Nienke Nieveen 

 Nienke Nieveen is senior researcher at SLO [Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development]. Her work centers on coordinating the Institute's evaluation activities and the thematic strand 'Curriculum and teachers'. She has been engaged in several projects related to school-based curriculum development and professional development of teachers in the field of curriculum development. Her dissertation, in 1997, was based on a four-year design research project in the field of curriculum design and evaluation. From 1997 to 2007 she was appointed assistant professor at the University of Twente, specializing in curriculum design research and school-based curriculum development. The following books over the last decade (edited with some colleagues) represent her orientations: Design approaches and tools in education and training (1999), Educational design research (2006), Introduction to educational design research (2009) and Schools as curriculum agencies: Asian and European perspectives on school-based curriculum development (2010).

Jan Berkvens  

 After finishing teacher education, I taught biology and science in secondary education for 10 years. Interested in pedagogy, I successively studied educational sciences at Leiden University. After having worked in the Cambodian Ministry of Education as a capacity building coordinator for 3 years, I finished my Ph.D. at the University of Twente in the Netherlands in 2009, on the topic of capacity building and adult learning in international education settings.

In 2009, I started working with SLO, as a curriculum developer and project coordinator. My last project involved the development of a basic education curriculum for all 4-15 year olds, in the Republic of Suriname, in South America.

Nico Verloop 

 After being trained as a teacher and graduating in educational studies (Utrecht University) Nico Verloop worked as an educational researcher at Nijmegen University and Cito, National Institute for Educational Measurement. The title of his doctoral dissertation was “Interactive cognitions of student-teachers. An intervention study”. Since 1991 he has been professor of education at Leiden University. In 1995 the two university institutes of which he was the director, merged into ICLON Graduate School of Education. From 1995 to 2010 he has been the Dean of ICLON. He was president of the Dutch Educational Research Association and is presently at the editorial board of 8 international scientific journals.

Henk Frencken 

 He was trained as a Biology Educator and worked in educational programs in the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique for more than twenty years.

In the year 2000 he joined Leiden University and works on projects around e-learning and around curriculum development & implementation in higher and secondary education in the Netherlands.

He is engaged in many international projects, including several in secondary and higher education in China, such as the SLO-CDEC capacity building project in Gansu Province and the CHECK-IT project at Xiamen University. As an International Expert he is attached to Qingdao Technical College and to the Modern Learning Sciences Research Institute in Dalian. He is International Advisor of the Cooperative Alliance of Higher Vocational Colleges in China.

Stephan Meershoek 

 I trained as a nutritionist at Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands from 1983-1990 and subsequently worked for almost 20 years in development cooperation. From 1994 onwards I was based in Mozambique as a technical advisor of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation to the Nutrition unit of the Ministry of Health and later as the country director of Helen Keller International, in both positions focussing on nutrition, food security and child health issues. In 2004 I joined the Bernard van Leer Foundation in The Hague, The Netherlands, as a programme specialist responsible for the grant management of their early childhood care and education programmes in East Africa.

Since 2009 I have managed the education services department of the European Platform. This department runs school networks and school support programmes on bilingual education, early language learning (ages 4-12), European and international orientation, and the teaching of modern foreign languages (mainly French and German).

Anke van Kampen 

 Anke van Kampen was born in 1947 in The Hague, The Netherlands. After secondary school she studied Dutch Language and Literature which she combined with editorial work and work in the Dutch Institute for lexicology. She was a teacher in various types of secondary education and vocational training from 1970 until 1978. In the next ten years she was working at the Dutch Council of Women’s organisation, where she was active on the subjects adult education, labour market and emancipation. In 1986 she was elected as a member of the City Council as a member of the Partij van de Arbeid (social democratic political party). In 1990 she was elected by the members of the City Council as a member of the City Government, alderman for Emancipation, Social-cultural affairs, Education and Migrant Policy. In 1994 she became an alderman for a second period, this time also for Social Affairs and Labour market policy. In 1998 she left the City Council and worked a few years at the University of Amsterdam on the subject of language acquisition for foreigners, from 2002 until 2007 she worked as managing director of Sardes, an institute for advise on educational matters for municipalities, the government, school boards and other institutes, in the field of education and youth policy.From 2007 until now she has her own practice for advisory and mediation, conflict resolution on conflicts in boards, school teams or policital settings. She is also a member of various supervisory boards, a child care organisation, an institute for vocational training, the SLO (Dutch Institute for curriculum development) and an organisation that stands for the interests of disabled persons in The Hague. She is also a member of the Dutch Unesco Committee, where she is involved with the implementation of cultural conventions and the Associated School Projects Network of Unesco.

Anita Kärner   

 Born in 1956 in Estonia, after primary and upper secondary education, I followed Tartu State University and obtained in 1981 the qualification in Estonian philology and the teacher of Estonian language and literature.

Afterwards I started as librarian in the Scientific Library of Tartu State University, part-time teacher of Estonian language and literature at the Faculty of Philology and since 1985 as the language editor at the University Publishing House.

Since 1995 until 2007 I was employed in the Office of academic affairs at the University of Tartu as a post-graduate and doctoral study adviser and expert.I was involved in the development project “Development of a complex of measures for strengthening doctoral studies in Estonia” (2003-2004) funded by European Union Phare programme.

In the years of 2005- 2008 I led a subtheme in the research and development project “Assurance system for quality, effectiveness and sustainability of doctoral studies in Estonian universities” funded by European Social Fund.

In 2009 I was awarded the PhD degree in pedagogy from the University of Tartu.

Since 2007 to 2011 I was head of the Centre for Educational Research and Curriculum Development. At present time I am senior researcher at this Centre.

My current research activities are related to school innovation. I am involved in the research project studying theoretical basis and their applications to the Estonian national curricula.

Alan Armstrong   

 He and his Directorate team have been actively involved in working with all sectors of education to develop and support the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.  This has included preparing support for practitioners through exemplification for the eight curriculum areas, and the organisation of curriculum delivery in ways that take account of Curriculum for Excellence policies and reflect local contexts and priorities.

Through very close liaison with education authorities, his Directorate provides support and guidance to promote key national initiatives, such as approaches to assessment that underpin Curriculum for Excellence.  Current activities include building capacity across education authorities and their partners in taking forward key aspects of Quality Assurance and Moderation, and in preparing initial materials for inclusion in the National Assessment Resource.

Before joining Education Scotland, Alan was a Director of Learning and Teaching Scotland.  As a member of HM Inspectorate of Education, he held various posts, including National Specialist and District Inspector, and was seconded within Scottish Government to work on policy initiatives.

Maryline Coquidé   

 Maryline Coquidé’s research covers science education and focuses on the reconfiguration of scientific curriculum of compulsory education.

It intends to cover all areas of education, from nursery school to university, from formal education to ongoing training. It also aims at developing special training schemes (such as in healthcare, urban planning, new technologies etc.), dedicated to a wide-range of age groups and various social and cultural backgrounds. Besides, it is opening up to other stakeholders including local authorities, associations and businesses.

On the international level, the French Institute of Education is involved in the main research networks dealing with education system. Playing a key role in modern society, the French Institute of Education aims at feeding the public debate on all the main issues concerning education.

Leena Irmeli Halinen  

 Ms. Halinen has worked in several national evaluation and development projects since the 1970’s. She is a former teacher, and a school principal as well as the Head of School Improvement Unit in the Helsinki City Education Department. During 2005 – 2011 she was a member of the Finnish Education Evaluation Council, responsible for all thematic evaluations of the Finnish education system. She is a member of the advisory board of The Niilo Mäki Foundation (a research and development centre for learning difficulties), and a permanent expert member of the Advisory Board of The Ombudsman for Children in Finland.

Ms. Halinen is a member of the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO. Since 2006 Ms. Halinen is the Focal Point of Nordic and Baltic Community of Practice for International Bureau of Education (IBE) of UNESCO, coordinating the curriculum co-operation. She has worked as a curriculum expert for UNESCO and for the Finnish Ministries of Education and of Foreign Affairs in many occasions, for instance in China-Europe cooperation project for Curriculum Development, in different European countries, with Arab, Latin American and Caribbean countries, and in Nepal Curriculum Development Project. She has written several articles, published in Finland and in other countries and also been an active lecturer both in Finland and abroad. In 2010 she was awarded with a badge of honour by the president of Finland.

Attilla Varga   

 Born in 1974 in Budapest, capital of Hungary, after secondary education I studied psychology and biology and received a degree as psychology and biology teacher and psychologist. I started my carrier in 1998 as a psychology lecturer for four years in a teacher training institute in Szombathely, Western Hungary. Meanwhile I also worked for Hungarian Institute for Public Education first on a part time basis and since 2001 as a full time researcher. Now I work for OFI (Hungarian Institute For Educational Research and Development) which is a successor of Hungarian Institute for Public Education. In 2005 I received my PhD degree in Education from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.

Since its foundation in 2000 I have coordinated the Hungarian Eco-school Network which has more than 540 member school at the moment. I am the Hungarian National coordinator of Environmental and School Initiative (ENSI) network. I have participated in several international co-operations aiming at promote school development and researches mainly in ESD (e.g. EU Comenius SUPPORT project), but I have also some experiences in drama education researches (DICE project).

 Beside scientific activities I give lectures on education for sustainability and environmental awareness at Eötvös Loránd and BME universities, and I am involved in the work of several NGOs and bodies, I am a member of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, of Hungarian Society of Environmental Education, and the board of Free Waldorf School of Fót.

At the moment I am participating in the process of development of a new

curriculum system for Hungarian public education, and involved in activities aiming to maintain and develop the Hungarian Eco-school Network.

Gregor Mohorčič, M. Sc.  

I finished master studies at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the University in Ljubljana, department of educational mathematics in 2004. I worked as math teacher in secondary education, Gymnasia for ten years. From 2006 I’m director of the National Education Institute of Slovenia. I’m member of a number of committees and working bodies on the national level (monitoring and renewal of curricula, renewal of the gymnasia curriculum, E-education, National Examination boards in general education and vocational training education, White Book for Education in Slovenia, program committee for national and international conferences - SIRIKT, VIVID, etc.) as well as on the international level (member of ENSI, CIDREE). From 2006 I'm member of CIDREE and from 2011 member of the board of the same consortium. I'm incoming president of CIDREE consortium. Main areas of expertise are math education, e-learning, e-material, R&D in curriculum, teacher education and school development.

Brigita Žarkovič Adlešič 

 Brigita Žarkovič Adlešič has studied Pedagogy and English at Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. She worked as an English teacher and School counsellor since 1982. In 1995 she became the advisor of the National Education Institute of Slovenia, and since 1997 she is the head of Department for Professional Development of the National Education Institute of Slovenia. (www.zrss.si)

For eight years, she has been an active member of National Programme Council for in-service teacher training whose main responsibility is to provide the national policy. She is involved in research projects and in counselling activities. She has participated in numerous Slovenian and international projects and conferences, focusing on professional development, evaluation and mentoring.

Her publications are dealing with classroom management, introducing change and mentoring. At the moment she works as a Head of Centre for Professional Development at the National Education Institute and the chair of Research and Development Centre for In service Learning at ATEE – Association of Teacher Education of Europe. In 2006 she has also organised 5-days international course on Mentoring a journey of Learning as a result of 3 years’ Comenius Project MINT. She is a contact person in CIDREE and she is actively involved in the project on assessment.

Ulla Lindqvist 

 Current employment and responsibilities

During the last years I have had a specific focus on the reform program regarding the 2011 Upper Secondary School. It is part of a comprehensive reform initiative that includes the entire school system. I have been deeply involved in the whole process from preparation to implementation. Been part of the overall project team, working on issues like new curriculum principles, concepts of knowledge and competences, knowledge requirements and new structures connected to the national programs and documents. Responsible for work in several teams of experts in designing diploma goals and subject syllabuses. The implementation process has been extensive and has meant participation in numerous national conferences and seminars addressing teachers, school heads, school leaders and policymakers.

I have got valuable experiences as project manager for national quality inspections and educational audits. The inspections focused on specific themes like mathematics teaching and schools´ work with equivalent and fair assessment and grading.

 International cooperation: contact person for Cidree, before that Oecd/Ines network on teaching and learning. Participated in highly interesting Chinese –European conferences in the Hague 2009 and Beijing 2010. Had the privilege to participate in the professional education programme Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) at Harvard Graduate School of Education last summer 2011, together with educators from all over the world. This intersection of biology, cognitive science and pedagogy has become a new interesting focus in education and public policy.

Renato  Opertti

 (a)Sociologist, title obtained in 12/1987, field of study sociology, major subject    social policies and education, Public University of Uruguay (UDELAR)

(b)Master in Educational Research, obtained in 7/1993, field of study educational research, major subject educational policies, IRDC (Canada) – CIEP (Uruguay)

Kate Lin (Yu-Hao) 

 Born in Taipei, Taiwan, I was educated in Taiwan before pursuing my graduate studies in the UK from 2000 majoring in English language teaching and educational leadership and management.

Subsequent to the completion of my PhD, I returned to Taiwan and worked as an assistant professor at one of the local universities. During my two-year assistant professorship, I have not only involved in teaching and supervising activities but also acted as a committee member of curriculum design in humanities and social science and vice-director of the Centre for International Academic Exchange.

 In 2008, I recieved a visiting research fellowship at the University of Oxford working on the areas such as knowledge management, action learning and learning organisations. 

Since 2009, I have been working with the International Baccalaureate Organisation as a research manager for programme development responsible for conceptualising and managing projects related to pedagogical and learning approaches of the IB educational philosophies and initiatives, approaches to curriculum design as well as dispositions and competences of global citizens in the 21st century. In addition, I also deliver educational research training to our curriculum developers through the development of online modules and workshops in collaboration with internal and external expertise.

Bingyan Wang

 Education background:

2010. Master of Educational Science at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

2000. Master of Business Management at China’s Ocean University, Shandong China.

Working experience:

1989-2001: Project Manager and Policy Advisor in international business development in commercial business units and government organizations in Qingdao, China.

2001-2012: Independent Consultant and Coach in cross-culture business development (KLM Club China); Policy Advisor International Cooperation at Hogeschool InHolland (University of Applied Sciences); Consultant and Trainer in Chinese-Dutch educational cooperation (CHECK-IT project, RDM campus Hogeschool Rotterdam); Overseas researcher at Qingdao Technical College, China

Research interest:

Teacher professional development in curriculum innovation environment; Workplace learning and organizational learning, Corporate Curriculum, Education and Leadership.

For extended resume please visit my LinkedIn profile:

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/bingyan-wang/23/a92/b22