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Keynote Speaker
Dr. Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist
Professor, Head of Center, SDU UAS, SDU Climate Cluster
Head of SDU UAS Center
The University of Southern Denmark
Denmark
Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist is Full Professor and Head of the Drone Center (SDU UAS) at the University of Southern Denmark. He primarily conducts research on high-level software abstractions for aerial, mobile, and self-organizing robots, with a focus on safety, reliability and robustness. The aim of his work is to develop drone technology for a flourishing global society, in support of the on-going green transition. In addition to coordinating the WildDrone MSCN, he also coordinates the IFD GENIUS project. Previously he participated in the IFD HealthDrone and H2020 TeamPlay projects, and led the COST IC-1405 Work Package on Applications of Reversible Computing.
Plenary Speakers
Dr. Arlene L. Gonzales
Plenary Speaker
Visiting Faculty Member
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand
Associate Professor
Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU)
College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development
Philippines
Dr. Gonzales holds a PhD in Climate Change and Sustainable Development from the Asian Institute of Technology (2024), an MS in Environmental and Conservation Biology from Saint Louis University, Philippines (2010), and a BS in Environmental Science from Mariano Marcos State University (2004). Her areas of expertise include nature-based solutions, urban ecology, greenhouse gas inventories, environmental and ecological engineering, and climate change and sustainability.
Dr. Gonzales has over two decades of academic and professional experience, progressing from Instructor to Associate Professor at MMSU. Her research focuses on applying nature-based and green engineering approaches to enhance ecosystem services, improve climate resilience, and support sustainable community development.
She has published in internationally recognized journals and edited volumes, including work on freshwater mangroves as novel urban ecosystems, geostatistical analysis of child malnutrition, and the evaluation of international research-for-development programs’ contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr. Gonzales is currently the Project Leader of the Department of Science and Technology–funded project “Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Mangrove Management and Resilient Communities Through Innovative Green Engineering Approach” (2024–2026) and a Project Member of the Commission on Higher Education–funded SDG Impact Dashboard Project (2024–2027). She is also actively engaged in international academic forums as a speaker, panelist, and fellow across Asia, Europe, and the Pacific.
In addition to her academic work, Dr. Gonzales contributes as an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Reviewer for the Philippine Environmental Management Bureau and has served as a consultant and researcher on international projects related to trade, development, environmental risk, and sustainability governance.
Her work reflects a strong commitment to advancing sustainability, climate resilience, and evidence-based environmental policy through interdisciplinary research, education, and stakeholder engagement.
Assoc. Prof. Jagjit Plahe
Plenary Speaker
International Political Economy
Monash University
Australia
Assoc. Prof. Jagjit Plahe is a distinguished academic in the Department of Management at Monash University, with a strong commitment to global justice, equitable development, and sustainability. Her work spans teaching, research, and community engagement, with a particular focus on international political economy, global food security, agri-food production networks, and the organisation of equitable and sustainable food systems through agroecology, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, including India.
Before joining academia, she worked in the NGO sector on trade and development in Nairobi and Melbourne, and with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the Global Environmental Outlook Report. She believes in conducting research that makes demonstrable contributions to people, society, and the environment, often collaborating with community-based organisations and NGOs across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Uganda, and the Pacific Islands.
Assoc. Prof. Plahe has secured significant interdisciplinary research funding and led multiple projects on food security, sustainability, and agroecology. These include grants from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant, supporting work on food security, local knowledge governance, and climate-resilient agri-food systems.
In her teaching, she is dedicated to excellence and innovation, serving as Chief Examiner for subjects including International Trade Policy and International Institutions and Organisations. Her contributions to education have been recognised with multiple awards, including the Monash Graduate Association’s Lecturer of the Year, the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Equity, Diversity and Social Inclusion Education, and several Dean’s Commendations for Outstanding
She has supervised numerous postgraduate and doctoral students whose research aligns with responsible management, social justice, and sustainable development. Beyond academia, she actively contributes to community service through short courses, NGO collaborations, and editorial board work, reflecting her commitment to impactful research and public engagement.