ICW Lecturers

Our ICW lecturers introduce themselves. They are listed in alphabetical order by surname. 


Virashni Bharuth - Southern African Federation of Waldorf Schools

Ubuntu, South Africa

  • Born 1973 in Durban South Africa
  • Profession - Waldorf High School Teacher since 2004
  • Taught at two South African Waldorf High Schools - Roseway Waldorf School and Stellenbosch Waldorf School
  • Post-graduate with English Honours at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (previously University of Durban-Westville) 
  • Subjects: English, Drama, History, Religion Studies
  • Particular areas of interest/subject domains: Philosophy, Parzival, Dostoevsky and Faust 
  • 2021 - became a member of the Federation of Southern African Waldorf Schools
  • Currently developing a national high school teacher training 

Caroline Bratt - Waldorf University College

Stockholm, Sweden

  • Born in Stockholm, 1964 
  • Study background: Law and Waldorf teacher education 
  • 1995-2006: Class teacher at Kristoffer school in Stockholm 
  • 2006-2010: Teacher at Waldorf University College in Stockholm 
  • Since 2010: Head of Waldorf University College in Stockholm 


David L. Brierley - Associate Professor Educational Methodology 

Oslo, Norway 

  • Co-founder of Rudolf Steiner University College in Oslo. 
  • Pioneer in establishing the examination-free Waldorf upper schools in Norway. 
  • A coveted lecturer in teacher education in Waldorf seminars and state universities and in Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Iceland, the U.K., Spain, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, and the United States as well as in his native Norway. 
  • He is the author of ten books on educational methodology, the latest ‘Brains are Born, Minds are Made’ to be published by Steiner Books, New York August 2023 with translations into four other languages.  
  • He is a fellow of the Fundación Botin Platform for Innovation in Education in Santander and Madrid, Spain where he worked with the question of creativity in schools and teacher education.
  • Today: central in building Waldorf teacher education in Ljubljana and Zagreb. 

Prof. Dr. Hornfay Cherng - National Tsing Hua University

Hsinchu, Taiwan 

  • 1960: Born in Yunlin (Taiwan). 
  • B.A. in Philosophy (Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan)
  • Science teacher at an Elementary School in Taipei County
  • 1991: PhD in Curriculum Studies (Indiana University, USA)
  • 2012: Founder of the Center for Waldorf Education, National Hsinchu University of Education
  • 2016 President of the Association of Anthroposophy in Hsinchu
  • 2018: Director of the Master Program for Waldorf Teachers, National Tsing Hua University

Dr. Rim N. Mouawad - Lebanese American University and American University of Beirut

Beirut, Lebanon

 

  • 1972: Born in Beirut, German mother and Lebanese father.  
  • Fields of study: Education, special and inclusive education, teacher development, destiny learning, self-development courses, Waldorf education and curative transformative education  
  • Guest trainer in Sekem ( Egypt),  co-taught an online course on inclusion with Ulrike Barth ( Elewa platform, Alanus University) 
  • 2013: Doctorate from Aberdeen University, Scotland on the topic: “Impact of participatory appreciative inquiry within destiny learning on the self-development of Lebanese special educators”.“ 
  • 2013: Honorary diploma from Camp-hill Community, Aberdeen, Scotland
  • 1993-2000: Special education teacher and therapist at FiSTA First Step Together Association  
  • 2000-2013: Teacher trainer and school principal at Step Together 
  • Since 2014: elected as an international member in the training Council for inclusive social development  (Dornach, Switzerland),
  • Since 2007: lecturer at the Lebanese American University, and American University of Beirut. Teaching special education and early childhood education courses 
  • Since 2013: President Step Together and head of Waldorf Beirut , initiator of teacher training center at Step Together using the trinal method ( art, theory and practice) 

Dr. Ida Oberman - Alanus University

Oakland, USA

  • Dutch-born and German-educated  
  • Graduated from the  Waldorf School in Tübingen, Germany
  • Waldorf teaching diploma in Stuttgart Germany, BA from Swarthmore College, PhD in Education from Stanford University
  • After a decade of teaching in New York City,  she served as the education program officer of the Hewlett Foundation in Menlo Park, CA
  • 2010: Founder and executive director of  Oakland’s TK-8 Community School for Creative Education [CSCE]  
  • 2017: In collaboration with Mills College, Alanus University, Friends of Waldorf Education, and  CSCE, Ida launched the Mills Waldorf Professional Development Certificate Program
  • Over the past two decades: Has guided practitioner and researcher groups to present together at conferences including the National American Education Research Association Annual Meeting on cutting-edge work surrounding focus on the whole child and systems change  
  • She serves on the board of  Faith in Acton East Bay, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic federation of houses of faith and schools representing 60,000 families in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties 
  • 2023: Senior Research Fellow, Alanus University

Dr. Martyn Rawson - Waldorfseminar Kiel

Kiel, Germany

  • Born 1954 Glasgow (Scotland)
  • Studies: BA Joint Hons English Literature & History,  York University, MA Plymouth University in Educational Research, Education Doctorate Plymouth University theme: Learning as becoming a subject in a Waldorf school: A hermeneutic phenomenological study.
  • 1979- to date Waldorf teacher:  York Steiner School, Michael Hall, UK, FWS Uhlandshöhe, Stuttgart, FWS Elmshorn, Christian Morgenstern School, Hamburg.
  • Teacher education: Freie Hochschule Stuttgart, Greenwich University, Waldorfseminar Kiel, 
  • Since 2020 Hon. Professor National Tsinghua University Taiwan
  • Most recent publication: Steiner Waldorf Pedagogy in Schools (Routledge, Taylor & Francis, 2021)

Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Dirk Rohde - Alanus University

Alfter, Germany

  • 1956: Born in Oldenburg (Germany) 
  • Fields of study: Biology, Chemistry, Pedagogics and Ethnology in Marburg and Freiburg (Germany); Goetheanistic Science in Dornach/Switzerland 
  • Guest studies in Seattle/USA, San José/Costa Rica and Basel/Switzerland 
  • 1988-2021: Science teacher at Free Waldorf School in Marburg 
  • Since 1990: all sorts of different tasks within the Waldorf movement 
  • 2003: Doctorate on the topic: “What is the meaning of ‘lively’ teaching?” 
  • 2021: Habilitation treatise on the topic: “How do Waldorf students cope with the demands of centralized final high school exams?” 
  • Since 2022: Honorary professor of educational science with a focus on Waldorf education at the Alanus University in Alfter (near Bonn/Germany) 

Sven Saar - Waldorf Modern Teacher Education

London, UK

  • Born in Germany in 1966 
  • 1990 Diploma in Waldorf Education Witten/Annen 
  • 1990 – 2008 Class teacher and Upper School teacher in the UK 
  • 2008 – 2016 Class teacher in Wahlwies/ Germany 
  • Since 2011 Regular articles for the journal “Erziehungskunst” 
  • 2016 Class teacher at Steiner Academy Hereford/UK and transition to teacher education 
  • Sven works full-time in Teacher Education and is on the faculty of several courses in the UK and abroad. He gives lectures and seminars internationally and works as an active mentor and advisor to schools and teachers in Britain, Germany, Asia and Africa. He co-founded the Waldorf Institute in Southern England in 2021 and runs the Waldorf Facebook communication group The Chalice. 
  • Active as mentor and adviser in Waldorf schools for 20 years. Founder of SWIPP (www.swipp.org.uk), offering mentoring, teacher development, seminars, and talks 
  • Active mentor to developing schools in Thailand, India, the Philippines, and Kenya
  • Sven Saar gained his Waldorf Teaching Diploma at a very young age. After moving to England, he worked as a class teacher for 30 years, eight of those in Germany. He also taught in the High School, specialising in history and drama. Now he works full-time in Teacher Education and is on the faculty of several courses and universities in the UK and abroad. Sven gives lectures and seminars internationally and works as an active mentor and advisor to schools and teachers in Britain, Germany, Asia and Africa. He is a co-founder of Waldorf Modern Teacher Education UK (www.waldorfmodern.uk). 

Prof. Dr. Jost Schieren - Alanus University

Alfter, Germany

  • Born in Duisburg (Germany) in 1963
  • Fields of study: Philosophy, German Philology and Art History in Bochum and Essen
  • Guest studies in Ann Arbor (Michigan, USA) 
  • 1997: Doctorate on the topic: "Perceptive Power of Judgement. Methodical and Philosophical Foundations of Goethe's Scientific Recognition." 
  • 1996-2006: German teacher at the Rudolf Steiner School in Dortmund
  • 2004-2008: Research assistant at the University of Paderborn 
  • Since 2008: Professor of school pedagogy with a focus on Waldorf education and head of the department of educational science at the Alanus University in Alfter near Bonn

Kenya Strong  - Cultural Consciousness and Racial Literacy Educator 

California, USA

  • MA in Education, Virginia 
  • BA in Psychology, New York
  • Certified Grades and Waldorf Teacher, California 
  • Certified Life Coach, California 
  • Certified Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Facilitator
  • 2013-2020: Highland Hall Waldorf School Lead Teacher, Northridge, CA
  • Since 2020: Threefold Village Lead Instructor, Sunland, CA
  • Since 2020: Contracted Cultural Consciousness Facilitator, Los Angeles, CA

Christof Wiechert - Alanus University

Den Haag, The Netherlands

  • Born in 1945 
  • Pupil at the Waldorf school in the Hague, Netherlands 
  • After studying education and geography, 30 years of teaching at the Waldorf school in the Hague
  • Cofounder of the Dutch State Waldorf Teacher Training Seminar. For many years he was a 
  • Councilmember in the Anthroposophical Society in the Netherlands 
  • Together with Ate Koopmans, he developed the „Art of Child Study“ course. He has lectured in many countries
  • Since September 1999: Has worked for the Pedagogical Section 
  • October 2001-December 2010: Head of the Educational Department of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Dornach/Switzerland
  • Since 2008: Lecturer and research fellow at Alanus University 
  • He continues to work for the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum and on pedagogical and anthroposophical themes in different countries

Prof. Dr. Carlo Willmann - Alanus University / Zentrum für Kultur und Pädagogik 

Alfter, Germany / Vienna, Austria

  • 1956: Born in Furtwangen (Germany)
  • Fields of study: Theology, Art History in Freiburg/Br., Frankfurt (Germany) and Wien (Austria).
  • 1996: Doctorate on the topic: Waldorf Education - Theological and Religious Education Findings.
  • 1984-202: High school teacher for history, art history and religion at Waldorf schools.
  • 2001-2008 lecturer at the Center for Culture and Pedagogy Vienna
  • Since2009: Head of the master's course in Waldorf Education at the Danube University Krems (Austria). 
  • Since 2009: Professor of Religious Education and Ethics at the Alanus University of Art and Society in Alfter (Germany). 
     Chairman of the International Network for Academic Steiner Teacher Education (INASTE).

Prof. Dr. M. Michael Zech - Alanus University / Lehrerseminar Kassel

Alfter / Kassel, Germany

  • *1957 in Munich 
  • Fields of study: Literature and German Philology, History, Political Science and Philosophy in Munich
  • 2012 Doctorate on the topic: History in Waldorf schools
  • Waldorf Teacher since 1983
  • Since 1992 Teacher Trainer 
  • 2013 Junior professor of Didactic of History at the Alanus University in Alfter near Bonn
  • 2018 Professor for Cultural Science and Didactic of Humanities at the Alanus University in Alfter near Bonn