Keynote Speakers

Dr Karolina Mucha-Kuś is an assistant professor at WSB University and the Director of the Department of Strategy, ESG and Regulations at TAURON Polska Energia S.A. She gained professional experience in the energy sector at Vattenfall and TAURON as well as in the public sector at Metropolis GZM. She graduated from doctoral studies at the University of Economics in Katowice and postgraduate studies in Gas Market and Nuclear Power Industry at AGH University of Science and Technology. Her doctoral thesis won an award in the international PROGRES3 competition at VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic. Her research interests include strategic management, coopetition, project management, public administration management and energy market.

Prof. Joanna Kurowska-Pysz is a researcher and lecturer at WSB University in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland. She serves as the Director of the Research Institute on Territorial and Inter-Organizational Cooperation, the Deputy Chair of the Doctoral School, and the Director of the Technology Transfer Center.

Lubomira Trojan, cultural anthropologist, doctor of social sciences in the discipline of management and quality sciences. Assistant professor at the WSB University, where she teaches classes in project management, innovation management and design thinking, among others. Previously associated with the regional design center Castle Cieszyn for many years, now involved in the work of the Design Observatory. A facilitator of design thinking processes, she conducts research on the use of design methods in innovation processes, especially in the field of cultural heritage and social change. 

Magdalena Weinle received her degree in Media Engineering and Management from Stuttgart Media University in 2008 (Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur). In 2010, she co-initiated and founded the Generator Startup Center, where she currently serves as Deputy Director. Additionally, she is the Team Lead for Entrepreneurship Education. She is also a Research Staff Member and Lecturer at Stuttgart Media University, specializing in Design Thinking, and Business Modeling. At the university's Institute for Applied Research, she is actively involved in the Centre for Innovative Teaching Methods, where she analyzes and designs learning scenarios. She has extensive experience in coordinating international entrepreneurship education projects, such as “Entrepreneurial Brains Made on Campus.” In recognition of her achievements, she was awarded an honorary professorship by Metropolitan University Budapest in 2019. 

Gražina Čiuladienė is affiliated with Mykolas Romeris University, specifically within the Institute of Educational Sciences and Social Work. She holds a degree in Social Work from Mykolas Romeris University (2021), a degree in Education from Aleksandras Stulginskis University (2006), and a degree in English Language Teaching from Šiauliai University (2000).

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Son has been the Vice President of The University of Danang since 2019, overseeing research and international cooperation. He holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the Russian State Academy of Education (1999) and was recognized as an Associate Professor in 2011. His expertise includes psychology, educational studies, and educational leadership. He has extensive experience in project planning, management, and external relations. Dr. Son is fluent in English, Russian, and Vietnamese.

Dario Marmo is a Project manager and Monitoring and Evaluation expert with sixteen years of experience in project management, program and project evaluation in Europe and extra european Countries, as well as in building and implementing methodologies for stakeholder mapping, needs assessment and engagement processes, both at national and international level. Mr. Marmo also provides training to support capacity building in third-sector organizations and to help them develop internal monitoring and evaluation capacity. Between 2011 and 2014 he coordinated the Impact Evaluation Unit of the research lab ARCO of the PIN Centre of the University of Florence. Currently, he is an associate of Lama Agency and works in the Social innovation area of the Company. In recent years, he worked on the “OpenMaker” H2020 project, the “OD&M” project, an Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance program, as well as on the Erasmus + project “Sharing, Cooperation, Collaboration,” where he focuses on the development of tools and methods to connect collaborative spaces and co-workings with higher education institutions. He has been part of the coordination team of the T-Factor Project, funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, focussing on waiting time in urban regeneration to explore and demonstrate how heritage, culture and creativity-led collaboration and co-creation can turn it into a powerful driver of collective urban transformation, unleashing vibrant ecologies for inclusive urban regeneration, social innovation, and enterprise. On the same theme, he curated contents and laboratories within the Manifattura Tabacchi regeneration process in Florence, starting in 2018, and contributes to the IMPETUS Interreg project and in the Future Divercities Creative Europe project. Since 2024, he has been the project manager for the participatory process 'Florence for Climate,' setting up the first citizen assembly for climate neutrality of the City, organized by the Municipality of Florence as part of its policies towards climate neutrality.

Emira Brkić Karninčić, holding a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management, served as a Researcher and D&C Manager in the CEKOM Project. She translated business requirements into technical solutions, organized project activities, allocated resources, and monitored project procedures. Emira led communication campaigns to promote project visibility and disseminate results. She also tracked project indicators and communicated goals to target groups through articles and presentations.