Richard M. Lerner
Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science and Director of the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University (USA)
Richard M. Lerner is one of the most influential developmental scientists in the world. His work has profoundly shaped the field of positive youth development, emphasizing the plasticity of human development and the role of context in fostering thriving individuals and communities. A key contribution of his research is the concept of character as inherently relational, developed through dynamic interactions between individuals and their environments. Lerner can provide a broad, conceptual opening keynote on moral and relational development. His relational view of character is deeply aligned with the conference theme, and his international prestige will lend strong academic credibility to the event.