Speakers
Prof. Gerald Pillay (UK/New Zealand)
Born in the former British colony of Natal in South Africa where he grew up under apartheid. He holds dual citizenship of the UK and New Zealand.
Gerald earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Rhodes University and a Doctor of Theology degree from the University of Durban. After lecturing at the University of Durban-Westville, he became Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of South Africa, in Pretoria, in 1988. He is widely published as part of a distinguished academic career, examining such topics as the relationship between the church and state, the complex interplay between theology and human sciences, as well as seeking to understand how religion can both move with the times yet still stay grounded in tradition and history.
Pillay was the Vice Chancellor of Liverpool Hope University in the United Kingdom from 2003 - December 2022, and responsible for the organization, direction and management of the University and staff.
At the moment Professor Gerald Pillay is the President of IofC International.
Prof. Beatrice de Graaf (NL)
Professor Beatrice de Graaf is a historian and a security & terrorism researcher. Her research focuses on how states and societies try to maintain high levels of security and how these attempts relate to core values and institutions (democracy, freedom, rule of law, constitutional and responsible government). She studies the emergence of and threats to such security arrangements from the 19th century until the present, including in times where both the effectiveness and the legitimacy of these arrangements were at risk. As a strong science communicator, Beatrice appears on (international) television and radio stations, and in newspapers. Beatrice contributes to internationally leading networks in the field of conflict and security, and terrorism and political violence. She is core editor of Terrorism and Political Violence and Journal of Modern European History.
Prof. Derek Schuurman (USA)
Prof. Derek C. Schuurman worked as an electrical engineer for several years and later completed a Ph.D. at McMaster University in the area of robotics and computer vision using machine learning. He is currently professor of computer science at Calvin University, a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, and an advisor for AI&Faith. He has written about AI, faith, and technology issues in a variety of publications including regular contributions to Christian Courier and the Christian Scholar's Review blog. He is the author of the book Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology and co-author of A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers, both published by InterVarsity Academic Press.