Associate Professor at Touro University. I work on Sustainable Development Goal 4, target c) to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers by 2030 and Artificial Intelligence ethics policies and serve as a U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist with initiatives for Computers for Schools Burundi, resource specialist for Amity University in Uttar Pradesh, India, and TESOL “Train the Trainer” programs in Yemen and Morocco.
Michele Notari is a Professor in technology-enhanced learning at the University of Teacher Education in Bern Switzerland and the University of Hong Kong (ended in 2021). His research area is computer-supported collaborative learning, technology-enhanced project-based learning, wearable computing, learning using Computer-mediated reality, and learning design fostering the 21st Century Skills. He was the founding president of the One Laptop Per Child organization in Switzerland (part of onelaptopperchild.org) and founding member of NeoWay.org, a wisdom accelerator for youth. Michele sits on several boards as an expert for technology-enhanced education including the Athena School of Management in Bombay, and participated at several Horasis global conferences, and gave keynote talks at the Woman Justice Summit, and many other conferences. He runs and participates in different initiatives enabling and enhancing learning using technologies in remote areas of the world.
Vitor de Angelo is a distinguished educational leader and the State Secretary of Education for Espírito Santo, overseeing 384 schools, approximately 20,000 education professionals, and an annual budget of R$3.5 billion. Under his leadership, the high school network in Espírito Santo was recognized in 2024 as the top-performing in Brazil by the Ministry of Education. He also serves as the President of the National Council of Secretaries of Education, where he spearheads initiatives to enhance educational standards nationwide.
With a doctorate in Social Sciences and a post-doctorate in Political Sociology from Université de Paris Ouest-Nanterre, he brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors, focusing on the implementation of high-impact public policies. His commitment to education and social advancement has earned him the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa. As an educational manager, he is celebrated for his skill in leading multidisciplinary teams dedicated to transformative, large-scale educational reforms that drive substantial social impact.
Akinori Seki is a Professor at the Center for General Education (Liberal Arts) at Tokyo Keizai University, specializing in cross-cultural communication and learning motivation. As Chairperson of the International Exchange Committee, he leads global collaboration initiatives. He also serves as President of the Asia Association of Education and Exchange (AAEE), an organization with over 20,000 followers on Facebook. Seki has organized over 40 international exchange programs across Japan, Southeast, and South Asia, fostering intercultural communication skills. He is committed to developing individuals who transcend ethnocentrism and build respectful, harmonious cross-cultural relationships.
May Garcés is a Teacher -Artist (session singer and language teacher) who is currently Chief Education Officer at IFFAmerica, designing and implementing education programs related to Transformational leadership & Social Innovation for young people to work in NGOs in Latin America. She has a BA in Physical Education and studied music performance/psychology courses at Dillard University, USA, and Environmental Studies & Peace-building at the Arava Institute in the Negev desert. She has a Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences diploma and Micro Phenomenological interviews certification to support her research collaborations in cognitive science and didactics at the University of Chile. She has won international grants to develop artistic/educational initiatives in culturally diverse groups in India, Ghana, Germany, Jordan, Palestine, and Chile.
Claudiu Butacu has been the co-founder and chairman of EFdeN and energiaTa for 13 years, leading a team that pioneered Romania’s first sustainable city concept and developed globally awarded housing prototypes. Under his leadership, the team launched the European Institute for Sustainability (EIS) and helped build a community of nearly 200,000 prosumers through legislative efforts. Claudiu believes that systemic change is possible only through collaboration across private, public, and NGO sectors, and continues to inspire projects shaping Romania’s sustainable future.
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