Professor Christian Wolfrum is Deputy President and Provost of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is a distinguished scientist and academic leader with deep expertise in metabolic research.

As the University’s chief academic officer, he oversees college deans and school chairs to drive educational and research excellence, strengthen academic programmes, and support NTU’s commitment to holistic talent development.

Prior to joining NTU, ​Professor Wolfrum was Vice President for Research and a member of the Executive Board at ETH Zurich, where he was Professor of Translational Nutritional Biology. Over his 17 years at ETH Zurich, he played a pivotal role in shaping the university’s academic and research landscape. His contributions included founding the Department of Health Sciences and Technology, developing its interdisciplinary curriculum, and introducing a new medical curriculum. He was also instrumental in defining ETH Zurich’s strategic research direction, which led to the establishment of the Swiss National AI Institute and the Swiss AI Initiative.

From 2019 to 2022, he held a joint appointment as Parkway Pantai Professor of Healthy Ageing at the National University of Singapore. An internationally acclaimed expert in metabolic research, his work focuses on adipose tissue biology and its role in metabolism. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, as well as numerous book chapters and reviews.

​Professor Wolfrum is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and a former President of the International Conference for the Bioscience of Lipids. His research has earned multiple distinctions, including the Max Rösler Award, which honours early-career professors for outstanding achievement in research, teaching, and academic leadership.

He holds a PhD in Biochemistry and a degree in Chemistry from the University of Münster, Germany, and completed postdoctoral research at Rockefeller University in New York. He is also an entrepreneur, having co-founded two biotechnology companies, including Glycemicon AG, an ETH spin-off focused on metabolic health.

Karen Gravett is Associate Professor of Higher Education and Head of Educational Research and Development at the Surrey Institute of Education, University of Surrey, UK., and Honorary Associate Professor at Deakin University’s Centre for Assessment and Digital Learning. Her research focuses on relational pedagogies and a broader understanding of criticality as a relational, situated, and embodied practice. Her latest books are Reconceptualising Teaching in Higher Education  (2026), Critical Practice in Higher Education (2025) and Relational Pedagogies: Connections and Mattering in Higher Education (2023). Her work on relational pedagogies and expanded conceptions of criticality is timely in the advent of Generative AI, which prompts us to examine human connections and relationships in learning.

Dr Wayne Holmes is Professor at the UCL Knowledge Lab, UCL Institute of Education, University College London. A leading international expert on AI and education, he advises UNESCO and the Council of Europe on AI policy, and is co-editor of The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Education: Practices, Challenges and Debates (2023). Holmes’ research advocates a critical, values-driven approach to AI, emphasising educator and learner agency, ethical considerations, and evidence-informed practice. Dr Holmes’ work is relevant as universities navigate the implications and risks of Generative AI. By foregrounding pedagogy, human agency, and ethical responsibility, his research encourages institutions to critically engage with AI in ways that foster future-ready competencies. 

Ong Yann Shiou is Assistant Professor in the Natural Sciences & Science Education Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, NTU, where her research focuses on students’ epistemic practices and science education. She examines how learners engage in inquiry, critique evidence, construct arguments, and make decisions in science and STEM, and designs learning environments that promote interdisciplinary engagement. Her recent work includes applying frameworks like Productive Interdisciplinary Engagement. 

Yann Shiou's research on epistemic practices and learning design aligns with the conference’s emphasis on reflecting on the role of higher education in cultivating meaningful inquiry and critical thinking as institutions grapple with the implications of AI. 

Walid Jumblatt Abdullah is Assistant Chair (Students) at the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, and a recipient of the Nanyang Education Award (College) for outstanding teaching. His research on political conditions and social inequality offers interesting and broader perspectives on the societal contexts that shape students’ learning and engagement in higher education. He is also a public intellectual, engaging broader audiences through scholarship and dialogue, including his podcast Teh Tarik With Walid. 
Walid’s teaching and engagement with complex societal issues exemplify how higher education can cultivate critically engaged, socially conscious, and reflective graduates, offering perspectives that help universities go beyond conventional pedagogical approaches. 

1st Year student at School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology with second major in Environmental Science (NTU), Core Member of Project Avigate. 

About Project Avigate 

Launched in 2022, Project Avigate is a student-led environmental initiative at NTU documenting and addressing bird-building collisions, having recorded 122 collisions involving 22 bird species over three migratory seasons. The team has engaged the university and raised funds to install bird-safe decals to reduce avian fatalities. Their efforts demonstrates how university students can go beyond grades to become thoughtful advocates and passionate stewards of biodiversity.

1st Year History student at School of Humanities (NTU), Core Member of Project Avigate

About Project Avigate 

Launched in 2022, Project Avigate is a student-led environmental initiative at NTU documenting and addressing bird-building collisions, having recorded 122 collisions involving 22 bird species over three migratory seasons. The team has engaged the university and raised funds to install bird-safe decals to reduce avian fatalities. Their efforts demonstrates how university students can go beyond grades to become thoughtful advocates and passionate stewards of biodiversity.