Keynote speakers
Prof. Aline Germain-Rutherford
Full Professor, University of Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
Biography
Dr. Aline Germain-Rutherford is a full professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. Former Vice-Provost of Academic Affairs and Associate Vice-President of Teaching and Learning at the University of Ottawa, she has dedicated her career to educational innovation and digital learning environments. Since 2008, she has been collaborating with the Council of Europe's European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) and recently joined the Camerise Communities project and its executive committee. Her research focuses on faculty professional development, plurilingualism and multiculturalism in language education, as well as the integration of technologies and active approaches in online training. A guest speaker in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, she is also a recipient of the 3M National Teaching Award, a prestigious Canadian award that honours excellence and leadership in higher education.
Conference Title and Abstract
À l’ère de l’IA, que devient l’humain ? Cultiver l’agentivité en éducation face aux intelligences artificielles.
À l’heure où l’intelligence artificielle transforme profondément les pratiques éducatives, déplaçons un moment notre regard : au-delà des usages, elle interroge la place de l’humain et la question centrale de l’agentivité. Comment former des apprenants et des enseignants capables de penser, de juger et d’agir dans des environnements de plus en plus médiés par des intelligences artificielles ? Entre promesses d’augmentation et risques de délégation, il s’agit de réinventer une éducation profondément humaine à l’ère de l’IA.
Prof. Abdeljalil Akkari
Full Professor, University of Geneva (Switzerland)
Biography
Professor Akkari is a Full Professor of International and Comparative Dimensions of Education at the University of Geneva. He previously taught at the University of Fribourg and the University of Maryland (USA). His main research focuses on intercultural and multilingual education, the internationalization of education policies, the digitalization of teaching, and international cooperation in education. He has published several books, including Intercultural Approaches in Education (Presses de l’Université Laval, 2019) and Education for Global Citizenship (Springer, 2020). He has also recently developed two MOOCs available on Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/): “Cultures and Pedagogies” and “Internationalization of Education: Global Issues & Trends.
Conference Title and Abstarct
Changing Assessment in Higher Education to Adapt to AI
Over the past decades, universities have implemented reforms to strengthen ties with their socio-economic environment, notably through the professionalization of certain programs. However, higher education remains relatively conservative, as academic actors still retain significant autonomy in steering institutional evolution. The rapid and widespread arrival of AI in universities calls for radical changes—particularly in assessment practices. It is essential to raise students’ awareness of AI’s advantages and limitations and require transparency in its use for academic work and evaluations. This presentation focuses on the necessary shifts in assessment methods to adapt to AI integration. It proposes practical strategies to redesign academic evaluations, ensuring that student outputs reflect their own work. AI can support skill development, but only if university assessment undergoes a profound transformation.
Dr. Bakary Diallo
Digital Transformation Expert, Founder of Subula e.U. (www.subula.com) Vienna (Austria)
Biography
Dr. Bakary Diallo is a digital transformation expert and the founder of Subula e.U., a consulting company specializing in artificial intelligence and digital education, based in Vienna, Austria. With over 20 years of experience, he served as President of the African Virtual University, an intergovernmental organization specializing in digital education. He is currently teaching in a Master’s program in Digital Education Leadership at the University of Nova Gorica in Slovenia. He is also a former part-time professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa and former an educational developer consultant at the uOttawa's Teacher and Learning Support Services. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Ottawa. He recently completed a program at MIT Sloan on AI strategies for business. He has received six international awards, including the 2017 Leadership Award from Open Education Global and the 2014 Institutional Award from the International Council for Distance Education.
Conference Title and Abstract
Artificial Intelligence and Optimization of Educational Processes
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming education by enabling personalized learning and optimizing pedagogical and administrative processes. It also boosts competitiveness in the private sector by reducing costs and timelines. However, its ethical and responsible integration remains a challenge, particularly in policy development, data governance, and staff training. Despite cultural and ethical concerns, AI is becoming indispensable. This presentation examines its predictive, detection, and automation capabilities, highlights practical use cases, and advocates for a human-centered approach to strengthen institutional performance, especially in resource-constrained regions such as Africa and Asia.
Julien Leclair-Dionne
Directeur des partenariats, du développement et de l'innovation à l’Institut de développement professionnel (IDP) de l’Université d’Ottawa et professeur à temps partiel en technologies émergentes
Biography
Julien Leclair-Dionne est professeur à temps partiel à l’École de gestion Telfer et directeur des partenariats, du développement et de l’innovation à l’Institut de développement professionnel (IDP) à l'université d'Ottawa. Fort de plus de 20 ans d’expérience comme dirigeant technologique chez Accenture, IBM, SAP et Workday, il a piloté des initiatives stratégiques à grande échelle pour des organisations telles que Google, Pfizer, Comcast, U.S. Bank et le gouvernement du Canada. Son expertise porte sur l’intelligence artificielle, la préparation de la main-d’œuvre, les capacités nationales et la transformation organisationnelle dans un contexte d’accélération technologique. Julien Leclair-Dionne est titulaire d’un MBA de Cornell, d’un baccalauréat en génie logiciel. Il est ingénieur professionnel (P.Eng.), coach certifié ICF PCC et ceinture noire Six Sigma, il a été récompensé par le prix Ottawa Forty Under 40.
Conference Title and Abstract
Le déficit de préparation en IA : une menace stratégique pour les nations qui tardent à agir
Les nations qui tardent à intégrer l’intelligence artificielle à leurs capacités stratégiques ne prennent pas seulement du retard. Elles creusent un écart qui deviendra de plus en plus difficile à combler. Ce déficit de préparation n’est pas seulement technologique. Il touche directement la souveraineté, la résilience institutionnelle, la compétitivité économique et la capacité d’action de l’État.
Cette présentation examine l’écart croissant entre la vitesse d’évolution de l’IA et la capacité des gouvernements, des institutions publiques et de la base industrielle à l’adopter efficacement. Elle propose un cadre concret pour passer d’une posture réactive à un véritable avantage stratégique, en s’appuyant sur les leçons des nations qui ont agi tôt et sur les signaux d’alarme observés chez celles qui tardent encore.