Jonathan Romic is a researcher in AI education, governance and regulation currently living and studying in Cambridge, England. His areas of specialisation are AI, regulation, education, and developing policy solutions in an increasingly technology-driven global environment. Currently, Jonathan is completing his PhD focusing on AI in education and regulation at the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. His passion for education stems from a lifelong interest in learning, personal growth, and development.

Amir is a research assistant at the DEFI, supporting the systematic literature review study. He is also pursuing a part-time PhD researcher in Education at the University of Cambridge where his research focuses on equity in teacher recruitment processes and work with students with special educational needs (SEN) in England.

Megan Ennion is the Research Development Officer at DEFI and a Vice-Chancellor’s PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge. Her doctoral research, supported by funding from the Accelerate Programme for Scientific Discovery and the Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery, examines how generative AI tutors shape students’ responses to academic challenge.

Alongside her doctoral work, Megan has led studies exploring how students and teaching staff across Further and Higher Education in England use AI and perceive its role in learning. She teaches and has contributed to the development of AI literacy courses, and is currently working on a project investigating whether AI literacy training changes students’ attitudes towards AI and how they evaluate AI-generated information and the epistemic risks associated with relying on it.

Megan is also the founder and lead of Cambridge University’s AI & Education Community, a university-wide initiative that brings staff, students, and external partners together to connect, share, and learn about AI and education. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a PGCE, and a Master’s in Education.

Publications

Ennion, M., & McLellan, R. (2025). Large Language Model Chatbots in education: Exploring literature insights on their impact and influence on learning behaviours. Studies in Technology Enhanced Learning, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.540b41b5 

Dr Areum Han recently completed her PhD in Psychology at the University of Luxembourg and holds an MA in Education and Development from the University of East Anglia. Her research encompasses several interdisciplinary areas, including collaboration and learning analytics, development and assessments of 21st-century skills using educational technology, vocational education and inequality. She is also interested in spreading the positive impacts of education technology in practice.

Dr. In Cheol Jang is a Research Professor of the Department of Global Public Administration at Yonsei University.

His research interest focuses on three broad themes: the use of technology in education, digital literacy, and digital transition in the context of developing countries.

In Cheol has recently published an article entitled “Network Failure in Ethiopian Education” by the journal Compare.

With DEFI, he is working on Rwanda’s digital transition and digital literacy, focusing on the Digital Ambassador Programme.

Jude Hannam is an educator with over twenty years experience teaching in primary, TEFL and informal education settings. After working in Germany, Italy and the UK, she felt it was high time she formalised and expanded her knowledge of education systems around the world. She has just completed a Masters in Education (Globalisation and International Development) at the Faculty of Education in Cambridge, where her research focused on assessing how marginalised communities access education. Moving forward she hopes to keep her feet firmly in both camps by working in UK schools and international development projects especially in the areas of gender equity, informal and adult education.

In addition to her role as a founding staff member of DEFI, Jude is research assistant for Inquiring Science, a DEFI project at Hughes Hall, Cambridge which teaches the philosophy of science to primary children to improve their engagement with online sources of information.

Recent publications

Casebourne, I., Hannam, J., & Abu Sitta, F. (2025, December). Glimpse into the futures of teacher wellbeing: A DEFI foresight study (ISBN 978-1-7384336-3-6). https://www.deficambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Glimpse-into-the-Futures-of-Teacher-Wellbeing.pdf

Kerslake, L. & Hannam, J. (2022). Designing media and information literacy curricula in English primary schools: Children’s perceptions of the internet and ability to navigate online information. Irish Educational Studies, 41(1), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2021.2022518

Kevin Martin is the managing director at DEFI, responsible for strategic planning, financial management, and day-to-day operations. His professional background lies at the intersection of social innovation and education, and he has spent much of the last 20 years working on related initiatives in East Africa.

Kevin earned his PhD from the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, with research interests in dialogic education, EdTech, and international development. Prior to undertaking his doctoral research, he was an Assistant Professor of Business Administration and an Associate Dean at New England College.

Recent publications

Martin, K. (2025, December). Could zero-rating advance meaningful connectivity in education? UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/could-zero-rating-advance-meaningful-connectivity-education

Martin, K. (2022). Using mobile phones to enhance small group dialogic learning: A design based approach to educational innovation in rural East Africa. Apollo – University of Cambridge Repository. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.85755

Professor Rupert Wegerif is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge and founder of the Digital Education Futures Initiative at Hughes Hall, Cambridge. He is on the steering group of the Cambridge Educational Dialogue Research Group and co-convenor of the argumentation, reason and dialogue Special Interest Group (SIG) of the European Association of Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). He has received numerous large grants and is highly cited for his  books and articles researching the use of technology in education and developing a new theory of education for the Internet age.

Rupert is also the principal investigator on two DEFI Projects, WoW Scenarios, introducing children to the World of Work, and Inquiring Learners, developing inquiry-based resources for use in primary schools.

Recent publications

Wegerif, R. & Major, L. (2024). The theory of educational technology: Towards a dialogic foundation for design. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781032056371.

Shi, S., & Wegerif, R. (2024). Cambridge Guide to Educational Design-Based Research (EDBR). Cambridge: Digital Education Futures Initiative (DEFI) & Cambridge Educational Dialogue Research (CEDiR). ISBN 978-1-7384336-1-2.

Bryan Maddox leads the assessment strand at DEFI, holistically exploring the ways in which digital technologies and digital data can help support new models of assessment, in collaboration with industry partners. His research on the validity and fairness of assessment also aligns closely with DEFI’s vision of a more dialogic and inclusive educational system.

Bryan is Executive Director of Assessment Micro-Analytics Ltd, and Honorary Professor at the University of East Anglia, where he was previously Professor of Educational Assessment.  He has held Visiting Professor roles at the University of Oslo, and the University of British Columbia. His work focuses on the digital transition in educational assessment, with a strong interest in the test taker experience and inclusive assessment. He is skilled in observational research methods including digital ethnography, eye tracking and gesture analysis.

Recent publications

Abu Sitta, F., Maddox, B., Casebourne, I.,  Hughes, S., Kuvalja, M. & Oates, T. (2023). The futures of assessment – Navigating uncertainties through the lenses of anticipatory thinking. Cambridge: Digital Education Futures Initiative (DEFI) & Cambridge University Press and Assessment (2023). ISBN number: 978-1-7384336-0-5.

Zumbo, B.D., Maddox, B. & Care, N. (2023). Process and product in computer-based assessments: Clearing the ground for a holistic validity framework. European Journal of Psychological Assessment.

Addey, C., Maddox, B., & Zumbo, B.D. (2020). Assembled validity: Rethinking Kane’s argument-based approach in the context of international large-scale assessments (ILSAs). Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice. 27 (6) 588-606.

Dr. Abu Sitta is a UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems and an expert in Strategic Thinking and Complexity Management. He has more than 30 years of experience in Scenario Planning, Strategic Planning, Project Management, and Operational Excellence Management. Dr. Abu Sitta’s foresight research studies have been translated into various languages including Spanish, French, and Arabic, and have been adopted by various governments and corporations globally.

Dr. Abu Sitta is an advocate for promoting futures literacy as a method for accelerating innovation and building resilient nations. He is a founding member of the Center for Future Studies at the University of Dubai and an adjunct professor in the Master of Professional Studies – Foresight Program at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dr. Abu Sitta holds a Master of Science in Foresight from the University of Houston and a PhD from the University of Bath.

Recent publications

Casebourne, I., Hannam, J., & Abu Sitta, F. (2025, December). Glimpse into the futures of teacher wellbeing: A DEFI foresight study (ISBN 978-1-7384336-3-6). https://www.deficambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Glimpse-into-the-Futures-of-Teacher-Wellbeing.pdf

Abu Sitta, F. (2025). ‘Reinventing education strategic planning and policymaking through the lenses of futures thinking’, The Future of Education Policy in the State of Qatar (2025th edn). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-97-9667-0

Abu Sitta, F. (2024). ‘A strategic foresight framework for anticipating uncertainties in tourism industry’, in Futures in action: Strategic anticipations and deployments in organizations facing the future, vol. 19 – Innovation and technology. Wiley. ISBN: 9781836690054.

Abu Sitta, F. (May 2024). What is a futurist and why do we need one? [podcast] The Art & Science of Learning. https://www.theartandscienceoflearning.com/e101-jan-present/107-what-is-a-futurist-and-why-do-we-need-one-dr-fawaz-abu-sittanbsp

Abu Sitta, F., Maddox, B., Casebourne, I.,  Hughes, S., Kuvalja, M., & Oates, T. (2023). The futures of assessment – Navigating uncertainties through the lenses of anticipatory thinking. Cambridge: Digital Education Futures Initiative (DEFI) & Cambridge University Press and Assessment (2023). ISBN number: 978-1-7384336-0-5.

Abu Sitta, F., Aldhaheri, S. & Woodgate, D. (2020). The world post Covid-19: Plausible scenarios and paradigm shifts. University of Dubai. The-World-Post-COVID-19-Report-FINAL.pdf (ud.ac.ae)