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Merlet Behncke-Braunbeck
Merlet Behncke-Braunbeck is the Director Distance Learning at Springer-Verlag (part of Springer Nature), Heidelberg.
With over 30 years of experience in the scientific publishing industry, I have honed my skills as an acquisition editor specializing in the natural sciences. My passion has always been collaborating with academic authors to create didactic textbooks and learning materials that go beyond simply presenting facts. I strive to develop resources that convey key concepts, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter and encouraging further exploration. Ideally, these materials not only educate but also make learning enjoyable and spark curiosity.
I am particularly fascinated by innovative forms of learning. I believe that modern publishing encompasses much more than traditional journals and books, extending to various forms of lifelong learning. In my role as Director of Distance Education at Springer Nature, I am dedicated to developing cutting-edge learning formats tailored for professionals and students. By engaging in open discussions with lecturers and universities, we can create programs that are precisely aligned with the needs of specific target groups.
Additionally, I oversee a Springer Nature owned online learning platform, which offers MOOCs and professional training courses. My goal is to continue advancing educational methods and platforms to meet the evolving demands of learners worldwide.
C.R. (Nelo) Emerencia
After a career in the chemicals industry, Nelo Emerencia established himself as an independent consultant in the chemical, biochemical and education fields. From April 2015 through May 2022, he fulfilled the responsibilities of Director Programming for the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) in Brussels. Since 1 June 2022 he is Director Human Capital & Stakeholder Relations for BIC.
Nelo studied Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. During his career, Nelo was seconded to PlasticsEurope in Brussels as Communications and Public Affairs Director. And later to the Dutch Chemical Industry Association in The Hague as Education & Innovation Manager, and Secretary of the Dutch Chemistry Board. In this last function, he led the bio-based economy activities for the chemical industry in the Netherlands.
Sheela Kiiskilä
Sheela Kiiskilä is a researcher at Tampere University focusing on issuance of Micro-credentials (MCs) specifically by Higher Education Institutions and alliances. As part of European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU), she works with 13 partners of the alliance and led two EU commission early adopter programs on MCs. As a task leader, her latest work includes working with EDC and ECIU on central issuance of micro-credentials by alliances. Her research work includes bringing in different skill frameworks such as ESCO into Micro-credentials to showcase skills and competences learners can acquire through them. She also leads the work in developing a competence passport for a learner that helps them to visualize their skills and competences, understand skill gaps from the current job market, and fill the gap through micro-credentials.
Sheela Kiiskilä has authored multiple publications in micro-credentials, including “Features of Micro-Credential platforms in Higher Education”, and “Are Micro‑Credentials Valuable for Students? Perspective on Verifiable Digital Credentials”. Her earlier career includes extensive industry experience in Silicon Valley in both technical and managerial positions, as well as being an entrepreneur.
Han van Osch
As a human movement scientist I started my career at one of the founding organisations of Avans University of Applied Sciences at the Department of Health Care in 1990. After multiple positions (like lecturer, policy advisor, project manager and vice dean) in different surroundings I am at this moment working at the Centre of Expertise for the Technological Innovation in Energy & Material Transition (formerly Centre of Expertise Biobased Economy).
I am portfolio manager education at the Centre of Expertise and in line with that position I am responsible for (the educational part of) the Dutch Biobased Knowledge Network and chair of ICA CoP Bio-Edu. We are, for example, creating online educational material, involving students in many projects and we have intensive cooperations with Finnish and Brazilian universities.
The other part of my job is to be the quarter master for lifelong learning for the whole university. In this role, I am responsible to create a policy for the university in the field of lifelong learning. This policy should be aligned with the partners: knowledge institutes in the region and companies.
Aaik Rodenburg
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Aaik Rodenburg started his career in the company of his father and continued this after the father passed away in 1995. The activities were mainly trade and transport of side streams of the food industry in practically french-fry industry towards farmers with caws and pigs
Being not satisfied with the added value I went to Wageningen University Food and Biobased Research and with the aid of subsidies we started an investigation for biodegradable plastics out of those side streams. This was the start of Rodenburg Biopolymers and we produce now next to the Bioplastic, glue for paper and formaldehyde free pressed wood, drilling starch and raw material for petfood and the search for other applications continues with the aid of various institutes.
I initiated the founding of the Biopolymer Application Center which is now a part of the Avans highschool in Breda as a part of the Center of Expertise Biobased Economy.
George Sakellaris
George Sakellaris is a board member of the Bioeconomy BioEast Hub in Czech Republic. He is Biochemist by training and his domain of expertise is Bioeconomy and the sustainable implementation of this technology for development and growth in a wide spectrum of sectors particularly Regional Development Entrepreneurship and Education. In parallel, he is the vice chair of the European ICA-CoP Bioeconomy Education and active in the BioEast platform on Bioeconomy, being a member of the Advisory Council and head of the Thematic Working Group on Bioeconomy Education. From this position he participated in the initiative of the creation of UniNet, a network on Bioeconomy-focused Universities in the CEE region. He is currently involved in numerous ongoing EC funded projects on Bioeconomy many of them focusing on Bioeconomy Education. In the past he has participated as elected and/or ad-hoc expert in numerous committees and Task Groups of the EC. He has also been a consultant on National level in Greece and in Czech Republic. He has participated in over 30 Research funded consortia and projects as a partner or coordinator. He has also contributed in more than 200 International events worldwide.
Marjolein Schooleman
Experienced innovation manager at the intersection of education and the labour market. Working as the director of the association of vocational colleges in the province of Brabant as well as being the Fund Manager Brabant Leert and liaison of the Dutch consortium of Dutch Talent Funds. Liaison, initiator, accelerator and driving force behind the national system transition at LLO. Past experience as manager, spokesman and head of Public Affairs with the Dutch Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and Avans University of Applied Sciences. Large experience as a Innovation Manager, Strategic Marketing Manager, Corporate Communications Manager at AEGON . Driver of ecosystem reinforcement and campus development. Lots of political experience. Creative, innovative and result-oriented. International experience in financial services, national experience in profit, semi-profit as well as non-profit and government. Socially very involved and administratively very experienced in the world of charities, politics and energy transition. Marjolein Schooleman | LinkedIn
Jukka Tikkanen
Research director Jukka Tikkanen has a degree of Doctor of Science (2006) in Agriculture and Forest sciences. He is the head of the School of Forest Sciences at University of Eastern Finland. Jukka has a long career in Forest Management, applied research and education both in vocational and higher education levels. He has led and participated in several domestic and international research and development projects where community involvement to forest related decision making is emphasised, like “Enhancing local program-based innovation and development”, "Towards European Societal Sustainability" and "Engaging Citizens in soil science: the road to Healthier sOils". At the moment many of his projects are dealing with life-long learning. His team has launched in Finland a Micro-Credentials Programme of forest sciences which applies Open Batches to accreditation of learnings. He is an actor in the European Bioeconomy University (EBU) alliance where they have recently started the work to open educational offerings for life-long-learning.