Helping leaders and organizations grow when the ground is moving.
I’m a researcher, educator, author and speaker working at the intersection of leadership, learning and organizational identity. I hold a PhD in Education from ELTE Budapest, was recognized as Top 50 Women in AI by HTE, and wrote Synaptic Leadership. I lead Research and Product Development at Pulze Digital; my writing, teaching and speaking are independent activities outside that role.
The work works.
Aggregate participant feedback from a recent international cohort program (CP105, project management fundamentals, 13-session webinar series, 18 participants).
Overall course rating "Good" or "Excellent"
Teaching methods rated "Extremely" or "Very effective"
Instructor availability "Always" or "Most of the time"
“The program has been an eye opener to me.”
“Grateful to the professor for the fun and memorable learning experience.”
“I really appreciate my lecturer, she did a great job.”
Workshops and speaking.
Research-driven teaching and talks on leadership, learning and organizational identity — grounded in doctoral research, built for application.
Workshops
Public workshops and teaching for individuals and academic audiences — open masterclasses on leadership and learning, small-group cohort programs, university teaching, and self-paced online courses. Grounded in research, built for application.
Speaking
Keynotes, workshops and lectures on organizational learning, AI and digital transformation, gender in leadership, and what it takes to develop people in fast-changing environments. Available for conferences, closed-door sessions, and academic events.
Delivered a keynote speech in Wekerle Business University; university president Junkai Ma described it as "amazing".
A researcher who builds things. A builder who stays curious.
My work connects two things that rarely live in the same person: rigorous organizational research and the practical work of designing learning that changes how people work.
I hold a PhD in Education from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Before that, a master’s in Educational Leadership and a bachelor’s in Mathematics from Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. Over the past decade I’ve worked as a corporate trainer, doctoral researcher, AI data annotator, mathematics teacher, university counselor, and learning program designer. Different jobs, one recurring question: what do people need to know, and how do you build that at scale?
I currently lead the Research and Product Development team at Pulze Digital, where I oversee 60+ enterprise learning programs on AI, data, cloud and low-code/no-code technologies — work I do in my employed capacity. Independently, and outside that role, I write, teach and speak at universities and conferences across Europe, drawing on my doctoral research in leadership and education.
My book, Synaptic Leadership: Connecting Culture, Organizations and Identity, explores how leadership identity forms across cultural and organizational boundaries. It’s the thread that ties my academic work to the programs I design and the leaders I coach.
I work in English, Russian and Kazakh, with working Hungarian. Most of my engagements sit in Central Europe and Central Asia, though the questions I work on don’t stay neatly inside borders. After a recent doctoral-cohort session I delivered in Kazakh, participants told the organiser the session was “brave” and “direct about the real problems.” That’s the bar I work to in every language.
— Pocstár Moldir
Selected writing.
Peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and a book on leadership identity. Full academic record on MTMT (the Hungarian Scientific Bibliography).
History and Civic Education in Kazakhstan
In Richárd, Fodor; Judit Tóth; Áron Fekete, Compass to History and Civic Education: Comparing History Education in 16 European and Asian Countries. Szeged: Belvedere Meridionale, pp. 265–291.
Synaptic Leadership: Connecting Culture, Organizations and Identity
Understanding Female Leadership Aspirations in Kazakhstani Higher Education: "Asia as Method"
In Halász G., Setényi J., Kürthy L., Fan M., Nyamkhuu B. (eds.), Learning from Asia in Education: How the West Can Learn from the East in Education in the 21st Century. Budapest: MCC Press, pp. 289–308.
The perception and experience of young researchers in doctoral programmes in the context of recent reforms in Kazakhstan
European Journal of Education, 57(3), 484–496. Indexed in Web of Science and Scopus. Co-authored with Karabassova L., Mukhatayev Zh., Yermukhambetova A.
8 external citations
Department chair as mentor: perceptions of young female faculty members from Kazakhstan
Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 6(4), 318–335. Indexed in Web of Science and Scopus.
Synaptic Leadership Newsletter
A short newsletter on leadership, learning and digital transformation. Published on LinkedIn, free to follow.
AI for Public Speaking: Craft, Rehearse, Deliver
Thursday, June 25, 2026 · 18:00–20:30 Budapest time · Live online · Limited to 12
Build a stronger opening for your next professional talk with AI.
Recent speaking.
Keynotes, workshops, and lectures from recent engagements.
Leading Teams with AI: Building Workflows for People, Products, and Decisions
Keynote · Budapest Data and AI Forum 2026 · Budapest, Hungary
Audience feedback: 4.69 / 5 average across 8 responses (delivery 4.88, content 4.50).
My Journey into Tech (AI) Leadership
Keynote · HTE Top 50 Women in AI Hungary · Budapest, Hungary
My Journey in Leadership
Seminar · MCC Learning Institute · Online
The Importance of International Organizations in Dismantling Gendered Structures within Education
Workshop · SIB-Groningen · Groningen, Netherlands
What people who've worked with me say.
During her PhD dissertation pre-defense session she demonstrated intellectual rigor, relevance, and pragmatism. Moldir also completed our global executive leadership development program (FLIGBY), during which her top leadership skills, benchmarked against 15,000+ leaders globally, were reported as: Business-oriented thinking (99th percentile), Building Trust and Engagement in Team Members (94th percentile), and Future Orientation and Vision (93rd percentile).Zoltan Buzady, MBA, PhD Habil. Associate Professor of Leadership; Research Director, FLIGBY LinkedIn recommendation · April 2024
Moldir has an exceptional gift for making complex AI concepts accessible and sparking meaningful dialogue about their practical application. Our series of conversations between sessions were among the most valuable parts of the conference for me, as we exchanged ideas and advice with great synergy.Zoltan Fazekas, MBA Operational Excellence and Growth Leader LinkedIn recommendation, met at HUN-REN AI Symposium · September 2025
I met Moldir at a teacher conference on IT education in Brussels, where she presented her ideas on how technology can support student learning. Her approach was both thoughtful and practical, showing how digital tools can be used to make lessons more engaging and relevant. She combines a solid knowledge of educational technology with a collaborative attitude that makes working with her both easy and rewarding.Edward A. Lockhart, PhD Assistant Professor, Universitat Rovira i Virgili; International Consultant on Education, Council of Europe LinkedIn recommendation · September 2025
Mona is an exceptional educator and counselor whose dedication, expertise, and versatility make a meaningful impact on students and colleagues alike. With a PhD and a strong ability to research and present complex topics clearly, Mona brings depth and insight to her work. Whether guiding students through important decisions or delivering insightful presentations, Mona consistently demonstrates excellence.Rita Jako Regional Admissions Manager for Central Europe, Sommet Education (Glion, Les Roches, Ecole Ducasse) LinkedIn recommendation · February 2025
It has been great to work with Mona on developing WomenEd Hungary. She brings a lot of energy to our meetings and always has lots of great ideas. Her enthusiasm for professional development, community engagement and promotion of collaboration have been invaluable as we organise termly events to support educators in Budapest.Charlotte Ward, FCCT Conference speaker and organiser; WomenEd Thailand LinkedIn recommendation · April 2024
Researching, writing and speaking on leadership and learning.
I share what I'm learning through writing, talks and teaching. If something here is useful for your work — or you'd like me to speak — get in touch.
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