There were three candidates for President of the WCGTC. Following an election with votes from WCGTC Delegates, Anies Al-Hroub has been elected to serve as president during 2025 – 2029. Dr. Al-Hroub’s term will begin at the conclusion of the World Conference in Braga, Portugal on August 2.
Anies Al-Hroub, Ph.D., MPhil (University of Cambridge), M.A., Diploma, B.A. (Jordan Univ.), is a distinguished expert in gifted education with a career that spans the Middle East, the UK, and the USA. He is a tenured professor at the American University of Beirut, where he served as Chair of the Department of Education from 2015 to 2018 and currently leads the Special/Gifted Education Program. Dr. Al-Hroub’s research focuses on giftedness, twice-exceptionality, vulnerable giftedness, and overexcitability, with studies conducted in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, the UK, and the USA. His work has been published in top-tier gifted education journals and in five books. With over 12 years of service to the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC), he played a key role in shaping Lebanon’s gifted education policy for 2023-2024. Additionally, Dr. Al-Hroub has been a Visiting Scholar at institutions such as the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut, the University of Cambridge, and the School of Advanced Social Studies (SASS) in Slovenia. He is also a co-founder and advisor of the Middle East Professional Learning Initiative (MEPLI) at Harvard University, a global initiative advancing educational development.
Dr. Al-Hroub’s Vision Statement: Fostering Diversity, Equity, and Innovation in the WCGTC
As President of the WCGTC, my vision is to build an inclusive, collaborative, and innovative global community in gifted education. This includes addressing inequities, empowering junior scholars, fostering partnerships, with other gifted education organizations, and enhancing the Council’s visibility and impact. I am committed to transforming the WCGTC into a more diverse and equitable organization through the following priorities:
First, I will address regional representation disparities. Currently, over 98% of WCGTC members come from high- and upper-middle-income countries, with only five representing 82 low- and lower-middle-income countries. I will engage scholars from underrepresented regions, particularly in the Global South, by reducing membership and conference fees and creating opportunities for equitable participation. Second, I will focus on supporting junior scholars. I will collaborate with the Executive Committee to provide grants, mentorship, and leadership opportunities, focusing on junior researchers contributing fresh perspectives.
Third, I will foster professional and research collaboration by establishing special interest groups to address key topics such as twice-exceptionality, displaced learners, artificial intelligence, and creativity. These groups will lead mini-annual conferences and webinars, driving innovation and global partnerships. Finally, I will collaborate with the Gifted and Talented Internationaleditors, journal publishers, and Executive Committee members to enhance the journal’s impact and aim for a Q2 or Q1 ranking. This will include increasing the number of issues published and engaging underrepresented scholars to ensure greater diversity on the editorial board.