Dr. Aboul-Ela earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Agriculture from Cairo University, and his Ph.D. in Animal Physiology from the University of Aberdeen, UK, in 1980. He held several academic administrative positions at Mansoura University and UAE University, among which being a Chair, Dean, Director of Graduate Studies, and Counselor for Academic Affairs .
As a researcher, he published a total of 103 articles in refereed journals. He won several research prizes and awards including National Prize for Research, Egypt, 1987; Abdel-Hamid Showman\’s Prize, 1988; and Presidential Distinction Medal, for Excellence in Research, 1994.
He was one of the founding members of the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), in the UAE when established in 2000, and was appointed as its Director in February 2007. He had a leading role in developing its Standards for Licensure and Accreditation, Standards for Licensure and Accreditation of Technical and Vocational Education & Training, and the e-Learning Standards for Licensure and Accreditation. He also led the CAA’s effort to receive INQAAHE’s recognition as an agency which comprehensively in compliance with INQAAHE’s GGP, granted to the CAA in 2011.
Dr. Aboul-Ela had significant and leading role in establishing the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE), and has been re-elected as its Vice-President. In April 2011, Dr Aboul-Ela was elected as a Board Director for the International Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (INQAAHE). During his term as INQAAHE Board Director, he participated in various subcommittees of the Board. In 2010, he was appointed as a board member of the Quality Assurance Council for the Association of Arab Universities. In January 2012, Dr Aboul-Ela was appointed as Board member of the newly established National Qualification Authority in the UAE.
Through his work with ANQAHE, Dr. Aboul-Ela provided consultation to newly established, or to be established national QAA in Arab countries. Dr. Aboul-Ela participated in many activities conducted by international organizations such as UNESCO, ISCESCO, and CHEA. Dr Aboul-Ela participated in numerous institutional and program accreditation review teams in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. He has been invited as keynote speaker on quality assurance issues at many regional and international conferences and workshops.
