Developing 21st Century Students:
Policies, Strategies & Educational Materials
22 Nov
(Wed)
(Wed)
9.00am - 4.30pm
(GMT +8)
(GMT +8)
Online
(Zoom)
(Zoom)
Join the Educational Publishers Forum 2023, where global leaders in education and publishing converge to chart a course for 21st-century learning excellence. Discover cutting-edge teaching strategies, groundbreaking policy innovations, and the latest trends in educational publishing and technology.
Experience insights from influential figures such as Dirk Hastedt (Executive Director, IEA), Andreas Schleicher (Director for Education and Skills, OECD), Daniel T. Willingham (Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia), Karine Pansa (President, IPA) and many others. Learn from esteemed educators, publishers, and edtech specialists as they share the most up-to-date information on education and publishing.
EPF Malaysia 2023 is a must-attend event for education policymakers, publishers, educationists, and anyone passionate about shaping the future of education.
Dr Dirk Hastedt is the Executive Director of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), leading its high-quality comparative research. He oversees operations, studies, and services, and drives the overall strategic vision. Prior to assuming his current role, he was Co-Director of the IEA Data Processing and Research Center (IEA DPC), where he was responsible for the center’s international research activities. Dr Hastedt has an in-depth knowledge of large-scale educational assessment, built on years of experience. Dr Hastedt is also the acting chair of IEA's Technical Executive Group and Co-editor in chief of the IEA-ETS Research Institute’s journal, Large-Scale Assessments in Education. His Doctor of Philosophy in Education is from the University of Vienna.
Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills at the OECD. He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices.
He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders to improve education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that Schleicher “understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I’ve met, and he tells me the truth”. Former UK Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher “the most important man in English education” – even though he is German and lives in France.
He is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the “Theodor Heuss” prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement”. He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
Daniel Willingham is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. Until about 2000, his research focused solely on the brain basis of learning and memory. Today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K-16 education.
He has been the author of the “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” column in American Educator magazine since 2002. He is also the author of several books, including the best-selling Why Don't Students Like School?, The Reading Mind, and most recently, Outsmart Your Brain. His writing on education has appeared in twenty-three languages.
In 2017 he was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Member of the National Board for Education Sciences.
Karine Pansa is the Managing Partner, and Publishing Director at Girassol Brasil, a well known children's book publishing house in São Paulo, Brazil.
Karine has been the President of the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL) for two terms and she's now been re-elected to the CBL's Board of Directors for International Projects, working to boost Brazilian literature worldwide and supporting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to literacy and access to quality reading materials.
Starting this year, Karine has also been elected as the President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), a global organization of publishers' associations. The IPA advocates for copyright and the freedom to publish, which is an essential human right connected to freedom of expression while promoting literacy and reading.
In her multifaceted role, Karine Pansa isn't just a publishing maven; she's a literacy advocate who's shaping the world of books, standing up for human rights, global connectivity, inclusion and diversity through literature.
José Borghino has been Secretary General of the International Publishers Association, Geneva, since 2015. He joined the IPA as Policy Director in 2013, and was in charge of policy development, organizing the Prix Voltaire (IPA’s Freedom to Publish Prize), and managing the IPA’s activities in the educational publishing sector, including the annual ‘What Works?’ conference and the Educational Publishers Forum. Before joining the IPA, José was ‘Manager, Industry Representation’ at the Australian Publishers Association. He has been Executive Director of the Australian Society of Authors, a lecturer in literary journalism and creative industries at the University of Sydney, and editor of the online news magazine NewMatilda.com. José held senior positions at the Literature Board of the Australia Council and was the founding editor of EDITIONSReview.
Dr. Jessica Sänger is Director for European and International Affairs at Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German publishers and booksellers association). She chairs the International Publishers Association’s Copyright Committee. Ms. Sänger joined Börsenverein in 2008 where she was Deputy Head of the Legal Department from 2011. She studied Law at Exeter and Mainz, and trained for the bar in Mainz, from where she also received her Doctorate in law. Previous roles include a period as trainee case handler at the European Commission’s DG COMP (Media Unit) and management of an LL.M programme in Media Law. Ms. Sänger has been a visiting lecturer at Louisville and Bristol law schools for copyright, free speech, constitutional law, and law of broadcasting and the press.
Since spring 2020 Stephan de Valk is chair of the Educational Publishers Forum of the International Publishers Association (IPA).
For six years now he is director of the Dutch Association of Educational Publishers (GEU). The GEU is strongly involved in public-private cooperation, especially in facilitating a secure and reliable educational ecosystem.
For more than 25 years he has been an educational publisher. Stephan has executed several roles in the managing board of Noordhoff, the largest Dutch educational publisher. As publishing director he has been responsible for Primary, Secondary and Vocational Education.
After a study in mathematics the first 10 years of his career he worked as teacher and teacher trainer.
Arun is a seasoned IT professional with over a decade of experience. Currently he work as a Solution Architect at AWS partnering with customers, account managers, business development, engineering, and product teams to create scalable, flexible, and resilient architectures that effectively address customer needs and drive the adoption of new services. As a trusted customer advocate, he provide expert guidance on best practices related to platform integration, helping organizations to optimize their operations and achieve business success. His passion for using technology to improve outcomes and his commitment to excellence have earned him a reputation as a skilled and knowledgeable IT professional.
ATTY. DOMINADOR D. BUHAIN is presently the Chairman and President of the REX Education which is comprised of REX Book Store, Inc., REX Printing Company, Inc., REX Book Store International, the Resource for Education and Academic Professionals (REAP), the REX Institute for Student Excellence (RISE) and the First Eduspec, Inc.
He is the Founding Chairman of the National Book Development Board of the Philippines from 1995-2001.
As for the industry associations, he is the President Emeritus of the Philippine Educational Publishers Association (PEPA); Honorary President of the Philippine Printing Technical Foundation, Inc. (PPTF), President of the Printing Industry Board Foundation, Inc. (PIBFI), and President of the Philippine Book Development Federation (Philbook).
His international affiliations include his being the President of the Asia Pacific Publishers Association (APPA), Philippine Chief Delegate to the International Publishers Association (IPA), Immediate Past President of the Forum for Asia Pacific Graphic Arts (FAPGA), and Past President of the ASEAN Book Publishers Association (ABPA).
In the Philippine book publishing and printing industries, Atty. Dominador D. Buhain is known, too, as the father of RA 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act. He is an advocate of book proliferation.
Despite his numerous concurrent positions of leadership in several organizations, Atty. Buhain is a well-travelled person who has visited at least 254 countries and groups of islands based on the Travelers’ Century Club listing, 165 United Nations member-states and 458 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Sites todate.
He has recently been awarded the prestigious “Lifetime Excellence Award for Cultural Preservation and Advocacy” by the Profiles Asia.
Jannie Jeppesen, CEO of the Swedish Edtech Industry, a leading trade association representing edtech companies in Sweden. Over the last three decades, Sweden has spearheaded the digital transformation of its public education sector, and Jannie boasts extensive experience in navigating the intersections of digital competence, pedagogy, and strategic management. Her journey has seen her excel as an educator and later as a head of professional development, positioning her at the forefront of this transformative era.
In recognition of her innovative contributions, Jannie was bestowed the esteemed title of "Innovative Headmaster 2012" during her tenure as a principal. She has played a role in shaping policies and strategies as a commissioner for the Swedish Government's strategic cooperation programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning. Additionally, her expertise has been sought by key institutions, including the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education and the Swedish National Employment Service, where she served as a valued member of their Innovation Advisory Boards.
Building on her expertise and dedication, Jannie co-founded the European Edtech Alliance (EEA) in 2021. The EEA stands as a pivotal umbrella organization, uniting European associations and fostering connectivity within the continent's edtech ecosystem. Currently, Jannie Jeppesen continues to actively contribute as a board member, channeling her focus towards shaping policies that drive progress and innovation in this dynamic industry, which now encompasses over 2400 edtech companies.
Joel Loo founded CommonTown Pte Ltd in 1999, establishing it as a leading Education Technology provider in Singapore. He's a staunch advocate of Edtech as a transformative force for society and has spearheaded numerous national IT projects in the Singapore education sector and regional schools.
He has led the development of various Edtech solutions, including e-book platforms to simplify publishing and e-book distribution for textbook publishers, the implementation of e-portfolios for parent engagement in pre-schools, and the application of Item Response Theory to enable adaptive learning. These initiatives have contributed significantly to the educational landscape in Singapore and the surrounding region.
Prior to this, Joel Loo was a computer science researcher for more than a decade at the Agency of Science and Technology and Research and the Microelectronics and Computer Corporation in Austin, Texas.
Joel's most recent Edtech innovation involves a collaboration with a team of educators to create AI-assisted learning coaches and writing feedback tools, offering advanced evaluation for essays written by students in subjects such as General Paper and Global Perspectives.
Having been educated and worked in Thailand, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, and India, Kompit has an extensive experience in various cultures in education, design, and management.
Currently, Kompit leads MAC Education, a leading education solution provider in Thailand in creating and developing innovative, quality education materials that provide solutions for Thai students and educators, in the forms of both traditional and digital medias. The current projects from the company include online learning with real-time assessment platform, e-testing platform with the largest test database in Thailand, and a major revision of the best selling English textbooks in Thailand, "Say Hello".
Kompit is currently an Executive Committee Member of "The Association of Producers & Distributors for Educational Media & Technology" and was also an Executive Committee Member of the "Publisher and Bookseller Association of Thailand" (PUBAT). He still serves as a representative of Thailand at the International Publisher Association's Education Publisher Forum (EPF) and ASEAN+ EPF, a task force which focuses on education policies in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Law King Hui is the co-founder and Group Managing Director of Sasbadi Holdings Berhad, an education solutions provider and Public Listed Company on Bursa Malaysia. He has been instrumental in the development, growth, and success of Sasbadi, and his contributions have transformed Sasbadi from a pure educational print publisher to an education solutions provider with diverse teaching and learning solutions, including digital learning technology, STEM learning products, and a network marketing business.
He enjoys a colourful career as an entrepreneur with more than 40 years of experience in the education industry. He has held numerous key positions in various organisations, including President of the Malaysian Book Publishers Association (MABOPA); Chairman of the Malaysian Book Industry Council (MBIC); Treasurer of the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM); President of the ASEAN Book Publishers Association (ABPA), and Chairman of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Advisory Council, amongst others.
His contributions led to him being selected as one of the 21 personalities documented in the publication, “Tokoh-tokoh Perbukuan Malaysia” by the National Library Malaysia, which recognises book activists and professionals who have made significant contributions towards the development of the book industry and reading culture in the country.
Professor Dr Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi is a prolific writer and speaker in architecture, politics, social issues, religious matters and education. He was educated in the USA at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee where he obtained his Masters and Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Professor Tajuddin has authored and published 60 books to date on architecture concerning Islam, the mosque, housing, community building and planning of administrative centres. He has won four National Book awards. He was a columnist for several news media such as The Borneo Post, Freemalaysiatoday, Sinar Harian and Utusan Malaysia. He is currently a columnist in The Star and Sin Chiew Daily. In 2018, he received a Civil Society Award by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall mainly for his critical writings in the media. In 2021, Prof Tajuddin received a National Unity Award from the Association of Private Universities. Prof Tajuddin is also recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Mr Peh Shing Woei is the CEO of Shing Lee Publishers. To maintain high standards of professionalism and service in the publishing industry, he joined the Singapore Book Publishers Association as an Executive Committee member in 2012, and was elected Vice President in 2022. He currently holds the position of Publisher Director of the Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore.
Under Shing Woei's astute leadership, Shing Lee has evolved into a leading publisher of educational materials in both print and digital formats. With the support of government agencies such as Enterprise Singapore, Shing Lee has extended its global reach to more than 40 countries, and continues to share Singapore's successful teaching and learning methods with educators and children around the world.
Peter Schoppert is a publisher and former management consultant and technology entrepreneur who has made his career in Singapore. He is currently the Director of the NUS Press, the scholarly publishing arm of the National University of Singapore. He is past President of the Singapore Book Publishers Association and serves on number of creative industry groups in Singapore and internationally. He writes on generative AI at https://aicopyright.substack.com.
Peter got his start in magazine publishing in Singapore before joining illustrated books publisher Times Editions and later Editions Didier Millet where he worked on photo books and illustrated reference book projects across the region. One project was serving as commissioning editor of the Encyclopedia of Malaysia, reporting to an advisory committee chaired by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He left book publishing for the internet in 1996, later founding Asian internet publishing pioneer AsiaContent.com, which published, among other consumer titles, CNET Malaysia. After the dotcom bust, Peter went B2B—back-to-books—and led a project to revitalise Singapore University Press, now National University Press. Later he was recruited to McKinsey & Company, first to help with public affairs for the Firm, but later helping serve clients, including governments in the ASEAN region, and managing reputational risk across Asia.
After seven years at McKinsey he came back to books a second time and has been running the NUS Press for the last ten years.
Peter graduated high school from the International School of Kuala Lumpur.
Rajendran brings with him more than 45 years of experience working at various levels in the field of education at the national and international levels. He is an accomplished academic who has and continue to make significant contributions to the field of education, covering areas which include research, supervision, consultancy, and publications. Besides having served at the policy making and implementation levels at the Ministry of Education, he has also served at the academia for more than 17 years. He is a former Professor of Pedagogy and Thinking Skills at the Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia. He is also the former Director General of the Unit for the Socio-Economic Development of Indian Community (SEDIC), Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia.
He is currently serving as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cyberjaya and Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur. He recently served as a Senior Consultant for the World Bank Group on 2 projects on Education in East Asia Pacific. Rajendran has conducted various workshops and seminars for teachers and ministry of education officials, both locally and in countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Mauritius, Myanmar and Hong Kong. He has also authored a total of 18 books, including academic publications and text-books for schools.
Dato’ Satinah is the Managing Director for Alpha Alsagoff Edu Resources Sdn. Bhd - an education advisory & consulting company; Director for Melewar Learning Resources/Direct English; and member of the Board of Governors for the British International School Kuala Lumpur (BSKL) and St. John International Schools Kuala Lumpur.
She graduated from the University of Malaya, KL in Anthropology and Sociology and Diploma in Education; Master of Science from Loughborough University UK; Certificate in the Educational Policy Analysis & Planning from Harvard University, and Project Management in Producing Results from Australian National University, Canberra .
Her strengths and main competencies are in Policy Analysis & Planning in education; Policy Formulation; Public Private Partnership in Education; Teacher Professionalism; Teacher Education; and Education Legislation.
She is an Adjunct Professor for Faculty of Psychology & Social Sciences University of Cyberjaya; She was a member of the National Education Advisory Council ( 2018-2020); former Board Member for Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (2018-2020); and the Education Consultant & Advisor for Khazanah Nasional Berhad (2012- 2019). Currently the President for the Malaysian Association for Education; Deputy President for Malaysian Children’s Aid Society; and Life Member of Harvard Alumni.
She was a senior official at the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education. She was in the National Committee for the Education Act 1996; the Deputy Lab Leader (Education) for Economic Transformation Programme; and the Head of Project Management Office, Ministry of Education (Phase 1) in reviewing the Malaysian Education System (2012) which culminated with the ‘Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025’. She was one of the panel writer for ‘History for Nation Building’ selected articles in ‘The Study of History: Its Relevance and Significance’.
Shahnaz is an independent advocate and promoter of education, talent development and social enterprising reforms in the interest of Malaysia and community at large. She has been an active social entrepreneur in Malaysia for more than 13 years.
She is currently the Chairperson and significant shareholder of LeapEd Services (“LeapEd”), a social enterprise set-up to undertake the development and delivery of holistic schools’ transformation to support education systems’ reform. She is also the Founding Trustee of Teach for Malaysia (“TFM”), an affiliate of the global Teach for All network.
Shahnaz has deep implementation and transformation expertise both from financial and talent development aspects. She has 20 years of corporate experience including a decade in the Government-linked companies specifically through the Sovereign Wealth Fund, Khazanah Nasional. In the past 13 years, Shahnaz has been working on catalyzing the development of Malaysia’s future generation through transformation of Basic Education and championing youth leadership development.
Shahnaz holds a LLB (Hons.) degree from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Shahnaz’s real job is being a single mother to her 11-year-old daughter. She loves reading novels and travelling to random areas in her (very limited) free time.
Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin is Deputy Head of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) and a Senior Analyst at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), where he leads work on digitalization in education (“Smart data and digital technology in education: AI, learning analytics and beyond”), on education during the covid-19 crisis as well as a large international practice-engaged innovation project in 24 countries on “Fostering and Assessing Creativity and Critical Thinking in Education”. His work has focused on innovation in education and on higher education, looking at how to support innovation-friendly ecosystems in education, how to drive change and adapt to innovation, and studying specific innovations.
His recent reports include the OECD Education Digital Outlook: Pushing the Frontiers with AI, Blockchain and Robots (2021), Fostering Students’ Creativity and Critical Thinking: What it Means in School (2019), Measuring Innovation in Education 2023: Tools and Methods for Data-driven Improvement (2023) as well as Schooling during a pandemic (2021) and How Learning Continued during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022).
He is a Marie Curie Fellow, a 2007 Fulbright New Century Scholar, and received awards for his work from the US National Association of Assessment Directors and from the International Center for Innovation in Education. He holds a PhD in economics, a master’s in philosophy and a grande école diploma (Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris).
Stuart Glover is responsible for building relationships with government and stakeholders, and developing advocacy and policy positions for the APA on issues such as copyright, cultural policy, educational policy and lending rights. He has a background as an arts administrator, cultural industries consultant, and academic specialising in literary and publishing policy.
In 1991, Trasvin Jittidecharak founded Silkworm Books, a general independent publisher of English-language books. Silkworm’s publications are distributed in the US via the University of Washington Press. They are known among academics and students of Southeast Asia studies. It has been working on many publication projects with the most prestigious institution, École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO). Silkworm has published translation works from many languages to Thai and English. In 2017, Trasvin launched the ASEAN Illustration Award and co-founded the International Children’s Content Rights Fair (ICCRF) in Thailand.
Trasvin was an advisor to the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT; 2009–15 and 2019–21) and was a focal person of the Bangkok UNESCO World Book Capital City in 2013. She chaired the 30th International Publishers Association (IPA) Congress of the Organizing Committee, Bangkok, 2015. She sat on the Executive Committee of the IPA from 2012 to 2017. She was the Secretary-General of the ASEAN Book Publishers Association (ABPA), 2020–21. From 2017 to the present, Trasvin has been a member of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee.
20 years in Education that includes publishing, printing, manufacturing teaching aids, teacher training, and digital content development. Representing Ikapi as a liaison to the government about Educational policies and laws.