Keynote Speakers

Prof. Hans Rosling

PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH

Hans Rosling is professor of International Health at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Even the most worldly and well-traveled among us will have their perspectives shifted by the professor of global health. His current work focuses on dispelling common myths about the so-called developing world, which (he points out) is no longer worlds away from the west. In fact, most of the third world is on the same trajectory toward health and prosperity, and many countries are moving twice as fast as the west did.

What sets Rosling apart isn’t just his apt observations of broad social and economic trends, but the stunning way he presents them through Gapminder, a remarkable trend-revealing software he created. By any logic, a presentation that tracks global health and poverty trends should be, in a word: boring. But in Rosling’s hands, data sings. Trends come to life and the big picture snaps into sharp focus.

When working as doctor in Mozambique he discovered a formerly unrecognized paralytic disease that his research group named konzo. His research concerns links between economy and health in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Now the global health professor is looking at the bigger picture, increasing our understanding of social and economic development. Hans Rosling is the founder of Gapminder Foundation. He has been adviser to WHO and UNICEF, he co-founded Médecines sans Frontiers in Sweden, and he published a textbook on Global Health.

Prof. Charles Hopkins

UNESCO CHAIR REORIENTING TEACHER EDUCATION TO ADDRESS SUSTAINABILITY, AND UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY CHAIR FOR EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

"ESD is one of the more powerful tools for preparing civilizations for the future. There is hope if we begin to collaborate on a global scale to see a more sustainable future for all as the ultimate goal of humanity."

Charles Hopkins is at York University in Toronto where he holds both a UNESCO Chair and a United Nations University Chair. The UNESCO Chair coordinates an international network of teacher education institutions working upon the reorientation of teacher education to address sustainable development. The UNU Chair focuses upon the role of ESD in community development. Hopkins is an advisor to UNESCO and UNU regarding the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD). He played major roles in both the Rio and Johannesburg UN Summits on Sustainability. He was an author of Chapter 36 of Agenda 21, the Rio Earth Summit Action Plan on Education, Public Awareness and training. Previously, Mr. Hopkins was a Superintendent with the Toronto Board of Education.

Richard Gerver

INSPIRATIONAL LEADER & EDUCATOR

Richard Gerver is an associate of Sir Ken Robinson and is featured in his new book 'The Element'. He works as a consultant on creativity, leadership and education and has been described as ‘One of the most inspirational leaders of his generation.’

Richard Gerver is a former actor who gained his reputation leading a school on the brink of failure to global recognition within five years. As a result he won a highly prestigious National Teaching Award in 2005. The ideas about creativity that led to this success echo many of Sir Ken's and implemented them in a practical setting. He has worked as a policy consultant to the British Government and a variety of its agencies including the QCA and the National College of School Leadership. His work transcends education and is now having a major impact on organisations around the world including; UNESCO, The British Council, Skanska, The Welsh Government and The National Federation of Enterprise Agencies.

Now the Director of two companies: IC-ED and Ninja Kids, he works to share his unique vision of leading people in the 21st century and promoting creativity and innovation across all sectors and through all forms of media but his passion lies as a speaker. He deals with the issues that face us all in our lives today and the lives of our children tomorrow: Creativity, Risk, Innovation, Leadership, Technology and Wellbeing.