[Speaker Name]

[Speaker Title & Affiliation]

Full biography for our esteemed keynote speaker will be placed here once provided. We look forward to sharing their incredible background and contributions with you.

[Speaker Name]

[Speaker Title & Affiliation]

Full biography for our esteemed keynote speaker will be placed here once provided. Their expertise is a cornerstone of our conference program.

Prof. Joseph Francis

University of Venda, South Africa

Professor Joseph Francis is a transformative academic leader and development practitioner with a PhD in Animal Science obtained from the University of Zimbabwe, specializing in integrated crop-livestock systems. With over 25 years of experience, he has been at the forefront of advancing rural development, innovation and poverty reduction across Southern Africa through research, engaged scholarship and strategic partnerships.

From February-October 2025, Professor Francis served as the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), where he provided strategic leadership in enhancing research excellence. Over the years, Professor Francis has led major national initiatives, published more than 90 papers, and supervised 51 Master's and 47 PhD candidates to graduation. Renowned for nurturing productive partnerships, he continues to blend scholarship, visionary leadership, and community empowerment to drive sustainable and inclusive transformation.

Prof. Letlhokwa George Mpedi

Vice-Chancellor & Principal, University of Johannesburg

Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi is a Vice Chancellor and Principal at the University of Johannesburg. He completed his B. Juris (1996) and LLB (1998) at Vista University and an LLM in Labour Law from the Rand Afrikaans University. He is a two-time recipient of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) award for research in Germany and holds an LLD in Mercantile Law from the University of Johannesburg.

Professor Mpedi has held positions as a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Social Law in Munich and has served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Executive Dean (Faculty of Law) at UJ. He has published widely on social security and labour law and is an NRF-rated scholar recognized for considerable international recognition by his peers.

Dr. David Monk

University of Nottingham, UK

Dr. David Monk is affiliated with the University of Nottingham (UK) and sits on the board of several NGOs based in Gulu, Northern Uganda, which are oriented in social impact and empowerment. David's PhD is related to informal learning in grassroots activism for social and environmental justice.

His recent research and community work are transdisciplinary and revolve around epistemic, social, and environmental well-being through participatory and inclusive processes. You can find links to his work here: ORCID, ResearchGate.

Prof. Mahazan Mutalib

Professor, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)

Mahazan Mutalib is a Professor at the Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), specializing in leadership, religion, and community studies. He serves as Coordinator and Mentor for the UNESCO Knowledge for Change (K4C) Regional Training Centre (RTC) Asia at the Mizan K4C Hub.

He leads key initiatives such as the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) Impact Study on microfinance and inequality, the Kampung Mizan Initiative on community sustainability, and research on governance and corruption risks in Islamic institutions. He also conducts leadership training and manages programs on indigenous peoples and village studies.

Dr. Irma Alicia Flores

Associate Professor, University of Los Andes, Colombia

Irma Alicia Flores, PhD, holds the position of Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Los Andes, Colombia. Her professional focus revolves around research and teaching in topics such as teacher training encompassing qualitative and participatory research, ethnoeducation, popular and rural education, inclusion, diversity, and curricular transformation.

Having earned her PhD in Social Sciences with a specialization in Childhood and Youth, Dr. Flores also holds a master's degree in educational and social development. Additionally, she serves as the Coordinator of the K4C Latin America Regional Centre and engages in mentoring within the Community-Based Research program under the UNESCO Chair Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education.