Meerbek Kudaibergenov, PhD, is an assistant professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. He served as the KOTESOL 2025 International Conference co-chair and Program director. With a keen focus on Eastern and Central Asian contexts, his research explores various dimensions of ELT, student and teacher identity, higher education, and country image. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Asia-Pacific Education Researcher; International Journal of Educational Development; and Journal of Language, Identity, and Education. Apart from the university, he also serves the Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia and SageOpen as an editorial board member and the Journal of International Students as a regional editor. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7717-9473
