NICE Academy in Pristina from September 7-10, 2022

Keynote to be announced soon

Description Alejtin Berisha is the Founder of Finnish Schools International, Founder of Kosovo Angels Network (KOSBAN), Co-Founder and CEO of Universum College, Co-Founder of Izi Survey and many other activities in the field of entrepreneurship. He has studied Business Administration, holding a master degree in Political Economy and a Ph.D. Doctorate in Management from the University of Bath. Mr. Berisha has worked as an expert/consultant for USAID, European Commission, GIZ projects and is the Founding Curator of Prishtina Hub. He has produced “The Young Manager” and “Startups Battle” TV shows.

Keynote "Embedding guidance: Opportunities and challenges" The introduction of the Gatsby Benchmarks has established a catalyst for dialogue about careers guidance for young people in England. This presentation will examine the impact the benchmarks have had on young people and schools and will explore the extent to which personal guidance has become integrated within the education infrastructure and the remaining challenges.

Description Dr Siobhan Neary is Professor of Career Development Practice and Head of the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), University of Derby. Siobhan leads a centre researching social justice with a specific emphasis on careers guidance, development, and transitions throughout the life course. Her research portfolio includes work on quality, career management, continuing professional development (CPD), professional identity, strategic workforce, and service developments with a range of organisations at regional, national, and international levels. She is a Fellow and Vice-Chair of the National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling (NICEC) which is an international learned society representing thought leadership within careers related research and is a Fellow of the Career Development Institute. She has recently co-chaired a Skills Commission inquiry resulting in the Transitions to Ambition: Navigating the Careers Maze Report.

Keynote to be announced soon

Description Dr Scott H. Solberg is a professor in the Department of Counseling and Applied Human Development at BU Wheelock College of Education and Human Development at the Boston University. He works internationally and nationally on the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective career development programs and services, especially for high-need youth populations, including youth with disabilities. As part of the BU Center for Future Readiness (with Dr. Kimberly Howard), Dr. Solberg’s research, professional development, and curriculum is shaping the career development implementation policies and practices in the United States and around the world. His work with the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has resulted in his being considered a leading expert in the design, implementation, and evaluation of individualized learning plans (ILPs). His book Making School Relevant with Individualized Learning Plans: Helping Students Create Their Own Career and Life Goals (Harvard Education Press) describes the culmination of his ILP research as well as his experiences in designing social emotional learning efforts with educators at South Division High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Keynote to be announced soon

Description Dr Peter C. Weber is a professor of counselling science at the University of Applied Labour Studies in Mannheim since 2016. Previously, he conducted research at the University of Heidelberg, where he also served as one of the coordinators of the NICE network. He is a board member of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) and serves on the scientific committee of the European Doctoral Programme in Career Guidance and Counselling (ECADOC). His research and teaching focuses on the interdisciplinary foundations of lifelong guidance and counselling.

Role Chair of ECADOC Summer School and NICE Academy (SEL IRN & NICE Foundation)

Description Lea Ferrari is an associate professor at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova. Her research efforts are devoted to the study of dimensions and processes in life design models as well as to promote work and social inclusion, quality of life and work satisfaction with attention to contextual factors and a preventive focus. Activities include setting up of instruments, planning of interventions programs and their efficacy verification. She teaches Diversity management in the workplace and Psychology of inclusion for people with disability. Together with Scott Solberg (Boston university) she is coordinating the international research network Social emotional competences and career development that aims to foster Sel skills in educators to make their children ready for the world of work. She is actually involved in two European projects: CONNECT! (https://connect-erasmus.eu/) that aims to link career counseling with HR practices, and psSMILE (http://smile.emundus.lt/) that aims to promote social emotional competences in primary schools. She is a Board Member of the NICE Foundation. She serves as editor of the Turkish Journal of Education TURJE for the counseling and guidance field and of the newsletter of the IAAP Counseling Division 16. She serves also as ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Happiness Studies, the International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, the Journal of Career Development, the British Journal of Guidance and Counseling, the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, the Educational Research Review, the Social Behavior and Personality.

Role Chair of ECADOC Summer School and NICE Academy (SEL IRN)

Beschreibung Dr Scott H. Solberg is a professor in the Department of Counseling and Applied Human Development at BU Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. He works internationally and nationally on the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective career development programs and services, especially for high-need youth populations, including youth with disabilities. As part of the BU Center for Future Readiness (with Dr. Kimberly Howard), Dr. Solberg’s research, professional development, and curriculum is shaping the career development implementation policies and practices in the United States and around the world. His work with the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has resulted in his being considered a leading expert in the design, implementation, and evaluation of individualized learning plans (ILPs). His book Making School Relevant with Individualized Learning Plans: Helping Students Create Their Own Career and Life Goals (Harvard Education Press) describes the culmination of his ILP research as well as his experiences in designing social emotional learning efforts with educators at South Division High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Role Chair of ECADOC Summer School & NICE Academy (SEL IRN)

Description Dr. Chong Park is a Research Scientist in Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development. She received her Ed.M. in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, both from Boston University. She completed her internship at the Office of Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz where she conducted research on dropout interventions and preventions. Working with Drs. V. Scott Solberg and Kimberly A.S Howard, Dr. Park’s research focuses on the examination of career development in K-12 and post-secondary settings, especially the programs and services for high risk, high need youth populations. Her research interests include college and career readiness, workplace skills, financial literacy skills, career pathways to STEM occupations, and Individualized Learning Plans. Dr. Park is currently managing a cross-cultural study of educator perspectives on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL IRN) where she provides support to career development researchers from 17 countries and runs the cross-cultural analysis. She is also responsible for a longitudinal qualitative study of young women who received financial literacy instruction in high school (Invest in Girls), and is involved in the career development curriculum design and implementation for a program that helps middle school youth enter STEM career pathways (Sociedad Latina). Dr. Park enjoys supporting the graduate students in the research team and helping them grow as future scholars.

Role Chair (NICE Foundation)

Description Anne is the Assistant Director of Centre for Careers and Personal Development at the Canterbury Christ Church University (UK) where she has taught since 2006. After a career of 20 years in the careers profession as a practitioner, trainer and consultant, Anne began her academic career by taking the lead on the new e-learning course in careers work for school based practitioners and also teaching careers education on the MA in Career Guidance. She is now the programme director for the MA Career Management and is the Assitant Director of the Centre for Career and Personal Development. In addition to teaching and managing the centre Anne is also engaged in a number of national and international projects, including two European projects developing careers work with refugees and asylum seekers. Anne is a fellow of NICEC and a senior fellow of the HEA, and a Director of the NICE Foundation. Anne continues to work in private practice in the UK and overseas. Research and knowledge exchange Anne completed her PhD in 2017. Her doctoral resarch was an investigateion into the psycho-social influences on career choice. Previous areas of interest include Parental influence on career choice and career learning and development in schools

Role Conference Assistant for Digital & Hybrid Involvement

Description Emma is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Director within the Centre for Career and Personal Development at the Canterbury Christ Church University in the UK. She is the Programme Director for the Education Foundation Year, where she also leads and teaches on modules. She also teaches on MA Career Management, Certificate in Career Leadership and BA Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring. She is a qualified coach, specialising in career coaching, and has worked as a careers practitioner for 15+ years, in a range of settings working with both adult and student clients. Before joinging Canterbury Christ Chuch University, Emma worked at University of Kent, University of Law, FE College and for other public sector organisations. Emma holds an MSc in Career Coaching and continues to have her own career coaching practice alongside her role at the University. Emma is currently undertaking a PhD, using a feminist lens to explore the experiences of women who receive career coaching. Her previous research has focused on widening participation and non-traditional students in Higher Education and the experiences of students who receive coaching. Her other research interests include vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalised individuals and groups and career decision-making. She is especially interested in the relationship between mental health and job seeking.

Role Chair (NICE Foundation)

Description Johannes is a researcher at the University of Lueneburg (Germany), where he develops and tests serious games for ethics education at the Institute of Management & Organization. Since 2017, he serves as the chairman of the NICE Foundation. His research concentrates on the question, how professionals learn to act responsibly, and how digital games and other methods of experiential learning can be used for this purpose. He serves as an ad hoc reviewer for the African Journal of Career Development, the British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, Games & Culture, and Nursing Ethics, and was one of the founders of the European Doctoral Programme in Career Guidance and Counselling (ECADOC).

Role Chair for Practitioner Engagement (NICE Academy)

Description Leadership and organisational and organisational consultant Ba. Political Science and Ba. Systemic Leadership and Organisational Development Yvor has over 20 years of international experience as consultant, facilitator, trainer and coach. He mostly works in Europe, the US, Canada and Eurasia. His work is based on systemic and social constructionist approaches as well as narrative practice. These theories are the guiding principle in his work though interventions are always tailored flexibly to respond to clients’ needs. Yvor describes his work as being a facilitator of dialogue, where the logic of different perspectives is explored to reflect on the current practice and desired future and in this way to create meaning out of events. However, the dialogues are always embedded into the organisational framework - the mission, vision and strategy of the organisation, as their purpose is to create viable solutions benefiting the organisational purpose. No matter whether you meet Yvor as a consultant, trainer or coach, you will meet a passionate and driven person, who wishes to inspire and motivate the people he works with. He likes to encourage participation, because he believes that new perspectives and insights are needed for better results. He uses humour to get the energy into the room. However, his mind is always on the context and the organisational frame, where the solutions have to show their usefulness. Website: http://in-dialogue.org/index.php?pagina=consultants

Role Academy & Summer School Coordinator (Universum College Pristina)

Description Mrs. Gerguri-Rashiti has a BSc in Business and Finance for Managers from Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and an MA in International Business from Webster University, London, UK. Mrs. Gerguri did her PhD in Strategic Management at South East European University, North Macedonia. Shqipe Gerguri-Rashiti, currently is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Business and Management Department at Universum College, in Prishtina, Kosovo. Previously she was the Dean of College of Business Administration at American University of the Middle East in Kuwait. Her teaching is mainly on course such as Management, Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship and other business related courses. Her research interests are on female entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and strategic management based on which she has written and co-authored papers focused in these areas.

Role Academy & Summer School Coordinator (Universum College Pristina)

Beschreibung Arlinda Qehaja is Business Operation Director at Universum College and is responsible for managing daily operations of the UC. Mrs. Qehaja has been with Universum for 16 years and has been in different positions within the institution. Last four years has been involved in Internationalization of the Institution as one of the main strategic pillars of UC. Mrs. Qehaja has been responsible for initiating and managing international projects especially on implementing Erasmus+ Capacity Building Project and Credit Mobility. Has been an active member of organizing committees for different big annual events within the Institution such as International Staff Week, International Scientific Conference, Study abroad Fair and Job Fairs. Mrs. Qehaja has an MBA from the University of Ljubljana with emphasis in Public Policy.

Role Conference Assistant (Universum College Pristina)

Description Ard Simnica has a BA in Political Science and Public Administration from Kolegji Universum, Prishtine. He is currently doing his Master degree for Business Management and he is also working as Academic Assistant at Kolegji Universum.