Speakers

18 September | 16.00 - 17.30: Transforming Higher Education in a whole system approach
Katrin Kohl is the Co-Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability at York University in Toronto, Canada. She is also the Focal Point for Sustainable Development Goal SDG 4 (Quality Education) of the Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development Global Cluster led by the International Association of Universities. Currently, Katrin is also completing her Ph.D. thesis with a focus on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at the International Islamic University Malaysia, doing research on ESD’s philosophical foundations while being a key enabler of all SDGs. With a background in law and management, she served in prior positions as Executive Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair at York University, Managing Director of the German Commission for UNESCO, and as Strategic Advisor to the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany.

18 September | 16.00 - 17.30: Transforming Higher Education in a whole system approach
Subarna Sivapalan joined the University of Nottingham as Head of School of Education and Associate Professor in May 2022. She now serves as Associate Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Prior to joining the University of Nottingham, she was attached to Malaysia's top STEM focused private university where she taught ESP, sustainability and research methodology modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She also held key roles in academic and research divisions, with the most reason being the Director of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Subarna also founded the institution's first scholarship of teaching and learning research cluster, and its first education and social sustainability focused research centre. Apart from pioneering the advocacy of the SDGs amongst students and staff on campus, she also established and advised the institution's first student led eco campus workgroup that went on to achieve a bronze award under WWF Malaysia's Foundation for Environmental Education Eco-Campus programme.

At the national level, Subarna is actively involved in sustainability education advocacy. She sat on the National Committee of WWF Malaysia's Eco-Schools Programme, and was also Chair of the Eco-Campus Programme. At the international level, Subarna is an Acumen Fellow, the world's school for social change. She is a United Nations University Pro.SPER.Net Leadership "Building Transformational Leadership Towards The SDGs" fellow and has been actively involved in UNESCO's Greening Education Partnership initiative, particularly the Greening Community pillar and the Higher Education working group. Subarna is the Malaysia project lead for the UNESCO ESD Action Research Global Project.

Chairing Parallel Session 3 : Sustainable campus initiatives
Deirdre O’Carroll holds Master Degrees in Sustainability and Climate Change. She has worked in environmental education for twenty years with an extensive background in supporting communities and groups to practice sustainability and to collaborate on projects to build community cohesion, reduce environmental impacts and enhance biodiversity. Deirdre currently works for An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland, managing the Green Campus programme.

Chairing Parallel Session 1: Whole-system approach

Prof Paul PACE, has been active in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as founder and former director of the Centre for Environmental Education & Research; chairperson of Malta’s National Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development; founder of the Malta Association of Environmental Educators; and as a researcher at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta where he is a full-time professor in ESD and science education.
Appointed Eco-Schools National Coordinator for Nature Trust FEE Malta and the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Programme Country Coordinator, he is the vice-chairperson of the Interdiocesan Commission for the Environment of the Maltese Archdiocese. He was involved in several local and foreign projects aimed at the development of curriculum material for ESD and science. He works actively with teachers in the implementation of sustainability policies in schools.
A former teacher of biology, he was involved in several examination boards (for biology and environmental science) and served on various national and international sustainable development boards, including the UNECE Steering Committee meeting on ESD, the National Curriculum Framework Review committee and the National Science Strategy committee.
On the 13th December 2024, he was awarded the Member of the National Order of Merit for his role in the promotion of ESD.