Keynote speakers 

Ecaterina Vrăsmaș is full professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest. She specializes in early childhood education, learning difficulties, parental education, education for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and inclusive education.

Since 2009, she has supervised doctoral research in the field of Educational Sciences. Since 2000, she has served as the President of RENINCO Romania (The National Network for Promoting the Educational and Social Inclusion of Children and Young People with SEN).

Over the past 25 years, she has authored numerous publications in these fields and coordinated various projects on school integration and educational inclusion. Since 2014, she has led the Center for Research and Promotion of Equity in Education (CCPEE) within the Doctoral School of FPSE-UB.

Presentation Title: New challenges in the application of inclusive education - Research data

Traian Vrăsmaș, primay school teacher (1974-1977); teacher and principal in/of a special school (1977-1989); head of the special education department – Ministry of Education (1990-1997); consultant and program coordinator at the UNICEF Representation in Romania (1998-2002); PhD in Educational Sciences – University of Bucharest (2002); national project coordinator at RENINCO Romania Association (2003 - present); lecturer (since 2005) and professor (since 2015) at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, “Ovidius” University of Constanța (affiliated teaching staff since 2019), director of the DPPD department (2012-2019); associate researcher at ISE since 2013. Trainer, author, and coordinator of publications and research in educational sciences – educational management, special psychopedagogy, integrated education, inclusive education.

Presentation Title: Support for Learning in Inclusive Education

Daniel Mara is full professor and Dean at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu, authorized to conduct doctorates in the field of "Educational Sciences". 

His main scientific fields are inclusive education, non-formal education, differentiated pedagogy, curriculum adaptation, cognitive and metacognitive intervention and training of trainers. In these fields he has held positions as project manager, member of research or training teams and coordinator of ERASMUS+ programs, as well as member of national and international associations and societies. He has also produced numerous single-authored, coordinated and collaborative scientific papers to support the work of teachers and educators.

Presentation Title: Too Smart to Struggle? The Invisible Challenges of Gifted Students in Inclusive Education

Roberta Renati is a systemic psychotherapist, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Faculty of Human Sciences, Link Campus University in Rome, Italy. 

She is the scientific and clinical director of ArtemisLab, a center specializing in the identification and support of gifted and talented children. She works with parents and teachers to deepen their understanding of giftedness and their role in fostering children's socio-emotional competencies, well-being, and inclusion. Her research focuses on psychological resilience, parenting gifted children, and students' wellbeing. She also explores the role of digital technologies in enhancing education and psychological interventions. 

She has led and collaborated on numerous projects, including the Erasmus+ GIFTED project, which developed digital tools for teacher training and talent identification. She collaborates with the Milton Erickson Institute of the Bay Area (CA), where she teaches in master's programs and professional courses for mental health practitioners. She has published in national and international journals and is a regular speaker at conferences and symposia.

Presentation Title: Too Smart to Struggle? The Invisible Challenges of Gifted Students in Inclusive Education

Giusi Antonia Toto is full professor of Didactics and Special Pedagogy at the Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, where she directs the Learning Sciences institute (LSi), a multidisciplinary research center that promotes innovation in teaching and learning processes with a strong focus on school and social inclusion. 

Her research interests include the analysis of the dynamics of educational communication and interaction in digital contexts, the evaluation of engagement and motivation processes in students, and the study of innovative teaching methodologies to foster the optimization of the learning experience and the development of soft skills.

Presentation Title: Emotional Education and Inclusion: preliminary results from the I4C Project

Guendalina Peconio is PhD in Neuroscience and Education and is currently a research fellow at the Department of Humanities, University of Foggia. 

She is part of the Learning Sciences Institute at the same university and is involved in human capital development, entrepreneurship education and teacher training in the field of evidence-based education through involvement in various research projects.

Presentation Title: Emotional Education and Inclusion: preliminary results from the I4C Project

Alessandro De Santis is a psychologist, PhD student at the University of Foggia - Department of Humanistic Studies. He is part of the Learning Science Institute, a research laboratory coordinated by the Chair of Prof. Giusi Antonia Toto and is a psychotherapist in training in the field of Psychoanalysis. His research area concerns the study of emotions in children. In particular, he deals with investigating within schools related to early childhood how the ability to recognize the emotions of others, allows in the school environment to prevent phenomena of violence and future deviant behavior.

Presentation Title: Emotional Education and Inclusion: preliminary results from the I4C Project

Patrizia Sandri is full Professor of Special Education at the Department of Educational Sciences - University of Bologna. Head of the Center for Study and Research on Disability, Education, and Inclusion "Ce.D.E.I".

Her research primarily focuses on pedagogical and instructional issues related to learning processes in students with disabilities - particularly in mathematics and conventional time - as well as on research methodologies for inclusive education.

Her most recent studies explore key aspects of innovative and inclusive learning environments in collaboration with international research groups. Additionally, she investigates the most effective teaching methods and tools to overcome stigmatization and foster the development of learning communities, emphasizing the potential and strengths of every student, including those with cognitive disabilities or giftedness.

Presentation title: Models and practices for inclusive education: Andrea Canevaro's contribution

Manuel Pestano, PhD, is a professor and researcher in innovation management and knowledge transfer.

He holds a PhD in Education (CUM LAUDE, International Mention) from the University of La Laguna and the University of Bologna. With over ten years of experience, he has led R&D&I projects, managed innovation in both public and private sectors, and implemented strategies for digital inclusion.

His work focuses on the application of ICT in education, quality management in public policies, training in advanced digital skills, and reducing the digital divide. He has served as a project manager, consultant, and coordinator of open innovation and technology transfer programs.

He has contributed to the strategic direction of innovation policies, grant management for the development of educational technologies, and the creation of synergies between public, private, and academic sectors. Additionally, he has played a key role in strengthening the research ecosystem through scientific dissemination and knowledge transfer.

Presentation title: Disruption in Inclusive Education: Innovation, Technology, and Equity in the Technopedagogical Era

Rossella Certini (Associate Professor of Pedagogy) is Phd researcher in Educational Sciences. She teaches epistemology and general pedagogy at the University of Florence and deals with the training of teachers, in every school level. She is the Erasmus delegate of the School of Humanistic Studies and Education and effective member of the Scientific Committee of the University of the Free Age (UEL).

Presentation title: Building an Inclusive Society: The SPACE Project and Children's Participation in Decision - Making Processes

Christian Distefano is a PhD Student in Educational Sciences and Psychology at the University of Florence, with research entitled "Survey and analysis of students with Special Educational Needs in an internal area of Tuscany (Union of Municipalities of Val di Bisenzio)". He is a Junior member at the Italian Society of Pedagogy (SIPED) and subject expert of General and Social Pedagogy. 

Presentation title: Building an Inclusive Society: The SPACE Project and Children's Participation in Decision - Making Processes