Reimagine education, work, and leadership for a climate just future
- What: Imagining a Climate Just Future Conference: Workshops, Panel Discussion and hands-on exercises
- When: Wednesday 8 October, 10:30 – 17:00 - or join just a part of the day
- Where: DesignLab, University of Twente - click here for route information
- Registration: Click here to register
This event is a co-production of University of Twente and Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF).
Participants do not need to participate the full day, but are also very welcome to join one or more specific parts of the programme.
Exploring crossroads
How might we reimagine education, work, and leadership for a climate just future, one where everyone thrives? Hosted by the University of Twente's Green Hub Twente on 8th October from 10:30, this dynamic conference includes a public workshop and panel. Led by Dr. Alex Baker-Friesen (Founder of Ozymandias Intelligence, former Green Hub Twente coordinator and UT Sustainability Strategy Lead) invites you to explore the crossroads of artificial intelligence, inclusive education, and climate justice.
Spanning two interactive segments and an expert panel, the session blends hands-on exercises with open dialogue to address some of today’s most urgent questions: How is generative AI transforming the ways we learn, teach, and collaborate? What does real gender equity and diversity look like as we work for a fairer, greener world? How can we centre multiple voices- especially those historically excluded - in shaping climate resilient strategies that help us lead through the shift?
Diverse speakers
The day will be opened by Christy Aikhorin, UT Alumna and director of WECF Netherlands. It includes an expert-moderated panel, opened with key insights from Prof. Mieke Boon and followed by five diverse speakers - representing fields from sustainability, technology and activism - who share perspectives on the ethical, psychological, and societal implications of AI in education and climate action. Participants are invited to actively contribute, with their reflections on the following questions forming the heart of our discussion:
- How are you using generative AI in your studies?
- What do you expect from your lecturers?
- What do you think employers will expect from you?
In preparing for the panel, you are invited to reflect on these questions through a lens of equity, inclusivity, and intersectionality. How can AI, education, and future workplaces serve as spaces for systemic change - where climate justice, gender equity, and diversity are foundational principles?
We welcome students, young professionals, educators, business and community members alike to critically engage and co-create actionable visions that collectively reimagine what just, regenerative, and inclusive futures could look like. Join us and help shape new narratives and solutions, empowered by diverse perspectives and the spirit of connection.
Full programme
Please note you do not need to participate the full day, but are also very welcome to join one or more specific parts of the programme.
Expert panel
How will AI transform learning? Rethinking pedagogy in the age of artificial intelligence
Panel members
Mieke Boon is a full professor Philosophy of Science in Practice in the Philosophy Department at the University of Twente. She will be giving the opening remarks for the event.
Mieke Boon is a full professor of Philosophy of Science in Practice at the University of Twente, specializing in Philosophy of Technology. She holds cum laude degrees in Chemical Engineering (UT) and Biotechnology (TUD), and studied Philosophy at Leiden University. Her work connects theory with practice and academia with society. Boon has led several initiatives, including founding the Female Faculty Network Twente and the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice. She has held leadership roles in various national and international philosophy organizations.
Nina Benoit is the Director of Sustainability at Brightest, a TEDx speaker, and dedicated climate activist. With a strong passion for helping businesses and individuals create a positive impact on both our planet and communities, she regularly shares valuable insights on sustainability to inspire meaningful change. A graduate of HEC Paris business school, Nina has established herself as a recognized leader in the sustainability space, particularly on LinkedIn, where she shares innovative approaches to sustainable business practices. Nina's expertise has led to high-profile speaking engagements, including at Google’s Paris office, where she addressed the intersection of AI and Sustainability. Deeply committed to fostering more equitable and sustainable future, Nina is passionate about empowering Gen Z to become the next generation of climate leaders.
Claudio is an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente.
His main research interests are in the context of machine learning and deep learning for information extraction from remotely sensed images and geospatial data. The activity includes investigating and developing dedicated deep learning techniques for various remote sensing sensor data and multiple applications, focusing on societal and environmental challenges. He is particularly interested in combining deep learning and Earth observation to address and monitor the progress towards sustainable development goals.
Dr Persello is a referee for multiple journals and a program committee member of several conferences in the field of remote sensing and image analysis. He is the Chair of the Image Analysis and Data Fusion (IADF) GRSS technical committee. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing and a member of the editorial board of the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry. He served as publication co-chair for IGARSS 2021. His PhD thesis was awarded the prize for the best PhD thesis on Pattern Recognition published between 2010 and 2012 by the GIRPR, i.e., the Italian branch of the International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR). He is a Senior Member of the IEEE.
Marcel helps to conceive, build up and run high performance teams and projects, driving by data, data science, analytics (AI/ML) or modelling, in the context of macro transitions, specifically regarding Energy, Climate, Health and Education, from the perspective of business, science or the arts. His focus lies with R&D, product development and implementation.
Alicja holds an MSc in Philosophy of Science, Technology, and Society from the University of Twente. Before moving to the Netherlands in 2021 to pursue her studies at UT, she earned a BA from Lancaster University and an MA from the University of the Arts London, both in Human-Centred Design. Over time, she developed a strong passion for the ethics of technology and advocating for a human rights-based approach to the AI development. Her professional experience spans foresight, research, and design, and she has most recently worked at the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure as an AI Standardisation Specialist. Alicja is committed to advancing the field of AI Ethics and is a member of women-led global communities such as Women in AI and Women 4 Ethical AI.
Mahdi Farnaghi is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente. His primary research lies at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and geodata processing—often referred to as GeoAI.
During his Ph.D., he developed semantic web and AI-based methods to automatically generate geoprocessing workflows within Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs). After his Ph.D., he broadened his research toward spatial data science and big data processing, applying machine learning (ML) for spatio-temporal modeling across various domains, including environmental monitoring and assessment, disaster management, and spatial epidemiology.
His work also explores deep learning (DL) and big data technologies for extracting insights from large-scale environmental datasets, as well as geospatial social media analysis using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques.
Currently, his research focuses on Large Language Models (LLMs) and Large Multimodal Models (LMMs), automation of geoprocessing workflows (MLOps), the role of spatial and spatio-temporal effects in ML/DL modeling, Explainable AI (XAI), and spatial data fusion.
Mahdi has contributed to several large-scale EU-funded projects focused on capacity development in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and he leads Dutch-funded projects at the intersection of AI and geodata processing.
Breakout sessions
Sustainability Week
This event is part of Sustainability Week 2025: an annual week filled with fun and educational events, designed to inspire, and engage participants to join the sustainability movement. You can find all Sustainability Week events on the special website.
