Speakers

Dr Luca Lantero

Leading expert in Higher Education Policy, he specialises in Academic Fraud, Foreign Qualification Systems, Transnational Education & Digital Innovation, including Blockchain in Recognition Processes.

Lantero is Director General of CIMEA, Italy’s official centre for Academic Recognition and Mobility.

He served as Head of the BFUG Secretariat (2018–2020) and currently chairs the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee and the ASEM Education Secretariat. In 2022, he was elected to the Bureau of ETINED at the Council of Europe.

Academic roles include the European Law & Governance School & directs the Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance

Mr Chigozi Emmanuel Okwonko

Chigozie Emmanuel Okonkwo is an international development professional specializing in Skills and Education Policy development, labour mobility, and Qualifications Frameworks in Africa.

As a Education and Skills Advisor at the African Union Commission, he led the development of continental TVET strategies, the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF), and tools to enhance the recognition and portability of qualifications across borders.

Ms Órla Barry

Responsible for the maintenance, development and implementation of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) &and associated policy.

Also responsible for the provision of information about qualifications included in the NFQ via the Irish Register of Qualifications and for promoting the NFQ, & European Qualifications Framework (EQF) to stakeholders and end users.
A member of the European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group and the National Correspondent for the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area.

Her team host the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) National Coordination Point and the National Europass Centre.

Simone Ravaili

Simone Ravaioli is an internationally recognized expert in digital credentials, learning mobility, and educational technology policy.

He passionately advocates for treating “Policy as Data,” streamlining recognition processes for global learner and worker mobility – through that lens, he contributes to the Advisory Council of the Groningen Declaration Network.

Stig Arne Skjerven

Stig Arne Skjerven is the first elected Chair of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education.

Elected in 2025 and re-elected for 2025–2027, he has played a key role in the Convention’s development and implementation.

Skjerven has chaired the ENIC Bureau twice and contributed to initiatives such as the Qualifications Passport for Refugees.

He currently serves at Norway’s Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. His broad experience includes roles in UNESCO, academic affairs, quality assurance, and global cooperation, with a strong focus on qualifications frameworks, policy development, and capacity building in higher education.

Mr William Afrika-Konadu

Member: Education and Students’ Rights Working Group: All-Africa Students Union (AASU)

Mr Afrika-Konadu actively champions student voice and equitable access to quality education across Africa. He also serves as an Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

Currently pursuing an MSc in Leadership and Organisational Development. His research focuses on Political Succession, Leadership Pipelines, and Organisational Development in Africa.

A founder of the School for All Project, a nonprofit initiative in Ghana’s central region dedicated to expanding educational access for underprivileged children.

Afrika-Konadu is a frequent panelist on national television, advocating for youth empowerment and student leadership. His contributions have earned him, Best Professional Student Award (2022).

Professor Massamba DIOUF

President of the African Francophone Network of National Quality Assurance Agencies (RAFANAQ), Chair for the Africa Region of the Addis Ababa Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees, and Other Qualifications in Higher Education in African States.

Executive Secretary of the National Authority for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, Research, and Innovation of Senegal (ANAQ-Sup). In this capacity, he leads national efforts to ensure the quality and relevance of Higher Education and Research in Senegal.

A Full Professor and Agrégé in Public Health, he is a Senior Researcher and Country Director at IRL 3189 (CNRS).

Mr Albert Okal

Albert Okal is an accomplished Education and Skills Development Specialist with over 20 years of professional experience in the design and implementation of policies and programmes in the fields of skills development, labour migration, employment, and employability.

Currently serving with the International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent Work Team, Albert provides technical backstopping to ILO offices and constituents across East and Southern Africa, supporting efforts to strengthen skills systems and promote lifelong learning.

Albert brings a strong track record of leadership, regional engagement, and policy expertise to the advancement of decent work and sustainable development across the continent.

Emeritus Professor, Martin Hall

Professor Hall’s current focus is developing secure micro-credentialing systems as a basis for flexible curricula that address the rapidly changing needs of education providers, everywhere.

An Associate of Allan Gray Centre for Values Based Leadership, also Director and Founding Partner of Artefact Transformation and Facilitation Services, focusing on improving key dimensions in education, that can be achieved using education technology and digital resources.

Before re-joining the Graduate School of Business, Prof Hall, was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, Manchester, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Higher Education Development, also at the University of Cape Town.

Mr Xolani Booi

Mr. Xolani Booi is a South African student leader and engineering professional currently pursuing Advanced Renewable Energy Mechanical Engineering at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

He has held key student leadership roles, including serving on institutional committees such as Senate and faculty boards. A mentor and tutor, he has supported student development through academic and peer programmes.

With prior experience as a Supervisor in the Electrical Industry, he combines technical expertise with academic advocacy.
Mr. Booi brings a grounded and inclusive student voice to discussions on Education, Qualifications Frameworks, and Learner-Focused Development in South Africa.

Mr. Ray Matlala

Mr. Ray Matlala is a seasoned professional and strategic leader with over a decade of experience in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, and youth development. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Business Administration, with a research focus on student and youth entrepreneurship.

He has engaged extensively with international organisations and multilateral agencies such as UNESCO, the SADC Secretariat, the Commonwealth Secretariat, UNFPA, UNICEF, the African Union, the European Union, as well as global platforms including the G20 and BRICS.

His career spans several notable institutions, including Black Umbrellas, Funda Wande, the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and JET Education Services.

Matlala currently serves as the Y20 South Africa Chair under the country’s G20 Presidency. He is also the Chairman of the South African BRICS Youth Association and serves as Board Chair of the World Youth Summit NPC, an organisation holding consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Dr. Seamus Needham

Director, Institute for Post-School Studies (IPSS), University of the Western Cape
Dr Needham has over two decades of experience in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Project Management, and Academic Planning.

He recently led a five-year research project (2019–2024) on the public TVET college sector. Under his leadership, the Institute contributes to post-school education through research and postgraduate programmes across three core areas : Adult and Community Education and Training (ACET), TVET, and Higher Education Studies, supporting the development of a more responsive and integrated post-school education and training system.

Ms Hlengiwe Mtetwa

Attorney and digital transformation leader at the intersection of Law, Technology, and Youth Empowerment.

As Expert Team Lead at Legal Interact, she drives legal tech innovation, with the company recognized among the Top 5 Legal Tech Companies of 2023 and Microsoft’s Inclusion Changemaker of 2024.

She also leads RITE Academy, equipping underserved youth with ICT skills. A 2025 G20 Youth Summit Delegate, Hlengiwe contributes to global AI policy and is a respected speaker on ethical AI and digital inclusion. She holds an LLB, LLM in Contract Law, and certifications in Generative AI and Business Analysis.

Dr Grant Klinkum

Dr Grant Klinkum has worked on the executive leadership teams of the Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Education and The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

NZQA are responsible for managing the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, quality assurance in the non-university tertiary education sector and manage external assessment for the senior secondary school system.

Grant is passionate about the role that qualification frameworks, well-functioning and relevant qualification systems and robust quality assurance can play in raising student achievement and contributing to national economic and social outcomes.