Keynotes

Prof. Kate Borthwick

Professor of Digital Education in Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at the University of Southampton.

Prof. Borthwick is Lead for AI in Education at her university and founding chair of the University Digital Education Advisory Group. She is Director of the University open online course programme and an award-winning lecturer in applied linguistics and online learning design. She also serves as twice-elected Vice-President of the European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning and is a member of the Editorial Board of ReCALL journal. Her research and teaching activities focus on digitally-mediated language learning and teaching, online education, and Artificial Intelligence in educational contexts.

Dr Velislava (Veli) Hillman

Founder of the EDDS Institute and Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Dr. Hillman is an internationally recognised researcher specialising in the governance, safety, and real-world impacts of Artificial Intelligence and educational technologies. Through her work at the EDDS Institute, she investigates how data-driven technologies are shaping contemporary educational systems and the risks associated with insufficient regulatory frameworks.
Following a Visiting Fellowship at the London School of Economics (2020–2025), her research has focused on the impact of commercial technologies on children’s learning, teachers’ professional autonomy, and wellbeing.
She has advised major international organisations including UNESCO, the OECD, the World Bank, ChildFund Australia, and the Council of Europe, as well as schools and educational institutions worldwide.

Dr Hillman is also the author of Taming EdTech: Why Children Stand to Lose in an Unregulated Digitised Classroom (Bloomsbury Academic), a thought-provoking contribution to current debates on educational technologies, regulation, and the future of learning.

Prof. Francesco Peluso Cassese

Full Professor of Didactics and Special Pedagogy at Pegaso University and President of the University Quality Assurance Board.

Prof. Peluso Cassese is Editor-in-Chief of the Italian Journal of Health Education, Sports and Inclusive Didactics and has held several academic leadership positions, including Department Director and Coordinator of Ph.D. programmes.
He is actively involved in international research initiatives, including the Horizon Europe project ELOQUENCE, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Italian Society of Special Pedagogy (SIPeS).
His research focuses on educational neurosciences, inclusive didactics, and the pedagogical impact of digital transformation.