Keynote Speaker
Dr. Erika K. Smith
Western Sydney University, Australia
Presentation Title: Moving Beyond the Sex/Gender Binary: Acknowledging the Complexity of Girl/Boy and Man/Woman
Past Speakers
Dr. Reenu Singh
Dr. Reenu Singh is an industrial designer and researcher, who holds a PhD from the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai. She has taught product design and academic research at various universities. She holds a product patent for a System for Assisting a User in Getting up from Bed, and another patent for an Adjustable Apparatus for Painting is underway. Based in the U.S., she focuses on addressing challenges related to aging populations and women's health by applying human factors and user-centered design approaches.
Dr. Juliet Ramohai
Dr. Juliet Ramohai is a senior lecturer and head of the Centre for General Education at the Durban University of Technology. She holds a PhD in higher education studies. Her research interest is in gender, inclusivity and higher education. She has published widely on women issues, focusing on their inclusion and participation as students and staff across all levels of the education sector. Her current cross-country project, titled, Women in Farming in Rural Ecologies: perspectives from South Africa, Southeast Asia and India, expands the scope of her research to include women issues in other areas beyond education.
Dr. Orsolya Gergely
Dr. Orsolya Gergely is an associate professor at Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, where her academic work centers on the sociology of family and gender inequalities. Last year, someone described her research as “the radar of Transylvanian women's existence”—a phrase she has embraced ever since. She is passionate about science communication. For five years, she co-led the Sapiophile Vlog project, and for the past four years, she has hosted the Social Mirror segment of the Sapientia Podcast. Her writings have appeared monthly in Nőileg, a women’s magazine, where she brings sociological insights to a broader audience. In recent years, she has participated in multiple projects aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs. Currently, she is especially dedicated to the Women in Science initiative, which explores and promotes the visibility, challenges, and contributions of women researchers in academia and beyond.
Ms. Maja Schuster
Ms. Maja Schuster is an aspiring humanitarian professional and doctoral researcher in Peace and Conflict Studies. She holds a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Action and Conflict Research from Uppsala University and is currently conducting an internship with the Swedish Red Cross in Stockholm. Her Master’s thesis, "The Humanitarian Cowboy: A Qualitative Study on the Performance of Hegemonic Masculinity by Humanitarian Staff in the Field," is the first academic work to explore the archetype of the "humanitarian cowboy" and is currently under consideration for publication. Maja’s research interests lie at the intersection of gender, power, and violence. Her PhD project investigates how masculinity grievances and hypermasculine elite behavior contribute to political violence and democratic erosion in advanced democracies. She is particularly interested in the gendered dynamics of peace processes and the role of masculinities in shaping both conflict and humanitarian practice.
Ms. Anna Hardy
Ms. Anna Hardy is a PhD candidate based in The Asia Institute at The University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on the rhetoric behind honour-based violence with a particular emphasis on kinship systems, Islamic law, and the intersection of religion and gender. In addition to her academic work, Anna has contributed to Pursuit and presented at the 2024 CILIS Islamic Studies Postgraduate Conference and the 3rd LAP Post-graduate Researcher Conference 2025. Anna is also a volunteer at the Islamic Museum of Australia and a Graduate Researcher Academic Association tutor in Sociology at the University of Melbourne.
MSC. Karlotta Hülsebus
MSC. Karlotta Hülsebus is an aspiring PhD student in psychological research in Germany. She has recently completed her master’s degree at Uppsala University in Sweden and is presenting the results of her master’s thesis on the influence of conformity to masculine norms and group-based relative deprivation on far-right radicalism in White men in the US. Currently, she is working on preparing her PhD project, in which she plans to examine the role of gendered norms within political attitudes, activism and radicalism.
Ms. Chi Nde Akwa Nadege
Ms. Chi Nde Akwa Nadege is an academic practitioner with a Master’s degree in Educational Administration(2015) and a B.Ed in curriculum design and teaching(2011) from the University of Buea, Cameroon. She is also a member of One Child, One Textbook Association and Humanity First Cameroon, which stands for children’s right to education. Ms Chi is also an active agricultural entrepreneur, a mother of two, and loves traveling. Her commitment to Education and Humanity has impacted the lives of many children, especially in the crisis zones (North and South West regions)of Cameroon.
Mr. Ghislain Gael
Mr. Ghislain Gael he's been an LGBTIQ+ rights activist in Cameroon for five years, holding a degree in project management from Siantou Supérieur University. He currently holds the position of VBG focal point at HUMANITY FIRST CAMEROON PLUS, where he leverages his skills to serve the LGBTQ community. Passionate about innovation and humanism, Ghislain is recognized for his leadership and ability to motivate marginalized individuals. Winner of the best employee award, he also invests in human rights advocacy and reading.
Mrs. Charlie Porter-Baker
Mrs. Charlie Porter-Baker is a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, UK. She has a passion for youth work and working with young people, spending time in practice before joining academia. Her research interests span gender, identity, youth work, intersectionality, and child sexual exploitation.
Zoe Roberts Churchill
Zoe Roberts Churchill (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate student at Tulane University majoring in English and History. She attends the 3rd Global Conference on Gender Studies as a participant in Newcomb Scholars, a four-year academic program at Tulane dedicated to feminist research and leadership. Outside of academics, Churchill is a member of the Tulane Rowing team and plays clarinet in the Tulane Orchestra. Her poem "red wolf, stray dog" was selected for the 2025 Anselle M. Larson / Academy of American Poets Prize at Tulane University. She hopes to continue publishing her creative writing in the future and looks forward to attending graduate school one day.
Yao Long
Yao Long is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Gender and Women’s Studies. Her research interests include Chinese feminists, gender discourse, and the challenges faced by Asian women in the global diaspora. She has co-organized several women’s empowerment events with AWDPI (Asian Women Development Program International). As a core member of Viva la Vida, an international, cross-cultural art initiative, Yao has led several art-based healing workshops for minority groups. She also assisted the Pinglan Foundation in planning for the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).
Ms Magdalini
Ms Magdalini Laina holds a Master’s Degree in Science Communication. Her research explores the social construction of gender and the formation of “gendered” networks within the field of science communication, with a particular focus on how these dynamics are represented and reinforced through Science and Technology Museums. Through her academic work, she is committed to addressing and ultimately eliminating gender gap in how science and technology are practiced and communicated. In addition to her scholarly pursuits, Magdalini is an accomplished poet. She has published a collection of poetry dedicated to the experiences of Greek women in the modern world, examining themes of gender stereotypes and marginalisation. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges science, culture, and the arts, offering a unique and impactful voice in both academic and creative spheres.
Lauren (Yubin) Lee
Lauren (Yubin) Lee is a 4th year undergraduate student at Tulane University earning degrees in both Neuroscience and Spanish. As part of the Newcomb Scholars program, she has developed her interests in gender equity and research through yearly seminars and the opportunity to publish a case study on surrogacy. Her primary research interest lies in sex differences in the relationship between age-related cognitive decline and infection burden. She hopes to ultimately attend medical school and continue to perform research throughout her career.
Ms. Kate Alley
Ms. Kate Alley is an undergraduate student at Tulane University studying Art History and Communications. She is particularly interested in the history of design and the ways in which design is used to convey the cultural nuances of geography. Her work has been supported by a Paul Tulane Scholarship and a Tenenbaum Grant from Tulane University.
Dr. Kay Siebler
Presentation Title: Moving Beyond the Sex/Gender Binary: Acknowledging the Complexity of Girl/Boy and Man/Woman
Presentation Title: Moving Beyond the Sex/Gender Binary: Acknowledging the Complexity of Girl/Boy and Man/Woman
Dr. Erika K. Smith
Dr. Erika K. Smith (they/her) from the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University is a queer academic of Japanese and British heritage (hafu) and recognises their privileges from living and working on stolen land. Erika's PhD research explored the proposition that Australian representations of the Kokoda Track and WWII support and maintain colonial amnesia in Australia and perpetuate national myths, like ‘Australian identity’ and ‘Australian values’. Her research interests include diverse genders and sexualities research, social justice education, anti-colonial studies, and feminisms. Her current research project explores student-to-academic sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying across Australian universities. Erika's recent competitive funding/award successes include the 2024 Western Sydney University Researcher Development Award Women’s Fellowship, 2024 Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor’s Professional Development Scholarship, and the 2023 Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor’s Gender Equity Fund.
Dr. Nawar Al-Hassan Golley
Dr. Nawar Al-Hassan Golley is Professor in literary and critical theory and gender and women's studies at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Al-Hassan Golley worked at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, before joining AUS. She is the author of, Reading Arab Women's Autobiographies. Shahrazad Tells her Story, editor of Arab Women's Lives Retold. Exploring Identity Through Writing, co-editor of Mapping Arab Women’s Movements: A Century of Transformations from Within and Guest Editor of HAWWA: Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World’s Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Arab Women’s Autobiographical Narratives. Al-Hassan Golley developed the program in Women’s Studies at AUS, the first of its kind in the Gulf region and organized the first conference on Gender and Women’s Studies in the Arab Region in 2012. She is the recipient of the Research Award from the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Al-Hassan Golley adopts interdisciplinary approaches in her teaching and research.
Associate Professor Cate Thomas
Associate Professor Cate Thomas PhD (USyd), from Charles Sturt University Australia, has a diverse working and academic career, is a dynamic leader and strategic thinker. Her research focuses on intersectionality and gender equity in higher education to inform social change and reduce systemic and structural barriers for all. She is the founder of the Social Equality, Intersectionality and Inclusion Research Group with national and international membership. Cate was awarded the inaugural HERDSA Heroes in Higher Education Award (2021), the ANZSWWER Social Work Educator Award (2017), and is an Executive Committee member of the Gender and Education Association (UK).
Dr. Ngozi Dora Ulogu
Dr. Ngozi Dora Ulogu, Ph.D., Fnipr, is a Lecturer in the Department of English Language and Literature, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. She has the following educational qualifications: BA (Hons) English, (1997), PGDE (2001), MA Literature, (2005), Ph.D English and Literary Studies (2018), PGD Mass Communication (in view). She has the following awards: 2024 Early Career Conference Grant of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, ACU,; 2024 Impact Scholarship of The Leaders of Africa Research Institute, 2023 Ife Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowship, IIAS and Fellowship of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR. Ngozi loves meeting people and impacting her environment.
Dr. Orsolya Gergely
Dr. Orsolya Gergely is a sociologist, assistant professor at Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, from Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc, Romania. Her research focuses on the sociology of family and gender inequalities. She has actively participated in several international Erasmus+ projects, contributing to cross-cultural research and collaboration. Through her work, she aims to shed light on the dynamics of family life and the challenges posed by gender disparities in contemporary society. An active science communicator, she co-hosted a popular science vlog for five years and has been the host of a podcast for three years. Mother of two Gen Alpha daughters, enjoys traveling, hiking, and walking her two Labradors.
Prof. Tsuyako Nakamura
Prof. Tsuyako Nakamura is a tenured professor at Doshisha University. She studied sociology at the Graduate School of American Studies of Doshisha University and UC Santa Barbara. She was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Stanford and Harvard University (2009-2010) and was a president for the Japan Academy of Labor and Management (2021-2024). Her interest is becoming a catalyst in society and served for various occasions related to gender equality and work/life balance. She was a mentor/chaperone for TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program (2013) and received the U.S. Department State’s NOFO Award to organize a Speaker Forum on the Gender Gap (2023-2024).
Dr. Yiqing Virginia Yang
Dr. Yiqing Virginia Yang is Assistant Professor in Cultural and Creative Industries at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China. Her academic footprint exists around contemporary visual art and feminist theory, through concepts including phenomenology, new materialism, and semiotics. Dr Yang’s distinctive expertise is in identifying the cultural touchpoints in diverse works as a way to capture transient, fluid, or intra-secting moments where ideas meet. She has contributed to new understandings of contemporary installation/sculpture works produced by women artists and to challenge the current sociocultural binaries inherent in gender/power relations through the production of transcultural knowledge. Her research has been published in international journals and books. She is also the co-curator of two major exhibitions with MK Gallery, UK.
Dr. Alexandra Cheira
Dr. Alexandra Cheira is a researcher at CEAUL/ ULICES at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She holds a PhD in English Literature and Culture, with a dissertation focussing on A. S. Byatt’s fiction and critical work. Her current areas of research include contemporary women’s writing, gender and women’s studies, and wonder tales. She has published articles and book chapters on A. S. Byatt’s fiction, The One Thousand and One Nights, the conteuses, Victorian women writers and contemporary gendered sexual politics. She is the editor of (Re)Presenting Magic, (Un)Doing Evil: Of Human Inner Light and Darkness (2012), Wonder Tales in the Fiction of A. S. Byatt (2023), and Myth and Fairy Tale in Contemporary Fiction (2023). She translated A. S. Byatt’s “Cold” into Portuguese and wrote an introduction to the tale for Contar um Conto/ Storytelling (2014), an anthology of short fiction by contemporary British and Irish authors in translation.
Dr. Olanrewaju Adediran
Dr. Olanrewaju Adediran has a PhD in economics from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He has made significant contributions to the field through both research and teaching. He is an expert in handling both quantitative and qualitative analysis using both micro and macro datasets. His research areas of interest are econometrics, development, environmental, gender, health, and labour economics. He has published articles in high-impact peer-reviewed academic journals such as Economics and Human Biology, etc., and attended workshops and conferences locally and internationally. He is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Graduate School of Business Leadership, University of South Africa.
Dr. Sezen Demirhan
Dr. Sezen Demirhan holds a PhD in Gender and Women’s Studies from Turkey, focusing on women's experiences in living organ donation. Sezen is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg, investigating gender disparities in organ transplantation and the intersection of gender with medical decision-making. Their ongoing research examines the impact of gender on donors, patients, and healthcare professionals' approaches to organ donation and transplantation, using a comparative, cross-cultural framework. Sezen is particularly interested in advancing gender equity in healthcare and promoting more inclusive practices in organ transplantation in medicine.
Dr. Bianca Monteleone
Dr. Bianca Monteleone is a PhD candidate at Sapienza University of Rome, specializing in British sentimentalism, particularly the works of David Hume, and the moral and political thought of Mary Wollstonecraft. She was awarded a scholarship to complete her BA and MA studies at the higher education institution 'Scuola Normale Superiore' in Pisa. Her research seeks to bridge these historical perspectives with contemporary feminist discourse. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is a transfeminist activist in Italy, advocating for abortion access and the normalization of narratives surrounding abortion and reproductive self-determination. Her work reflects a commitment to integrating scholarly inquiry with activism in gender studies.
Dr. Fouzia Shahin
Dr. Fouzia Shahin has over twenty-five years of experience in higher education administration and gender and development research. She is currently serving as the Director of Academic Planning and External Links at Government College University Lahore. Dr. Shahin holds a Ph.D. holder in Gender Studies and has conducted in-depth research on various critical topics, including women's reproductive health, domestic violence, gender and higher education, gender and employment, women's empowerment, and projects related to Gender, Poverty, and Women.
Dr. Erika Magarelli
Dr. Erika Magarelli is a PhD student in Gender Studies at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy. She holds a master’s degree in International Cooperation from the University of Turin. Her main research areas include gender and violence, ideology, migration, and conflict and interpreting studies. Currently, her work focuses on language mediation, feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA), and the integration of ethics and self-care practices.
Marija Lončar
Assoc. Prof. Marija Lončar is an associate professor at the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split. She teaches methodological courses at the undergraduate and graduate study programs in sociology. Her scientific and research areas of interest are sociological methodology, research ethics, sociology of media, sociology of youth, and sociology of the body. She is a member of the Presidency of the Croatian Sociological Association and executive editor of the journal Croatian Sociological Review.
Dr. Francesca Filograsso
Dr. Francesca Filograsso is a clinical psychologist, PhD in Gender Studies at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy, trainee Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) therapist, and member of SITCC (Italian Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy). Her research focus is mainly on attachment theory, post-traumatic stress disorders, and developmental psychopathology. Her published academic work includes publications on childhood maltreatment and trauma focused interventions.
Ms.Izzy Fincher
Ms.Izzy Fincher is a master's degree student studying Classical Guitar Performance and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Journalism and BM in Guitar Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her work focuses on journalism, media and mass communication, popular music, intersectional feminism, racism, and LGBTQIA+ rights. Her article, "An Examination of Mainstream Media's Treatment of Female Guitarists" has been published in the Journal of Popular Music Studies.
Ms.Marion ELIE
Ms.Marion ELIE holds a Master's degree in Sociology, specialising in gender studies, and a Master's degree in Anthropology at EHESS Paris, France. Currently looking for a PhD, she worked for three years on a French panel of longitudinal studies and highlighted her methodological work on the analysis of open-ended questions in questionnaires. She conducted research on heterosexual conjugal sexuality and is particularly interested in anti-feminist movements, the influence of the dark romance on young women, and sexuality with endometriosis. She’s also head of the Data Analysis department of the Observatory of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education in France.
Mrs. Hulugalla W.M. Niranjala
Mrs. Hulugalla W.M. Niranjala is a PhD candidate in Economics at the Graduate School of Economics, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, and an Officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service. She holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture from Wayamba University, Sri Lanka, an M.Sc. from Hiroshima University, Japan, and a Diploma in Public Administration from the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration. Her research interests focus on social capital, voluntary participation, unethical behaviors, leadership, and gender in rural development. Currently, she is working on a project on leadership and gender in rural development in Sri Lanka.
Ms.Elif Çoban
Ms.Elif Çoban holds a BA and MA in Economics from Turkey, as well as an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the American University of Beirut, where she was a recipient of the Fellowship for Graduate Studies. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at Saint Joseph University of Beirut. Her research lies at the intersection of sociology, economics, and anthropology, fostering dialogue and exchange between these disciplines on key issues such as gender, migration, and social inequalities.
Mr. John Carlo Colot
Mr. John Carlo Colot is an accomplished academic practitioner currently pursuing Ph.D. in Political Science at De La Salle University has a robust background in public administration and entrepreneurship. He hold a Master's degree in Public Administration from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and have served as an Instructor and Quality Assurance Coordinator of the College of Political Science and Public Administration. His research interests focuses on public administration, gender equality, political science, political economy, and law.
Mrs. Nouf Alghofili
Mrs. Nouf Alghofili Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with First Class Honors, and a PGCert in Leadership and Women’s Studies. Currently, Nouf is pursuing a Master’s degree in Women’s Studies at Princess Noura University. With over five years of experience in public relations, Nouf is also an entrepreneur, actively managing a family business since 2017 in various industries. Her passion lies in empowering women and families, and deeply committed to integrating leadership principles into every facet of her work and academic pursuits
Lorenzo Belli
Lorenzo Belli (he/him) is currently a PhD student in the program of Political and Social Sciences at the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Spain. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from University of Bologna (Italy), a master’s degree with honors in Sociology and Social Research from University of Trento (Italy), and a master’s degree in Sociology and Demography from UPF. Lorenzo’s main academic interests include social and gender inequalities, gender-based violence, criminology and, youth and adulthood studies. He is currently working on the project “Life-course trajectories of abusers and victims of intimate partner violence (DONTHURTME)” lead by Prof. Jorge Rodríguez Menés.
Wenyi Hu
Wenyi Hu holds a Master’s degree in Digital Media: Critical Studies from University College London, and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Beijing Normal University. Her research interests include the intersection of digital media culture & postfeminism, online intimacy, and media representation of gender, especially from the standpoint of Chinese women. She is also a proud member of feminist and LGBTQ communities in China with her spare time doing voluntary work of writing blogs and raising donations for feminist NGOs. Now she is preparing to proceed to Ph.D. in the field of gender studies & media cultural studies.
Ms. Ana Sofia Monteiro Maia
Ms. Ana Sofia Monteiro Maia is a PhD candidate in Public Health at the University of Porto and the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. She holds a Master's degree in Sociology. Her research interests include the impact of gender inequalities on health and well-being, with a particular focus on healthy aging, and social policies.
Prof. Robert O’Mochain
Department of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto
Presentation Title: "Japan in the 21st century: Masculinities in Flux"