LEARNING… THE TREASURE WITHIN

 KEYNOTES SPEAKERS OF 1st SESSION
Neuroscience of learning

Roberto Cubelli

Roberto Cubelli is Professor of General Psychology at the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento. Previously he taught at the Universities of Modena, Padua and Urbino. He was Director of the Department of Cognition and Training Sciences,  and Coordinator of the Doctoral School in Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the University of Trento. His main interests are focused in neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. He collaborates with the Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh (UK). He is Managing Editor of the magazine “Cortex. The Journal devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior”, a member of the Management Committee of the “Italian Journal of Psychology” and  of the editorial staff of “Clinical Psychology of Development”.  From 2009 to 2014, he was President of the Italian Association of Psychology (AIP).

Ed Fidoe

Edward Fidoe is an education reformer and advisor, committed to transforming the UK education system by hands-on reform as well as advising the UK’s leading educational institutions.
He left McKinsey & Co. in 2010 to found School 21, a new, ‘Ofsted Outstanding’ school in East London that is reimagining the learning journey from 4 to 18, developing academic skills but also speaking skills, craftsmanship, team work and wellbeing.
Ed also advises Eton College, London School of Economics, Cambridge University and Bloomberg Philanthropy. He is currently focused on developing an innovative new London University, to open in 2020.
He chairs the School 21 Group board and is a trustee on the UK board of the charity Ashoka.

Roi Cohen Kadosh

Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh is an Israeli-British cognitive neuroscientist notable for his work on numerical and mathematical cognition and learning and cognitive enhancement. He is  ordinary Professor of cognitive neuroscience and the head of the Cognition, Learning and Plasticity group at the University of Oxford. His main interests are the psychological and biological factors that shape learning and cognitive achievement, and how we can modulate these factors to optimize learning and cognition. To study these factors he employs different methods that range from cognitive assessment and mental chronometry to neuroimaging methods and brain stimulation during cognitive learning. Cohen Kadosh has been one of the pioneers in combining cognitive training with non-invasive brain stimulation to show its impact on cognition, learning, and brain functions. In the last years he has extended his work to examine the role of individual differences at the psychological and biological level on the impact of brain stimulation on behaviour, those allowing a better mechanistic understanding of brain stimulation and learning. In 2016 he was the recipient of the International Mind, Brain and Education Society Early Career Award.

Ivi Kussmaul

She is 18 and attends the 13th grade at  ESBZ school in Berlin (Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum), one of the most innovative schools in Germany and around the world, committed to educate children and young people for a peaceful, equitable, socially and ecologically sustainable world. She says of herself: “I feel like a citizen of the world. My family is a patchwork of Germany, Russia and Chile. When I was 15,  I decided, with my teachers, to spend a year in China.  It was a brave decision  and I think that, if I was not attending the ESBZ  and if I had not gone through theschool challenge projects, I would not have been mature enough for this decision. After graduating this year, I want to take a trip around the world and improve my Spanish and Chinese. In the future I would like to found my own ethically operating business, maybe something to do with microfinance. Or, maybe I want to become a diplomat or an investigating journalist. But the most important thing is that my future job is meaningful and empowering to others. The most important aspect of our school is that we are trusted and believed in. It is the sort of empowering that later makes you trust in yourself more. My school has made me brave and has helped me recognise and aid other people’s needs as well. I am  aware of my privileged position, and that is why Anselm and I are coming to present our ideas at ADi international meeting. Our hope is that, in  future, many  more young students can have our opportunities and  make the best out of their lives.”

Anselm Ferdinand Bresgott

He is 18 and attends the 13th grade at the ESBZ school, just like Ivi.

With the support of his school, Anselm spent one year in Canada.

Now, while he’s studying, works as an actor.

He says: “ My school gave me this opportunity and surely it’s something that will be able to lead me to a possible future job”.

He plays a lot of music and loves connecting with other people “to do something good for a better world”, he says.

KEYNOTES SPEAKERS OF 2nd SESSION
The future is our present

Giulia Baccarin

An Italian woman engineer, a successful entrepreneur, capable of launching a top startup in a predominantly male world. She is 36 and was born in Dueville, Vicenza. She graduated in Biomedical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano in 2004. After graduation she won a scholarship for a special programme of the European Union, which gave her the opportunity to study at Science Po in Paris, at the School of African and Oriental Languages in London  and finally at the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo. She lived in Japan for several years: first studying and then working. In 2008, she decided to come back to Italy. The following year, at the age of 27, she started “I-care”.  Despite the initial difficulties, I-care is today a company of 150 employees in nine countries around the world. In 2012  she founded MIPU. MIPU is a group of companies focusing on predictive analytics and data science, where they support gender equality, especially for the company’s key roles. With MIPU she wants to demonstrate that it is possible to create innovative  technological companies in Italy. Her desire is to support all those young people, especially women, who want to build something in Italy, instead of moving abroad. Today MIPU has three companies and three startups, with a turnover of 5 million euros. Their yearly growth rate is 20% in average, even in foreign markets.

Sandy Hooda

Sandy Hooda, co-founder of the Indian Vega Schools, is a first generation entrepreneur with an outstanding track record in technology and hospitality ventures. He realised through personal experience that his school education not only undermined his love of learning, but also played an insignificant role in his becoming successful in life. To better understand whether anyone had solved this education puzzle, he spent three years travelling around the world identifying the most progressive schools and galvanising the superstar education leaders behind these schools in order to create Vega. His life mission is to revolutionise education based on research on ‘why’ and ‘how’ we learn so there is perfect harmony between school education, love of learning, and success in life. Vega schools are now the most innovative schools in India, scientifically designed for learning.

Olaf Hallan Graven

Olaf Hallan Graven is head of the Department of Science and Industry systems at the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University College Southeast Norway, Kongsberg, Norway.

He is particularly expert in blended learning, learning environments, e-learning, technology enhanced learning, ICT in Education, educational games, online assessment.

His topics of research are algorythms, computer engineering, educational technology.

He is a brilliant speaker in many conferences around the world.

Alastair Blyth

Alstair Blyth, senior lecture at the University of Westminster,  is an architect  with a specific research interest in learning environments. His personal blog site is Re-imagining Spaces for Learning https://alastair-blyth.com/. Before joining the University of Westminster in June 2016, he was an analyst at the OECD, where his work focused on policy advice for governments on the design and evaluation of learning environments. At the OECD he was responsible for several international surveys and policy reviews including:

An OECD survey on learning environments resulting in the publication “Designing for Education: Compendium of exemplary Educational Facilities 2011” which draws examples from 28 countries including Australasia, Latin America, US, Canada and Europe.

An OECD project on Higher Education Spaces and Places: for learning, innovation and knowledge exchange;

OECD report on “Capital Funding in Educational Facilities: The role of public-private partnerships”.

Marco Goia

He has a university degree in Information Science, and now teaches informatics in a high school, IIS “Giulio Natta”, Rivoli (Turin). He has been Mentor of Zero Robotics since 2012.

He was a keynote speaker at the Meeting “G7 oltre – idee dal futuro”.

He holds several positions of responsibility in his school and for his Town Hall.
He is the teacher of the two students, Matteo D’Elia and Iris Vogna, presenting “Zero Robotics” at ADi international meeting.

Matteo D’Elia

He is now 17 and is attending the 12^th grade at IIS “Giulio Natta” – Rivoli, specializing in applied sciences.

He has been Team Leader Zero Robotics since 2015, he was a speaker  at the Meeting “G7 oltre – idee dal futuro”, tutor Workshop MegaCoders  in Turin.

He has got  several  certification in robotics  and has won several awards in various school competitions.

He is a good computer programmer in Unit  3D Environment.

Iris Vogna

She is now 17 and is attending the 12^th grade at IIS “Giulio Natta” – Rivoli, specializing in applied sciences, just like Matteo D’Elia. She has been Team Strategist in Zero Robotics since 2016.

She was a speaker  at the Meeting “G7 oltre – idee dal futuro”; tutor Workshop MegaCoders  in Turin; tutor Workshop MegaCoders  (Turin).

She is passionate about music and attended “Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi” from 2014 to 2017. In 2017 she started her studies at “ Accademia del Musical” (Turin). She has won several awards in music and mathematics.

KEYNOTES SPEAKERS OF 3rd SESSION
Enterpreneurship and creativity

Margherita Bacigalupo

Margherita Bacigalupo is a qualitative researcher at Joint Research Centre (JRC), EU Commission. Recently  she has developed the framework for the key competence Sense of Initiative and Entrepreneurship: Entrecomp. She holds a BSc and an MSc in Human-Computer Interaction, a PhD in Robotics for Dementia Care, and a Post-graduate Certificate in Public Policy and Management.  She has always worked in international environments as a researcher and project manager, both in the public and private sector. She has analysed the impact of technologies in a variety of fields ranging from social services, food manufacturing, electronic identity, education, healthcare and advertising. Her research interest lays in understanding how technological innovations can make users’ and citizens’ life easier and how policy can help make the most out of the potential ICT for society.

Elin McCallum

Elin McCallum has specialised in the area of entrepreneurial skills for the past 14 years – across all areas of learning from primary school through to employment and start-up.
Originally a youth worker in the South Wales valleys, she spent ten years in education and economic development policy roles with European Commission and Welsh Government.
In 2016, she co-founded Bantani Education – a non profit organisation to collaborate, network, innovate and experiment with new ideas to drive forward entrepreneurial policy and practice. They are particularly interested in how this work can support societal change, developing educator skills and using digital innovation to work alongside and recognize the value of entrepreneurial skills and mindset. The organisation now works with United Nations, European Commission, JRC, BRAC, OECD, European Training Foundation and a range of EU/global partners.
She has contributed to a wide range of publications including academic papers, policy guidance, Eurydice studies on entrepreneurship and citizenship education and global practice compendiums.

Trude Johansen

Trude Johansen is graduated at the University of Tromsø (the world’s northernmost University), Norway, with a Master’s degree in the field of Political Science and Government. She also has a Master Practitioner in Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and is a certified Train-the-trainer in career-guidance. She has been working as an advisor at Fønix since 2006. Fønix is one of the largest companies in Norway within the vocational rehabilitation market.  Fønix has extensive experience with internal company training on many different levels and topics, with the emphasis on knowledge and experience in guidance of employees, job seekers and employers. Through the Vip24 Career Guidance and Individual Guidance, the focus is to find and enhance the resources in each person, to enable them to either keep their job or enter the job market. Fønix  is also a member of European Basic Skills Network (EBSN) and a partner in several Erasmus + projects.

Charlotte Berg

Charlotte Berg is graduated at the University of Bergen, Norway, with a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature.

Other subjects include Organizational psychology and Communication. She also has a Master Practitioner in Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and is a certified Train-the-trainer in career-counselling.

She has been working as a coach at Fønix since 2006. She will be at the ADI international meeting with Trude Johansen, and together they will illustrate the structural, holistic device Vip24, which is a powerful guide for educational and professional career choices.

Mette Hauch

Mette Hauch is  the Head of Student-centered Learning at Autens, an educational consultancy in Denmark, specialising in 3rd Millennium learning, schools and learning spaces.

Before she was a teacher at the wellknown, innovative Hellerup School in Copenhagen, and in 2010 she was awarded as the world’s most innovative teacher by Microsoft education.

Now  she is full time innovation consultant at Autens, working closely with teachers and leaders to transform their practice.

Armando Persico

Armando Persico is a teacher in economics and law, but above all of Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy. Over the past decade he has been managing pioneering projects with several European schools, training more than a thousand teachers across Europe. His innovative approach to teaching has allowed his students to win 16 European awards, in addition to 4 national competitions. Nearly 20% of his former students are now entrepreneurs, having created 800 jobs; some of them have registered some patents. Armando Persico’s activity has received many awards. He was JA-YE European Teacher of the Year in 2010; he won the JA Italian Ambassador Award in 2011, the International Ministry of Education award in 2013, and the Teacher Award from Confindustria Bergamo in 2015. In 2016, he won an award for the Best Italian Teaching Activity, “Apprenticeship for the dual system“, from the Italian Department of Education and in 2017  he received the prestigious Italo Agnelli Prize, and  was included among the 50 best teachers in the world at the Global Teacher Prize, the Nobel Prize for Teachers.

Edoardo Pennacchia

Edoardo Pennacchia, a former student of Prof. Armando Persico, is 22. He started his career in Entrepreneurship by choosing the High School IMIBerg, an AFM Technical Institute in Bergamo, which has always been devoted to Entrepreneurship Education. He was then the lead in the mini-business BusineSSport, which achieved a memorable success with the development of three products: BeDry, water-repellent bathrobes, BeSafe, brake indicator light with Wireless transmitter and BeLocked, GPS bicycle alarm. BusineSSport won the Best International Company Award at Kaunas European Fair of Youth Entrepreneurship. He  ranked 1st in the Regional Competition in Lombardy and 1st in the category of “Company of the Year” at the National Competition for Young Enterprise Companies in Palermo. He represented Italy at the European Competition in London where he was awarded with the prestigious Alumni Leadership Award. After his school graduation he continued his training at the ITS Foundation for New Technologies and Made in Italy in Bergamo, with a specialization in Marketing and Enterprise Internationalization. In the Entrepreneurship Course held by Prof. Armando Persico, he started an internship which lasted about a year where he and another student had the opportunity to grow professionally. Now, for about a year, they have  been working on their own as Web Marketing Advisers.