🎓 What we learned from the School Innovation Summit 2025 and why it is important for Bulgarian education

Ahmet Murat KILIÇ is the Head of the Digital Transformation Unit at the Education Department of the Council of Europe. KILIÇ leads the activities under the third pillar “Advancing education through a human rights-based digital transformation” of the Education Strategy 2024-2030: Learners first – Education for today’s and tomorrow’s democratic societies. In this framework, he supervises two intergovernmental programmes – Digital Citizenship Education and Artificial Intelligence and Education.

He contributes to the development of legal and policy instruments, guidelines for a wide range of stakeholders in education and educational resources to support member states in developing their policies, legislation and practices with a view to promoting democratic, quality, inclusive and corruption-free education systems. In this scope he leads the Council of Europe’s collaboration with private sector companies in the field of education and with the EdTech sector.

He also leads the development of the European Reference Framework for the Evaluation of Educational Technologies that aims at ensuring that EdTech and AI Systems that are intended for deployment in education environments provide relevant evidence and align with European values, protecting the rights of learners and educators, and safeguard democracy and the rule of law.

Dr. Sc. Yanka Takeva has been the President of the Bulgarian Teachers’ Union (BTU) under the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) since 1994. From 1990 to 1994, she served as Deputy Chair of the BTU. Since 1994, she has been a member of the Executive Committee of CITUB. In 1999, she became Chair of the National Commission for Work with Women, Youth, Children, and Families at CITUB, as well as Chair of the “Public Women’s Parliament – 21st Century.” Since 2022, she has also served as Deputy Chair of the Central Control Commission of CITUB.

Awards and Honors:

Order “Stara Planina”, I Degree, 2016
Honorary Award of the Ministry of Education and Science “Neofit Rilski”, 2015
Corresponding Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2015
“Golden Star” of the Union of Community Centers, 2021
Honorary Sign of the Slavic Literary and Art Academy for contribution to spirituality and cultural heritage, 2015
Jubilee Medal “70 Years since the Victory over Fascism”, 2015
Honorary Sign for the 25th Anniversary of CITUB, 2015
Order “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” I Degree, 2010
Honorary Sign “Samara Cross” – for the 10th Anniversary of the National Movement “Russophiles,” 2013
Title “Follower of the National Enlighteners” by the Union of Community Centers, 2012
Honorary Diploma, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2012 Doctor of Economic Sciences, 2012
Award for Outstanding Social and Public Activity, Business Lady magazine, 2012
“Best Social Partner of Sofia Region”, 2011
“Heart of Sofia” Award, presented by the Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, 2011
Nominations by the Russian Government and other European states for contributions to educational exchange Nominated as “Best Expert in the Education Sector”, American Biographical Institute, 2008–2009
Nominated as “Woman of the Year 2000”, Washington, for her contribution to democratic reforms in Bulgaria.

Yana Piperevska is a Learning Specialist with deep experience across both formal and informal education. Guided by her passion for teaching, psychology, and group dynamics, she believes that the essence of learning lies in authentic human connection. For Yana, the classroom — whether physical or digital — is a space for dialogue, reflection, and shared growth.

Throughout her career, she has worked to create environments where people feel safe to express themselves, to question, and to grow. Her approach integrates the science of learning with the art of facilitation — helping groups turn communication into collaboration, and collaboration into transformation.

Within t’each’one, Yana contributes to the design and delivery of experiential learning programs that cultivate empathy, resilience, and purpose. She envisions education as a living process — one that nurtures both knowledge and emotional intelligence, helping learners not just to know more, but to be more.

Toni-Teodora Koseva is a Learning Specialist whose work bridges creativity, pedagogy, and digital transformation. For almost a decade, she has been on a mission to make learning more engaging, accessible, and joyful for everyone — from students and teachers to business professionals exploring lifelong learning.

Her professional path includes teaching, curriculum design, training educators, and leading the integration of technology in classrooms. She sees education not as a process of transferring knowledge, but as a living dialogue — one that evolves through collaboration and experimentation.

At t’each’one, Toni designs learning experiences that empower individuals and teams to unlock their creative potential, adapt to change, and find meaning in what they learn. Her philosophy blends structure with playfulness: learning should not only inform, but also inspire — creating a spark that grows beyond the classroom walls.

Dr. Maria Yankova is Education Specialist at UNICEF in Bulgaria and an advocate for Quality Education and Child Rights. She has more than 20 years of experience in the development of policies and program interventions in support of the inclusion of children from vulnerable groups in quality pre-school and school education. She has led projects to promote literacy and accelerated learning through technology-based solutions, to enable access to education for children with special needs by introducing assistive technologies in the classroom, to address cyberbullying, support online safety, and enhance digital and media literacy skills among children, and others.

Jitske van Os is Managing Director of Dutch EdTech, where she leads the Dutch EdTech community and supports entrepreneurs in growing and scaling internationally. With over a decade of experience in ecosystem building, strategic project management, and stakeholder engagement, she has worked with 500+ startups and scale-ups to accelerate innovation.

Previously, she held leadership roles at Techleap.nl, StartupDelta, and Tech Tour, developing international growth programs, forging strategic partnerships, and driving impactful collaborations between entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers. Passionate about connecting people and creating opportunities, Jitske thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution to deliver lasting impact in education and technology.

Anna-Marie Vilamovska, Ph.D. is Business Development Manager at HPE Bulgaria, operated by Selectium, where she leads the growth strategy for key product portfolios, including networking and big data solutions.

Anna-Marie is part of the core team that structured and led the first national public private partnership of the Bulgarian IT Industry and the Ministry of Education – the 2017 – 2020 IT Talent Hub, under which in Sept. 2017 the new industry-designed “applied software developer” high school degree program launched in 23 schools nationally. Today this program is one of the most successful national education innovation programs.

Until 2024 she was a supervisory board member of Innovation Capital Bulgaria – a 21.1 mln. euro venture capital fund focusing on high-potential pre-seed and seed CEE companies.

Between 2012 and 2017 Anna-Marie was Senior Advisor to Bulgaria’s President Rossen Plevneliev in the domains of innovation policy, healthcare policy and education policy. In 2015 the Financial Times, Visegrad Fund, Google and ResPublica listed Anna-Marie as one of the NewEurope100 outstanding individuals leading world-class innovation from CEE. In 2016 she received the Polish Republic’s Commodore’s Crest state insignia for her contribution to creating Innovative Europe, becoming one of its youngest holders.

Between 2005 and 2010 Anna-Marie led applied innovation, health and education policy and financing projects for large corporate, government, international non-profit and multilateral clients at the RAND Corporation in Los Angeles and Brussels. From 2003 to 2005 she designed national pension system in Central and South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Europe for IBRD and IDA in Washington, D.C.

She continues to teach advanced M.A. level classes at AUBG as a guest lecturer.

Teodora Vavova is a Learning and Teaching Expert driven by a deep belief that education is the most powerful catalyst for change. Her professional journey began at Telelink Business Services, where she joined a pioneering initiative with Microsoft Bulgaria dedicated to the creation of an educational STEM center — a living lab where students and teachers could experience how science, creativity, and technology come together to shape the classroom of the future.

Since then, Teodora has dedicated her career to inspiring both educators and learners to reach beyond traditional boundaries. With a background that combines teaching, training, and regional coordination of educators, she has become an advocate for innovation in learning design and pedagogical transformation.

Her approach is rooted in empathy and curiosity — she believes that when teachers are empowered to explore, question, and collaborate, they pass this same energy on to their students. Within t’each’one, she contributes to developing holistic learning ecosystems that blend technology with human connection, nurturing skills for a constantly evolving world.

Minister of Education and Science, Republic of Bulgaria

Krasimir Valchev is a visionary policymaker and reform leader shaping Bulgaria’s education, science, and innovation landscape. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Finance from the University of Economics – Varna and completed advanced training in Budget and Financial Management at Duke University, USA. With over twenty years of experience in public policy and financial governance, he has played a key role in aligning Bulgaria’s education system with the challenges of the 21st century.

Before becoming Minister, Valchev served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Science, where he led large-scale modernization of educational governance and resource allocation. As Minister of Education and Science (2017–2021, reappointed in 2025), he continues to advance policies that foster equitable access, early childhood education, teacher professionalization, and digital transformation at every level of learning.

A strong advocate for linking education with research, technology, and innovation, Minister Valchev champions Bulgaria’s participation in the European Research Area and supports partnerships that connect schools, universities, and businesses to the digital economy. His leadership has helped position Bulgaria as a forward-thinking player in the European education and innovation ecosystem — committed to empowering learners, investing in talent, and building a knowledge-based society.

At the Empowering European EdTech Summit, Minister Valchev will officially open the event, highlighting Bulgaria’s commitment to fostering digital innovation, collaboration, and excellence in education across Europe.

Thomas is a dynamic opinion leader in the field of educational technology, currently serving as the Station Chief of edtechstation, the Belgian EdTech hub.

With the edtechstation team, he has rapidly gathered almost half of the 400 companies active in the Belgian EdTech market into a thriving ecosystem.

Based on his international economics and marketing background, Thomas has developed a strong commitment to innovation and development over the years. He has been instrumental in bringing together businesses, researchers, schools, and L&D departments to collaborate on new educational technologies.

Prof. Dr. Galin Tsokov is the Director of the Institute of Education at the Ministry of Education and Science and a former Minister of Education and Science, Bulgaria. He is a Professor of Educational Management at Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria and the author of more than 100 scientific publications in the fields of educational policies, decentralization, and digitalization in school education. In his academic and expert work, Prof. Tsokov focuses on the modernization of curricula, the introduction of innovations, and the professional development of teachers, combining long-standing scientific and practical experience with active commitment to the advancement of Bulgarian education.

Dr. Yuliana Topazly, MBE is an Associate Professor of Enterprise and Innovation at the University of East London and Director of the Strategic Planning Team at DOHE Europe. She also serves as a UB-IGNITE Programme Adviser at the University of the Bahamas, sits on the techUK EdTech Council, and is a member of the Advisory Board for GETN.

An award-winning social entrepreneur, Yuliana is recognised for her work in empowering female entrepreneurs and the EdTech startup community. In recognition of her impact, she was named one of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Mentors in the UK (2016), received the Croydon Business Awards for Commitment to the Community (2013) and Women in Business(2017), and was most recently awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to business and female entrepreneurship.

Passionate about EdTech and inclusive enterprise, Yuliana is currently leading initiatives to develop a global EdTech ecosystem, working to minimise barriers and maximise opportunities for EdTech founders around the world.

Milena Stoycheva is a global technology and innovation evangelist, and a recognized leader in entrepreneurship and education. Formerly Bulgaria’s Minister of Innovation and Growth, she has shaped policy and built ecosystems at the intersection of technology, youth empowerment, and business.

Milena Stoycheva is a venture network lead at Precede Ventures, powered by JA Europe, and a business consultant on innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and sustainable growth.

As CEO of Junior Achievement Bulgaria for over 15 years, and a long- standing member of the JA Worldwide leadership, Milena has inspired thousands of students, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers. Her professional path spans support for startup creation through mentoring, advising, and building investment opportunities for visionary new ventures and disruptive technologies.

Milena is a co-founder and CEO of The Edge: R&BD, spin-off company of JA Bulgaria. Throughout her career, Milena has worked systematically for digitalization, modernization and development of a high educational and startup culture in Bulgaria.

Milena Stoycheva is the Minister of Innovation and Growth of Bulgaria for 2023/2024.

She taught innovation and entrepreneurship at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and was the Director for innovation and transformation at EIT Culture & Creativity.

Milena is the recipient of JA Worldwide’s highest global leadership award “Soraya Salti” for 2021, presented in recognition of making a social impact through economic empowerment.

She is a co-founder of the Bulgarian cluster for digital solutions and innovations in healthcare and is its first chairperson. Milena participated in several expert groups at the EC, OECD, HEinnovate, etc.

A board member of the European Female Founders network, Milena is a dedicated advocate for advancing gender-conscious investment and empowering female entrepreneurs. She also hosts the HER FUND Talks podcast – part of a pan-European initiative focused on raising visibility and opportunity for female founders and investors.

Milena Stoycheva has more than 20 years of experience in leadership positions in international organizations and companies, having also served as the Chair of the Global Member Council of JA Worldwide and Senior Adviser on Higher Education for Europe.

She is the first Dean of Student Affairs at the American University in Bulgaria.

She has degrees and specializations from Bulgarian and international universities such as Sofia University “Kliment Ohridski”, Penn State University, UC Berkeley and MIT.

Albena is a change management influencer with over 25 years of experience in education, brand success, cyber security, and safety.

Albena, the Co-founder of EdTech Bu lgaria, is a true leader in driving change and enhancing security in the digital age.

As a former Director of Education at Microsoft, she led a dynamic team across 24 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, empowering governments, universities, school leaders, principals, teachers, and students to achieve more and transform the education systems.

In addition to her role at Microsoft, Albena founded and currently serves as President of the Management Board for the International Cybercrime Investigation Training Academy, established in 2009. Her expertise in cybersecurity extends to her previous position as Law Enforcement Director at eBay Europe, where she provided strategic advice and policy coordination on critical issues protecting services offered by eBay Group Members, including eBay, PayPal, and Skype.

Moreover, she has contributed her knowledge as an expert for the Council of Europe, advising on the adoption and implementation of the Cybercrime Convention, and has supported various missions for the European Commission, assisting governments in both EU and non-EU countries.

Social psychologist and psychotherapist;

Group consultant and corporate personal growth trainer;

Specialist in working with anxiety and panic attacks, stress, and behavioral difficulties in communication and adaptation;

Lecturer at the National Center for Qualification Improvement to the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Permanent Academy for Science and Innovation in Education at SBU;

Member of the Bulgarian Society for Psychodrama and Group Therapy;

Graduated in Psychology PhD , Psychotherapy, Management, and Administration;

People’s representative in the 41st, 42nd, 43rd NA;

Regional Governor in two terms;

Participant in the 25th National Antarctic Expedition and member of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute.

Cofounder of Wonderful Education and Future Education Institute in Modena, Italy; Donatella initiated EdTech Italia.

She has worked in the Cabinet of three Ministers of Education, University and Research, where she developed innovation policies, also for K12. Former researcher and associate teacher in IT Law.

Willem has worked for over 20 years as a teacher and principal in Leuven education. He founded the innovative Stroom school in Leuven. Since 2023, he has worked for the Flemish Ministry of Education, where he helps develop AI policy and represents the Ministry within the EmpowerED project.

Svetlana Savova began her career as a schoolteacher before transitioning into the EdTech world, where she has spent over a decade bridging education and technology. At VEDAMO, she helped develop a virtual classroom platform that replicates the feeling of a traditional classroom online, today used by over 20,000 educators and organizations globally.

Beyond business growth, Svetlana has designed programs for teachers, trained school leaders across continents, and supported social projects that empower disadvantaged learners, from refugees to teenagers launching startups. Her work spans Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, where she has built partnerships and strengthened educator communities.

Her goal is simple yet ambitious: to make education accessible and innovative, and to ensure it truly fits the needs of children around the world. She believes the future of education depends on the choices we make today – from students and teachers to governments, innovators, and technology providers.

Katerina Kasabova is an expert with over 16 years of professional experience in the fields of education, adult learning, publishing and international project management. She has been part of the RAABE Bulgaria team since 2009, and since 2011, in her role as Program Director, she has been leading the strategic development of the educational products and services offered by RAABE Bulgaria.

She possesses in-depth knowledge of national and European educational policies and has extensive experience in the management and implementation of Erasmus+ projects. Her expertise includes the development of professional literature in the field of preschool and school education, as well as the design of training programs for the continuing qualification of teachers.

In recent years, her interests have been focused on digitalization in education, use of artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Katerina holds two Master’s degrees – in Cultural Studies and in Business and Financial Data Analytics. She is also a certified adult education trainer.

As Chief Commercial Officer, Ivo Rusev is actively involved in the presales and sales processes of Telelink Business Services, while dealing with our trusted customers both from the private and public sectors.
Ivo became part of Telelink Business Services in 2018 after his 7-year experience in Microsoft Bulgaria where he had gained significant experience in creating subsidiary strategy for the commercial and public sector, as well as in organizational leadership. He also worked at IBM as Integrated Technology Service Manager and Technical Support Sales. He believes in inspiring individuals and fostering a culture of customer-centricity, accountability and collaboration. In addition, he is passionate about leading Digital Transformation Projects and empowering technical sales to drive business growth and accelerate customer value realization. He holds a Master’s degree from the Plovdiv University.

Gergana Ruseva is a Senior Account Manager at Microsoft Elevate EMEA — an organization focused on accelerating innovation and digital transformation across key sectors such as education. With over 15 years of experience in the technology and telecommunications industries, she builds strategic partnerships with public sector and educational institutions, supporting their digital transformation and the development of skills needed for the age of AI. She also promotes innovative approaches to teaching and working that prepare children for a future driven by technology.

Roumiana Peytcheva-Forsyth is a Professor of Educational Technologies at the Faculty of Education, Sofia University. She is Director of the Center for Distance Education at Sofia University, Chair of the Research Board at the Institute of Education in Bulgaria, and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Pedagogy.

For the last 20 years, she has been a manager and coordinator of international projects under the Leonardo, Minerva, OBSER-ERASMUS, Stability Pact, Erasmus+, and Horizon 2020 programmes, as well as several national projects in the field of educational technologies and e-learning.

At present, she is the leading researcher of the DigitalEdu-SU research group, part of the SUMMIT project of Sofia University – A Marker for Innovation and Technology Transfer, which aims to study the current state of digitalisation in Bulgarian education.

Her publications include six authored monographs, three co-authored monographs, and more than 90 research papers in the field of digital technologies in education.

Iya Petkova, PhD is the director of Children Science Museum MUZEIKO. She is an associate professor at Sofia University with over 20 years of teaching experience and is the Director of the AMBA-accredited Human Resources Management MBA Program. She serves as a mentor and coordinator for the Bulgarian team at the European Ethics Bowl and is the founder and lecturer at the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certification Academy. Prof. Petkova teaches Leadership in a Multicultural Environment, Leadership and Business Ethics, HR Management, Organizational Behavior, and Organizational Culture, blending her expertise in ethics and leadership to prepare future leaders for diverse and global business environments.

Christina Makarona (Physicist, Science Communication expert / Pedagogy and Engagement) works as project coordinator and Learning Experience Designer in the Science Education Department at European Schoolnet. She is attached to the EmpowerED project, EUN’s main initiative on EdTech, contributing to knowledge base building and research, community engagement and the dissemination of project outputs. Additionally, she has been leading EUN’s STEM professional development for teachers in person programme. During her 12 years in academic research, she has focused on translating and solving cross-disciplinary problems between the natural sciences and the humanities, gaining insights into implementing STE(A)M principles in higher education. Having worked in secondary education for 6 years, she developed projects on how current research on sustainability can be applied to societal issues. She has organised and participated in STEM dissemination events for the European Commission, the Flemish Community in Belgium and the Greenlight for Girls organisation.

CEO of Swedish Edtech Industry. Jannie has extensive experience in digital competence, pedagogy, and management, both as an educator, as head of professional development and as principal. She has been an appointed commissioner to the Swedish Government’s strategic cooperation program on Competencies and lifelong learning and Advisory Boards for The Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education and the National Agency for Employment and is now Chairing the International Advisory Board for the School of Education at the University of Iceland.

Johanna Karlén, quality manager Swedish Edtech Industry, former project manager and program manager for school digitalization at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, SKR, 2013-2018.

Vladimir Kolev, Managing Director of the largest educational publishing house in Bulgaria, Klett Bulgaria, part of the leading European educational group Klett, chairman of the board of directors of the Cambridge Schools Association in Bulgaria, and founder and member of the board of directors of EdTech Bulgaria.

Vladimir began working at Klett while still a law student, and after his impressive work at Klett’s first company in Bulgaria, RAABE Bulgaria, he was appointed manager of Klett Bulgaria, a position he has held successfully for 22 years. Under his leadership, the company has grown from a small publishing house specializing in materials for foreign language teaching to the largest general education publisher in Bulgaria, providing printed and digital textbooks and teaching materials for all students in the Bulgarian education system.

Today, Klet Bulgaria is not only a major supplier of educational materials, but also a preferred partner of educational institutions, principals, and teachers at various levels of education.

Vladimir Kolev believes that the future of education lies in a hybrid model that combines paper textbooks with digital resources and artificial intelligence.

Sylvia Ilieva is a professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics and Director of GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Her research interests are in the areas of software platforms, software development processes, data management, and software engineering for AI. She was a team leader of BSc and MSc Software Engineering programmes creation in compliance with ACM/IEEE recommendations. She was a supervisor of more than 200 MSc theses. She has a good record of successful participation in over 20 European research and education projects.

Beth Havinga is the Managing Director of the European EdTech Alliance. Beth additionally consults to UNICEF supporting the review of the EdTech for Good Framework, and the Council of Europe on the topic of AI and education and Edtech evaluation. Beth currently serves on the Digitisation Council of the state of Berlin in Germany, on the steering committee of DigiEduHack, and serves on the advisory boards of Change Learning, CoSN, ISTE, and the Children’s Future Foundation. Beth represents the EEA at the European Commission stakeholder group on Digital Education Content, UNESCO’s Broadband Commission data for learning group, and the Digital Transformation Collaborative. Beth is chairwoman of the German standardization committee for Learning Technologies and represents Germany as head delegate to the European committee for standardization of interoperability of learning technologies and edtech. In the past, Beth has taught in schools, managed education software and publishing houses, founded two startups, and worked in over 45 countries to develop digital structures and strategies.

Agueda Gras-Velazquez, PhD (Astrophysicist / Management) is the Science Programme Manager of European Schoolnet (EUN). As Head of the Science Education Department at EUN, she oversees the coordination of all STEM projects in which EUN is involved. Additionally, she oversees the day-to-day management of Scientix® (the community for science education in Europe, http://scientix.eu) and coordinates EUN’s Ministries of Education STEM representatives Working Group. In her 17 years at EUN, Agueda has been involved in more than 80 EC funded projects and 20+ private funded ones. Prior to joining EUN in May 2008, she worked as an independent eLearning Professional, as Tutor, Content designer, IT manager, Administrator, Project Manager and Consultant for international projects. She has co-authored several papers in Science Education Research and has a PhD in Astrophysics from Trinity College Dublin, carried out at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies in Ireland.

Dr. Vasileios Gkamas has been working as a Project Manager and Consultant at the Computer Technology Institute and Press “Diophantus” since 2006, contributing to numerous national and European projects in the fields of online education and teacher professional development.

Since 2017, he has also been collaborating with the University of Patras, participating in several European projects focused on digital and deep tech skills development for diverse job profiles. His expertise is concentrated in the areas of online education, digital and deep tech skills development, and the digital transformation of education. Dr. Vasileios Gkamas holds a BSc in Information and Communication Systems Engineering from the University of the Aegean, as well as an MSc and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Patras.

Vilma Ferrari is a Senior Specialist at the Department of Educational Programmes, Department of Education, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, www.smsm.lt. Her educational background includes Msc in Management (Education Policy), Msc in Informatics and Msc in Engineering (Chemistry with specialisation in Environmental Protection). In 2010 she completed an internship at the Serious Games Institute (SGI) of Coventry University. She has worked as a teacher of computer science and chemistry and has more than 20 years of experience in project management in the education sector (EC Framework Programmes, Horizon2020, ESF and Erasmus+ programmes), both as a project coordinator and as an external evaluator.

Since 2021, she has been overseeing the topic of digital transition in general education at national level – digital educational content, LMS used in national schools, new emerging technologies, AI, robotics and gamification, as well as technology-related risks such as cybersecurity, ethics, data protection and privacy. Her day-to-day work consists of overseeing curricular and cross-curricular subjects such as computing, mathematics, STEAM, financial literacy, media literacy and digital citizenship in education. She is the Department’s representative on the European Commission’s Digital Education Working Group: Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) and the European Council Working Group on Digital Citizenship in Education (DCE). Her personal interests include group relations and organisational behaviour (member of the Group Relation Society of Lithuania).

Georgi Dimitrov is Head of the Digital Education Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture where he leads the work on the digital transformation of education and skills, steering key initiatives such as the Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027 and the STEM Education Strategic Plan. His current focus is on the upcoming 2030 Roadmap on Digital Education and Skills, with a focus on advancing AI literacy, promoting innovation in education, and building a strong and connected European digital education ecosystem.

Since joining the European Commission in 2008, Georgi has worked across innovation and education policies, contributing to the establishment of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the development of HEInnovate, an OECD–EU initiative helping universities become more entrepreneurial. Before joining the Commission, he worked in the telecommunications and software industries. He holds degrees from the University of Bonn (M.A.), the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (PhD), and the Open University UK (MBA in Technology Management), and has completed executive training in leadership and organisational transformation at Stanford University.

Michelle is a strategic marketing consultant who designs intentional event experiences and builds global communities across the EdTech ecosystem. She supports a variety of clients across the education industry by facilitating engagement formats that advance connection, knowledge exchange and meaningful partnerships between key stakeholders. For the European EdTech Alliance, she currently leads the community and events strategy for EmpowerED – a 3-year EU funded project for creating a new European EdTech community – and the TAICo, a project funded by the EU focused on teacher-AI complementarity.
Michelle previously was the Head of Marketing and Partnerships for the largest thought leadership EdTech summit in Europe, EdTechX, also co-founding the celebratory event series London EdTech Week.

Alison is a former school mathematics teacher, whose 30-year career has spanned the EdTech ecosystem. From digital resource and curriculum design, to teacher professional support and the mentoring of hundreds of EdTech start-ups, she is committed to bridging the gaps between academic research, educational innovation and real-world practices. With Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in mathematics education, she is a Professorial Research Fellow within UCL IOE – Faculty of Education and Society. Alison’s most recent research is focused on the design, implementation and evaluation of systemic EdTech Testbeds, which offer a more democratised and scalable approach to support educationally impactful innovation efforts. She is a co-founder of the Global EdTech Testbed Network, a collaborate effort to share knowledge, practice and research on regional and national testbed efforts.

Since 1997, Alicia has been a driving force in European Commission programmes focused on education, including Leonardo, Socrates, eLearning, Tempus and Erasmus+. In her role as project leader and evaluator, she has led many significant contributions to the field.

From 2005 to 2017, she served as Project Coordinator at the UNESCO Chair of Higher Education Management (UPC-BarcelonaTech), where she managed impactful projects across 10 countries that focused on eLearning, quality, and strategy in university management. Alicia has also worked as Product Manager at Linkia FP, the first association of official online professional education schools in Spain, offering technical degrees in Informatics, Healthcare, Business Management, Tourism, and more, with over 3,000 students.

She currently manages the Edutech Cluster, the Spanish EdTech association, further solidifying her commitment to advancing education through technology.

Dr. Lachezar Afrikanov is an academic lecturer at New Bulgarian University. He specialises in educational leadership and innovations. Dr. Afrikanov is engaged in numerous international projects including partnerships focussed on digitalisation of education and the use of AI in the classroom.

Bilyana Bogoeva holds a Master’s degree in Philology and has completed additional qualifications in PR, marketing, and branding. She has more than 15 years of experience as a journalist in both print and online media. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of the free weekly newspaper Anons, published by the Belgian media group Le Groupe Rossel, as well as Editor-in-Chief of the bilingual magazine showcasing the best of Bulgaria, Cherga BG. Additionally, she has been Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the online platform front.bg, among other roles.

Antoaneta Angelova-Krasteva is Director for Innovation, Digital Education and International Cooperation at the European Commission. She is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the EU Digital Education Action Plan, the international dimension of the Erasmus+ programme, as well as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, which are integral parts of the Horizon Europe Programme.

Antoaneta joined the European Commission in 2008. She has worked across various Commission services on a wide range of topics such as external relations and enlargement, internal security and police cooperation, digital matters and cyber security, stakeholder engagement. Before joining the Commission, Antoaneta had spent 10 years in the Bulgarian public administration, including as diplomat at the Permanent Representation of Bulgaria in Brussels, dealing mainly with justice and home affairs issues.

Antoaneta is a graduate in political science of Sofia University “St Kliment Ohridski” (Bulgaria), with training and qualifications in European studies from Germany (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung) and the UK (Sussex University).

Anna is a researcher and practitioner in education, with a particular focus on digitalisation, learning, and assessment. Her academic background is rooted in educational sciences, and much of her work has explored how digital technologies influence teaching practices, learning processes, and the design of educational environments.

Over the past 15 years, she has been engaged in both research and development projects that aim to bridge the gap between schools, policy, and edtech development. Her research interests include formative assessment in digital contexts, digital literacy, and how socio-material perspectives can inform the understanding of learning in technologically rich environments.

A recurring theme in her work is the relationship between didactics and technology — not just how technology is used in classrooms, but how it reshapes roles, interactions, and learning outcomes. She is especially interested in how digital tools can be meaningfully integrated into education in ways that support both equity and quality.

Currently, she works with Ifous (Innovation, forskning och utveckling i skolan) where she leads and supports initiatives involving testbeds — structured collaborations between schools and edtech companies.

Within the EmpowerEd project, she is involved in building a European network of edtech testbeds, working closely with GETN (Global Edtech Testbed Network). These networks aim to create knowledge exchange and shared practices for evaluating and improving digital tools in authentic educational settings.

Her work is always grounded in close collaboration with teachers, school leaders, and other practitioners. Her continued goal is to ensure that digital tools used in education are relevant, research-informed, and aligned with the classroom needs.

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