Speakers

Speakers will provide a variety of perspectives from different academic and professional backgrounds. This page provides information about presenters. For details of presentations and other programming, please visit the Programme page.

  • Jennifer Andrus
    Jennifer Andrus
    University of Utah, United States
  • Joseph Haldane
    Joseph Haldane
    The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan
  • June Han
    June Han
    JustBe Temple, South Korea
  • Gregory Hill
    Gregory Hill
    University of Utah, Asia Campus, South Korea
  • Brendan Howe
    Brendan Howe
    Ewha Womans University, South Korea
  • Oh Joon
    Oh Joon
    Kyung Hee University, South Korea
  • James F. Larson
    James F. Larson
    The State University of New York, South Korea
  • Arthur H. Lee
    Arthur H. Lee
    State University of New York, South Korea
  • Joshua K. Park
    Joshua K. Park
    George Mason University Korea, South Korea
  • Apipol Sae-Tung
    Apipol Sae-Tung
    The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan
  • Hugh Schuckman
    Hugh Schuckman
    University of Utah, Asia Campus, South Korea

Become a Plenary Speaker

At IAFOR, we are committed to delivering exceptional conferences that inspire and challenge academics and professionals from around the world. Since 2009 over 50,000 academics have chosen to present their research at our conferences. To ensure we offer the best content possible, we rely on established plenary speakers to share their insights, experience, and ideas with our diverse audience.

Excellent plenary speakers are central to our conferences, ensuring that timely, innovative and engaging content is presented to our audiences around the world. If you would like to be considered for a speaking slot at one of our conferences, please apply below.

Apply to Speak
Jennifer Andrus
University of Utah, United States

Biography

Jennifer Andrus is Professor of Writing and Rhetoric Studies at the University of Utah, United States, where she teaches courses on rhetorical theory, discourse analysis, legal rhetoric, and gender & rhetoric. Her research for the last two decades has been on domestic violence, law, and law enforcement. A prolific researcher, she has written numerous articles and two books: her first book, Entextualizing Domestic Violence: Language Ideology and Violence Against Women in the Anglo-American Hearsay Principle, was published by Oxford University Press in 2015. Her second book, Narratives of Domestic Violence: Policing Identity and Indexicality, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020. Additionally, she has published a number of articles on the discourses involved in circulating and maintaining domestic violence in US society. She is active in presenting her work, and is a member of The Rhetoric Society of America and The American Association of Applied Linguistics, among other scholarly associations. Professor Andrus combines her scholarly interests with real-world investments in a number of ways. She currently serves on a Utah Courts committee and is a founding board member of the charitable foundation, Fight Against Domestic Violence. Professor Andrus also works as a consultant for the Utah Office of Victims of Violent Crimes, is on the new Governor’s Victim Services Commission, and volunteers in other ways. She also gives presentations and talks about domestic violence and other forms of violence against women both internationally and locally in a number of forums.

Keynote Presentation (2024) | TBA
Joseph Haldane
The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan

Biography

Joseph Haldane is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of IAFOR. He is responsible for devising strategy, setting policies, forging institutional partnerships, implementing projects, and overseeing the organisation’s business and academic operations, including research, publications and events.

Dr Haldane holds a PhD from the University of London in 19th-century French Studies, and has had full-time faculty positions at the University of Paris XII Paris-Est Créteil (France), Sciences Po Paris (France), and Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (Japan), as well as visiting positions at the French Press Institute in the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas (France), The School of Journalism at Sciences Po Paris (France), and the School of Journalism at Moscow State University (Russia).

Dr Haldane’s research and teaching is on history, politics, international affairs and international education, as well as governance and decision making. Since 2015 he has been a Guest Professor at The Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) at Osaka University, where he teaches on the postgraduate Global Governance Course, and is Co-Director of the OSIPP-IAFOR Research Centre, an interdisciplinary think tank situated within Osaka University.

A Member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network for Global Governance, Dr Haldane is also a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade (Serbia), a Visiting Professor at the School of Business at Doshisha University (Japan), where he teaches Ethics and Governance on the MBA programme, and a Member of the International Advisory Council of the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Education (USA), collaborating on the development of the Global PhD programme.

Dr Haldane has given invited lectures and presentations to universities and conferences around the world, including at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and advised universities, NGOs and governments on issues relating to international education policy, public-private partnerships, and multi-stakeholder forums. He was the project lead on the 2019 Kansai Resilience Forum, held by the Japanese Government through the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Office in collaboration with IAFOR.

From 2012 to 2014, Dr Haldane served as Treasurer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (Chubu Region) and he is currently a Trustee of the HOPE International Development Agency (Japan). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society in 2012, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2015.

June Han
JustBe Temple, South Korea

Biography

June Han Sunim (the word ‘Sunim’ is the Korean title for a Buddhist nun or monk) is a Buddhist monk in the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and co-founder of the JustBe Temple in Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea. The temple offers support to international travellers and students seeking to deepen their meditation practice. After earning his degree from Washington University in the United States, he translated the Diamond Sutra and decided to pursue monastic life, undergoing seven years of monastic training at Sudeoksa and Haeinsa Temples.

Following a 1,000-day solo retreat at Yangbaek Temple, June Han Sunim felt called to reconnect with people and moved to Seoul. His journey to monkhood was inspired by encounters with life and death issues during his studies in the United States, and his close relationship with Monks Seongsan and Hyeongak, the latter of which he became a disciple of.

In 2006, he received the Sami ordination at Jikji Temple under the guidance of Monk Nokwon, and in 2011, he took the Nine Precepts at Tongdosa Temple with Monk Gosan as his preceptor. A graduate of Haeinsa Sangha College and Yulwon, he has worked as a teacher at Haeinsa Temple Stay for Foreigners and as a trainee at the Buddhist monks' training centre for about a decade. Currently, he is dedicated to spiritual practice at Yangbaekjeongsa Temple in Yeongju. He also manages a guesthouse-turned-temple that welcomes young people and foreigners, providing a sanctuary for those seeking spiritual growth, following in the footsteps of Monk Seongsan's international missionary efforts.

Meditation Workshop (2024) | Korean Buddhist Education and Meditation
Gregory Hill
University of Utah, Asia Campus, South Korea

Biography

Dr Gregory Hill is the Chief Administrative Officer and Dean of Faculty at the University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Texas A&M University, United States. His research experience spans the academic, public, and private sectors with interests focusing on public management, policy theory, and immigration policy, of which he has written numerous publications for peer-reviewed journals and presentations at major academic conferences. Also a dedicated baseball enthusiast, Dr Hill has twice presented baseball-related research at the Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Panel Presentation (2024) | Navigating Global Campus Management: Challenges and Innovations
Brendan Howe
Ewha Womans University, South Korea

Biography

Brendan Howe is Dean and Professor of the Graduate School of International Studies, Ewha Womans University, South Korea, where he has also served two terms as Associate Dean and Department Chair. He is also the current President of the Asian Political and International Studies Association, and an Honorary Ambassador of Public Diplomacy and advisor for the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has held visiting professorships and research fellowships at the East-West Center (where he is currently enjoying a second term as a POSCO Visiting Research Fellow (United States), the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), De La Salle University (Philippines), The University of Sydney (Australia), Korea National Defence University (South Korea), Georgetown University (United States), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Malaysia), and Beijing Foreign Studies University (China).

Educated at the University of Oxford, the University of Kent at Canterbury (United Kingdom), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and Georgetown University (United States), his ongoing research agendas focus on traditional and non-traditional security in East Asia, human security, middle powers, public diplomacy, post-crisis development, comprehensive peacebuilding, and conflict transformation. He has authored, co-authored, or edited around 100 related publications, including Comprehensive Peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula (Springer, 2023), Society and Democracy in South Korea and Indonesia (Palgrave, 2022), The Niche Diplomacy of Asian Middle Powers (Lexington Books, 2021), UN Governance: Peace and Human Security in Cambodia and Timor-Leste (Springer, 2020), Regional Cooperation for Peace and Development (Routledge, 2018), National Security, State Centricity, and Governance in East Asia (Springer, 2017), Peacekeeping and the Asia-Pacific (Brill, 2016), Democratic Governance in East Asia (Springer, 2015), Post-Conflict Development in East Asia (Ashgate, 2014), and The Protection and Promotion of Human Security in East Asia (Palgrave, 2013).

Panel Presentation (2024) | Korea’s Pivotal Role in the World: Challenges and Opportunities in Leadership
Oh Joon
Kyung Hee University, South Korea

Biography

Joon Oh is Chair of Save the Children Korea and President of the Korea Council of Children’s Organizations. He also teaches as an Eminent Scholar Professor of United Nations Studies at Kyung Hee University, South Korea, and at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea, as a visiting professor. Professor Oh was previously Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York from 2013 to 2016. During this time, he also served in leadership roles within two of the six principal organs of the United Nations; as the 71st President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and as President of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Before that, he was Korean Ambassador to Singapore from 2010 to 2013 and Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul from 2008 to 2010.

Professor Oh received a master’s degree in International Policy Studies from Stanford University, United States, in 1991. His diplomatic career thereafter has garnered prestigious awards from South Korea and other countries worldwide; The Korean Government awarded him the Order of Service Merit twice, in 1996 and 2006. He received a Korea Social Contribution Special Award in 2021 and a Global Korea Award from Michigan State University in the United States in 2018. Rehabilitation International (RI) gave him a Global Presidential Award in 2016 in acknowledgment of his achievements as President of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He also received the 2014 Youngsan Diplomat of the Year Award for his work on North Korean human rights issues. He published his first book in Korean ‘For Mica, Who Contemplates Life’ in 2015.

Keynote Presentation (2024) | Global Citizenship Education for Sustainable Development: Korea's Perspective
James F. Larson
The State University of New York, South Korea

Biography

James F. Larson first experienced Korea as an American Peace Corps Volunteer from 1971 to 1972, teaching English at Kangwon National University in Chuncheon, South Korea. In 1978, he returned to the United States and earned his PhD in Communication at Stanford University. He is currently Professor Emeritus in the Department of Technology and Society at SUNY Korea, having originally joined SUNY Korea in 2014 serving as Chair of the department for four years, three of which he concurrently served as Vice President for Academic Affairs (Provost). He previously taught at the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy at The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST, South Korea), The National University of Singapore, the University of Washington (United States), Yonsei University (South Korea), and the University of Texas at Austin (United States). From 1995 to 1996, he directed a major executive training program for Korea Mobile Telecom (now SK Telecom) at the University of Colorado Boulder, United States. He then spent fourteen years managing technology and testing activities (all computer-based TOEFL and other CBT in South Korea) as Associate and later Deputy Director of the Fulbright Commission in Seoul. His books include Television's Window on the World: International Affairs Coverage on the U.S. Networks, with H.S. Park (Ablex, 1984), Global Television and the Politics of the Seoul Olympics (Westview Press, 1993), The Telecommunications Revolution in Korea (Oxford University Press, 1995), and Digital Development in Korea: Building an Information Society with Dr Myung Oh (Routledge, 2011). The second edition of Digital Development in Korea was published in 2020 with a new subtitle, ‘Lessons for a Sustainable World’.

Panel Presentation (2024) | Korea’s Pivotal Role in the World: Challenges and Opportunities in Leadership
Arthur H. Lee
State University of New York, South Korea

Biography

Dr Arthur H. Lee is a distinguished academic leader and computer scientist currently serving as President of State University of New York, Korea (SUNY Korea) in Incheon, South Korea. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Utah, United States, followed by a Master of Science in Computer Science from Stanford University, United States. He returned to The University of Utah to pursue his Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science in His career spans several prominent academic and research roles, including previous positions as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (Interim) at SUNY Korea, and Chair of Computer Science at Stony Brook University, where he also serves as a Research Professor. Before his tenure at SUNY Korea, Dr Lee held the W.M. Keck Chair of Computer Science at Claremont McKenna College, United States, and served in various faculty roles at The University of Utah and Korea University. His early career included significant contributions as a Consulting Research Member at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Dr Lee’s extensive experience in academia and research underscores his commitment to advancing the field of computer science and fostering international collaboration.

Panel Presentation (2024) | Navigating Global Campus Management: Challenges and Innovations
Joshua K. Park
George Mason University Korea, South Korea

Biography

Joshua K. Park was recently appointed as the Campus Dean of George Mason University Korea (Mason Korea) this Fall. Prior to joining George Mason, he served as the Dean of SolBridge International School of Business, South Korea, where he was instrumental in the school’s rapid growth and internationalisation. Under his leadership, SolBridge attained AACSB re-accreditation, was featured twice in the AACSB ‘Innovations that Inspire’ spotlight, and became renowned for its diverse student body and innovative programs, drawing nearly 1,300 students from over 80 countries to the school. Dr Park holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, United States, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Pomona College, United States. His academic journey is complemented by a diverse range of professional roles, including positions as a strategic advisor and visiting professor at prominent institutions both in Korea and abroad, such as Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, and KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, South Korea.

His experience in public policy, business, negotiation, and debate is reflected in his numerous publications, books, and over 300 seminars and workshops held worldwide. Known for his passion for education and debate, Dr Park has been a leader in the international debate community: he is a board member of the World Schools Debating Championships, Ltd. and served as a Chief Adjudicator at major debate competitions globally. His efforts led to the establishment and advancement of the SolBridge Debate Society, which gained recognition as one of the most accomplished debate teams in Asia. Dr Park brings a unique blend of American educational philosophy and a deep understanding of the Korean academic environment, which he plans on using to guide Mason Korea in its next phase of growth and innovation. He is committed to advancing Mason Korea’s mission of providing top-quality American education, fostering a diverse and inclusive community, and preparing students to thrive in a globalised world.

Panel Presentation (2024) | Navigating Global Campus Management: Challenges and Innovations
Apipol Sae-Tung
The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan

Biography

Apipol Sae-Tung is an Academic Coordinator at IAFOR, where he contributes to the development and execution of academic-related content and activities. He works closely with the Forum’s partner institutions and coordinates IAFOR’s Global Fellowship Programme. His recent activities include mediating conference reports for the Forum’s international conference programme and facilitating the IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS).

Mr Sae-Tung began his career as a Program Coordinator for the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He was awarded the Japanese Government’s MEXT Research Scholarship and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan. His research focuses on government and policy analysis, particularly on authoritarian regimes. He currently takes part in research projects on international student education in Thailand, Southeast Asian politics, Japan-Asia digital economy, and AI-language model training.

Mr Sae-Tung holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Thammasat University, Thailand, where he studied foreign policy analysis and Thailand-China relations. He also holds a BA in History from the same institution, with a focus on modern Western and Southeast Asian comparative history and historiography.

Mr Sae-Tung has interned for the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) in Japan, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Thailand. He served on the Lifelong Learning Team while with UNESCO, working specifically on projects enhancing education access through online platforms among Thai NEET individuals and supporting Myanmar migrant children, providing shelters and access to proper education along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Forum Discussion (2024) | Global Citizenship: Global Leadership in a Fragmenting World
Hugh Schuckman
University of Utah, Asia Campus, South Korea

Biography

Hugh Schuckman serves as an Associate Professor Lecturer in the Writing & Rhetoric Studies department at The University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea. He earned a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies from Columbia University, United States, and later completed a Masters of Theological Studies at Harvard University, United States. Having taught in a variety of countries including Japan, South Korea, and Mongolia, he focused on education at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and received a PhD in International and Comparative Education. Before joining the faculty at University of Utah, Professor Schuckman taught research writing at Prince Sultan University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and The Korea Development Institute of Public Policy and Management in Seoul, South Korea. He currently teaches classes in the departments of Religious Studies, Writing and Rhetoric Studies, and the Honors College at the University of Utah Asia Campus in Songdo, South Korea. His research monograph Principles of Zen Training for Educational Settings will be released this November 2024 through Routledge Press.

Panel Presentation (2024) | Navigating Global Campus Management: Challenges and Innovations