SPEAKERS 2018
ASHOK PANDEY
Mr Ashok Pandey, Ex. Chairman, National Progressive Schools Conference (NPSC) and Principal, Ahlcon International School has had a very long and accomplished career in education. He appears regularly in media both print and electronic for his comments. He has authored several articles, research papers, book reviews on subjects related to education, teacher development and technology.
Recipient of several awards including ‘National Award for Teacher’ (2012) and ‘CBSE Award’ (2009) for his contribution in Education and Community Development, Mr. Pandey is currently involved in issues such as School transformation, quality interventions, professional development of teachers, innovations in teaching-learning, technology integration, global peace and harmony and climate change issues. He has recently released his book on school education "The Pedagogical Life- Essays in Educating India".
Previous Speakers
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DR CHRIS ABBOTT
Dr Chris Abbott is Emeritus Reader in Assistive Technologies at King’s College London. He taught in special and mainstream schools for more than 20 years, ran the Inner London Educational Computing Centre, and was then at KCL for 20 years, where he founded the MA in Inclusive Education and Technology.
He was the Founding Editor of the Journal of Assistive Technologies and is a Trustee of Action for Children's Arts. He is also involved in various projects regarding the use of technology to ensure access to the arts for all. In addition to his academic publications about education, he is the author of books and papers about puppet theatre and pantomime, and he writes articles and reviews for Sardines theatre magazine.
BANI PAINTAL
Bani heads Google for Education in India. She has been with Google for over 9 years and her focus is to enable a large ecosystem to impact learning outcomes through Google’s products and platforms specifically designed for students and educators. Google's mission is to provide quality education to everyone in the world by organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful.
With over 18 years of experience, Bani has spearheaded many programs at Google impacting student learning and teacher professional development. Prior to Google, Bani was heading global communication at Infosys.
DR SWATI POPAT
Dr Swati Popat Vats is a global educator and has won many awards and holds many important positions in the field of early childhood education. She is the President of the Early Childhood Association of India, the national representative, and member of the planning committee of the World Forum Foundation and a member of the global Think Tank of Kidzania.
She is a global educator with over 32 years of experience, Swati helped set up the Euro Kids chain and was the expert behind TATASky's Active Whiz kids channel. She prefers to call herself a parenting mentor, as she believes every parent needs a friend, philosopher, and guide. When Star Plus and BBC got together to make the Indian adaptation of Super Nanny, it was Dr. Swati who was selected to be the Indian Super Nanny because she is frank, upfront, and logical with parents about parenting!
She has recently set up the world's first video-based parenting website Born Smart that helps parents understand the importance of brain development in the first 1000 days (birth to 3 years). Dr. Swati has written books for parents, teachers and children and she blogs, tweets about childhood, parenting and child rights regularly.
MATTHEW IVULICH
Matthew heads the Middle and Senior School at SNS Noida. An alumnus of the University of Western Australia and two Master's degrees in Science Education (Change Management) and Management & Leadership. He brings experiences as an educator and a leader with institutions in Australia and United Kingdom.
He has worked with reputed institutions such as Scotch College, Rugby School (UK), Trinity College, Wesley College, Methodist ladies; College, Corpus Christi College, Tranby College and St Mary's College. In his last role, he was associated with New Horizon Thinking as a Founder and Principal Consultant. He aims to be da driving force for the relationships between curriculum, technology, assessment, pedagogy and the needs for children in today's world. He believes in creating a teaching and learning environment that will deliver the 4C's of creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking.
MANIT JAIN
As the co-founder of the Heritage Group of Schools, Manit championed the cause of experiential learning, launching it successfully in the mainstream environment. He is driven by the cause of real and humane education and continues to advocate and address the need for re-imagining schools. He co-chairs FICCI’s school education arm in India.
Manit continues to found new ventures like ‘I am a Teacher’, a Post-graduate diploma in learning and teaching that is changing the paradigm of Teaching in India and now runs its second centre at the American School of Bombay. He holds a Masters degree in Education from Harvard University.
ARIJIT GHOSH
Arijit has been associated with the K-12 education domain for over 16 years now. Having a rich experience in the fields of policy advocacy, academic research, teacher training, teacher audits, curriculum design on 21st-century skills and digital innovation in the workspace, his strengths lie in mentoring action researchers to bring change in the classrooms and guiding leaders to bring about systemic changes in the schools.
Arijit has also been a professional quizmaster and was awarded with the global teacher accreditation award by Cambridge Foundation in 2014 for his work on quizzing.
Having started his career as a teacher, he has held senior positions at Macmillan Publishers India Limited, Pearson Education and British Council India. He is currently the VP, Education Quality Foundation of India, where he works towards helping institutions improve their quality of teaching-learning.
DR MONA MATHUR
Mona Mathur is the Founder and CEO of Million Sparks Foundation (MSF).
Mona is extremely passionate educationist and has been teaching for the past 29 years at both the K12 and Engineering Levels.
She continues to be an adjunct faculty at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. While working with STMicroelectronics in their Advanced Systems Technology Group, she led their industry-academia partnership initiative to setup a joint research lab at IIT Delhi. Mona is a PhD in the area of Neuro-Computing and Machine Learning, Masters in Technology from IIT Delhi, and Bachelors in Engineering from NSIT Delhi.
Mona has advised and contributed to several startups and non-profit organization in the area of Education.
VIPUL REDEY
At Khan Academy, Vipul helps schools make the most of their online learning resources in their classrooms. He has worked for Cisco, managing a large part of their multi-million dollar IT training and professional certifications portfolio.
As a CXO at Global Discovery Schools and Director of Academics at Pearson Schools India, he designed the daily classroom experience of thousands of students nationally.
He is a TED-Ed Innovative Educator, a TEDx Colombo speaker, and an alumnus of the Stanford University Graduate School of Education
ARUNDHATI MITTER
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Arundhati is Learning Experience Design strategist, drawing from over a decade of experience cross-pollinating within the sectors of Design, Culture and Education. Her work focuses on examining new models of learning at the intersection of these disciplines, framed within a human-centred design.
She runs a learning innovation company, Flow India, which works with a range of Engaged Cultural, experiential and enquiry-based methodologies, supporting its stakeholders in making the real world, accessible, relevant and sustainable as a resource for learning.
Trained as an interpretive planner and designer for cultural exhibits and communication systems at NID Ahmedabad, she has worked on a number of public and private museum projects across India including the Viraasat-e-Khalsa, Punjab and the Amar Singh Kanota Museum, Jaipur and continue to provide strategic consultancy in this space.
SARITA SHARMA
Sarita is Co-Founder and who leads the Academic Team at TheTeacherApp, New Delhi. Her prime responsibilities include managing and mentoring the academic team, developing technology products for teachers’ professional development, innovating processes and ensuring quality. She holds a keen interest in helping people and systems to develop their knowledge, skills and attitude using constructivist pedagogy.
Prior to her engagement at TheTeacherApp, Sarita has taught in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi for 7 years. She headed Curriculum Development and Teacher Educators’ Team for the next 6 years at CurriMakers Education Private Limited. She has worked with theatre groups like Jana Natya Manch, Delhi as an actor, member of the executive committee and editorial board and Herithart as an actor, director and writer. She is a freelance teacher trainer with British Council for their Core Skills Programme.
NOORA F NOUSHAD
Is a pioneer in Digital Literacy & Maker - Centered Pedagogy. Noora is a published learning scientist who has led multiple initiatives on imparting mobile computing skills to middle school students across public and private schools in the United States of America. She led the research on the Milken-funded project, Code for Philadelphia, a curriculum that focused on building students' engagement in STEM through the creation of mobile apps.
Her work has been presented at Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Conference in London and published in the International Journal of Learning Sciences. An alumnus of The University of Pennsylvania where she holds an M.S.Ed in Learning Sciences and Technology. At Heritage Xperiential Learning School, she pioneers Design Thinking and Maker Mindset as part of the curriculum, further driving the school's experiential and project-based pedagogy.
ARUNABH SINGH
Mr. Arunabh Singh is a committed Educationist and Innovator and promotor of Nehru World School. An Alumnus of Kings College London and Hindu College, Delhi University, Arunabh has been honoured with “Innovation in Progress” Fellowships for two consecutive years at World Round Table Conference for Educational Leadership and “Global Teacher Accreditation” award from Cambridge Foundation for his action research on Continuing Professional Development of Teachers.
Mr. Singh is Co-chair - North of FICCI ARISE and a British Council School Ambassador. Alongside he is associated with other International Organisations such as Goethe Institute, Tony Blair Faith Foundation and CBSE. He frequently participates in TV debates and speaks on various national and international forums across the globe on topics primarily concerning education and progressive learning.
RUCHIRA GHOSH
Ms Ruchira Ghosh is the Region Director South Asia for Cambridge International Examinations. She is responsible for strengthening trust and credibility and influencing growth and a better understanding of Cambridge qualifications across South Asia.
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A passionate education professional and a keen learner herself, she has worked with school heads an teachers, both in the private and state sectors through different interesting portfolios over the last 17 years. Prior to joining Cambridge, Ruchira worked with the British Council for 11 years where she played a key role in initiating and expanding British Council Educational initiatives.
She firmly believes that the three pillars of school education - Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment - require equal attention and careful nurturing within the local context.
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ABHA ADAMS
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Ms Abha Adams, Advisor, Step by Step School Noida is a member of the founding team. Ms Adams joined SBS in 2006 and helped conceptualize, plan and envision the school.
An alumna and member of the faculty of English at Lady Shri Ram College, Mrs Adams has a second postgraduate degree from the University of Leeds.
With 37 years of experience in Indi and the UK, her career span education, media and arts management. In the UK she has worked with the University of Leeds, BBC North and the Arts Council.
She has spent thirteen years as Director of the Shri Ram Schools, writes extensively on education and is presently serving as a member on the Boards of the Assam Valley School, Ahvaan Trust and the Fab India Education Trust. Her passion remains theatre and the performing arts.
MATHU SHALINI
Mathu Shalini is currently India Strategist at Khan Academy where she leads work with schools and with strategic partners. At her current job, she is thoroughly excited about creating equal opportunities to every child. Prior to this, she was a member of the Indian Administrative Service of the 2008 batch and served in Uttar Pradesh cadre.
During her training at the LBS National Academy of Administration Mussoorie, she was the recipient of the Director's Gold Medal in Law & Economics.
A topper throughout her academic journey, she also enjoys reading, crafting, cooking and forever learning to do something new".
RITTIKA PARRUCK
Ms Rittika Parruck began her career as a research fellow at the Bose Institute Kolkata on a CSIR fellowship. After four years in the laboratory, she began a new career in teaching. The six years she spent teaching science and particularly biology to middle and secondary school students were the most enjoyable years of her life. She introduced her school to international exchanges, facilitated the school's membership to Round Square and led the school's first bid for the International School Award and Global School Partnership grant.
She joined the British Council in 2005 as the project manager for North India. Currently, she is the Assistant Director Schools for British Council, India and responsible for the strategic direction of British Council's school programme in India. Today the British Council schools programme offers a wide range of products and services to schools from every segment across India.
LATA VAIDYANATHAN
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Ms. Lata Vaidyanathan (M.Sc. M.Ed.), the former Principal, Modern School Barakhamba Raod, is a veteran educationist who is dedicated and committed to promoting child-centred education. During her illustrious career spanning over two decades, she has spearheaded the movement for ensuring burden-free education & joyful learning for children. She firmly believes that each child is unique and that the educational system should facilitate and address the uniqueness and individuality of each child. According to her, art, music, dance, sports and other cultural activities form an integral part of education.
She has visited twenty-one schools and six universities including Harvard in the U.S.A. She has authored many books for pre-primary and primary school children.
She has been honoured with the ‘National Award to Teachers’ in 2003 by the President of India
Dr. ALOK BAJPAI
Dr. Alok Bajpai is a Consultant Psychiatrist an IIT Kanpur. He was trained in Psychiatry at NIMHANS Bangalore. After Senior Residency he joined Regency Hospital, Kanpur as Consultant Psychiatrist. He has also Worked as Consultant Psychiatrist in Australia for the Australian government.
Apart from practising general Psychiatry, his consistent focus and work have been with child and adolescent mental health, and he has established a child and adolescent mental health centre.
He has been instrumental in awareness campaigns and workshops especially with schools and training teachers aimed at increasing sensitivity towards childhood problems.
RITA KAPUR
Ms Kapur, recipient of the National Award- 2004 for Teachers by President of India, has more than 30 years of experience in teaching, counselling, training and administration. Her passion to work for the underprivileged section of the society inspired her to establish a DPSG school for the underprivileged children. Whilst at DPSG, she worked on innovative projects initiated by NCERT and IIT, Delhi.
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These efforts evolved an Indian substitute for the Kindergarten and Montessori system, which is being used all across the country. She was the leading light to empower the student and teacher community and establish lasting ties between countries/schools such as Singapore-Raffles, Germany – Waldorf group of schools and others in Australia, UK and USA. At Gyanshree, she seeks to better her previous accomplishments in the area of pedagogy.
ANNIE NATRAJAN
Ms. Annie Natarajan's career spans both Government and Fee paying schools in the UK and India. She has also taught in Japan, the USA and New Zealand.
She is a member of the inaugural cohort of Future Leaders and was Chair of Governors at an Inner London Primary School. Annie was also a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth offices FGM forum and the Metropolitan Polices FGM Focus Group where she advised on education in British Schools.
Her work in India has included being a founding member of STIR Education, an NGO that works with low cost private and Government Schools across India. She works with schools on improving Teaching and Learning. She is also on the Board of Nehru World School and advises on recruitment and retention.
VIKRAMJIT SINGH ROOPRAI
Vikramjit Singh Rooprai is a Heritage Activist and Educator, who took upon the mission to promote its forgotten heritage through unconventional channels. He established India's largest Heritage-Photography Club and is also the founder of Youth for Heritage Foundation.
Vikramjit recently started Heritageshaala, where he setups Heritage Labs in schools and colleges, to help students learn History through Physics, Chemistry, Maths and various other subjects.
Vikramjit started his career as an IT Consultant and is still on the panels of many international brands. He also consults for many Heritage Conservation organisations. ​
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MAMTA KAPOOR
Ms Kapoor is an advisor to the Step By Step School Noida and leads its Teaching and Learning and Professional Development. With over 15 years in education, she has spent 10 years in education in the UK and her assignments covered Head of Science Faculty and Deputy Head of Skinners’ Company’s School for Girls, London. Presently pursuing an MSc in Leadership and Management from the University of Leicester UK,
Ms. Kapoor is a highly motivated and passionate trainer and brings with her a wealth of experience in innovative teaching and learning methodologies and school management systems. A nature enthusiast, she enjoys travelling and photography.
HARLEEN MOHANTY
Harleen is passionate about creating such a learning environment at Vega, a school without boundaries. Harleen has been exposed to this entire cycle of expression and experience, during her academic journey at various educational institutions across the globe. She has been on the faculty of prestigious schools like Amity International and Heritage School. She headed Presidium, Dwarka, New Delhi; a school which won various laurels like getting ISA (International School Award) by the British Council in the year 2015.
Under her leadership, the students undertook several projects in collaboration with schools in Australia and US. She has contributed towards teacher training, including on project-based learning.
Harleen believes successful and meaningful contribution to society requires individuality, creativity and independent higher order thinking.
SATWANT PALEKAR
Ms. Palekar, Regional School Director, West India, Mount Litera Zee Schools, a passionate teacher educator and leader with a vast experience of executing academic quality interventions.
She still considers herself as a teacher as it helps her to connect with GEN Z and understand the impact of core skills in curriculum. Being a British Council Ambassador and Core Skills Trainer with the British council she has been awarded with Global Teacher Accreditation from Cambridge University, she has also pursued her leadership in education management from West Georgia University Atlanta.
Ms. Palekar has organized and has been a part of leadership exchange program with schools in USA, UK and Russia Ms. Palekar frequently contributes to articles in education at ACER ( Australian Council in Education and Research) Teacher Magazine, she is an assessor and trainer with NABET, Quality Council of India which helps her interweave quality management systems at schools with ease.
SHILADITYA GHOSH
Shil comes with an experience of working with several schools across India and the Middle East, particularly in the curriculum space and teaching & learning initiatives. He started his journey with Shri Ram School, as a teacher, Vice Principal, and as a subject committee member with CISCE and as an Examiner with IB. He also published Social Science textbooks for the middle school, for the ICSE.
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In his past roles, particularly while developing the XSEED curriculum, Shil has coached teachers, school leaders across the country and supported schools. In his last assignment, as a Director for curriculum and training, at Shiv Nadar Foundation for VidyaGyan Schools, he was helping teachers to develop a curriculum specifically geared to bring up rural children at par with the children from privileged backgrounds in urban India.
He continues to look for meaningful work opportunities with teachers, in the classroom with various organisations, ranging from high-end NCR schools to poor schools in society.
SEEMA GUPTA
Head, BW Education and Former Product Manager: digitalLEARNING magazine also consults on several fronts, including Mergers and Acquisitions in the area of Educational Institutes, Branding of institutions, organising Events Promoting betterment of education in India.
She has got several years of extensive experience in branding and Marketing of educational institutions.She is an architect by academics who took on the understanding of English Literature and Computer Applications in order to build his diversified understanding and has now ventured into mergers and acquisitions of institutions as well as helping institutions to acquire capital for growth and improvement.
Passionate about design, art, technology and quality education delivery; She brought together all these to bring about common platforms for all education stakeholders to meet and discuss best practices trying to bring about change in present state of education.
M V KUMAR
Mr. Kumar (Aka ANNA) completed his Chemical Engineer from I I T, Delhi has had his long innings in the corporate world with well-known Indian and multi-national companies including 17 years as MD and CEO. He has been a member of Executive Committees of Trade and Business Associations like Indian Drug Manufacturers Association, Indo-Asean -Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce, Indo-Australia Chamber of Commerce, Indian Paper Mills Association and Drugs Advisory Board of Govt of India.
His association with the Krishnamurti Schools dates back over two decades and he has also served as senior Programme Leader and a member of the core group of Heritage School, Gurgaon and Director Academics of Presidium Group of Schools.
He is currently Consulting Shiv Nadar School and Step by Step school and continues to add value to the field of education thru his tireless efforts.
CHARU BAJAJ
Charu is a first generation entrepreneur and has sixteen years of experience in academics and training. She is the Founder CEO of ‘Skills And You’, an NSDC certified organisation which primarily works on Teacher Empowerment Programs.
Her passion lies in training the school teachers and leaders on innovative pedagogies and curriculum. She has also worked on Setting-Up New Schools and School Transformation projects.
She has been instrumental in creating Kindergarten Learning Programs and Language Development Programs for children.
She is a certified assessor from NABET( Quality Council Of India) and has her training certification from Dale Carnegie
SHALINI NAMBIAR
Listed as one of the four most influential women in Gurgaon, Shalini has published numerous articles and has been a key speaker at several workshops. Her varied interests include mountaineering, rappelling, sky diving, river rafting, writing and music.
Before taking over as the Deputy Director at Gems Education, Shalini was Director of Excelsior American School, Gurgaon, and, before that, Headmistress of Heritage School, Gurgaon.
Shalini believes education should be child-centred and aimed at nurturing rather than imposing facts, figures and theories. Her pioneering ideas have seen her win several awards including Outstanding School Leader, 2016, Woman Leaders Icon in Education, 2015, Glory of India Award, 2013, Excellence in Education Award, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, Indira Gandhi Woman Achiever's Award, 2011 Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, 2010, International Gold Star Award, 2010 and Bharat Jyoti Award for Education, 2010 to name a few.
GAYATREE ANAND
Ms. Anand pursued her Masters in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. She has been a Teach for India fellow and has worked with Ark as a consultant to the government of Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, developing a framework to assess the quality of schools and create individualised school improvement plans for public schools.
She has been an advisor to Ark to define standards and develop curriculum for its first school that started in New Delhi. She has also been a consultant with British Council where she led the research on quality of schools and their assessment in India.
Gayatree is a graduate from Lady Shri Ram College and an MBA from FORE School of Management, she is motivated to re-define what education is and change the perspectives around the purpose of schooling.
ANURADHA RAI
Ms Rai has a rich academic and administrative experience of over two decades in reputed schools including Delhi Public School R K Puram New Delhi and St Mary's School Pune. A post graduate in English Literature and a BEd, she is the recipient of the prestigious 'Teaching Excellence and Achievement Fellowship' of the US Department of State and IREX in 2010, and the State Teacher Award by the Federation of Public Schools (2012).
Her two year stay in Holland and experience and training in Montana along with her internship in Bozeman High School has added to her vision and given her a firsthand understanding of the international best practices in education. An impassioned leader with several innovative ideas, Mrs Rai has a burning zeal to make education relevant to the needs of the present times. According to her, childhood is a magical period in one's life, a fact that is often forgotten during the planning and transaction of the curriculum. Her endeavour is to ensure that education is meaningful and enjoyable. She is inspired by Kipling and believes that one must dream big, and then make those dreams come true.