Bavetra Swaminathan is an independent researcher with a PhD in English Literature from SASTRA Deemed to be University, specialising in environmental humanities. Her doctoral thesis, "Reverberation of Ecocritical Concerns in the Novels of Kazuo Ishiguro," offers a sharp critical analysis spanning ecocriticism, ecofeminism, AI-driven climate narratives, and ecojustice. Key publications include "Ecocritical Wisdom for Ecojustice" in the Journal of Human Values (SAGE, 2023) and "Hope, Faith, Love, Human and Humanoid" in Klara and the Sun (STD, 2021). Her wide-ranging work advances eco-storytelling and ecological discourse in contemporary literature.

Yuchen Lu is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Education whose research examines teaching and learning in higher education, with a focus on transfer of learning, EAP, and instructional quality in transnational contexts. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China in 2020 and previously worked in vocational higher education on teaching-quality enhancement. Her work , as the first author, has been presented at AERA annual meeting and published in IEEE proceedings.

Dinithi Samarakoon is the Sri Lankan Unit Coordinator and Lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University (ECU), Sri Lanka Campus. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Kotelawala Defence University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Nursing Education at Lincoln University, Malaysia. With a strong academic foundation, Dinithi actively engages in teaching and research across the fields of Nursing, Paramedical Sciences, and Health Sciences. Her commitment to advancing healthcare education is reflected in her dual role as a Program Convenor for the Nursing Program at ECU Sri Lanka and as a professional counsellor, having earned a Diploma in Counselling from the University of Jayawardenepura. Dinithi is also a proud member of the Graduate Nurses Foundation of Sri Lanka, where she contributes to the professional development of nurses nationwide. Passionate about medical research and innovation, she is currently seeking PhD opportunities to further her contributions to global healthcare advancements.

Dr May Lim is a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering and a Fellow of the UNSW Nexus Program. Her teaching interests focus on andragogical approaches that enable engineering students to develop disciplinary mastery while extending their capabilities beyond disciplinary boundaries. Her current work centres on enabling authentic and experiential learning at scale through partnerships and the effective use of digital tools.

Jenn Jury is a doctoral student and a Professional Teaching Fellow at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland, where her main teaching roles are to coordinate and teach into a second-year quantitative biology course, as well as a first‑year transition course within the Faculty of Science. Prior to holding her current position, Jenn taught in undergraduate biology labs for over 15 years, where her passions for relational teaching and learning and enhancing student belonging to foster wellbeing and academic success began. Jenn is committed to fostering inclusive, meaningful learning experiences and supporting equitable student transitions into university life. Jenn is also interested in supporting professional development initiatives for Graduate Teaching Assistants, with the aim of strengthening relational pedagogies in undergraduate science teaching. Jenn’s broader interests include working with learning support, and creating teaching spaces where students feel seen, valued, connected, and empowered to succeed. Mel Wall ( Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland, Te Kura Mātai Taiao | School of Environment) Mel Wall is of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Pākehā descent. Her teaching in focuses on knowledges of place, social inclusion/exclusion, indigenous geopolitics, and (post/de)colonial geographies. Mel has a track record of innovation and sustained excellence in teaching and leadership including a national teaching excellence award. Her principal classroom contribution has been innovations around relational learning in teams when teaching controversial issues. Mel has a commitment to addressing issues that concern Māori and draws on a critical Indigenous studies approach. She is currently the Māori Academic Lead, a senior leadership role in the Education Office working with the PVC Education and PVC Māori.

Shen is a graduate researcher at the Teaching and Learning Lab, University of Melbourne. His research focuses on enhancing how universities support engineering students and recent graduates in maximising their employability potential. He is particularly interested in developing more effective assessment methods in the era of AI. Driven by a passion for career development, Shen aims to help individuals navigate their professional journeys and achieve their career aspirations within the engineering field.

Xiaoli Jing is an assistant professor at the Institute of International and Comparative Education, Beijing Normal University after receiving her doctorate from McGill University in 2022. Her research focuses on the geopolitics of higher education, particularly the impact of geopolitical shifts on higher education exchange and cooperation between China and other countries. Funded by the National Office for Education Sciences Planning in China, she is doing a research project exploring the diversified approaches adopted by the major world powers to promote internationalization at home during the geopolitical shifts. Currently, she is serving as an editorial board member of the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management and reviewers for many SSCI journals such as Studies in Higher Education, Higher Education Research & Development, and Asia Pacific Education Review. She is also a winner of the Best Article Award 2023 of the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.

Alankaar Sharma is an academic with over 20 years’ experience as a researcher, educator, and practitioner working internationally including in Australia, India, and the United States. His primary areas of research are: critical studies of men and masculinities; sexual violence and child sexual abuse; and sexuality and sexual rights. His research is inspired by social justice and (pro)feminism, and has been published in leading international peer-reviewed academic journals and books.

Xuemeng Cao is currently an Assistant Professor at the Center for Higher Education Development and Institute of Education, Xiamen University. She is the co-editor of Exploring Diary Methods in Higher Education Research: Opportunities, Choices and Challenges (Routledge, 2021). Her research interests include educational and academic mobility, university student learning and development, and innovative qualitative research methodologies.

Joseph (Yossi) Rathner is an Associate Professor (Education Focused) in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Melbourne. He is an education focused academic whose work integrates physiology, learning science, and controlled experimental methods to address student learning, wellbeing, and academic progression. His teaching career spans community college, liberal arts, regional, and research intensive university contexts in the United States and Australia, providing a broad perspective on how students learn and struggle across settings. Rathner’s research program focuses on scalable, evidence based educational interventions, with particular emphasis on structured physical activity as a means to improve attention, mental wellbeing, belonging, and academic success—especially for first year and academically at risk students. His program also includes experimental studies of learning strategies, attention, and assessment design. He has published widely in physiology and STEM education and contributes actively to curriculum development, assessment practice, and academic integrity leadership.

Joon Keit (Keit) Loi is a Lecturer in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. He is an Education-focused Academic primarily teaching to students in the Immunology major but also in subjects aiming to integrate knowledge in the Biomedical Sciences. Alongside classroom teaching, he has collaborated with student recruitment teams, engaging prospective students and their families to communicate the value and opportunities of a Biomedical Science degree. Keit’s educational interests emphasise the quality and coherence of the student experience, with particular attention to transferable skills such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability. He is also interested in strengthening connections between key stakeholders in higher education, including teaching staff across levels, researchers, and students, to foster clearer communication, shared expectations, and more supportive learning environments. Through this work, he aims to enhance both student outcomes and the broader culture of biomedical education.