Our Keynote speakers

Symposium 1: Cross-curricular and plurilingualism

Laura Abou Haidar 

Professor of Language Sciences and French as a Foreign Language (FFL) Didactics at Grenoble Alpes University, and Director of the LIDILEM Laboratory – Linguistics and Didactics of Foreign and Native Languages. She previously directed the Centre universitaired’étudesfrançaises (CUEF) in Grenoble. The Arab world is the primary focus of her scientific activity, viewed through a triple perspective: linguistic, didactic, and educational. 

Her publications cover a wide range of topics, from didactics of oral communication to the history of FLE teaching, including educational policies in the context of international cooperation. She has worked as an Attaché for French Cooperation at the French Institute in Marrakech and as Attaché for Educational Cooperation at the French Embassy in Egypt. She is involved in cooperative projects with the Lebanese University of Beirut. 

Symposium 3: Teaching experiences, pedagogy and practices 

Fatima Chnane-Davin

PhD from Aix-Marseille University and Habilitated to Supervise Research (HDR) from Sorbonne NouvelleUniversity. Sheis a Professor of Language Sciences and qualified in Educational Sciences, specializing in languagedidactics. Sheis a facultymember at Aix-Marseille University, at L'INSPE, and a member of the EA 4671 ADEF ResearchLaboratory (Learning, Didactics, Evaluation, Training). SheteachesFrench as a ForeignLanguage and French as a Second Languagedidactics, plurilingualism, interculturaldidactics, French as a language of schooling, and Francophonie at the master'slevel. She trains teachers in the 1st and 2nd year of MEEF Master  and supervises PhD students in these areas. Her researchfocuses on French didactics, plurilingualism, Francophonie, interculturaleducation, and teacher and researcher training. 

She is a full member of the National Council of Universities (CNU). She is co-chair of the scientific committee of the international journal Recherches et Applications. She is part of the scientific boards of several journals, international conferences, and expertcommittees. She is also an international expert for various organizations, embassies, and universities on French teaching worldwide. 

Sheis the author of several publications. Her latest books includeTeachingFrancophonie: Principles and Uses, published by Hachette (2021), and Plurilingualism and Literacy in the Face of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity, published by Lambert Lucas (2025)

Symposium 3: Teaching experiences, pedagogy and practices 

Jean-Pierre Cuq,  

A former teacher, agrégé in grammar, and doctor in linguistics, he taught abroad for many years, notably in Morocco and Tunisia. He was Professor of French as a Foreign Didactics at Stendhal-Grenoble 3 University, at Provence University, and then at Côte d'Azur University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. He also served as President of the International Federation of French Teachers (2008-2016). 

Alone or as well as in collaboration, he is the author of more than a hundred publications, including a dozen books. His research focuses on French as a Foreign Language didactics, particularly French as a second language and Francophonie, a topic on which he co-wrote a book in 2022 with Fatima Chnane-Davin. He is a member of the ADEF research laboratory at Aix-Marseille University. 

Symposium 2: Curriculum Design and development 

Dr. Sameera Alhosani is the Section Head of Abu Dhabi Children’s Library at the Department of Culture and Tourism- Abu Dhabi, and Adjunct Faculty at the College of Education- UAEU. She led the Educational Curriculum in the UAE as the Director of the Department of Humanities and Languages Curriculum at the Ministry of Education.  

An Academic, expert in educational affairs, a researcher, and a writer. Alhosanihas obtained her bachelor in English language and literature – UAEU, followed by her first master’s degree in education from Deakin University – Australia, and her second master’s degree in educational leadership from HCT – Abu Dhabi. While the third postgraduate degree was in school inspections and regulations from the UCLUK, which was the path to pursue her PhD – philosophy of education from UAEU. Dr. Alhosani has great passion in humanities and ancient civilizations, thus she did more than five post graduate courses in Biblical studies.