Quality Education for a Sustainable & Transformative Future

Jae Yup Jung, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Education and the Director of the Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC) at The University of New South Wales, Australia. His research program, which incorporates various topics relating to gifted adolescents (with a particular focus on their education and career-related decisions) has been published or presented on more than 100 occasions. His research has been recognized with awards from the American Educational Research Association, the U.S. Mensa Education and Research Foundation, the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, and the Society for Vocational Psychology, and research grants from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the New South Wales Department of Education. He is the current editor of the Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, Vice President of the Asia-Pacific Federation on Giftedness, and President of the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.

Secretary-General and CEO of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences

Dr. Khalifa Alsuwaidi worked at United Arab Emirates University from 1987 for 35 years. In addition to teaching, he held several positions, including Dean of the University College, Vice Dean of the College of Education, Supervisor of Teaching Assistants Sector, and Coordinator of Master of Innovative in Education. At the national level, he was a member of the Abu Dhabi Education Council. He remains a member of the Board of Trustees of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of Juvenile Association. At the global level, he is a member of the Steering Committee of International Task Force on Teachers For Educators 2030 (UNESCO), and a member of the Advisory Board of the World Giftedness Center.

He was a Script writer and presented the Step program on Abu Dhabi TV and wrote a weekly article in Al-Ittihad newspaper. He won many awards, including the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Award and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Award. He has 5 books and published more than 15 researches in Arab and international journals. He holds a PhD in education from University of Southern California, a master’s degree from The George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree in education and psychology from the United Arab Emirates University.

Prof. Suha AlHassan is currently an ECD Advisor at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority. Prior to joining ECA, she was the academic dean at the Emirates College for Advanced Education in UAE. Before that, she was the Founding Dean of Queen Rania Faculty for Childhood at the Hashemite University in Jordan. She received her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education and ABA from the Ohio State University, USA.

She consulted for international organizations (UNICEF) and led national studies in Early childhood and special education. She is a very active researcher. She published and co-published more than 60 articles in highly reputable scientific journals.

Mahra Al Matyoui is the Director of the Regional Center for Educational Planning (RCEP) and a leading expert in educational planning and policy development in the region. She leads efforts to design education and training strategies focused on enhancing teacher effectiveness, increasing the attractiveness of the teaching profession, and aligning education outcomes with evolving labor market needs. She actively addresses key challenges in education, including digital transformation and sustainable development, and builds strong regional and international partnerships with organizations such as UNESCO to support evidence-based education policies. Mahra Al Matyoui is a recipient of the UAE Women’s Award in the Leadership category, in recognition of her impactful contributions to the education sector.