Keynote Speakers

Stipe Grgas (University of Zagreb, Croatia)

Stipe Grgas is Professor Emeritus who retired as Full Professor of American Studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb in 2021. Before joining the Zagreb department in 2005, he taught for more than twenty years at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar and was a guest lecturer at English departments of other Croatian universities (Rijeka, Split). He has published four books—two on Irish matters and two on American literature and culture—edited two more, and written over a hundred scholarly articles. Besides literary issues, he has worked in the interdisciplinary field of human spatiality and cultural studies. His most recent work explored the overlap of economics and literature. These themes have been the focus of his lecturing on various postgraduate courses. He has been a guest lecturer abroad and has been awarded two Fulbright scholarships (Yale, Cornell). In 2017 Grgas was honoured by his colleagues with the festschrift The Errant Labor of the Humanities.

Extended bibliography: https://www.bib.irb.hr:8443/pregled/profil/11655.

Keynote abstract: S. Grgas.

 

Christina Gkonou (University of Essex, UK)

Christina Gkonou is Associate Professor at the University of Essex, UK, where she leads the MA TESOL programme and teaches across a range of modules in language teacher education and the psychology of language learning and teaching. Her research focuses on the affective dimensions of language education, particularly language learner anxiety and language teacher emotions.
Christina has published widely in her field, including her most recent book, Cultivating Teacher Wellbeing (2022, Cambridge University Press), and most recent article on language teachers’ sense of belonging (International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2025).
Christina has examined over 30 doctoral theses internationally and has served as External Examiner for MA TESOL and MA Applied Linguistics programmes at the Universities of Birmingham, Kent, and Leeds. She currently oversees the entire provision for the Faculty of Language Studies across all seven branches of the Arab Open University in her role as Chief External Examiner. Additionally, she is co-editor of the Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching book series published by Multilingual Matters.

Extended bibliography: https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/gkono81603/christina-gkonou.

Keynote abstract: C. Gkonou.