SEFI Welcomes New Special Interest Group Co-Chairs

The SEFI 2026 Annual Conference in Prague brought many exciting developments for the SEFI community, including the confirmation of several new Special Interest Group (SIG) Co-Chairs.

SEFI’s Special Interest Groups play a key role in advancing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation across key areas of engineering education within SEFI and beyond. We are delighted to welcome three new SIG officers who will help guide these communities in the years ahead.

Curriculum Development

Sonia M. Gómez-Puente (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands) has been confirmed as the new Co-Chair of the Curriculum Development SIG, succeeding John Mitchell (University College London, UK).

Sonia M. Gómez-Puente is a Strategic Advisor for Innovation in Teaching and Learning and Program Manager of the TU/e Academy of Teaching and Learning at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), The Netherlands. She has extensive experience in educational policy, curriculum development, and the design and implementation of educational innovations in higher education. Her research and professional interests include engineering education, curriculum development, Professional Development of Academic staff, engineering skills, and challenge-based learning, among others.

Ethics

Diana Bairaktarova (Virginia Tech, USA) has been confirmed as the new Co-Chair of the Ethics SIG, succeeding Diana Martin (University College London, UK).

Diana Bairaktarova is an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, bringing close to 15 years of industry experience as a design and manufacturing engineer. Her research focuses on empathy, ethics, and educating “the whole person,” with a commitment to preparing engineering graduates to become responsible global citizens. As Co-Chair of the SEFI Ethics SIG, she looks forward to working with colleagues across the field to advance engineering ethics education and its role in preparing engineers to thoughtfully engage with the complex challenges of our world.

Continuing Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning

Kostas Nizamis (University of Twente, The Netherlands) has been confirmed as the new Co-Chair of the Continuing Engineering Education SIG, succeeding Anikó Kálmán (University of Nyíregyháza, Hungary).

Dr Kostas Nizamis is an Assistant Professor in Multidisciplinary Design at the University of Twente, specialising in Systems Engineering and multidisciplinary collaboration. He works with industry to co-develop Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes that connect academic knowledge with real-world engineering challenges. He supports professionals in strengthening their systems thinking, technical communication, and collaborative problem-solving skills. His work bridges research, education, and practice, fostering lifelong learning across disciplinary boundaries. Kostas has been a CEE/LLL SIG active member for 4 years, contributing to SIG workshops and collaborating with a range of colleagues within the SIG.

Thank You to Our Outgoing Chairs

We warmly thank John Mitchell, Diana Martin, and Anikó Kálmán for their dedication, leadership, and valuable contributions to their respective Special Interest Groups. Through their commitment, they have strengthened their communities, fostered collaboration among members, and advanced important discussions in engineering education across Europe and beyond.

Discover all the SEFI Special Interest Groups here!