Biographic
Dr. Erzsébet Rákó is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Child Education and Special Education at the University of Debrecen (since 2020). She graduated with a degree in social politician and social pedagogy (1999) and obtained her PhD in the field of education (2010) from the same university. Between 2018 and 2023, she served as the Director of the Institute of Special Education and Head of the Social Pedagogy Department. Academic Specialisation: Child and youth protection, including the protection of children and young people with disabilities. Main Research Interests: Social pedagogy, disability, child protection, child poverty, disadvantage.
Biographic
Dr. Pető Ildikó is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. She also serves as the Head of the Institute of Special Education. She holds a PhD in Educational Sciences and specializes in the Pedagogy of Intellectual Disabilities and Psychopedagogy. Her extensive experience and research focus on the development of children with learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, severe/profound disabilities, and autism. She has a deep understanding of sensory dysfunction and is an expert in behavior management and early development. Dr. Pető Ildikó’s work is centered on the context of inclusive education, the relationship between disability and parenting, and the challenges faced by individuals with severe disabilities and their families.
Selected Publications (Examples)
Will it grow out of it? – Sensory processing disorder. (2024)
Sign Language Interpreters for equal opportunities. (2024)
Disability in medicine. (2022)
Biographic
Dr. Nemes Magdolna is a lecturer at the Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. She holds Master’s and PhD degrees in Ethnography and Hungarian Literature/Grammar (University of Debrecen), and professional qualifications as an English Language and Culture Teacher (University of Miskolc, 2012) and a Special Needs Educator and Therapist (Learning Disabilities and Difficulties; University of Debrecen, 2022). Her primary research focuses on bilingual children, the difficulties of becoming bilingual, and teaching a second language to school-aged children with SEN (e.g., in dyslexia). She also studies the effectiveness of early English language instruction and linguistic socialization.
Biographic
PhDr. Alois Daněk, Ph.D. is a university lecturer and specialist in special and inclusive education. He combines theoretical knowledge with extensive practical experience in residential childcare, where he develops educational and preventive programs. His main research focuses on inclusive education and the role of culture, arts, and education in supporting children with special educational needs and those growing up outside their biological families. He emphasizes the systemic role of music education as a tool for social integration and actively contributes to international projects (including those supported by the Visegrad Fund), bridging theory and practice. Dr. Daněk is the author of numerous scholarly studies and monographs. He believes that inclusive education is a fundamental pillar of modern democratic society.