Keynote Speakers
João has been Director of the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education since January 2025. He served as Minister of Education of Portugal from 2022 to 2024. He integrated the Portuguese Government in 2015, serving as Secretary of State for Education until 2019 and as Deputy Minister of Education until 2022, when he was appointed Minister of Education. João is Chair of the Advisory Group of the OECD Global Forum “Future of Education and Skills 2030”, since 2024. He dedicates his research activity to the domains of theoretical syntax, language acquisition and development, and educational linguistics.​
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Keynote title: Inclusive education: key messages to bridge the policy-implementation gap.
João Costa, Director of the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education
Leda Kamenopoulou, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education
Dr Leda Kamenopoulou is Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education (IOE, UCL), where she currently serves as departmental inclusion lead and MA Special and Inclusive Education course leader.
Leda’s research expertise is on multisensory impairment (deafblindness), sensory accessibility, and inclusive education and disability in resource-poor contexts, with particular emphasis on culturally sensitive research methodologies. Leda’s work also explores teacher preparation for inclusive education in different contexts and the current dilemmas that the global community faces as it strives to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4, the global goal for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
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Keynote title: Rethinking Inclusive Education: Centring Marginalised Perspectives in Research.
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Nidhi Singal, Professor of Disability and Inclusive Education, University of Cambridge
Professor Nidhi Singal is a leading scholar in the field of Disability and Inclusive Education, at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. She is also the Vice President of Hughes Hall College. Her pioneering research addresses issues of educational inequity for marginalized groups, with a particular focus on the experiences of children and young people with disabilities in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Professor Singal's scholarship has shaped debates on the implementation of inclusive education in Southern contexts. Her work also examines the power dynamics in North-South research partnerships, the ethics of dissemination, and the development of culturally sensitive research methodologies.
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Keynote title: From universal prescriptions to local possibilities: A critical reframing of inclusive education
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Zachary Walker, Head of Education Policy and Leadership at the Education University of Hong Kong
Professor Zachary Walker is the Head of Education Policy and Leadership at the Education University of Hong Kong. He is the former Head of Psychology and Human Development at University College London's Institute of Education. He is an EMCC Endorsed Executive Coach, a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a UK Graduate Council for Education Recognized Research Supervisor. Zachary has worked with educators in more than 45 countries on individual and organisational learning performance. He also enjoys wrestling rhinos, cold yoga, and tackle chess.
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Keynote title: Leading Inclusive Schools Around the World
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