Jimmy Liu is an accomplished educator, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Global Phonics & Literacy Research Centre. Holding an MSc from the University of London and a PhD from Peking University, he is also the founder of Dr Phonics and CEO of Ad Astra Education Sci-Tech Group. His career spans academia, business, and technology, having served as a professor at Fudan University and worked with leading institutions such as Microsoft, China Everbright Bank, and China Everbright Group. A first prize winner of the China Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition in 2005 and a visiting scholar at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, Jimmy Liu brings a unique combination of academic expertise, corporate experience, and innovative vision to the field of global literacy and education.

Sue Lloyd is an internationally respected educator and one of the pioneering co-authors of Jolly Phonics, a globally adopted synthetic phonics program that has transformed the way children learn to read and write. With a strong foundation in early literacy education, she partnered with Chris Jolly to develop this multisensory, child-friendly approach, which is now used in over 150 countries. Sue has authored a wide range of teaching materials—from pupil books to teacher guides—and has played a key role in training educators worldwide to effectively implement phonics in the classroom.

Dr. Liz Browne is a distinguished Professor of Education at the Centre for Educational Consultancy and Development CECD, with extensive leadership experience across secondary schools and the Further Education sector. At Oxford Brookes University, she successfully led the quality assurance of a national improvement programme commissioned by the Department for Education and established a Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training, which she directed from 2008 to 2014. A prolific researcher, Dr. Browne has published widely in leading academic journals.

Christine is a renowned expert in English language education and teacher training, currently serving as Lead Trainer at Cambridge University English, Chief Education Advisor for Ad Astra Education Group and Leading Times Education Group, and Honorary Dean of Enway Education Institute. With over 35 years of experience, she has trained thousands of teachers and headteachers across China, specializing in Cambridge English qualifications such as TKT, CELTS, and CELTP. Christine spent 15 years with the British Council in Poland, Estonia, and China, and has held academic positions at Surrey University, Guangzhou Foreign Languages University, Shanghai Foreign Languages University, and the Jagiellonian University.

Professor David Smith is the Deputy Head of College Education Strategy & Student Experience at the University of Edinburgh, where he leads major strategic initiatives to enhance learning quality, educational equity, and student experience across Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. A nationally recognized figure in higher education, he has championed widening access through pioneering online programs and held influential leadership roles such as Chair of the Scottish Council of Deans of Education during the pandemic. With a background in school teaching and a doctorate in Religion from Durham, Professor Smith combines ethical stewardship and academic innovation, advocating for inclusive, dialogue-rich learning environments both in Scotland and internationally.

Dr. Joshua Zhao is a distinguished scholar and ed‑tech innovator, serving as a tenured Senior Lecturer at the University of Southampton since 2023. He earned his PhD 2017–2022 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship 2021–2023 at the University of Wollongong, receiving top honours at both institutions for excellence in teaching and research. Dr. Zhao has published over 30 SCI/EI-indexed papers, holds nearly ten patents in intelligent speech and education technologies, and was nominated for a Best Paper award at the Asia-Pacific Signal Processing Summit. As one of the first officially certified Chinese trainers of Pearson’s PTE Academic, he co-founded MindRudder Online Education and BrightSword English, merging phoneme-based phonics theory with AI-enhanced exam strategies to help over 1,000 students reach their target scores.

As an internationally certified CELTA and DELTA trainer, he is widely recognised as a leading expert in English language teacher education. He has served as Director of Studies at International House UK, as well as Director of CELTA assessment and task design, contributing significantly to the development of high-quality teacher-training standards worldwide. As a core expert in Cambridge University’s teacher-training framework, he has played an essential role in English teacher qualification programme design, earning a strong reputation as a highly respected and influential trainer in the global education community.

Rebecca is a highly experienced English language educator who has been teaching since 1997, accumulating a wealth of practical expertise. She excels not only in classroom instruction but has also served as a Cambridge examination assessor, demonstrating her strong professional capability in assessment and testing. Fluent in both Italian and French, Rebecca deeply understands the challenges faced by language learners, enabling her to teach with greater empathy, precision, and learner-focused insight.

Jamie Zhang is a highly experienced English language teacher who has been dedicated to language education since 1997. Over the years, she has accumulated extensive teaching experience and has consistently demonstrated excellence in the classroom. In addition to her teaching achievements, Jamie has served as an assessor for Cambridge examinations, showcasing her expertise in assessment and testing. Fluent in Italian and French, she possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and needs faced by language learners, enabling her to deliver instruction with empathy and precision.