Conference Speakers

arts studies conference

Past Speakers

Prof. Rehab Ragab Mahmoud Hassaan

Past Speaker

Rehab is a professor of fashion design since 2018 at University of Nizwa/ Sultanate of Oman and Helwan University in Egypt. Rehab participated in many international conferences all over the world and she is the author of two books, first entitled “The art of fashion: research and artistic visions” issued in 2014, second entitled “Fashion design between innovation and research” issued in 2023. Rehab published many articles in Arabic and English, and she is a reviewer in national and international journals.

Ms. Hanaa Hassan Al-Nabhani

Past Speaker

Hanaa Hassan Al-Nabhani is an Art and Design Lecturer at the University of Nizwa, holding an MA (Honors) in Creative Industries and a BA in Jewelry Design. Certified in gemstone cutting and polishing, she leads various creative workshops and practical training. As a promising early-career researcher, she secured a Top 10 Research award at the university’s First Graduate Studies Conference. Her diverse accolades further span fine arts, literature, research, media, and photography.Please find the high-resolution images attached. Let us know if any further information is required.

Ms. Nice Vizoso Chao

Past Speaker

Nice Vizoso Chao is an orchestra conductor, pianist, and composer currently pursuing a PhD in Music Science and Technology at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. She holds a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting from the Universidad de La Rioja, a Master’s in Piano Performance from Trinity College of Music and Dance (London), and a Master’s in Composition for Audiovisual Media from the Escuela Superior de Música Katarina Gurska (Madrid). Her work engages orchestral performance, contemporary composition, music pedagogy, and interdisciplinary approaches connecting music and technology.

Mr. Jacob Lang

Past Speaker

Jacob Lang is active in creative and psychological fields, applying qualitative and quantitative methods to questions of emotion, aesthetics, and meaning. His clinical experience is constructivist and psychodynamic. Bridging arts and sciences, Jacob has produced and collaborated on music and films that are conceptual but in touch with the vernacular. He holds an H.BSc from the University of Toronto, an MA in Counselling Psychology from McGill University, and his doctorate at Saint Paul University explores creativity and social change.

Co-Creating Meaning through Participatory Visual Narratives. Exploring Visual Approaches for Reflection, Dialogue, and Knowledge Production

Presentation Topic

Prof. Dr. Emanuela Fato is a social worker, lecturer, and trainer in social work education. She teaches at the University of Bologna and at the Institute of Education Sciences (IPU – Salesian Pontifical University), focusing on social work, sociology, and professional development. She is Vice President of Comefo, a research and training space dedicated to social work, where professional practice, critical thinking, and cultural production intersect. Through Comefo, she develops training, supervision, and research initiatives that explore new ways of learning, reflecting, and generating knowledge in social and organizational contexts. With a background in frontline social services, she now works as an independent professional providing training and supervision for social workers and organizations. Her research interests include ethics in social work, experiential learning, and the use of visual and participatory methods in education. She holds a PhD in Social Work and Personal Social Services.

Co-Creating Meaning through Participatory Visual Narratives. Exploring Visual Approaches for Reflection, Dialogue, and Knowledge Production

Presentation Topic

Ms. Giulia Lombardi is a social worker, trainer, and supervisor working in community and social services. Alongside her professional practice, she is actively involved in training and applied research in social work. She collaborates with Comefo in designing and delivering professional supervision and training programs for social workers, healthcare professionals, and organizations. A member of the International Visual Sociology Association, she integrates visual, narrative, and photographic methods into her practice as tools for observation, reflection, and knowledge production. Her work focuses on visual approaches, cultural welfare, and participatory processes in professional and organizational contexts.

Prof. Gizela Horváth

Past Speaker

Gizela Horváth, professor at Partium Christian University, Oradea, Romania, former rector of the university. She teaches philosophy of art in the Art Department. Her main interest is in the challenges of contemporary art, more specifically the rhetoric of absence in contemporary art and the phenomena of artistic activism. She is interested in topics related to visual culture as well. She is the co-organizer of the Argumentor conference series and co-editor of the Argumentor conference volumes. She is a member of the editorial board of the scientific journal Papers in Arts and Humanities (PArtsHum).

Ms. Giulia Priori

Past Speaker

Giulia Priori is a PhD candidate in History of Art at University College Cork and her PhD project is funded by Research Ireland. Priori graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a MA in Heritage and Memory Studies, and she previously gained a BA Joint Honours degree in History of Art and Archaeology from University College Cork. Priori held positions as lecturer and module coordinator in the History of Art Department at University College Cork. Priori’s research interest lies in the multidisciplinary investigation of the connections between the heritage of the textile industry, counter-memory, and contemporary art.

Ms. Merike Trubert

Past Speaker

Merike Trubert is an educator and artist working at the intersection of diverse art practices. She teaches French, art history and elective art subjects at Tartu Jaan Poska Gymnasium and has previously lectured in drawing and elective courses at Tartu Art College. Merike Trubert holds a BA in Graphic Arts and an MA in Fine Arts from the Estonian Academy of Arts. Her artworks have been exhibited internationally; she has presented her teaching experience at conferences, organised exhibitions and contributed to international drawing triennials in Tallinn. She also works as a tour guide, combining her passions for art and history.

The Role of Art in the 21st Century: A Reflection on Its Evolution and Contemporary Relevance.

Presentation Topic

With a multidisciplinary academic background, Dr. Donna L. Roberts holds a PhD in psychology and advanced degrees in business, aeronautical science, education, and human relations. Her scholarship spans the fields of psychology, art, education, and organizational behavior, with a particular focus on psychological resilience, addiction, and the intersection of art and the psyche.

Dr. Roberts has authored multiple academic books, including The Psychology of Resilience, Ethics in Aviation, and Foundations of Research Ethics, as well as numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. She is an internationally recognized conference presenter and has delivered research across Europe and the U.S., addressing topics ranging from the opioid epidemic to aesthetic psychology. She has received awards for teaching, course development, and academic writing.

Ms. CHo Hui Chin

Past Speaker

Cho Hui Chin is a London-based artist holding a BA in Fine Art from the Slade School of
Fine Art, UCL (First Class Honours), and an MA in Painting from the Royal College of
Art. Her interdisciplinary practice spans fine art, philosophy, law, and copyright. She is a
recipient of the CASS Art Prize and the Ljubljana Art Prize, and has exhibited
internationally, including at the Venice Biennale and the Louvre.

Prof. Issei Wake

Past Speaker

Issei Wake, Ph.D., is a professor at the School of International Studies, Wenzhou Business
College, China. He earned his Ph.D. in English literature from the State University of New York at
Buffalo. Specializing in Film Studies, Critical Theory, and Japanese-English literary and film
studies, his recent research focuses on memory studies, trauma, hauntology, and nostalgia. Dr.
Wake has received international recognition for his contributions to these fields and his
ongoing scholarly work.

Ms. Yitong Zheng

Past Speaker

Yitong Zheng is a PhD candidate in Fashion at Massey University, New Zealand. Her research explores speculative fashion design in response to climate change, focusing on sustainable materials and adaptive garment systems. Her design work has been recognized through international exhibitions, publications, and design awards. Prior to her PhD, her experience teaching art and design in China enriched her cross-cultural perspective and continues to inform her interdisciplinary approach to contemporary fashion practice.

Creating in Liminal Time and Space

Presentation Topic

Timothy Carson teaches Liminal Studies in the Honors College of the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA. He is the author/editor of five books on liminality, curates www.theliminalityproject.org, and is the co-editor of www.liminalitypress.com. He was the keynote speaker at the 2022 Humanities Symposium of the University of Missouri, USA. He is a TEDX speaker and a certified EFT practitioner, addressing past and present trauma of many kinds.

Assoc. Prof. Kinga Anna Gajda

Past Speaker

Kinga Anna Gajda is an associate professor and lecturer at the Institute for European Studies in Jagiellonian University. She graduated in Theatre Studies and Gender Studies, holds a degree in Literature Studies and habilitation in Cultural Studies. Her research interests include issues related to memory, heritage, and intercultural competencies. She has also authored three books and more than 60 articles, and received the awards of the Rector of the Jagiellonian University and Dean of Faculty of International and Political Sciences. She coordinated a lot of research and educational projects. She has been a visiting scholar at multiple universities and cooperates with various NGOs and educational institutions.

Ms. Aybuke Dogan

Past Speaker

Aybuke Dogan graduated from the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema at Ankara University Faculty of Communication. In 2021, she started her master’s degree in the Department of Radio, Cinema, and Television at Hacettepe University. She served as a teaching assistant for the “Cultural Policies in Radio, Television, and Cinema” course at Hacettepe University in the fall semester of 2022. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in the Radio, Cinema, and Television department at Ankara University Faculty of Communication. Additionally, she works as a research assistant in the New Media and Communication department at Ankara Social Sciences University. Her research interests include creative industries, creative cities, the sociology of art and urban sociology, cultural policies, cultural heritage, the sociology of new media, and new media and cultural production.

Ms. Gao Jingtong

Past Speaker

Gao Jingtong is an undergraduate student majoring in digital media art at Beijing Film Academy. Her research interests include cultural studies, gender studies, digital media, etc. At 22, her works have received international recognition, including the gold medal at the Busan International Art Festival.

Dr. Agustín Linares Pedrero

Past Speaker

Agustín Linares Pedrero is a university professor and artist at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Málaga, with 15 years of experience in teaching interactive electronic art. His interests focus on creative research and the development of collaborative artistic projects. He has curated numerous exhibitions of international artists. He is a collector and expert in street art and electronic art, and has authored several papers on the intersection of art and transhumanism.

Pratibha Singh

Past Speaker

Pratibha Singh is an Assistant Professor of Fine Arts and a research scholar at Banasthali University in Rajasthan, India. With a strong commitment to advancing the field of fine arts, she engages in both teaching and research, contributing to the academic and creative development of her students and the broader artistic community.