Dr. Narimane Hadj-Hamou is a recognized leader in higher education, bringing nearly 25 years of experience working across countries and institutions. Her expertise spans quality assurance and accreditation, strategy formulation, technology integration and e-learning, teaching and learning, and governance.
She is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Learning Innovations and Customized Knowledge Solutions (CLICKS), an organization established in 2012 to support the advancement of higher education in the Arab region and beyond. Through capacity-building programs, training, consulting, mentoring, and coaching, CLICKS has played a pivotal role in enhancing institutional excellence.
To date, the Center has trained over 25,000 higher education professionals from 40+ countries, including governing board members, university leaders such as presidents and vice presidents, as well as faculty and staff across various academic and administrative domains. Additionally, CLICKS has collaborated with more than 220 higher education institutions, university associations, and networks worldwide, and works with numerous international partners. The Center has also established strong international partnerships with leading organizations, with Dr. Hadj-Hamou driving its vision and strategy.
Throughout her career, Dr. Hadj-Hamou has provided consulting services to numerous universities and colleges across the region, supporting strategic planning, organizational redesign, quality assurance, program assessment, academic advising, and the transition to online education. She has extensive experience in quality assurance and accreditation, having trained and consulted for more than 25 universities across the region on various aspects of QA, including institutional effectiveness, program review, accreditation readiness, and quality enhancement. She has also chaired and served on review panels for more than 50 programmatic and institutional accreditation reviews across different national and regional frameworks since 2012.
Prior to founding CLICKS, she served as the Assistant Chancellor for Learning and Academic Development (Provost) at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University in Dubai, UAE. In this role, she established and led the academic, research, and e-learning vision of the first online university to be recognized and accredited by the UAE’s Commission of Academic Accreditation, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
She has assumed several other leadership roles, including serving as Dean for Student Affairs, Dean for Learning and Teaching, and Director of e- Learning.
Dr. Hadj-Hamou has been a driving force in the promotion of online education and blended learning in the region, leading many pioneering projects and initiatives since 2003. During the pandemic, she worked closely with ministries, university associations, and higher education institutions to build capacity among stakeholders transitioning from emergency remote teaching to more meaningful online learning experiences. She has trained over 3,000 academics and academic administrators on topics including policy and quality assurance for online learning, course design, student assessment, and student engagement. She also contributed to the review of the Saudi eLearning standards for accreditation.
A highly sought-after speaker, she has delivered over 160 international keynote addresses and participated in panels, roundtables, and focus groups. She has also facilitated more than 300 practical workshops. Beyond her speaking and training engagements, Dr. Hadj-Hamou contributes to academic publishing, having authored articles, book chapters, and case studies. She also founded and served as the editor of the International Journal of Excellence in eLearning, advancing discourse in digital learning and innovation. She chairs since 2013 the MENA Higher Education Biennial Leadership Forum as a leading global platform promoting dialogue among higher education leaders and decision-makers. She has collaborated with multiple IGOs and NGOs, including UNESCO, World bank and the European Training Foundation, as well as various university associations. In February 2024, she became a member of the Times Higher Education (THE) Arab University Rankings Advisory Board and also serves on advisory boards of several universities and colleges.
Dr. Hadj-Hamou was listed among the 200 most influential Arab women by Forbes Middle East and has received the Arab Women Award for Education, as well as the Influential Education Leaders Award at the University of Cambridge.
