International Experts

Dr Professor M. M. Pant is an internationally-renowned scholar and expert, specialising in pedagogy, technology and the development of tools and curricula for 21st-century education. He is widely recognised for his development of practical models that utilise the latest technologies to enhance teaching and learning. Currently, Dr Pant focuses on creating and promoting educational products, processes and services that meet the needs and interests of future learners, which he refers to as the Learning 221 framework. Alongside his impressive background, which includes roles such as Pro-Vice Chancellor at Indira Gandhi National Open University and Professor at prestigious institutions like IIT Kanpur and MLNR Engineering College, Dr Pant has also served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. Additionally, he has conducted research and contributed as a visiting scientist and scholar in various research centres throughout Europe. As the founder of the LMP Education Trust, Dr Pant is dedicated to fostering modern learning and supporting disadvantaged learners. Moreover, he plays a vital role as a mentor and key academic contributor at QAI.

Memberships: NCTE, NCERT, CBSE, NIOS, NUEPA, CEC, UGC, AICTE, AIMA and Board of Governors and IIT, Delhi.

John Kerr, who previously served as the CEO of Edexcel Foundation, the UK's largest awarding body, currently holds the position of Chief Executive at QAI. His professional background includes legal training and previous roles at the London Stock Exchange and Financial Services Authority, where he specialised in financial regulations and company authorisations. Following his departure from Pearson, he served as the Operations Director of Edge Foundation, a prominent educational charity, where he oversaw the establishment of two city academies and the Edge Hotel School. In addition to his role at QAI, John also acts as an advisor and strategy consultant for various governmental and private educational bodies at both national and international levels. His expertise lies in utilising cutting-edge technology to provide global education solutions in the 21st century.

Dr Sarvesh Naidu has a wide range of experience in the field of education, spanning over 44 years. He has worked in various types of schools, including day, day boarding and residential schools. Dr Naidu possesses extensive knowledge of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and is also familiar with the requirements, curricula and exams of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and Cambridge English. He demonstrates a particular interest in utilising student-centred instructional strategies, fostering creativity and critical-thinking skills in the classroom, engaging in reflective practice and adapting teaching materials to create a dynamic and motivational learning experience for students.

Background and education: TESOL, School Education and School Leadership, Pedagogy and Heutagogy

Payal Mathur has been involved in the field of English language education and assessment for more than 25 years. Her experience includes serving as an IELTS examiner trainer and examiner support coordinator for IDP in Africa, the Middle East and Europe as well as being a Cambridge CELTA trainer, OET interlocutor, team leader and examiner for Cambridge University Press and Assessment, The University of Cambridge. Payal has also worked as an examiner for EAP at the University of Cambridge, the University of Bradford and Oxford Brookes University. She possesses extensive knowledge about the NQF, QCF and SCQF frameworks and is a trained Assessor and Internal Verifier for Edexcel and SQA. Currently based in Gurgaon, India, Payal is actively involved in teacher training, testing, inspection and content production and serves as a Director & Chief Academic Officer at QAI.

Background and education: Teaching English as a Second Language, English Applied Linguistics, Pedagogy, English Literature and Education Studies

Zita Reszler has worked in the field of education for over 25 years, holding various roles such as examiner, assessor, lecturer, conference speaker and academic team leader at universities and colleges. She has also worked as a teacher, content writer and teacher trainer for International House WO as well as a director of studies and Cambridge CELTA trainer for language centres in multiple countries. With extensive experience in teaching ESP, EAP, general English and exam preparation classes, Zita has developed and delivered teacher training courses both online and in-person and has presented at numerous national and international conferences. Currently based in the UK, Zita works as an Assessment Specialist at Cambridge University Press and Assessment, The University of Cambridge, a Cambridge CELTA trainer and Co-Director at ELTeach Teacher Training Institute in Nottingham and an Academic Director at QAI.

Background and education: English and German Applied Linguistics and Pedagogy, Translation and Interpreting Studies, English, German and American Literature, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, British Culture and Civilisation, European Studies and Education Studies (Secondary and Higher Education).

Anez Katre has over 25 years of experience in training and professional development within the field of education. For 15 years, she held the position of Head of Training at The Doon School in Dehradun, India. In addition to her work in India and Nepal, Anez has a wealth of knowledge in special needs education, prevent care, safeguarding, mental wellbeing and social emotional learning. She has also served as a certified programme leader for Cambridge University Press and Assessment, The University of Cambridge, and as a programme lead for Duty of Care, a Boarding Schools Association in Australia. Anez's expertise is further demonstrated through her authorship of numerous academic papers on various educational topics, such as supporting learners and learning, the role of an associate tutor in supporting continuous professional development, peer assessment and reflective practice.

Background and education: Advanced Educational Studies, Special Needs, Prevent Care, Mental Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents, Safeguarding and Social and Emotional Learning.

Barbara Devaney lives and works in the UK and is one of the experts behind the alignment of the ZQ strands to the three learning domains for Zamit. With a diverse background in research, education, psychology, publishing and textile design, Barbara brings a unique perspective to her work. She spent a decade in the publishing industry, focusing on crafting books, before transitioning to a teaching role at Further Education colleges in the UK. She pursued her interest in psychology by studying at both the Open University and Nottingham Trent University in the UK, conducting research-driven investigations. Barbara's recent projects have centred around exploring the impact of Biophilic design on health and wellbeing, utilising EEG analysis and virtual reality. Barbara is currently involved in a research project that examines the individual differences in facial expressivity and their social functions, facial anatomy and the evolutionary origins of facial expressivity. Alongside this, she is also planning future projects to assess the sensory impact of natural materials on the health and wellbeing of the elderly.

Background and Education: Research Psychology, Education, Design and Publishing and Arts and Crafts 

Deborah Berry is an American specialist who played a key role in aligning the ZQ strands to the three learning areas for Zamit. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida, where her focus was on child development and the psychology of learning, particularly with at-risk and learning-challenged youths. She has been working in the fields of education, educational publishing and English as a Foreign Language for nigh on 25 years. She began her career on the client end with Harcourt School Publishers, developing and designing teachers’ Language Arts guides for grades 1 through 12 (US grade system). From there, she went on to work in New York City on the vendor end of the industry at the award-winning Bill Smith Studio and specialised in the editorial development and design of educational books geared towards children and young adults with learning challenges. For the past 15 years, she has worked as an EFL teacher as well as a content writer and editor for numerous clients in Europe and the UK. She is based in Paris, France, where she continues to research and develop novel teaching methods (especially experiential and game-based) to better facilitate “stickier” learning in students. She works with children, teens and adults and remains deeply committed to the destigmatisation of learning-challenged students of all ages.

Background and Education: Psychology, Educational Publishing and English as a Foreign Language 

Nikki Stevenson is one of the experts who played a crucial role in the alignment of the ZQ strands to the three learning domains for Zamit. She has been working in education for more than 18 years. She began working in the field as a science teacher in 2004. Since that time, she has diversified her career trajectory and has been working as a professional trainer across education, health, social care, forensic services, legal practices and the private sector which includes training, content writing, delivering courses and researching in neurodiversity, specialising in autism. She has extensive experience in SEN education, science teaching, curriculum development and in working with students speaking English as an Additional Language. She has also presented at national and international conferences across academia and the business sector. Nikki lives and works mainly in the UK and has just received a scholarship to pursue her PhD studies in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University in England.  

Background and education: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Education Studies, Psychology and Neurodiversity (e.g., autism and ADHD)

Dr Zsanett Agnes Bicsak has been working in education as a teacher, lecturer, researcher and psychologist for 15 years. During this time, she has been involved in a wide range of educational projects with a special focus on teacher training and has been awarded several grants and scholarships to research the motives of traditional education in Europe (e.g., Hungary, Germany and Austria). Zsanett also has experience in teaching German as a Foreign Language and is an expert in the field of supporting young learners with special educational needs. She is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain. She lives and works in the UK – currently as a research officer at Nottingham Trent University – and is one of the experts behind the alignment of the ZQ strands to the three learning domains for Zamit.

Background and education: Educational Studies, Psychology and Philosophy

Dr Jacob Runner is a US-born Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies at Kanazawa University (Japan), where he teaches English for Academic Purposes, TOEIC Preparation, Latin and Comparative Literature. Jacob has been working in education since 2012 and previously taught at the University of Nottingham (UK), the Nottingham Language Academy and a private language school in Ishikawa, Japan. Jacob also worked as an Assessment Specialist on a range of GETS exams, writing A1 – C1 level items for Reading and Use of English. Jacob has published several academic papers and delivered numerous presentations around the world.

Background and education: TESOL, Multilingualism, Comparative Literature and Language History (English, Japanese, and Latin)

Dr Josephine Moleon is a South Africa-born polyglot, linguist, teacher and teacher trainer. Over the course of the last two decades, Josephine has held various roles within the field of education, including as a teacher, examiner, assessor and teacher trainer, at several prestigious public and private institutions in in numerous countries such as Hungary, Romania and Italy. Additionally, Josephine has amassed experience as a writer of educational materials and resources and delivered presentations and teacher training workshops to teachers of all subjects in several countries. Presently, Josephine is located in Italy, where she is employed by prominent public schools and private corporations in addition to running her own educational enterprise.

Background and education: Home Economics, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, English Applied Linguistics, Education Studies in Advanced Teaching and Pedagogy

Based in the UK, Sarah McPherson specialises in testing and assessment as well as in teaching Academic English and preparing students for examinations. With over two decades of experience in education, she has taught English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in various educational institutions such as language centres, including International House WO, public secondary schools, colleges and universities in several countries, including Portugal, Poland, Hungary and Australia. Over the past 14 years, Sarah has held positions as a senior teacher, lecturer, group leader, assessor and examiner in renowned colleges, secondary schools and academies based in Nottingham and Leicester, UK.

Background and education: History, English Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Federica Frontera is a linguist, language and science teacher and engineer based in Italy. She is a certified teacher of Design and Technology and of English as a Foreign Language. Throughout her career, Federica has been employed by numerous reputable schools and educational institutions in both the United Kingdom and Italy, where she has served as a teacher and trainer. In addition, she has also worked as a Special Needs Teacher (SEN), taught Latin and Italian as a Foreign Language and was previously a lecturer in Engineering at the University of Nottingham in the UK. Currently, Federica is employed as a Design and Technology teacher in Torino, Italy, and is completing her PhD in Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy at the University of Nottingham, UK.

Background and education: Music Theory, Building Engineering, Engineering Surveying with Geographical Information Science, Latin and Classical Greek and English as a Foreign Language