ICETI 2024

Prof. Manana Tandashvili
Institute of Comparative Linguistics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany

Using Digital Databases and Digital Research Methods to Implement Innovative Opportunities in Teaching and Learning

Prof. Manana Tandashvili is a renowned scholar and Professor at the Institute of Comparative Linguistics, where she also serves as the Head of the Caucasian Studies Department at Goethe University Frankfurt. She is widely recognized in both Georgia and major scientific centers across Europe for her academic projects, research presentations, and numerous publications.

Prof. Tandashvili completed her academic training at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, specializing in the Georgian Kartvelological school. Throughout her career, she has maintained close professional ties with her Georgian colleagues. One of her notable contributions includes leading the Armazi project (Caucasian Languages and Cultures: Electronic Documentation), which was supported by the Volkswagen Stiftung and ran from 1999 to 2002. She also co-led the Language Situation in Present-day Georgia project (2006-2009) and contributed to the creation of the National Corpus of the Georgian Language and Digital Rustaveli Studies.

As a result of her projects, Georgian linguists have published a number of influential monographs. Prof. Tandashvili’s work continues to shape the field of Caucasian studies and Georgian linguistics.

Associate Professor Igballe Miftari-Fetishi
International Balkan University, North Macedonia

Assessment in the AI Era: A Challenge or a Must in Contemporary Education?

Assoc. Prof. Igballe Miftari-Fetishi is an Associate Professor of English and Linguistics at International Balkan University in Skopje, North Macedonia. She earned her MA and PhD in English Language Teaching (ELT) from South East European University (SEEU) in Tetovo, North Macedonia. Currently, she serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Education at International Balkan University.

Assoc. Prof. Miftari-Fetishi is also the Editor-in-Chief of The International Journal of Education and Philology, and a member of both the Self-Evaluation Committee and the Ethical Committee at IBU. With 18 years of teaching experience in ELT to university students, she has conducted significant research and published numerous papers.

Her authored books and edited works include:

• “Defining Reading Comprehension from a Different Perspective: A Case Study with Higher Institutions in North Macedonia” (2022)
• A chapter in the edited book “Contemporary Issues in Language Teaching” (2022)
• “Connecting Professional Development to Classroom Practice: An Endless Journey” (2024), a collection of case studies and action research by Eliva Press.

She is also in the process of publishing another book titled “The Integration of Literature and the Skills in Academic Reading”.

Prof. Miftari-Fetishi’s research interests focus on contemporary teaching, teacher professional development, language and assessment, planning and instruction, as well as second language acquisition.

Yelena Istileulova
Socratic Lectures Symposium, University of Ljubljana

Innovative Methods of Teaching and Learning: Integrating Science, Arts, and Health Through the Lens of Time (using SMS approach)

Dr. Yelena Istileulova is a Fulbright scholar (USA: 2000/2001), an Oxford researcher (UK: 2001), and an International Policy Fellow (Hungary: 2003–2005). She is affiliated with several organizations, including the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), where she represents Slovenia in the EU-funded Bologna Hub Peer Support project for 49 countries. Yelena also participates in the Socratic Lectures Symposium (Faculty of Health, University of Ljubljana), FIBAA (Bonn), and works on the accreditation of global Asian universities. She is an evaluator for the European Commission and a STEAM ambassador.

Dr. Yelena earned her PhD from the University of Ljubljana in 2018, specializing in Higher Education Management. Her research and consulting work focused on internationally accredited business schools and global accreditation.

Yelena has received 18 international music prizes for her SMS compositions (Stories Based on Music about Scientists), a method she developed in 2012. In 2024, she was selected as the Global South Arts and Health Ambassador for Europe and Central Asia.