Speakers at the 2026 Annual Event
Day 1 - General Assembly & Grundtvig Award
Marta Jendeková has over 25 years of professional experience in the non-formal adult education sector as a trainer, project manager and researcher. She focuses on making civic, green and sustainability competences accessible to the public, also through online learning. She is EAEA's vice-president and a member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak umbrella organisation of AE institutions (AIVD SK).
Raffaela Kihrer is Secretary General at the EAEA and has extensive experience in advocacy and policy on adult learning and education at the European and international level, with a particular focus on citizenship and development. She is also an elected Vice-President of the Lifelong Learning Platform which brings together all sectors of education. Her background is in International Development Studies, and she is a trained teacher in secondary school education and adult learning.
Dearbháil Lawless is vice-president at EAEA and Chief Executive Officer in AONTAS, the National Learning Organisation in Ireland. Dearbháil attended at the UNESCO CONFINTEA VII conference in 2022 as an Irish national delegate. Her background in education includes teaching in community education, Further Education and Training and lecturing in Higher Education.
Anna Skocz is EAEA's board member and a certified trainer at the NGO Trainers Association sTOP, an intercultural educator and coach specialising in the Points of You method (Level 3 Expert) and the Solution-Focused Approach. She delivers international and intercultural trainings for Polish and foreign organisations. In addition, she is also coordinator and initiator of the Quality in Non-formal Adult Education and Learning (Q-ALE) project.
Oleg Smirnov is EAEA's vice-president and Director of DVV International’s Ukraine Country Office. He's an expert in adult education, civil society development and intercultural dialogue with over 30 years of experience. He is a founding member and current board member of the Integration and Development Centre for Information and Research (Max van der Stoel Award 2009), where he has led initiatives to promote interethnic understanding and civic engagement, including the development of the Culture of Good Neighbourhood course. His work focuses on strengthening adult education systems at learner, institutional and policy levels.
Lauri Tuomi is the CEO of the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation and the President of EAEA. Moreover, he serves as the Vice President of the Finnish Association for Adult Education. He is a member of Finland's UNESCO Commission and Finland's Prime Minister's Commission on Sustainable Development. Lauri holds a doctorate in strategic management as well as a teaching qualification.
Greta Pelucco is Senior EU Public Affairs Coordinator at EAEA. With a background in human rights, diplomacy, and corporate sustainability, she navigates European institutions to advance policies linking education, democracy, and social change. She is specialized in political analysis. Her work examines how power operates through learning systems, how education can shape awareness or serve political agendas and turns this insight into strategies that strengthen civic participation and democratic resilience across Europe.
Day 2 - Conference, panel & workshops
Agnieszka Borek is a certified trainer and supervisor with over 20 years of experience working with adult learners and social sector organisations. She is President of the NGO Trainers’ Association sTOP, President of the Management Board of Valores Foundation – Poland’s first venture philanthropy fund, and Managing Director of the Social Business Accelerator at PSIK. She specialises in well-being, resilience and sustainable leadership in mission-driven organisations, designing experiential learning processes that strengthen psychological safety, personal agency and inner balance.
Andrea Filippo Calabria is the Responsible of the Art, Culture, Design and Gamification Department at CEIPES ETS. He is an experienced trainer working in both youth and adult education, facilitating workshops based on non-formal education methodologies. His work focuses on the use of theatre, digital media and gamification as tools for learning, participation and community engagement.
Irene Capozzi has a Master’s Degree in Cooperation for Development and has implemented social projects for many years in the non-profit sector in Italy, in different regions of Europe and in developing countries. She has more than 10 years expertise as a trainer in non-formal education and in local and European project development and management.
Gustav Fridolin is EAEA's board member and an adult educator at Stockholm City Mission Folk High School and a doctoral student in adult education at the University of Gothenburg. He also has a background in politics, having served as Sweden’s Minister for Education from 2014 to 2019.
Alicja Gałązka is a professor at the University of Silesia, a psychotherapist, pedagogue, psychologist, linguist, an internationally licensed coach and an international master trainer of Positive Psychology, NLP and Mindfulness. President of ICI (International Coaching Institute) in Poland and Head of the Educational Centre FUTURE in Poland. An active member of the Psychotherapeutic Association and Positive Psychology & Mindfulness, a regional adviser for Trinity College London in Poland, working in two main sectors: medicine and education.
Marina Sakač Hadžić is EAEA’s Communications, Capacity-Building, and Membership Officer. She manages and supports EAEA’s internal and external, and project communication. In capacity-building and membership, she supports members and helps facilitate trainings and other EAEA events. Marina has an MSc in Social and Cultural Anthropology from KULeuven, interested in gender and menstrual studies; she brings her academic and professional experience to build effective communication.
Raffaela Kihrer is Secretary General at the EAEA and has extensive experience in advocacy and policy on adult learning and education at the European and international level, with a particular focus on citizenship and development. She is also an elected Vice-President of the Lifelong Learning Platform which brings together all sectors of education. Her background is in International Development Studies, and she is a trained teacher in secondary school education and adult learning.
Musa Kirkar has a Master’s degree in Governance and Human Rights (LUISS), ISIPM Project Management certification from the Italian Institute of Project Management, and a postgraduate Master’s degree in Management and Rights of Third Sector Organisations (University of Florence). Since 2021, he has been a member of ISIPM – Association of Project Management Professionals. He is EAEA's board member and founder and director of CEIPES, with over 20 years of experience, responsible for organisational policy, strategic goals and overseeing the functioning of departments and offices.
Irena Lipowicz is a Polish lawyer and diplomat, professor of social sciences in the field of legal sciences, member of the Sejm (Polish Parliament) in its first, second and third terms, Polish Ambassador to Austria from 2000 to 2004, and Ombudsman from 2010 to 2015. In 2024–2025, she was a member of the Government Commission for the Investigation of Russian and Belarusian Influence on the Internal Security and Interests of the Republic of Poland between 2004 and 2024. She is a full professor at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (UKSW) in Warsaw.
Marcin Mitzner is the programme director of Ale Granda game agency, a trainer and creator of over 500 educational games. A graduate of the Institute of Applied Social Sciences, the Academy of Special Education and the School of Group Training. He has implemented gamification projects for, among others, the National Cultural Center, the Polish History Museum, Orange Foundation, Foundation for Civic Education, Cała Polska Czyta Dzieciom and the Pilecki Institute in Berlin. Marcin is a member and collaborator of NGO Trainers Association sTOP, focusing on educational game design.
Maria Gonçalves Ribeiro is Policy and Project Coordinator at the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA). She works on access, basic skills, intergenerational fairness and digitalisation in education. Maria has experience in coordinating social projects, as well as supporting policy and advocacy activities. Her background is in Economics and Cultural Studies and is certified trainer. Passionate about the intersections between education, culture and social affairs.
Mathilda Obbel is a Folk High School teacher at Angered Folk High School in Gothenburg region. She has a master's degree in Adult Learning and Global Change. Since 2025 she is also a union representative in the Swedish Teachers' Union, division Folk High School.
Greta Pelucco is a specialist in international relations and business human rights, with a strong focus on the intersection of policy, advocacy, and civic engagement. Currently serving as Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), she has experience in the context of civic lobbying, as well as leading and coordinating civic and social projects. Passionate about international and European public affairs and their intersections with social justice, human rights, and democratic governance.
Benedetta Perego is a Criminal and human rights lawyer admitted before the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation and strategic litigator committed to using the law as a tool for systemic change. Co-Founder of the Freccia Law Firm, member of the litigation team at Antigone, and President & Co-Founder of StraLi. Her focus is on detention conditions, fundamental rights, and the protection of marginalized communities.
Karolina Pisz is a trainer and facilitator specialising in equality, sustainable development and experiential learning, supporting groups and NGOs in related processes. Her work is grounded in active methods and game-based approaches, with a strong focus on testing solutions in practice. A board member of sTOP and a lecturer at the University of Opole, she cooperates on international projects, including Q-ALE – Quality in Adult Learning and Education.
Tomas Rosengren is Chair of the Swedish Teachers´ Unions Folk high School branch, member of the board of the Nordic Council of Folk High Schools, Folk High School teacher for 20 years at Strömbäcks Folk High School. He has a past within YMCA where he was vice chairman of the national board for six years and one year as acting secretary general. Has an active past within YMCA's international work and has worked with leadership and group development within the organization nationally and internationally.
Anna Skocz is EAEA's board member and a certified trainer at the NGO Trainers Association sTOP, an intercultural educator and coach specialising in the Points of You method (Level 3 Expert) and the Solution-Focused Approach. She delivers international and intercultural trainings for Polish and foreign organisations. In addition, she is also coordinator and initiator of the Quality in Non-formal Adult Education and Learning (Q-ALE) project.
Oleg Smirnov is EAEA's vice-president and Director of DVV International’s Ukraine Country Office. He's an expert in adult education, civil society development and intercultural dialogue with over 30 years of experience. He is a founding member and current board member of the Integration and Development Centre for Information and Research (Max van der Stoel Award 2009), where he has led initiatives to promote interethnic understanding and civic engagement, including the development of the Culture of Good Neighbourhood course. His work focuses on strengthening adult education systems at learner, institutional and policy levels.
Yvonne Stenmark is a teacher at a university of applied sciences at Yrgo, vocational education in Sweden. In addition to her role as a teacher, she is also a board member of the Swedish Teachers' Union.
Lauri Tuomi is the CEO of the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation and the President of EAEA. Moreover, he serves as the Vice President of the Finnish Association for Adult Education. He is a member of Finland's UNESCO Commission and Finland's Prime Minister's Commission on Sustainable Development. Lauri holds a doctorate in strategic management as well as a teaching qualification.
Benton Wolgers is a folk high school teacher at Birkagården folk high school in Stockholm. He is in the board of Swedish teachers' union. He is also in the board of Karibu Global, a Swedish-based association with the aim of building relations and strengthening ties with ALE in Tanzania and Ukraine. His main focus is democracy and human rights.
Ewa Duda-Maciejewska is an Educator, learning experience designer, strategist, and researcher. She is a co-creator of the Academic Centre of Excellence and a researcher of regenerative educational experiences at the Doctoral School of The Maria Grzegorzewska University. She is a trainer and board member of the NGO Trainers’ Association sTOP, and a member of the Polish Educational Research Association, the International Sociological Association, and the The Creative Revolution community. She also represents the Sectoral Council for Competences in Marketing Communication and the BKL 3.0 Expert Group and is active EPALE Ambassador.
Balazs Nemeth is board member of EAEA and professor at the University of Pécs, Hungary. He succeeded in getting the UNESCO Learning Cities Program recognized in Hungary and organized the first Learning Festival in Pécs in 2017, as well as Pécs becoming an UNESCO Global Learning City. His work mainly in the support of collaborations with Higher Education in ALE and Lifelong Learning. By being an advocate of quality development of ALE, he devotes most of his time to support participatory actions of EAEA in association with partnerships with European and international bodies working for better policies dedicated to inclusion, equity be combined with outreach, guidance.
Marianne Müller is EAEA's board member and Senior Project Manager for International Affairs and Research at the Swiss Federation for Adult Learning (SVEB). With over a decade of professional experience in the field of adult education, she has gained a deep understanding of adult education at national level, European level and within a broader international context. In her current position she is responsible for the further development and positioning of the international activities of SVEB.
John Evers is EAEA's board member and Secretary General of the VÖV, from autumn Chairman of the Conference of Adult Education Austria. He is particularly interested in the areas of basic education, political education and democracy education. He's always been actively involved in these topics and also have the relevant professional expertise in this area. Believing ALE is much more than skills, John Evers is a strong advocate of the holistic power of adult education.
Anna Delort is EAEA's board member and vice-president of ACEFIR, a Catalan organisation devoted to adult education. She serves as a link between policy makers and those working in the field of adult education at national and regional level, whether they are teachers, directors, learners or advocates with the aim of improving and providing more flexible learning opportunities so that everyone can benefit from them.
Ester Hirsch is EAEA's board member and Deputy Director of DVV International. DVV International implements the international work of the German Adult Education Association (DVV) and, as a leading specialist organisation for international adult
education, works with more than 200 partners in over 30 countries worldwide. As deputy director, she is responsible for our global work and advocate for youth and adult education at both the national and global levels.
Marta Jendeková has over 25 years of professional experience in the non-formal adult education sector as a trainer, project manager and researcher. She focuses on making civic, green and sustainability competences accessible to the public, also through online learning. She is EAEA's vice-president and a member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak umbrella organisation of AE institutions (AIVD SK).
Dearbháil Lawless is vice-president at EAEA and Chief Executive Officer in AONTAS, the National Learning Organisation in Ireland. Dearbháil attended at the UNESCO CONFINTEA VII conference in 2022 as an Irish national delegate. Her background in education includes teaching in community education, Further Education and Training and lecturing in Higher Education.