Special Invited Guests
Prof. Alexander Balitskij (Russia) Vice-rector for Social Work,
Izhewsk State Technical University (ISTU), Russia
Experience
1980 - Present
Associate Professor for Politology – Izhewsk State Technical University, Russia
Taught such notable courses as "Politology", "Culturology", and "Technology Communication"
Education
Ph.D, Philosophy, 1987 Ural State University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Specialization: Socialization
Master in History, 1978 Udmurtia University, Izhewsk, Russia
Selected Publications
Technical education in Russia today: the path to the employer (on the experience of Izhewsk State Technical University), SCHOLA 2009. Trnava, Slovakia
Humanization and liberalization of Education. Higher education in Russia, № 2, 2007.
Politológia. Bratislava: STU, 2004. 140 p. ISBN 80-227-2147-6.
Author of more than 100 scientific articles and books on politics, culture, education in English, Russian, Ukrainian, Slovak languages.
Summary of Achievements
Knight's Cross of St George with lilies (2009, Hungary)
Honored Worker of Higher School (2007, Russia)
Prof. Gabriella Bognar (Hungary) 
Professor Bognar received the M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Miskolc, Miskolc, Hungary, Ph.D. and 'Candidate' degree in mathematics from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Since her graduation she has been teaching different subjects of mathematics for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students at University of Miskolc. She was conferred the postdoctoral lecture qualification (Dr. habil) in 2006. Her research interests include boundary and eigenvalue problems of nonlinear ordinary and partial differential equations. Gabriella Bognar has authored/edited 11 books, and published over 70 research papers. She also serves as the Vice Dean for Research and International Affairs at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics, University of Miskolc.
Prof. Stanislav Karapetrovic (Canada) Professor Karapetrovic's research is generally in the field of quality management, and is specifically focused on the auditing and integration of standardized management systems. His widely published and cited research has been funded by government agencies and corporations alike. Professor Karapetrovic is often invited to deliver keynote speeches at overseas conferences, and has received a number of international awards for his research publications.
He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in quality and engineering management. Current teaching engagements include ENGM 401 Fundamentals of Engineering Management, ENGM 510 Quality Engineering and Management, ENGM 611 Design and Integration of Standardized Systems, and ENGM 612 Quality Assurance and Assessment Systems. Professor Karapetrovic has supervised undergraduate, masters and doctoral students in quality management.
A registered professional engineer, Professor Karapetrovic is actively involved in the international standardization work on quality management. Among other standardization-related positions, he was an invited International Expert on Integrated Management Systems [ISO/TMB/IUMSS]. Currently, Professor Karapetrovic serves as the Customer Satisfaction Liason for ISO/TC176/SC3.
Prof. Olena Kovalenko (Ukraine) 
B.Sc., M.Sc. in electrical power engineering - Ukrainian Extra-Mural Polytechnical Institute, Kharkov, USSR
Ph.D. degree in pedagogics - Scientific Research Institute of Teaching Means and Education Book of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Moscow, USSR
Doctor of Science (pedagogical) - Ukraine, Institute of Pedagogics and Psychology of Professional
Degree in Theory and Methodology of Professional education, 2000 - Education of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Kyiv
Professional Affiliation
- Head of the Research laboratory (to gather with the Academy of pedagogical sciences of Ukraine) in problems of development of engineering pedagogical education (1996-2000);
- Head of the Specialized Scientific Counsel in the defense of Candidate theses in the theory and methodology of teaching technical disciplines, psychology of labour, engineering psychology (since 2001);
- Member of the Counsil in accreditation and certification of engineering pedagogical educational establishments of Ukraine;
- President of the National Monitoring Committee of Ukraine of the International Society of Engineering Pedagogics (IGIP) (since 2004);
- Active member (academician) of the International academy of Problems of Human in Aviation and Cosmonautics (since 2004).
Scientific Experience
- engineering pedagogical education;
- engineering pedagogics;
- methodological training of teacher-engineers
Prof. Adolf Melezinek (Austria)
From 1971 full university professor at University Klagenfurt, visiting professor at TU Karlsruhe, TU Vienna, TU Graz, ETH Zurich, TU Prague, TU Budapest. Member of the sicence council of the faculty of pedagogy at the University of Liberec, government consultant for tertiary education in Czech Republic. President of International Society for Engineering Pedagogy (IGIP).Dr. h. c. TU Liberec, TU Moscow,TU Hradec Králové, TU Charkiv, TU Tallin. Honorary profesor IP Academy Charkiv,Honorary professor TU Tambov.
More than 130 publications including 20 textbooks, editor of the scientific series "Ingenieurpadagogik" (so far 48 volumes, about 22 000 pages). After 1989 member of the science council at TU Prague, member of science council of the faculty of pedagogy at the University of Liberec.
University Klagenfurt- member of the foundation board, member of different student comissions and budget comissions, head of the interuniversity research institute for educational technology, media didactics and engineering pedagogy of Austrian universities. Different research projects e.g. EU project "Media Package EUROPE, EU project DIERUU, EU project MULTICEP, EU project TREM". Founder of the "Klagenfurter Schule Ingenieurpedagogik", whose curriculum is the basis of the European professional register for technical teachers "European Engineering Educator ING-PAED IGIP".
Prof. Manuela Niethammer (Germany)
Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
After having concluded her vocational training as a textile technician and having gained the general higher education entrance qualification (school leaving examination), Prof. Niet-hammer took a study in Industrial Chemistry at the Technical University of Dresden from 1985 to 1989 with the graduation as “Diplom-Ingenieurpädagoge”. In 1994 she submitted here her doctor thesis on the “Involvement of skilled workers in the introduction of innovations in the chemical industry” and gained the doctor’s degree. She was conferred the postdoctoral lecture qualification (Dr. habil) in 2005 on the basis of a habilitation on “Vocational teaching and learning in correlation with the chemistry-related occupational work”. Since 2009 Mrs Niethammer has worked as a full professor at TU Dresden and has been responsible for teaching and research in the occupational didactics for selected natural scientific professions and professions in trade and industry (among others, structural engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering and environmental protection).
Prof. Milan Slavík (Czech Republic)
Milan Slavík is Director of the Institute of Education and Communication of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and Professor in Management of Education. The field of his expertise includes Competency of Teachers and Extension Education. He is a university teacher of Methodology of Vocational Subjects and Didactic Tools and Technology and he also teaches English language. His research interest is focused on the management of change in higher education and quality assessment. He has presented lectures in many European countries as well as in Japan and Brazil and has been working in developing countries such as Namibia and Moldova. His responsibilities include facilitating international Conferences in the Czech Republic as well as abroad. He acts as a chair or member of international steering Committees of European conferences of ECHAE (European Conferences on Higher Agricultural Education), ESEE (European Seminar on Extension Education) and IFSA (International Farming Systems Association). Furthermore, he represents the Czech University of Life Sciences in the European League of Life Sciences (ELLS) as an expert in QA (Quality Assessment Group)
Milan Slavík was President of the ENTER network (European Network of Learning and Teaching in Agriculture and Rural Development) for four years and is now serving as Vice President. He is a coordinator of several EU projects and has extensive experience with mobility which he has gained from the EMMA and other international projects within programmes Leonardo, Tempus, Comenius and Erasmus Mundus. Recently he has been representing the Czech Republic in the Webren Project (help for the Western Balkans in which the participants are the expert professors from the prestigious EU Universities such as the University of Reading (UK), the Wageningen University (The Netherlands) and the University of Helsinki (Finland).
Prof. Roman Stryjski (Poland)
Roman Stryjski is since 2004, Director of the Institute of Computer Science and Production Management, University of Zielona Gora (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering).
He obtained his Master of Technology degree (1976) and PhD in Computer Science (1983) from TU Ilmenau.
In 1989 he received degree of Doctor of Sciences (Doctor Habilitatus) at Martin-Luther University Halle/Wittenberg.
Since 1990 Associate Professor and 1994 Professor in the Institute of Technology, Pedagogical University of Zielona Gora, where he has lectured and conducted seminars, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and supervising master's dissertations.
Simultaneously he has also served as the Head of the Department of Cybernetics, Director of the Institute of Technology and Vice Rector for Organization & Development, Pedagogical University of Zielona Gora.
Since 2000 University Professor at University of Zielona Gora,
He is member of various advisory councils and project groups, consultant in several companies.
Main Activities:
- Computer Science / Programming,
- Technical Education,
- Computer Technology in Management & Production Engineering,
- Innovation management in SME.
Prof. Kevin D. Taylor (USA)
Kevin Taylor is the Past Chair of the Executive Committee (EXCOM) of the Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of ABET. He has served ABET as a Program Evaluator from 1996 to 1999. In 2000, Professor Taylor began a five year term on TAC as a Commissioner representing Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). He joined the TAC EXCOM as a Member-At-Large in 2006, and served as Vice-Chair of Operations in 2007-8, Chair Elect in 2008-9, and Chair in 2009-10. Through his involvement with TAC of ABET, he has made over 20 evaluations of institution’s Engineering Technology programs. He has made several presentations at national fora on ABET accreditation processes and preparation.
Professor Taylor received a BS in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University in 1983 and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist University in 1986. From 1983 to 1987, he worked for Texas Instruments as a Linear Device Product Engineer and as an Integrated Circuit Design Engineer developing bipolar PAL and PROM devices. From 1987 to 1992, he was an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Penn State University at Erie – Behrend College in the Department of Electrical Engineering Technology. He joined the faculty at Purdue University in 1992, where he currently holds rank as an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. In the summers from 1994 to 1996, Mr. Taylor worked for Delco Electronics (now Delphi) on integrated circuit device characterization and chargers for electric vehicles. As a consultant, he has drafted numerous patents for submission.
In 2003, he co-authored a laboratory manual for use in introductory AC and DC circuit courses which is still in print today. In addition to his teaching activities, Professor Taylor is the Affiliate University Director for Project Lead The Way® (PLTW®) at Purdue. PLTW® is a program that focuses on introducing engineering concepts in middle and high schools in the United States. His current research interests are on AC drives for electric vehicles.
Professor Taylor is a Professional Engineer in the State of Pennsylvania, a Senior Member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE).
Bernd Wächter (Belgium) 
Bernd Wächter is the Director of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), a consortium of European and global agencies which support international cooperation in higher education. ACA is a think-tank which promotes innovation and internationalisation in higher education. Bernd was born in Giessen (Germany) and studied at the universities of Hull (UK), Giessen and Marburg (Germany). He lives in Brussels (Belgium) and is married to Thora Magnusdottir, a delightful lady from Iceland.
Bernd’s career has been focused on international higher education. In his first post, at the University of Kassel (Germany), he devised international degree programmes in cooperation with universities abroad. He later joined the British Council, before becoming the Director of the international office of the Fachhochschule Darmstadt. Moving on to Germany’s internationalisation agency DAAD, he became the head of this organisation’s European section. He subsequently became Director of Higher Education in the Brussels Socrates Office, with overall responsibility for the Erasmus Programme in Europe. In 1998, he took up his present post as the director of ACA. Bernd has published widely on international matters in higher education, and he is a frequent speaker at European and international education conferences. He is the editor of the ACA Papers on International Cooperation in Higher Education and. He also works, as an expert advisor, for many international organisations.
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