TRANSFORMING EDUCATION
FOR A CHANGING WORLD
Date: 28.02.2026 | 9:30-13:30 | Venue: Sheraton Hotel, Bucharest
About Fischer ELT Masterclass
This exclusive event series has brought some of the biggest names in ELT and education to Romanian teachers. The first edition featured Alan Maley and Paul Dummett, the second masterclass — an exclusive online event — hosted Scott Thornbury and Adrian Underhill, and the third edition welcomed Penny Ur and Chaz Pugliese. Now, for the fourth edition, we plan to discuss how education will transform in a changing world, with guests Abdi Hassan, Tim Pearse, Nicoleta Briciu, Radu-Sebastian Ungureanu and Cristiana Osan, who bring broad perspectives on education, experience, and innovation.
Our programme, Masterclass, offers a unique opportunity to meet and interact with leading experts in the field of education, exploring and discussing some of the most topical issues in education and ELT today. Through its relaxed and informal format, it aims to interact directly with you, the teachers, in an open and friendly atmosphere through panel discussions. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, and engage in meaningful discussions.
This edition is FREE OF CHARGE as a token of our appreciation for being with us for the past 20 years. This year, Fischer is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
TRANSFORMING EDUCATION FOR A CHANGING WORLD
The 4th edition of the Masterclass, Transforming Education for a Changing World, offers teachers an engaging way to explore how education is evolving. Participants will reflect on what it means to prepare students for the future, considering innovative learning methods, digital tools, the balance between modern and traditional approaches, and the development of essential skills for tomorrow’s learners.
Featuring leading voices in education and professional development, the session will delve into how teaching practices can adapt to the changing educational landscape. Attendees will examine strategies schools can adopt, identify the key skills learners need, and gain insight into current trends shaping education.
The event will be highly interactive, including a panel discussion moderated by Alice Istrate, with Abdi Hassan, Country Director British Council Romania & Bulgaria, Tim Pearse, Senior Regional Manager at National Geographic Learning, Nicoleta Briciu, Director of Casa Corpului Didactic București, Radu-Sebastian Ungureanu, Senior Lecturer at the National University of Political Studies & Public Administration, and Cristiana Osan, Teacher Trainer and Educator.
Teachers will have the opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas, and leave with practical approaches they can apply directly in their classrooms.
MEET THE GUESTS
(Click on each name for details about the speaker)
Alice Istrate
Teacher Trainer
Alice Istrate graduated the University of lasi, Romania, with a BA in English and Romanian. She works as a freelance ELT professional and is involved in teaching, teacher-training and assessment. She has been a Teacher of English for over 20 years and has worked with a range of students, from children and teenagers to adults and corporate students.
She has worked with different employers and partner organisations, from state schools to private language centres and NGOs and has had different roles. As an English Lead for British Council Bucharest, she liaised with teachers, Romanian authorities in the field of education and teacher training, as well as British organisations and assessment bodies. As a trainer, Alice delivered a range of courses on ELT methodology and contributed to many national conferences for Teachers of English with plenary speeches and workshops.
ABDI HASSAN
Country Director, British Council Romania & Bulgaria
Abdi Hassan, a seasoned leader with over 15 years of international experience across six countries and three continents. Currently serving as the British Council’s Country Director in Romania & Bulgaria, based in Bucharest. Abdi brings a wealth of expertise in education and cultural relations. Abdi held leadership roles in Iraq, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. Abdi is passionate about driving societal change through education and arts and culture.
TIM
PEARSE
Senior Regional Manager at National Geographic Learning
Tim has worked in Education for over 25 years. In 2013, he joined National Geographic Learning and currently holds the position of Senior Regional Manager for Europe South and East. He is passionate about inspiring students and teachers by bringing learning to life – both in and out of the classroom – using real‑world, relevant, skills‑ and career‑ready resources. He also has a strong interest in sharing how technology can transform education at both an institutional and personal level.
Tim is from England and is a keen sports watcher and chess player.
NICOLETA
BRICIU
Director of Casa Corpului Didactic București
Nicoleta Briciu is the Director of Casa Corpului Didactic București (CCD) and a leading educational policy maker in the București-Ilfov region. In her role at CCD, she coordinates major professional development initiatives, including the national POCU project Curriculum relevant, educație deschisă pentru toți (CRED), and has been actively involved in other strategic educational programmes such as RECRED, EDIS-PED, and LEAD4EDU. These initiatives focus on strengthening curricular relevance, leadership capacity, and teachers’ professional growth. With extensive expertise in continuing professional development, she promotes career advancement and innovation within the Romanian educational system through mentoring, coaching, and collaborative learning programmes, contributing to the development of a future-ready educational system. She holds advanced qualifications in pedagogy and language education, bringing sustained experience in supporting teachers and promoting educational reform.
RADU-SEBASTIAN
UNGUREANU
Senior Lecturer at
the National University of Political Studies &
Public Administration
Radu-Sebastian Ungureanu is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations and European Integration at the National University of Political Studies & Public Administration (NUPSPA), where he teaches advanced courses in international relations, security studies, and Asian studies at the master’s level. He holds a PhD in Political Science from NUPSPA and, in 2024, completed his habilitation thesis on the moral conditions of defining and managing international security, which qualified him to supervise doctoral students in the field of political sciences. Prof. Ungureanu has a sustained academic record in research and teaching, with contributions on international security, cooperation, and conflict, as well as normative power in European security. He has served across multiple Romanian universities, enriching postgraduate curricula and mentoring emerging scholars.
CRISTIANA
OSAN
Teacher Trainer and Educator
After working for 11 years as a teacher, Cristiana Osan became a DELTA-certified teacher educator. For the last 19 years, she has worked as a teacher educator, a trainers’ trainer, a mentor, an online moderator, a course developer, an examiner for international certificates and a materials writer, thus collaborating in various projects with thousands of teachers around the world. In Romania, she has been involved as a course developer and teacher educator in the British Council projects ‘Teaching and learning in difficult times’ and ‘Inclusive and holistic education’.
Masterclass Agenda
09:30 – 10:00 – Registration
10:00 – 10:05 – Alice Istrate, Welcome Word
10:05 – 10:25 – Nicoleta Briciu, Teaching for Agency in a Changing World (in Romanian)
10:25 – 11:30 – Panel Discussion and Q&A:
Nicoleta Briciu, Radu-Sebastian Ungureanu and Cristiana Osan (in Romanian)
11:30 – 12:00 – Coffee Break & Bookstall Visit
12:00 – 13:30 – Panel Discussion and Q&A: Abdi Hassan and Tim Pearse,
Transforming Education for a Changing World (in English)
Masterclass-ul a fost un eveniment foarte bine gandit, cu speakeri de la care avem ce invata. A fost un flux foarte mare de informatii, asa ca astept cu nerabdare sa ne trimiteti inregistrarile intalnirii. Felicitari pentru idee si pentru organizare!
Toate cele bune si un weekend de poveste!
Alecsandra P.
Multumesc și felicitări pentru masterclass, colegii mei au venit ffff încântați! 👏
Irina T.
Congrats for your effort!
Adriana D.
Thank you for everything !
❤️❤️❤️
Mihaela C.
Congratulations! Keep up the good work!
Andreea V.
Very nice experience!
Anca L.
Alaturati-va comunitatii Fischer English HUB!
Impreuna vom fi mai creativi si mereu la curent cu tendintele noi in predarea limbii engleze!
