Keynote+Presenters

Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also serves as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. He is a fellow of the International Academy for Education. His research interests include computer gaming and education, diffusion of innovations, teacher adoption of technology, computer-assisted language learning, globalization and education, and international and comparative education. Zhao has published extensively in these areas. His articles have appeared in American Educational Research Journal, Educational Leadership, Kappan, Education Week and Teachers College Record. He received the 2003 Raymond B. Catell Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association. Zhao has extensive international experiences. He has consulted with government and educational agencies and spoken on educational issues in many countries including Australia, Chile, China, England, Ireland, Singapore, Sweden, The Netherlands, Thailand, and Vietnam. His current work focuses on designing 21st Century Schools in the context of globalization and the digital revolution. || **Jim Fruchterman** is the President, CEO, and founder of Benetech. A technology entrepreneur and engineer, Fruchterman has been a rocket scientist, founded two of the foremost optical character recognition companies, and developed a successful line of reading machines for the blind. He is now a leading social entrepreneur through his deliberately nonprofit technology company, Benetech. Benetech concentrates on applying technology to challenging problems facing our society, including literacy for people with disabilities and human rights monitoring and analysis. Fruchterman has won numerous awards for his work, including the 2006 MacArthur Fellowship and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2004 and 2006. He was named a Schwab Social Entrepreneur of 2003, which has included attending and speaking five times at the World Economic Forums in Davos, Switzerland. Fruchterman believes that technology is the ultimate leveler, allowing disadvantaged people achieve more equality in society. ||
 * [[image:yong.JPG align="center" caption="Dr. Yong Zhao"]] || [[image:jim.JPG align="center" caption="Jum Fruchterman"]] ||
 * **Dr. Yong Zhao** is University Distinguished
 * **Dr. Yong Zhao** is University Distinguished