Dr Sakis (Athanasios) Pappous

He is a Full Professor at the University of Bologna, Italy, with an extensive academic career and international leadership experience. Originally from Greece, he obtained his PhD from the University of Granada (2003) and completed a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship in Montpellier, France. He developed much of his career in the United Kingdom (Kent, Bournemouth), where he held major leadership roles, including Faculty Dean, Head of Department, and founder of two research groups. He is a recognised specialist in the social legacy of major sport events. His experience includes consultancy work for Olympic and Paralympic Committees (Athens 2004, London 2012, Paris 2024), as well as leading funded social-impact projects (Marie Curie, IOC, Real Madrid Newton–British Academies) focused on sport participation and the Paralympic media legacy. Before his academic career, he was an elite fencing athlete competing for the Greek national team.

Speakers

Dr Pablo Gómez Iniesta

He is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Philology and Communication at the University of Barcelona. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Quality of Life Sciences at the University of Bologna. He holds a PhD in Research in Humanities, Arts and Education from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (2024). He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the same university (2015) and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2016). Between 2020 and 2024, he worked as a predoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Communication of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, within the institution’s I+D+i Plan co-funded by the European Social Fund. During this period, he also contributed to teaching subjects such as International Journalism and Political and Institutional Communication. His research interests focus on political communication, sustainability communication and public diplomacy.

Dr Oswaldo Ceballos Gurrola

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Organisation from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL). He obtained a PhD in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences from the University of Zaragoza, as well as three Master’s degrees related to exercise sciences, sports facility management, and the management of physical and sporting activities, the latter two awarded by Spanish institutions. He is a full-time professor at the Faculty of Sport Organisation of UANL, where he has served in several leadership roles, including Faculty Director, Postgraduate Deputy Director and Research Coordinator. He is a member of the Mexican National System of Researchers (Level 3) and participates actively in national and international organisations related to physical education, public policy and comparative sport research. He has published books, book chapters and scientific articles, and has supervised more than forty Master’s and doctoral theses. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the PhD programme in Physical Activity Sciences at the Faculty of Sport Organisation.

Dr Argenis P. Vergara-Torres

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the Escuela Superior de Educación Física de Acapulco, a Master’s degree in Physical Education and School Sport from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, and a PhD in Physical Culture Sciences from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL). He completed postdoctoral studies in the Department of Quality of Life Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy. Between 2012 and 2018, he worked as a physical education teacher across all levels of basic education in the states of Guerrero and Mexico City. He is currently a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Sport Organisation at UANL. He is a member of the Mexican National System of Researchers for the 2023–2026 period. He has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles on pedagogical processes and the holistic development of physical education students and athletes.