Conference Committee

Conference Committee | ICOSS 2026

The 13^th International Conference on Social Sciences (ICOSS 2026) is a premier global forum for thought leadership, collaboration, and transformative dialogue on social inclusion, empowerment, and peace. At the heart of ICOSS 2026 is the Conference Committee, the driving force behind the event’s vision and impact.
This committee is much more than an advisory group—it is a team of distinguished scholars and practitioners who define the intellectual foundation of the conference. Their expertise ensures that every session delivers cutting-edge research, diverse perspectives, and practical strategies aligned with the theme:
“Pathways to Inclusion, Empowerment, and Peace in a Turbulent World.”
From shaping thematic tracks to guiding program development, the committee plays a vital role in creating an environment where innovation leads to meaningful change. By bringing together leaders in sociology, development studies, governance, peacebuilding, and interdisciplinary social sciences, the Conference Committee ensures that the International Social Sciences Conference is not only informative but transformative.
Their work promotes dialogue that matters, influences policy decisions, and strengthens global networks—all with the shared goal of building inclusive societies, empowering marginalized voices, and fostering sustainable peace.

Conference Chair

Distinguished Prof. Steven Ratuva

Pro-Vice Chancellor
Pacific Director
Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies
University of Canterbury
New Zealand

Professor Steven Ratuva, an award-winning political sociologist and global interdisciplinary scholar, is Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. He was awarded the 2020 Metge Medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand -Te Apārangi, the country’s highest award in social science research excellence. He was also co-winner of the 2019 University of Canterbury research medal, the university’s highest academic honour. He became the first Pacific Islander and foreign national to win both esteemed and highly contested awards. He is also recipient of a number of research grants by Marsden, NZ Health Research Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others, totaling a few million dollars.
He was a recipient of a Fulbright Senior Fellowship and was Fulbright professor at the University of California (LA), Duke University and Georgetown University in 2018. He is Chair of the International Political Science Association research committee on Security, Conflict and Democratization and former President of the Pacific Islands Political Studies Association. He has transdisciplinary across sociology, anthropology, political science, development studies, economics, philosophy and history. With a PhD from the Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex), he has published widely on a range of issues Pacific societies and culture, indigenous knowledge, development, conflict, peace, political change, coups, memory activism, social solidarity economy, social protection, elections, ethnicity, security, military, affirmative action, COVID-19, social indexes, indigenous knowledge, climate security and nationalism.

Steering Committee Members

Prof. Deepak Kumar

Lead - Community Engagement (Physical)

Former Professor
History of Science and Education
Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

Deepak Kumar has worked, taught and published on science and society issues in the context of colonial India for almost five decades. He is known for his books Science and the Raj (OUP,2006), The Trishanku Nation (OUP,2016), and Science and Society in Modern India (CUP, 2023). Recently he has established a Society for the History of Science in Kolkata. His most recent work titled Medical knowledge and Public Health in Colonial India will be published by Routledge in 2026. Currently he is Honorary Professor in the Department of History, MANUU, Hyderabad.

Dr. Mercy Karuniah Jesuvadian

Lead - Professional Engagement

Asst Head, Psychology, and Child and Human Development Department
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Mercy currently teaches pre-service and in-service courses in educational psychology. She also designs and teaches Masters courses in the Early Childhood Master’s program. She is the course designer and course coordinator for the in-service course: Engaging Parents: A Practical Approach. She also works with in-service pre-school teachers on parent-school partnerships. Her formal training and experience as a classroom teacher had inspired her interest in learning more about the social and emotional development of young children. Her Master’s dissertation (2007) explored children’s criteria in selecting peers in a local preschool. Her PhD dissertation (2016) explored parent-child relationships in impoverished single mother homes in Singapore. Her other research interests include matters of social justice, diversity and multiculturalism as practiced in the local context. She continues to research within the qualitative paradigm.

Dr. Khalachuchi S. Flores - Caballes

Lead - Strategic Outreach

Dean of the Social Work
Department at the University of Cebu
Philippines

Khalachuchi S. Flores-Caballes is the Dean of the College of Social Work of University of Cebu. She is also the Chief of the Social Service Department of UCMed Hospital. Dr. Flores-Caballes serves as the President of the National Association for Social Work Education Inc (NASWEI). She is a member of the Technical Working Group for the Clinical Social Work in the Philippines. She co-authored The Human Costs of the Philippine War on Drugs and Working with OSAEC Victim-Survivor Manual for Social Work Educators.

Dr. Samuel Bangura

Lead - Strategic Visibility and Positioning (Virtual)

Mangosuthu University of Technology
South Africa

Samuel Bangura is a researcher and academic based in South Africa specializing in Human Resource Management, Organizational Sustainability, and Green Human Resource practices. He is affiliated with Mangosuthu University of Technology, where his work examines contemporary HRM themes such as inclusive recruitment strategies, digital transformation in workplaces, and the integration of sustainability principles into human resource systems, particularly in Sub-Saharan African contexts. His publications span systematic literature reviews and empirical studies on topics including organisational agility, renewable energy transitions, climate change impacts on employee wellbeing, and HR analytics. Bangura’s research contributes to advancing understanding of how strategic HRM can support organisational resilience, inclusion, and environmental sustainability. His Google Scholar profile reflects a steadily growing citation impact, underscoring his role in the global HRM research community.

Conference Convener

Mr. Isanka P Gamage

The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM), Sri Lanka
Hotline : +94 715 589 870 | +94 777 379 779
Phone : +94 112044485
Email : isanka.gamage@tiikmedu.com

Mr. Isanka P. Gamage, is the Co-founder and Managing Director of The International Institute of Knowledge Management Based in Sri Lanka. He is the founding manager of three international journals and has served as the Conference Convener for over 350 international Conferences organized in 8 Countries namely Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and virtually. He has initiated and engaged with many different online and offline knowledge-sharing platforms to make a sustainable future.
In his journey thus far, he has had the privilege to closely work with many world-renowned personalities and also with over 450 International universities and has been in the lights of more than 2000 leading Professors across the globe on several fields of study. He has also had the honor of working with the Ministries, Diplomats, industry professionals, and international organizations in different countries.
He is reading for Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka. He has completed the Commonwealth Executive Master of Business Administration (CEMBA) and BSc Marketing. He also has a Bachelor of Therapeutic Counseling from The Open International University for Complementary Medicines.