Digital Education Stakeholder Forum 2025

Biography

Sean is an international media professional. For twenty years, he produced TV, radio and online news reports around the world for the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs programmes. For five years, Sean was the BBC’s Brussels Bureau Chief, running a large news team across Europe, covering major news events of the day.

Since 2013, Sean has worked as a media consultant, coach and event moderator for international organisations, governments, corporations, start-ups, think tanks and NGOs. He is comfortable working at all levels, from new starters to CEOs and presidents. He moderates high-level, international events; coaches on all aspects of interaction with the media and advises on media content and strategy. Sean also runs coaching sessions on online/webinar presentation skills. 

He is a qualified translator and is comfortable working in English, German and French. He offers his clients a wealth of hands-on experience and knowledge and is a highly competent team manager and motivator. Sean brings a high degree of professionalism to all his assignments – together with a touch of humour, for good measure.

Biography

As Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu’s task is to guide the overall work on strengthening Europe’s human capital, from skills and education to culture and sport.

Learn more about Vice-President Mînzatu

Biography

Hadi Partovi, a tech entrepreneur and the CEO of Code.org, has walked an improbable path from his upbringing during the Iran-Iraq war to his current leadership in technology and education.

After immigrating to the US, he worked as a software engineer to pay for school, eventually earning a Masters in Computer Science from Harvard.  Rising to executive ranks at Microsoft, he founded startups later acquired by Microsoft and News Corp, and subsequently served as an advisor or early investor in companies that became household names such as Facebook, Dropbox, Uber, Airbnb, and SpaceX.

As founder and CEO of Code.org, Hadi has helped expand computer science education to reach 30% of US students and launched the global Hour of Code initiative that has surpassed 1 billion student engagements. Residing in Seattle, Hadi finds enjoyment in skiing, water sports, music, and word games during his spare time.

Biography

Sean is an international media professional. For twenty years, he produced TV, radio and online news reports around the world for the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs programmes. For five years, Sean was the BBC’s Brussels Bureau Chief, running a large news team across Europe, covering major news events of the day.

Since 2013, Sean has worked as a media consultant, coach and event moderator for international organisations, governments, corporations, start-ups, think tanks and NGOs. He is comfortable working at all levels, from new starters to CEOs and presidents. He moderates high-level, international events; coaches on all aspects of interaction with the media and advises on media content and strategy. Sean also runs coaching sessions on online/webinar presentation skills. 

He is a qualified translator and is comfortable working in English, German and French. He offers his clients a wealth of hands-on experience and knowledge and is a highly competent team manager and motivator. Sean brings a high degree of professionalism to all his assignments – together with a touch of humour, for good measure.

Biography

Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen is the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport at the European Commission. She took up this position on 16 September 2023, after holding the same position for four and a half years in the Commission’ Directorate General for Communication.

From March 2018, she served as Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, she was also Director in the Directorate-General for Communication, in charge of the Commission’s Representations in the Member States. Between 2009 and 2014 she was Chief Spokeswoman of the European Commission; and Deputy Spokeswoman of the European Commission from 2004 until 2009 under former Commission President Barroso, also in charge of Planning and Coordination of the Spokespersons’ Service (SPP).

She began her career in political communication as Environment Spokeswoman in 1999 (Commissioner Margot Wallström), having previously held positions in the Commission’s departments for Industry (1995-97) and Information, Communication and Culture (1997-99). Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen was a Schuman Scholar at the European Parliament (1989-90). She studied Business Administration and Modern Languages at the Copenhagen Business School and Political Science at the Institut d’études Politiques de Paris, specialising in intercultural communication and European identity.

Biography

Nela Riehl has been a member of the European Parliament since June 2024, after being elected as one out of three German Volt representatives.

Since 2024, Nela Riehl is the Chair of the Committee for Culture and Education. As a former secondary teacher, her work focuses on improving access to public education, raising civic, basic, and digital skills, and tackling disinformation in Europe and beyond, with a special interest in using education for global equity and international cooperation. She is also member of the Committee for Employment and Social Rights.

Nela Riehl is married with two children and lives in Brussels.

Biography

Helena Lovegrove is Senior Director for Operations and Projects at DIGITALEUROPE, representing Europe’s digital and digitalising industries.

With 20+ years in EU policy, she oversees projects tackling Europe’s digital competence gap at both basic and advanced levels, including AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and digital for sustainability. She holds degrees in Business & Economics and French from Lund University.

Biography

Since January 2024, Normunds Popens is the Deputy Director General in the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

From 2011, Normunds Popens was the Deputy Director General for Implementation in the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission and in charge of overseeing the implementation of structural and cohesion fund programmes in EU member states and candidate countries.

Before joining the European Commission in March 2011, he has occupied several posts in the Latvian diplomatic services.

Notably from 2007 until 2011, he was the Permanent Representative of Latvia to the EU.  He also dealt with European affairs as the Undersecretary of State of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has also been responsible for foreign trade and transatlantic relations and has worked as an Ambassador in Norway, Iceland and as a diplomat in the USA.

Biography

Dr Rikke Duus is an Associate Professor at University College London. Rikke undertakes research in the areas of digital and AI-led transformation, digital value creation, and skills development, and she has published in academic journals and global media outlets.

Rikke is appointed to several of the European Commission’s working groups on digital skills, sustainability, AI and futuring and collaborates with innovation, education, and policy teams to develop insight and recommendations for EU Member States.

Biography

Fabrice Roth is the Director of the Lycée des Arts et Métiers (LAM) in Luxembourg, a role he has held since 2018 . With a background as a computer science engineer, he spent over a decade teaching information technology at LAM , giving him firsthand insight into classroom realities and the evolving needs of digital-age learners. This dual experience as an educator and technologist fuels his dynamic approach to school leadership and curriculum innovation

As Director, Roth has spearheaded the launch of cutting-edge short-cycle higher education programs (BTS) to align education with industry demands. Under his leadership, LAM introduced new BTS programs in Game Design, Game Programming, the Internet of Things (IoT) and lately in Applied Artificial Intelligence, making the school a pioneer in these high-tech fields. In 2019, he also established the TalentHub incubator on the LAM campus – a unique collaborative space that brings together students and startups. Through TalentHub, young innovators work side by side with ed-tech entrepreneurs, bridging education and enterprise in daily practice and fostering a strong culture of entrepreneurship among students.

Beyond his school, Fabrice Roth contributes actively to national digital education reforms. He participated in initiatives like AI4T (Artificial Intelligence for Teachers), which empowers educators to understand and leverage AI tools in secondary education. In 2022 , he launched the “Du bass prett!” (“You are ready!”) aimed at preparing students in preparatory tracks for the future through hands-on learning experiences and cultural projects.

A proponent of innovative pedagogy, Roth champions hybrid learning models combining online and in-person teaching, ensuring learning remains flexible and resilient. He supports integrating real-world projects and entrepreneurial thinking into the curriculum, believing they foster critical 21st-century skills.

Roth’s commitment to youth development extends into the community. A s a board member of the prominent Luxembourgish Fondation Sommer, he promotes youth education and culture. As a thought leader, he engages with wider audiences through social media and professional networks. On LinkedIn and Facebook, he shares reflections on digital innovation in education, discusses data privacy and ethics in educational technology, and highlights successful school–industry collaborations. Fabrice Roth’s professional journey reflects a passion for bridging traditional education with future-focused innovation.

Biography

Aanvi Tandon, 14, is a passionate environmentalist who began advocating “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” in primary school. With Girls Go Circular, she promotes circular economy practices and co-created a recycling game app.

A confident speaker and student leader, she represented Girls Go Circular as a panellist at DigiEduHack Main Stage Event in 2024, by speaking at school events, and by leading workshops, to inspire peers toward sustainability and responsible innovation!

Biography

Declan Qualter works in initial teacher education at the UCD School of Education.

His research interests include teachers' digital skills, AI literacy, and parental involvement in children's digital learning. He has served as a member of the European Commission’s SELFIE for Teachers Expert Group and as a regional advisor in Ireland, supporting the implementation of SELFIE in secondary schools.

Declan is also an active member of several European working groups and projects on digital education.

Biography

Thais Anjeli Meza Ccoyllo is a 19-years-old student of Business Administration and Marketing at the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences in Lima, Peru. She is a creative person with a deep passion for design and fashion, always seeking new ways to express herself and grow.

She is part of Los Resolvers,  a multidisciplinary, diverse and passionate team of young Peruvians who came together during the 28H Hackathon, held in the city of Lima, Peru, with the purpose of creating innovative and accessible solutions for everyone. Together they developed Signedge, an application designed to break down the communication barriers faced by people with hearing disabilities, facilitating the learning of sign language in an accessible and interactive way.

Her involvement in initiatives related to digital education has inspired her to continue building skills that blend creativity, strategy, and technology. She is committed to lifelong learning, embracing new challenges, and making a positive impact in everything she does.

Biography

Georgi Dimitrov is responsible for the newly created unit Digital Education in the European Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture. He joined the European Commission in 2008 and was first involved in various roles in setting up the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). He then helped to develop and launch HEInnovate,  an initiative by the European Commission and the OECD aimed at supporting universities to become more entrepreneurial. He led the development of the first Digital Education Action Plan adopted in January 2018 and also of the new Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 that was adopted in September 2020. Before joining the Commission, Georgi worked for a leading multinational telecommunication company and in a software start-up in Germany. Georgi studied at the University of Bonn (M.A.), the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (PhD) and the Open University UK (MBA in Technology Management).

Biography

Beth Havinga is the Managing Director of the European EdTech Alliance and the EdSAFE AI Alliance having previously served as Managing Director oft he German Alliance for Education. Most recently, Beth has served on the special board of the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economics in Austria, as an expert in the field of “digitalisation in apprenticeships", and as a member of the expert Platform, "Digital Future: Learning. Researching. Knowledge" of the German Digital Summit by invitation of the German federal  Minister for Education. She is currently chair of the advisory board of Kids.Digilab.Berlin.

Beth has considerable experience developing interoperability standards frameworks, having represented Germany as head delegate to the European Committee for Standardization of Interoperability for Learning Technologies and EdTech, and has worked closely with multiple governments and data protection agencies on national definitions for data modelling and certification. In addition to creating her own consulting firm, Beth has taught in schools, managed education software and publishing houses, founded two startups, and worked with multiple education ministries, and corporations developing their digital education strategies.

Biography

Letizia Sbarbaro, 30, is the CEO of WeSchool, Italy’s leading company in educational innovation, with over 260,000 teachers and 1.7 million students.

Since 2019, she has been working on the design and development of training courses for teachers and educational projects for students, aiming to bridge the gap between education and the world of work, and to help young people become more motivated individuals, more aware professionals, and more engaged citizens.

She holds a degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, where she also collaborates as a teaching assistant in the courses of Philosophical Anthropology, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy.  

Biography

Agueda Gras-Velazquez is the Science Programme Manager of European Schoolnet (EUN). As Head of the Science Education Department at EUN, she oversees all STEM projects in which EUN is involved.

Additionally, she leads Scientix® (the community for science education in Europe) and coordinates EUN’s Ministries of Education STEM representatives Working Group.

In her 17 years at EUN, Agueda has been involved in more than 80 EC funded projects and 20+ private funded ones. She has co-authored papers in Science Education Research and has a PhD in Astrophysics from Trinity College Dublin.

Biography

Drs. Beatrice Boots is director of National Dutch STEM Platform - the knowledge, expertise and network centre in the field of technological education and the technological labour market.

Cooperation between education and business and regional implementation are central, with attention to setting up sustainable, regional public-private partnerships of education, business and government. Underrepresented groups are an important focus of the approach.

She is also chair of the EU STEM Coalition, the most important EU network of national STEM platforms and other association partners.

Biography

Marián Belko is an expert in entrepreneurship education and research management. He currently serves as the Head of Entrepreneurship Education Section at the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) in Budapest, Hungary.

In this role, he leads a team in charge of designing strategic initiatives in education, capacity building in education, and bridging the gap between education and industry. His responsibilities include overseeing education agenda in trans-European innovation projects, contributing to policy development, and engaging with key stakeholders in the European education ecosystem.

In his professional career, he gained experience as a university lecturer and contributed to several international initiatives and research projects. He graduated in political science, international relations, and financial management.

Biography

Karolina Skalska is a third-year Aerospace Engineering student at Warsaw University of Technology.

She is the Chairman of the International Affairs Committee, where she actively supports and integrates international students within the university community. 

She was also one of the coordinators of the ENHANCE Smart City Challenge, which brought together students from across Europe to collaborate on innovative solutions for urban challenges. Beyond the Students' Union activity, she is also the President of the SKAP Motostudent team at WUT.

Biography

Sofia Costa D'Aguiar is a civil engineer and holds a PhD in Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering. She was nominated Woman of Industry, Research, and Development by the prestigious business and technology magazine L'Usine Nouvelle in September 2020.

Before joining EELISA as the Executive Director, she served for over 10 years as the Head of Innovation and Digital Transformation at SNCF (the French national railway company). During her time there, she worked as an applied researcher and later led teams in innovative and cross-functional projects, spearheading the company’s digital transformation process.

Sofia is Portuguese and is fluent in Spanish, English, and French. She is a highly experienced multicultural professional committed to making an impact in global scientific and technological contexts. Her goal is to leverage the opportunities provided by these contexts to advance science and technology while fostering personal and professional growth for all involved.

Biography

Anna Banczyk works for the European Commission in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. She is Head of Unit “Vocational Education and Training, Skills Portability, CEDEFOP” since January 2025. Previously, Anna was Head of Unit “Learning and Development” in Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security.

Anna has also held several other positions in the Commission including as Deputy Head of Unit for “Future of Work, Youth Employment”. Her professional experience includes also labour law, occupational safety and health, human resource management and organisational development.

Anna holds an MA degree in sociology and an MA degree in psychology from University of Silesia in Poland.

Biography

Biography

Ana-Maria Stancu is the Founder of RoboHub - an excellence center in AI & Robotics, and the CEO of Bucharest Robots.

With a strong background in civic engagement and digital inclusion, she promotes robotics education for all, especially vulnerable groups.

She advocates for ethical, inclusive tech policies both on a national and European level. Through RoboHub, she empowers children and teachers to shape the future with technology.

Biography

Bastien Masse is the Executive Director of the Class’Code Association, a collective of more than 30 partner organisations from the fields of education and digital technology, including universities, institutions, companies, associations, and federations of popular education. Together, they create MOOCs and open educational resources to support educators (teachers, facilitators, youth workers, parents) in teaching coding, computational thinking, and digital literacy.

He is also affiliated with the UNESCO Chair in Open Educational Resources and Artificial Intelligence (RELIA) at Nantes Université. The goal of this Chair is to develop AI for Education through research and European projects, as well as to promote Education about AI by training teachers and organising science outreach activities for the general public.

Biography

Jan De Craemer is a staff member of the Knowledge Centre for Digital Education (Flemish Ministry of Education and Training).

For more than 25 years, he has been responsible for ICT policies and initiatives in many different areas such as ICT-infrastructure, curriculum reform, in-service training and ICT for special needs.

He currently represents Flanders to the European Commission ET2020 Working Group on Digital Education (DELTA). 

Biography

Lezel Roddeck is the Programme Director at Bucerius Law School, Germany, where she leads academic strategy and oversees over 60 courses annually. A former practising lawyer, she brings over a decade of expertise in higher education, driving innovation in legal education through curriculum development, strategic international collaboration, and the digital transformation of academic programmes. She directs the Foreign Language Communication Programme, directing the development of cross-cultural legal communication skills in English (Common Law), French, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.

An early advocate of digital modernisation in legal education, Ms Roddeck has pioneered the adoption of digital assessment systems, flipped classroom methodologies, and multimedia resources at Bucerius Law School. Her research sits at the forefront of the intersection between law, education, and emerging technologies, with a particular emphasis on explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), data protection, and regulatory innovation.

She has published widely on these topics in academic journals, edited volumes, and policy reports. Most recently, she contributed to the European Digital Education Hub (EDEH) expert report on Explainable AI (XAI) in education, and serves as a member of the Working Group responsible for updating the Ethical Guidelines on AI and Data for Educators. Through her work, she contributes to shaping European discussions on responsible innovation, transparency, and the future of digital education.

Ms Roddeck actively participates in EU-funded working groups and expert networks, and regularly shares her work at international conferences focused on AI governance, digital transformation, and the future of education in a digital society.

Biography

Georgi Dimitrov is responsible for the newly created unit Digital Education in the European Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture. He joined the European Commission in 2008 and was first involved in various roles in setting up the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). He then helped to develop and launch HEInnovate,  an initiative by the European Commission and the OECD aimed at supporting universities to become more entrepreneurial. He led the development of the first Digital Education Action Plan adopted in January 2018 and also of the new Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 that was adopted in September 2020. Before joining the Commission, Georgi worked for a leading multinational telecommunication company and in a software start-up in Germany. Georgi studied at the University of Bonn (M.A.), the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (PhD) and the Open University UK (MBA in Technology Management).

Biography

Pat Yongpradit is the Chief Academic Officer for Code.org and the lead of the TeachAI initiative.

As a global thought leader in artificial intelligence and computer science education, Pat has influenced each stage of the education system, from policy to practice, in the legislature, and in the classroom, where he taught for 13 years.

Although Pat currently spends most of his time in education policy conversations, he still finds ways to sneak into the classroom :)

Biography

Mario Piacentini is a Senior Analyst in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Since 2009, he has led the development of innovative assessments of 21st-century skills, authoring frameworks for PISA 2018 Global Competence and PISA 2021 Creative Thinking, and coordinating the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) programme.

He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Geneva and has published prominent analytical policy reports on student well-being. Prior to PISA, he contributed to the OECD’s Public Governance and Statistics Directorates.

Biography

Biography

Benjamin Marteau is the Director of “Pix”, French-based public organisation aiming to assess, develop, and certify digital skills across the globe. 

Former General Delegate of the French Conseil national éducation-économie (“National Education-Economy Council”), he also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the French Minister of Education (2012-2014) and as Parliamentary Assistant in the European Parliament. 

Biography

Before joining Nuffic (the Dutch National Agency for Erasmus+), Virginia van der Ster- van der Wel was the Project Manager and Senior Policy Advisor for Global Engagement in HEI for 16 years, where her core business was managing and monitoring international cooperation and ensuring that the mobility goals in the institution’s strategy were accomplished.

Projects which Virginia managed were mostly linked to digitalization, such as “Erasmus without Paper” (paperless administration) and setting up multiple Virtual International Cooperation (VIS) projects. During her time in Higher Education, Virginia was also an elected Steering Group Member of the EAIE’s Expert Community Mobility Advising for six years (from 2016-2022).

During her current role as Digital Contact Point, Virginia was member of the Steering Group on Digital, in which she contributed to the strategic framework for digitalisation.

Finally, Virginia is also member of the European Digital Education Hub, in which she was the Squad Leader for the Squad for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and an active member of the Squad for Sustainability.

Biography

Dr. Mojca Rožman is a Senior Research Analyst in the Research and Analysis Unit (RandA) of IEA.

Her research interests include questionnaire development and psychometric analysis, focusing on scaling of questionnaire, and test data. She led the scaling, analysis and reporting tasks, as well as co-leading questionnaire development for the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2023.

Dr. Rožman was joint editor and author of the ICILS 2023 Assessment Framework and Technical Report and a contributing author to the ICILS 2023 International Report.

Biography

Selin Tagmat leads the Communications, Advocacy, and Events team at All Digital—a prominent pan-European network working for a digitally inclusive Europe where everyone can benefit from the opportunities of digital transformation and actively participate in digital society. Last year alone, the All Digital network, consisting of over a hundred of digital competence centres, empowering 2.3 million people to build essential digital skills—from jobseekers and seniors to migrants and youth.

Selin supports this vital mission with extensive experience gained in communication agencies, where she led large-scale campaigns for European institutions and managed communications for EU-funded research projects across a wide range of policy areas. Her expertise includes the development of European communication strategies using a mix of tools and channels, stakeholder outreach, media relations, audiovisual production, and event organisation.

An experienced communications professional with a creative background, she completed an Executive Master on Communication and EU Affairs from IHECS in Brussels after receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from METU in Turkey.  

Biography

Biography

Dr Leo Pekkala is a distinguished expert in Media and Information Literacy, with extensive experience in research, higher education, teacher training, and sustainable development across both developing and developed contexts.

As the Deputy Director of the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI) and Head of the Media Education and Audiovisual Media Department, Dr Pekkala oversees the national promotion and coordination of media education and media literacy in Finland.

He represents Finland in number of international organisations promoting media literacy.

Biography

Flora Stratieva is a Bulgarian influencer with more than 122 000 subscribers on YouTube and 260 000 on TikTok, primarily oriented in the sphere of political satire.

Flora is a TV host with her own segment called “Something else with Flora” on the Morning Show of the Bulgarian National Television. She has become more well-known to the Bulgarian public since the release of a sequence on her Youtube channel titled “One day with every party” in which she is on the campaign trail with Bulgarian political parties and also interviews political leaders in the country.

In 2017, Flora won a scholarship to complete her high school education in the United Kingdom. She is now a Journalism student at the New Bulgarian University.

Biography

Dr Mariya Stoilova holds a post-doctoral research position at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her work sits at the intersection of child rights and digital technology, with a particular focus on the opportunities and risks of digital media in children’s and families’ everyday lives.

Grounded in multi-method evidence generation and cross-national comparative analysis, her research addresses key themes around the effects of digital engagement on mental health and the pathways to harm and wellbeing.

Mariya Stoilova also works on issues related to online privacy, datafication and platformisation; generative artificial intelligence; digital literacy and skills; as well as intimate life, citizenship, and social inequalities. Over the past fifteen years, she has conducted research and published widely on these issues.

Biography

Antoaneta Angelova-Krasteva has been Director at the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) since 2016. She is currently Director for Innovation, Digital Education and International Cooperation. She is responsible for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, which are key components of the Horizon Programme. She also coordinates the EU Digital Education Action Plan.

Antoaneta joined the European Commission in 2008. She has occupied various management and expert positions across the Commission and dealt with a wide range of topics such as external relations and enlargement, internal security and police cooperation, cyber security, stakeholder relations and international affairs. Antoaneta has also worked as a diplomat to the Permanent Representation of Bulgaria to the EU in Brussels for five years. She is a graduate in political science at Sofia University, with training and qualifications in European studies from Germany (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung) and the UK (Sussex University).