Forum Structure 2026 - MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum

Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education's
Role in Shaping a Resilient Future
14^th – 16^th April, 2026 | Kempinski Central Avenue, Dubai - UAE

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Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education's Role in
Shaping a Resilient Future

14^th – 16^thApril, 2026
Kempinski Central Avenue, Dubai - UAE

Morning Pre-Forum Workshops

08:30-09:00

Morning Pre-Forum Workshops’ Registration

09:00-10:30

Workshop 1:

Institutionalizing technology transfer at universities.

Facilitator:
Dr. Georgeta Auktor, Head of Strategy and Development & University Development & Management Lead, TUM International (TUMint), Germany

Co-organized with:

Workshop 2:

Driving Impact and Excellence: Strategic Approaches to University Rankings and Global Visibility

Facilitators:
Dr Ashwin Fernandes, Executive Director, QS Quacquarelli Symonds

Dr Habib Fardoun, Principal Consultant, QS Quacquarelli Symonds

Co-organized with:

10:30-10:45

Coffee Break and Networking

10:45-12:30

Workshop 1 Continuation:

Institutionalizing technology transfer at universities.

Facilitator:
Dr. Georgeta Auktor, Head of Strategy and Development & University Development & Management Lead, TUM International (TUMint), Germany

Co-organized with:

Workshop 2 Continuation:

Driving Impact and Excellence: Strategic Approaches to University Rankings and Global Visibility

Facilitators:
Dr Ashwin Fernandes, Executive Director, QS Quacquarelli Symonds

Dr Habib Fardoun, Principal Consultant, QS Quacquarelli Symonds

Co-organized with:

Afternoon Pre-Forum Workshops

13:30-14:30

Afternoon Pre-Forum Workshops’ Registration

14:30–15:30

Workshop 3:

Futureproofing Graduates: Skills, Employability, and Industry Collaboration

Facilitator:
Madelein Meiring, Higher Education Academic Excellence Advisor, McGraw Hill

Co-organized with:

Workshop 4:

Leadership Framework for MENA Higher Education: Building adaptive leadership capacity to navigate global challenges while creating meaningful local impact

Facilitator:
Fiona Lennoxsmith, Head of Leadership, Governance & Management, Advance HE

Co-organized with:

15:30-15:45

Coffee Break and Networking

15:45–17:30

Workshop 3 Continuation:

Futureproofing Graduates: Skills, Employability, and Industry Collaboration

Facilitator:
Madelein Meiring, Higher Education Academic Excellence Advisor, McGraw Hill

Co-organized with:

Workshop 4 Continuation:

Leadership Framework for MENA Higher Education: Building adaptive leadership capacity to navigate global challenges while creating meaningful local impact

Facilitator:
Fiona Lennoxsmith, Head of Leadership, Governance & Management, Advance HE

Co-organized with:

15^thAPRIL, 2026

08:00-09:00

Arrival and Registration

09:00–09:45

Forum Main Opening and Awards Ceremony

- Dr. Narimane Hadj-Hamou, Chair, 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum, Founder & CEO, CLICKS, UAE

- HE Prof. Amr Ezzat Salamat, Secretary General of the Association of Arab Universities, Jordan

Morning Plenary Session | Chair: Solveig Andres Nicklos, Managing Director X.0 Advisory

09:45-10:25

Keynote Address 1

Beyond Degrees: Universities as Drivers of a Resilient Future

Prof. Francisco Marmolejo, Higher Education President, Qatar Foundation, Qatar

10:30–11:30

Panel Discussion 1:

Bridging Boundaries: Building a Collaborative Ecosystem for Workforce Readiness and Social Impact

Moderator:
Prof. Yusra Mouzughi, Provost, University of Birmingham, UAE

Panelists:
- Prof. Bassam Alameddine, President, American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), UAE

- Dr. Karim Seghir, Chancellor, Ajman university, UAE

- Morwenna Crago, Sr. Director, Marketing, Product & Sales Enablement, Higher Education – McGraw Hill International

- Prof. Ahmed Elseragy, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Employability), and Dean of the Faculty of Art & Design, The British University in Egypt, Egypt

- Dr. Kinan Bahnassi, Sr. Adviser, Labour Market and Education Policy | Education & Human Development & Community Council, UAE

11:30-11:50

Coffee Break and Networking

11:50–12:30

Keynote Address 2

Dr. Roberta Malee Bassett , Global Lead for Tertiary Education, The World Bank

12:30-13:30

Panel Discussion 2:

Presidential Panel | Thriving in Disruption: Ethical Leadership and Digital Innovation in Higher Education

Moderator:
Prof. Ghassan Aouad, Chancellor, Abu Dhabi University, UAE

Panelists:
- Prof. Dr. Agron Bajraktari, Rector, University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj (UASF), Kosovo

- Dr. Tod Laursen, Chancellor, American University of Sharjah (AUS), UAE

- Prof. Ahmed Alraeesi, Vice Chancellor, UAE University, UAE

- Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, President, University at Albany - State University of New York, USA

- Dr. Abdelaziz Hassanein Mohamed Saad Konsowa, President, Alexandria University, Egypt

13:30-14:30

Lunch Break and Networking

Parallel Institutional Case Study Presentations

14:30-16:00

Track 1:

Embedding Sustainability and Societal Responsibility in Higher Education

Track 2:

Strengthening University-Industry-Government Partnerships for Workforce Readiness

Track 3:

Advancing Digital Transformation and AI-Driven Innovation

Track 4:

Fostering Global Engagement and Social Impact

Track 5:

Bridging Higher Education and Employability

Track 6:

Strengthening Leadership and Governance for Institutional Resilience

14:30–16:00

Track 1:

Embedding Sustainability and Societal Responsibility in Higher Education

Track 2:

Strengthening University-Industry-Government Partnerships for Workforce Readiness

Track 3:

Advancing Digital Transformation and AI- Driven Innovation

Track 4:

Fostering Global Engagement and Social Impact

Track 5:

Bridging Higher Education and Employability

Track 6:

Strengthening Leadership and Governance for Institutional Resilience

Chair:
Prof. Abhilasha Singh,
Dean, College of Business Administration, American University in the Emirates (AUE), UAE

Chair:
Solveig Andres Nicklos,
Managing Director X.0 Advisory

Chair:
Dr. Karim Moustaghfir,
Associate Vice President for 21st Century Learning Innovation & Faculty Development, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco

Chair:
Józefa Fawcett, UK

Chair:
Dr. Mona Ismail, Dean, Scientific College of Design, Oman

Chair:
Prof. Rachid Hadj-Hamou,
CEO, The Elite Academy, UAE

16:00-16:15

Coffee Break

16:15–18:00

Track 1: Cont.

Embedding Sustainability and Societal Responsibility in Higher Education

Track 2 Cont.

Strengthening University-Industry-Government Partnerships for Workforce Readiness

Track 3 Cont.

Advancing Digital Transformation and AI- Driven Innovation

Track 4 Cont.

Fostering Global Engagement and Social Impact

Track 5 Cont.

Bridging Higher Education and Employability

Track 6 Cont.

Strengthening Leadership and Governance for Institutional Resilience

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16^thAPRIL, 2026

08:00-09:00

Arrival and Networking

Morning Plenary Session | Chair: Dr. Nabil EL KADHI, Vice President, Academic Affairs and Development, Applied Science University, Bahrain

09:00–09:40

Keynote Address 3

From Global Challenges to Local Impact - How Fourth Generation Universities Orchestrate Place-Based Innovation Ecosystems

M'hamed El Aisati, Vice President Analytics & Data Services, Elsevier, Netherlands

09:40–10:10

Fireside Chat:

Shaping Resilient Futures: Rhetoric or Reality? Higher Education’s Real-World Impact

Moderator:
- Catriona McCarthy, Global Head of Student Mobility and Internationalisation, British Council, UK

Panelists:
- Dr. Fanta Aw, Executive Director and CEO, Association of International Educators (NAFSA), USA

10:10-11:10

Are Traditional Universities Becoming Obsolete in the Face of Digital Education and AI?

Moderator:
Nick Davis, Vice President, Global Sales, THE (Times Higher Education)

Speakers:
- Prof. Maurits van Rooijen, Chief Academic Officer, Global University Systems, UK

- Prof. Hassan Abdalla, Provost, University of East London, UK

- Prof. Khaled Assaleh, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Ajman University, UAE

- Dr. Turo Kilpeläinen, President and CEO, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Finland

11:10-11:40

Coffee Break and Networking

11:40-12:20

Keynote Conversation

Governing AI in Higher Education

Moderator:
TBC

Speakers:
- Amal Dimashki, Regional Director, MENAT, Turnitin, UAE

- Dr. Rima Mattar, Provost, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon

12:25–13:30

Panel Discussion 3:

Accreditation as a Catalyst for Innovation and Resilience: Safeguarding Trust, Equity, and Relevance

Moderator:
Dr. Narimane Hadj-Hamou, Chair, 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum, Founder & CEO, CLICKS, UAE

Panelists:
- Dr. Mazen Hasna, Chairman, National Committee for Qualifications and Academic Accreditation, Qatar

- Vicki Stott, Chief Executive Officer, The Quality Assurance Agency, UK and President of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)

- Sardor Rakhimboev, Deputy Director, National Quality Assurance Agency for Education under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan

- Dr. Diana Abdulkarim Al Jahromi, Secretary-General, Higher Education Council, Bahrain

- Dr. Ryan Harnett, Vice President for Membership, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, USA

13:30–14:20

Lunch Break and Networking

Parallel Strategic Leadership Focus Groups (Requires Registration)

In Conversation with University Presidents and Senior Leaders:

A facilitated leadership dialogue bringing university presidents, senior leaders, and stakeholders together to co-create strategic recommendations and practical roadmaps addressing priority challenges in higher education. Each focus group is designed to generate actionable insights and roadmap elements that inform leadership decision-making and contribute to a collective vision for resilient higher education systems.

14:30–16:00

Focus Group (1)

Accelerating Research and Innovation: Strategies for Impact

Moderator

- Prof. Abhilasha Singh,
Dean, College of Business Administration, American University in the Emirates (AUE), UAE

Panelists

- Ramy Hassanien, Regional Director for Middle East, Africa & Central Asia, Emerald Publishing

- Prof. Mubarak H. AlKhatnai, Dean of Quality and Development , King Saud University , KSA

- Prof. Mohammed Hussein Ahmed, Director General-Head Apparatus of Supervision and Quality Assurance, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kurdistan

Focus Group (2)

Industry-Academia Partnerships for Local Development

Moderator

- Mervin Bakker, Executive Director, European Association for International Education (EAIE), Netherlands

Panelists

- Dr. Rana Sawaya, President, University College of Bahrain, Bahrain

- Dr. Said Saleem Al-Kittani, Associate Dean for Community Engagement, Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS), Oman

- Dr. Kinan Bahnassi, Sr. Adviser, Labour Market and Education Policy | Education & Human Development & Community Council, UAE

Focus Group (3)

Strengthening Higher Education Systems through Regional Collaboration

Moderator

- Nesma Mostafa,
Head of Higher Education Insights and Student Mobility, British Council, Egypt

Panelists

- Diane Freiberger, Managing Director, FIBAA, Germany

- Prof. Sherine Farouk, Assistant Chancellor, Global Partnerships and Impact, Abu Dhabi University, UAE

- Catriona McCarthy , Global Head of Student Mobility and Internationalisation, British Council, UK

16:00-16:20

Coffee Break and Networking

Afternoon Plenary Session | Chair: Dr. Nabil EL KADHI, Vice President, Academic Affairs and Development, Applied Science University, Bahrain

16:25-16:45

Keynote Address 4:

Higher education in a skills-first era: Adapting to changing labour market demands

- Shizuka KATO, Policy Analyst, Skills and Future Readiness Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD

16:45- 17:45

Panel Discussion 4:

Reinventing Governance: Agility, Innovation, and Institutional Resilience

Moderator:
Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, Executive Director - Africa, Middle East & South Asia, QS (Quacquarelli Symonds)

- Dr. Elizabeth Soliday-Naui, President, ISASS Dean, Swiss School of Management, Spain

- Dr. Julie Furst-Bowe, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Arkansas Tech University, USA

- Dr. Wafa Almansoori, Interim President and Provost, American University of Bahrain (AUBH), Bahrain

- Prof. Salim bin Hamood Al-Harthi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs and Community Service, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

17:45- 18:00

Closing Remarks, Key Insights and Future Directions

Group Photo & Farewell

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