CLICKS Partner to the 8th International Arab Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Unleash the Talent: Reimaging higher education for a new generation of learning

Building on the outcomes of the 3rd UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education (WHEC2022), what are the expectations now for reinventing the university? How will these visions be turned into actions that support the 2030 Agenda and beyond? Who will make this happen? Unpicking the WHEC2022 Roadmap as a living and organic set of directions at a pivotal moment in higher learning, is a collaborative and interactive process to ensure a sustainable and inclusive journey for all stakeholders of higher education – students, teachers, researchers, institutional leaders, policy makers and wider communities.

Hyper-Hybrid Campus of tomorrow

Today when classrooms have become virtual and interactivity is measured in clicks, we will dissect disruptions faced by ‘the world’s most noble profession’ and how to enhance the learning outcomes for our youth. We have tweaked our social etiquettes and amended our corporate practices. Today, it has become imperative for all factions of our society to conduct ourselves and our businesses with a renewed commitment to innovation. Although we have seamlessly adopted Hybrid learning models combining online and onsite education, the innovation journey has just begun. Now, more than ever, we need a vision for the ”Hyper-Hybrid Campus of tomorrow” that is economically competitive, socially relevant, and pedagogically innovative.

Quality Assurance in Time of Crisis: Lessons from the Pandemic | Available only to online participants

With different levels of maturity in transitioning to online learning during the pandemic; the higher education sector more than ever has been in need to assure the quality of learning.

While some may argue that the ultimate goal of quality assurance is the same independently of the mode of delivery and that hence the same set of standards should apply for all modes of learning. While this is often true; different delivery approaches tend to have different modalities and sometimes different quality approaches and indicators.

As universities look into embracing different forms of technology enabled education such as online and blended learning beyond the pandemic; there will be need to revisit some of the current internal as well as external QA practices and ensure that quality indicators and policies are ‘fit-for- purpose’ to address these new forms of learning.

Within our institutions, the adoption online/ blended learning must become a strategic imperative that is rooted within the institution strategy and plans rather than a response to an emergency. For external quality assurance; accrediting agencies will need to reflect on their standards to determine the applicability and suitability of existing standards to online learning and how to interpret such standards in the context of online learning.

The aim of this panel is to:

1. Identify the lessons we have learned around quality and quality assurance during the pandemic.

2. Determine common challenges , strategies and share good practices to overcome issues related to quality assurance in online education

3. Discuss the key dimensions to consider when evaluating online and blended programs and courses

4. Share among participants current and future internal and external quality assurance practices

5. Identify frameworks and good practices to support institutions of higher learning maintain the quality of online and blended programs beyond the pandemic

Re-Inventing Higher Education: From Fixing Symptoms to Addressing Causes

Covid-19 obliged universities to pivot online overnight, often with poor results and learning outcomes. As universities embrace the new normal, many of them are looking at technological solutions to upgrade and reinvent themselves, often addressing the symptoms of what plagues higher education rather than the underlying fundamental reasons. Instead, for higher education to succeed in reforming itself and thriving, institutions should take a closer look at issues such as inclusive access, interdisciplinary curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments that impart and evaluate real knowledge rather than information retention. While these issues could be solved partially by technology, re-inventing higher education will require more than a few clicks on a button.

Ensuring AI as a Common Good for Education and for Humanity

The speech promotes the adoption of digital humanism as the guiding principle for the use of Artificial Intelligence in education. It provides an introduction to the latest report released by UNESCO in 2021, AI and Education: Guidance for Policy-makers. In order to guide policy-makers, four key questions ware posed: 1) How to ensure ethical and equitable use of AI in Education? 2) How can AI be used to deliver unfulfilled promises? 3) How can AI enable the learning and digital humanism we want? 4) What are AI literacy and AI skills needed for human-AI collaboration? AI in Education is covered in the following key areas of AI and education policies:

(1) governing and regulating the use of AI in education with focuses on: Protecting data privacy, preventing algorithm discrimination e, regulating intrusive AI-powered tools, promoting human agency in the context of human-machine collaboration, and revealing uncharted ethical issues
(2) AI as a common good to deliver unfulfilled promises in education: examples will be shared on the use of AI in addressing language barriers to access to education opportunities; enabling learners with disabilities (e.g. vision or hearing); diagnosing learning disabilities (e.g. dyslexia and other reading difficulties, autism spectrum, etc); monitoring learning problems and failures.
(3) AI as a public good to support pedagogies needed in the future: It reviews the current status of the use of AI in education and recommends that the use of AI in education should move from automating low-skill tasks with AI to supporting higher-order tasks and skills for our learners.
(4) AI competencies as a cornerstone of the AI era: a 2021 UNESCO Report on Developing AI Competencies found that only 11 countries reported having endorsed K-12 AI curricula for K-12 schools, while an additional four (Germany, Jordan, Bulgaria and Saudi Arabia) are in the process. Detailed recommendations on developing and implementing AI curricula will be shared.

Online Learning Best Practices Adoption After COVID – Adaptive Learning

Online learning best practices frameworks have been used to manage online learning courses design, development, assessment and delivery. Today and with the impact of COVID19, there was a direct shift toward virtual learning and focus to a rapid shift towards the digital tools while getting a wide gap with student’s needs, learning styles and needs. Instructors get more pressure to develop their own teaching style, building their ways to develop their digital learning environment, however, deploying the online learning best practices was not as expected, and focusing on students’ needs witness a big lose. This session will cover how the online learning best practices and adaptive learning can help instructors to get to the students need and support their day-to-day learning. Push them to complete their programs successfully and achieving their learning outcomes.

Higher Education post Covid-19 : what will we have learned and (what) are we able to change for the better?

The post covid era is what we are all aspiring to. Some call to ‘build back better’. At the IAU, we call for higher education to better taylor to the needs of society both at local and global level. Universities and other higher education institutions need to take into consideration lessons learned throughout the pandemic, in order to rethink the way in which they operate, teach, foster and produce research and engage with the community. Reimagining itself will not be synonym for universities to reinvent themselves entirely yet for university leaders and all university and HEI stakeholders to reflect, rethink, adapt and co-construct a better kind of higher education and research that will offer the much needed higher education that will help educate thoughtful, ethical, leaders for a future. They have a unique opportunity to develop in a way that can lead to a better engagement with the global goals and to offer what is needed to develop the kind of society we want to live in and in a world we better care for. Dr. Hilligje van’t Land will be pleased to present the outcomes of the IAU Global Surveys on the impact of COVID 19 on Higher Education.

Keynote Address I – Steering tertiary education out of the crisis: Lessons from the COVID-19

For decades, tertiary education systems have been managed with the assumption that stability and continuity are sufficient for their purpose. Several recent shocks, including the financial crisis of the early 2000s, the transformative impacts of technology, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic (which combined the former two crisis issues with the disruptions of the global health crisis), have required rethinking in how to be more strategic and purposeful in leading tertiary education. This talk will present these issues within the new World Bank policy advisory framework for tertiary education, STEERing Tertiary Education: Toward Resilient Systems that Deliver for All., to offer one methodology for assessing system-level fitness for high quality and relevant tertiary education today and in years to come.

Keynote Address III : Re-inventing Higher Education Post COVID-19: what does the data show?

Drawing on the deep and rich databases that underpin the THE World University Rankings and THE Impact Rankings, focused on the Sustainable Development Goals, and taking insights from THE’s annual University Leaders’ Survey and THE Student Pulse survey, THE Chief Knowledge Officer Phil Baty will explore the shifting sands of the global knowledge economy, lessons learned from the global response to the pandemic, the extent of disruption coming to the university sector, and will suggest a new focus for universities worldwide.

Debate: Did our Educational System Lose Relevance? What Leaders of HE Have to Say

For some time now, there has been numerous discussions around the value of universities; COVID-19 pandemic has amplified many of these concerns as higher education institutions transitioned to online learning for over two years. The role, agility and relevance of the sector have been put under scrutinizing and questions started emerging around whether Higher ed. is losing monopoly against other alternative higher education providers who run courses and certify competencies for future skills which are in demand.

It has been agreed that if universities are to prosper, they must be relevant to the societies in which they exist; they should not only be responsive to societal needs and changes but rather be proactive and leading the society.

During the debate, the panel of experts will reflect on the educational system and will aim to address four key questions from different angles as follows:

• What are the experts’ views on the meaning of relevance, excellence, agility and success in higher education?

• How has the pandemic has amplified the questions around relevance and responsiveness of the sector – what are the implications?

• What should universities change to adapt to a fast-changing world and unleash the potential of HE?

• How can higher education adapt to provide long-term economic value, meet the future needs of jobs and ensure relevance?

Workshop 2: Teaching and Learning after the Storm: Re-thinking our Practices

The Covid-19 pandemic has raised significant challenges for the higher education community and in particular for teaching staff; nonetheless universities and colleges have proven to be agile and managed to rapidly transition to emergency remote teaching. With the extending of universities’ closure institutions have strived to improve their practices of teaching online. As many prepare to go back fully on campus, we must think and prepare for the next stage beyond the pandemic. The world we live in is constantly changing and what we teach and how we teach is also rapidly evolving. We must think about what has the pandemic taught us and how can our teaching and learning practices be reshaped to develop the skills students will require to survive and thrive during and after the pandemic. We need to reconsider how we can achieve better student outcomes and foster improved student engagement and most importantly we need to think of how we can leverage on the investment and experiences we have gained during our online teaching. This workshop will emphasis on the key elements academic leaders should consider in designing and delivering their curriculum post the pandemic.

The agenda of the workshop will cover the following topics:

Where does HE teaching and learning go from here?
Challenges and opportunities in teaching online
Faculty and students’ skills to succeed online
Focusing on skills rather than content
Re-thinking student assessment
Designing course content
New pedagogies to promote student engagement
Institutional support

Workshop 1: Formulating and leading your institutional digital learning strategy
A hands-on virtual workshop for administrators
Facilitated by Dr. Fernando Senior and Dr. Debra Mashek

While digital and online learning has flourished over the past decades and has altered the landscape of higher education worldwide, the global COVID-19 pandemic force institutions, ready or not, to quickly pivot into this new learning, administrative, and business paradigm. Like an iceberg, what is visible from the surface is the obvious need to install a technological infrastructure that extends the physical campus into a virtual space. New practices in marketing, enrollment, learner support, and teaching follow this. But what hides below the surface are essential elements that need to be present for a unique, sustainable, and prosperous journey into the new digital world.

The Workshop invites higher education administrators to formulate a preliminary institutional digital learning strategy, which is often not given the priority it warrants in light of its importance. Such a strategy represents a cornerstone that will shape the digital identity of the institution. Additionally, it is also imperative to consider the strategies that will foster collaboration within the institution.

The Workshop is a virtual hands-on experience internationally offered as part of a physical and virtual event to allow high-level administrators to experience what it is like to be an online learner and to interact with all participants, regardless of their modality of participation in the event.

The experience includes asynchronous and synchronous activities, templates, guidelines, and individual and group activities. Participants will complete a series of exercises leading to

1) identifying essential elements in their institutional digital learning strategy, and

2) identifying strategies to champion the institutional collaboration required to mobilize their institutions.

The Workshop is structured in the following phases:

1. Access to a pre-conference asynchronous activity where participants can review a
welcoming message from the facilitators, download resources and templates, and access a
forum to meet and greet other participants and the facilitators.

2. A three-hour synchronous work session divided into:

I. The Why: A discussion about the new digital education paradigm and why institutions need to understand its implications.

II. The What: A discussion about guidelines and best practices and individual and group activities to guide the institutional digital learning strategy formulation.

III. The How: A discussion about guidelines and best practices to cultivate collaboration among diverse stakeholders as campuses vision, plan, and implement their digital learning strategy.

3. Participants will have an opportunity to share their most significant concluding insights
during a group reflection (or collective harvest).

Panel Discussion I: Lessons Learned From COVID-19: How to Adapt, Overcome & Enhance a Sustainable Higher Education Model

Crisis requires society to renew itself, albeit in a disruptive way. The current Covid-19 pandemic has transformed our ways of working, living, and connecting to each other on a global level. While the pandemic has triggered along a range of short-, medium- and longer-term challenges; it has also triggered innovations and long waited changes for the future. We have seen universities and colleges innovating to fight the outbreak; faculty have rapidly shifted their teaching online, student affairs division started re-thinking its support services such as: online advising, virtual career fairs and online graduation; new forms of collaborations were established, online conferences and events became more frequent and common, etc.

This panel will focus on what did the HE sector learn from the pandemic and how it can capitalize on such lessons. It will also discuss how are higher education institutions undergoing radical transformations driven by the need to survive and sustain. Overall, the panel aims at achieving the following objectives:

Explore the short- and longer-term impact COVID-19 has had – and continues to have – on universities and colleges
Discuss how the higher education eco-system has changed in response to COVID-19 and what would it look like in a post pandemic era
Identify what has worked and what has not, as we have struggled to overcome the immense challenges caused by the pandemic
Discuss possible recommendations and strategies to build a sustainable model in post-Covid

Webinar 1: Exploring the Future of HE: Leveraging on Micro-credentials to Offer Flexible Learning Pathways

Micro-credentials are quickly emerging as a response to the urgent need to reskill and upskill many who find their future disrupted by COVID-19. They are becoming a key component of many government strategies for upskilling and reskilling. Generally, micro-credentials are designed to help close the skills gap and get people back to work. They also reflect a trend toward on-demand, short-form learning that is focused on skills, competencies and specific capabilities — a shift away from long-form learning, such as degrees and diplomas.

As colleges and universities start focusing on micro-credentials, they need to take into consideration a number of key issues which will ensure they do not miss out on the opportunity to achieve meaningful outcomes and help people secure skills-based employment. This 3-hour webinar will discuss what micro-credentials are, how they will help the transform of Higher Education and how they can fit into higher education systems. Case studies and examples of national and institutional efforts will be discussed. Key topics addressed during the webinar include:

Why are micro-credentials getting momentum?
Defining micro-credentials
Current opportunities and issues for micro-credentials
Designing and developing micro-credentials: the Essentials
National skills strategy and qualification frameworks
Examples of bachelor’s degrees using micro-credentials
Assessing Micro-Credential Skills and Competencies

Dear Forum Participants

Kindly be informed that the online registration is now closed
You can still register on the first day of the Forum through approaching the “Walk-in” Registration Stand
Please be informed that that no discounts may apply for the “walk-in registration” and the regular registration fee will apply as listed on the website. Only cash payments in UAE Dirham or US Dollars will be accepted.

We look forward to meeting you soon.

Dear Forum Participants

Kindly be informed that the online registration will close on Saturday 22nd of February, 2020 at 20:00 UAE Time.
On-site registrations and payments will still be possible on the day of the Forum. However, please note that the regular registration fee will apply and only cash payments in UAE Dirham or US Dollars will be accepted.

We look forward to meeting you soon.

Case Studies’ Presentation Parallel Streams| 26^th February, 2020

Track 3	The Role of Universities in Re-skilling and Upskilling the Workforce	Room: Diamond 3
Chaired by: Dr. Yahaya Naguib, Menofia University & CLICKS’s Representative in Egypt, Egypt.
14:00-14:05	Welcoming by Chair
14:05-14:25	Muscat University, Oman: Re-Skilling and Up-Skilling, Learning and Unlearning: New Approaches for a New Age. Prof.Yusra Mouzughi, Vice Chancellor, Muscat University, Sultanate of Oman
14:25-14:30	Questions & Answers
14:30-14:50	Transformation of Medical Education for the Future: From Informative to Transformative. Prof. Hossam Hamdy, Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Medical Education and Chancellor, Gulf Medical University, UAE
14:50-14:55	Questions & Answers
14:55- 15:15	Unemployment Crisis in Nigeria and Information Technology: A Case Study of the Impact of the OAU-ACE in ICT-Driven Knowledge Park. Dr. G. Adesola Aderounmu, COAN Centre Leader, OAU-ACEDE and Dean, Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University and Michael O. Faborode, Secretary General Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigeria, Nigeria.
15:15- 15:20	Questions & Answers
15:20-15:40	Coffee Break
15:45-16:05	How are Companies Supporting the Development of Universities for Upskilling of the Workforce? Four Mini Case Studies in Asia and Africa and their Implications. Dr. François Thérin, Senior Consultant, Xolas, France
16:05-16:10	Questions & Answers
16:10- 16:30	Enhancing Skills Development and Employability for the 4th Industrial Revolution: A University’s Response in Nigeria. Dr. Jainaba M.L. Kah, Associate Professor of Management & Public Policy, Coordinator of Graduate Programs, School of Business and Entrepreneurship and Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost, American University of Nigeria, Nigeria.
16:30-16:35	Questions & Answers
16:35-16:55	Mentoring in Higher Education: A Case Study from Iqra University. Dr. Fatima Dar, Director, Centre for Teaching Excellence and Learning Innovation and Prof. Wasim Qazi, President and Vice-Chancellor, Iqra University, Pakistan
16:55-17:00	Questions & Answers
17:00- 17:10	Session Closure by Chair

Case Studies’ Presentation Parallel Streams| 26^th February, 2020

Track 2	Preparing Future Graduates through Re-Engineering Learning and Teaching	Room: Diamond 2
Chaired by: Prof. Rachid Hadj-Hamou, CEO, Elite Academy, UAE
14:00-14:05	Welcoming by Chair
14:05-14:25	Preparing University Graduates for the Fourth Industry Revolution – A Case Study from Bahrain. Dr. Wafa Almansoori, Education & Training Quality Authority, Kingdom of Bahrain
14:25-14:30	Questions & Answers
14:30-14:50	Effective Use of Data in Designing Individualized and Adaptive Learning Experiences, Dr. Joynicole Martinez, CEO, The Alchemist Agency, USA
14:50-14:55	Questions & Answers
14:55- 15:15	Developing an Employability Framework at Higher Education Institutions:Fostering work-ready university graduates for the 21st Century. Dr. Alia, Vice Dean of the College of Humanities, Prince Sultan University, KSA
15:15- 15:20	Questions & Answers
15:20-15:40	Coffee Break
15:45-16:05	Pillars of the Liberal Arts – Developing Skills for Fourth Industrial Revolution Employability in Abu Dhabi. Nancy W. Gleason, New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE
16:05-16:10	Questions & Answers
16:10- 16:30	The University of the Future: University as a Service (UaaS)within an Open Innovation Ecosystem. Prof. Yousef Al-Assaf, President, Rochester Institute of Technology- Dubai, UAE
16:30-16:35	Questions & Answers
16:35- 16:45	Session Closure by Chair

Case Studies’ Presentation Parallel Streams| 26^th February, 2020

Track 1	The 4th Industry Revolution and the HE Ecosystem	Room: Diamond 1
Chaired by: Dr. Tess Goodlife, CLICKS’s International Associate, Oman
14:00-14:05	Welcoming by Chair
14:05-14:25	Mergers and Acquisitions in Higher Education: Strengthening the Ability to Advance Institutions by Creating Mutually Beneficial Partnerships. Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese, Professor and President, Saint Leo University, USA
14:25-14:30	Questions & Answers
14:30-14:50	Evolution of the OAU African Centre for Engineering Innovation and Design Education (OAU-ACEDE). Michael O. Faborode, Secretary General Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigeria; Dr. Thomas Lee, Chief Scientific Officer, Quanser, University of Waterloo, Canada; Dr. G. Adesola Aderounmu, COAN Centre Leader, OAU-ACEDE and Dean, Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria and Paul Gilbert MD & CEO, Quanser, Canada
14:50-14:55	Questions & Answers
14:55-15:15	Digital Futures Research Hub: A Multidisciplinary ResearchProgram for Impactful Research. M.M. Lai, P.C. Woods, S.L. Tan and H.A. Abdul-Rashid, Vice President for Research & Innovation, Multimedia University, Malaysia
15:15-15:20	Questions & Answers
15:20-15:40	Coffee Break
15:45-16:05	Internationalization through digitalization? Strategical and organizational Pre-Conditions for Student Experience. Michael Hörig, Head of Division and Alexander H. Knoth, Senior Expert Digitalisation, The German Academic Exchange Service, Germany
16:05-16:10	Questions & Answers
16:10-16:30	Institutionalization of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Higher Education: A Case Study of IU from Pakistan. Dr. Nazia Bano, Assistant Professor and Dr. Shams Hamid, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Fashion Design, Education and Social Sciences Iqra University, Pakistan.
16:30-16:35	Questions & Answers
16:35-16:45	Session Closure by Chair

Abstract
Higher education institutions – including research universities, universities of applied science, and community colleges – are exploring innovative practices to engage with their ecosystems and help firms innovate, communities solve societal challenges, and individuals thrive vis-à-vis the future of work. What was once called the “third mission” of HEIs, has become a broader concept that requires HEIs to connect proactively with their ecosystems and networks. Higher education institutions can promote students’ entrepreneurial skills – creativity, team work, accountability, etc. – and can cooperate with business of all size to improve their innovation capacity and productivity. To engage with such activities, higher education systems and institutions need to adopt governance and leadership innovations and to generate synergies with other policy sectors including internationalisation, regional development, industrial innovation, SDGs, etc. Within this context, to support governments and institutions, the OECD and the European Commission have implemented HEInnovate; a holistic guiding framework promoting international policy dialogue and good practices.

Building Education Hubs of the Future

Over the last few years, the growth of the international branch campuses has been one of the most striking developments in the internationalization of higher education in particular in the Middle East and South East Asia regions.

While the establishment of branch campuses or hubs of universities has been a strategy to create new revenue streams for home institutions; it is seen as one of the riskiest forms of transnational education with many potential reputational and financial risks associated. Many questions remain in need to be addressed such as: what do the branch campuses bring to their host countries? How are economic, social and cultural aspects considered? how is quality assurance be exercised? To what extent do branch campuses really seek to replicate the home campus learning experience? and how much mobility is there between campuses?

In this round table higher education leaders will discuss in a structured and reflective manner the following key questions; the outcomes of the discussions held will serve as the foundation to post-forum plans and further actions:

• What opportunities do branch campuses bring and what associated implications and challenges are there for the host country and home institution.
• What is happening in your region? National and regional context – policies and developments within different regions and the sort of models that exist
• What are the implications on the quality of education for both the home institution and the country where they operate?
• Did the pandemic bring change to internationalization and the emergence of the traditional branch campuses? Can we focus on virtual mobility and exchange of knowledge instead?
• How can we benefit from the lessons we have learned so far and what sort of strategies can we put forward?

Re-inventing HE: New Pedagogies and Practices for Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced sudden transformation in teaching, learning and assessment practices. Educators from around the globe and at all levels experienced the necessity of rethinking their roles, the way they deliver learning and how they engage students in meaningful learning activities. The image of students as self-organizing learners, active citizens and autonomous social agents has been under discussion. The purpose of assessment and its role have also been reexamined.

Educators started exploring the use of technology along innovative pedagogical strategies which can have a significant role on student motivation, persistence and skills acquisition in an online or hybrid environment and which have the potential to present ways to bridge theory and practice and get students to make sense of what they learn.

Moreover, in recent years, technological advancements in robotics, virtual reality, cloud technology, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and other technologies, etc. have presented many exciting opportunities for the sector which have the potential to transform teaching and learning.

The pandemic has presented for many educators an opportunity for promising practices and to re-think as educators our assumptions about what we do? Why we do it? and and how we do it?
This also implies the need for a more strategic vision for teaching and learning and to consider the strategic implications for such changes and the type of support and resources required.

In this round table higher education leaders will discuss in a structured and reflective manner the following key questions; the outcomes of the discussions held will serve as the foundation to post-forum plans and further actions:

What are the lessons we have learnt from the teaching in times of crisis?
What sort of learning experiences should our learners be exposed to, in order to be able to thrive in the 21st century?
How can we balance technology, pedagogy, assessment and the new normal?
What good examples of pedagogical and technological innovation are there and how these can be sustained?
What should our pedagogical Framework for teaching, learning assessment embrace?
What support is required to transform teaching and learning?

Post Pandemic Strategies for a Resilient Higher Education Sector

The COVID-19 crisis has created a planetary disruption to the higher education sector and continues to bring many short- and longer-term challenges that will need to be tackled; but along these challenges are acute lessons and opportunities to create a better, more responsive, inclusive, collaborative and resilient educational system that can contribute to the overall betterment of our educational eco-system, provide sound expertise and emergency solutions, and help address the global development agenda. A chance to leverage on the invention and ingenuity that has emerged in the last two years and scale it up and an opportunity for stronger collaboration and synergies across sectors.

Hence, at the present time higher education leaders globally are under immense pressure to navigate multiple priorities and continue to build resilience, to rethink their value proposition and how they will position their institutions and complete in a more global world. Leaders are in need to seriously consider the multiple discussions around the relevance of the sector.

How institutions will re-invent themselves and emerge stronger will depend on what institutional strategies leaders choose during this critical period. Many HEIs are looking at: longer term and larger scale digital learning transformation to address more than the continuity of learning, re-inventing partnerships and industry collaborations, considering non-conventional learning pathways such micro credentials; while others are thinking about the post pandemic campus and how to build communities with unique hybrid experiences, how to better tackle inequalities,

Broadly, during this round table leaders of HE in collaboration with the session moderator and co- moderator will aim at addressing the following key questions, the outcomes of the discussions held will serve as the foundation to post-forum plans and further actions:

How the pandemic has changed higher education and development and what are the lessons we have learnt?
What invention and ingenuity that has emerged in the last few months that has a potential to scale up?
Digital transformation; Academic governance; Student employability; Student and social entrepreneurship; Networking; International cooperation; Training of trainers; Pedagogical innovation; Research and development; Quality and accreditation. The list is long of priorities for which new pathways may be defined. What actions and strategies should be focused on and what implications and/ or reforms may this have on the system at a macro and micro level ? Regarding these issues,what are the core challenges to be faced ?

Our Golden Moment: Leading What’s Next

While the pandemic has “stress tested” higher education across the world, it has also brought about tectonic changes that leaders must understand and address. Dr. O’Brien, a former college president, provost, and technology leader, will share what he and EDUCAUSE research suggests leaders need to know as they think about what’s next. In many ways, times are challenging; in many ways we are experiencing a “golden moment” with the opportunity for positive change.

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Quality Assurance in higher education has undergone significant change over the last ten years. Driven by governments, technology and universities themselves the policies and processes for quality assurance have had to react to a multitude of external pressures. In the UK, there has been a divergence in methodologies to cope with the changes going on in the sector both in the nations of the UK and internationally.

As this year’s theme points out, the higher education sector ecosystem itself will need to rapidly evolve to meet the changing demands of new technologies and ways of learning. In the next ten years, universities must be both at the forefront of developments in the fourth and future industrial revolutions, and adapting to accommodate new ways of learning. Higher education quality assurance will need to be able to support that innovation and adaptation through developments of procedures and of external QA Agencies themselves.”

Dr. Osama Obeidat is the Chief Executive Officer of Queen Rania Teacher Academy. He
brings more than 20 years of experience in education quality, policy, evaluation, reform,
among other areas. Previously, he was with Abu Dhabi Department of Education and
Knowledge where he worked for 6 years as the Director of the school inspection system,
which monitors and evaluates the quality of education in all public and private schools at
the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Before moving to Abu Dhabi, Dr. Osama established and managed multiple monitoring
and evaluation systems in Jordan. He also consulted for several local and international
organizations such as the World Bank, UNICEF, EDT, Ministries of Education in Saudi
Arabia, Oman, Rwanda, and Iraq.
Dr. Osama’s academic experience include working for 5 years as a professor and
researcher of education at the Hashemite University in Jordan. He also worked for 3 years
as an Assistant to the Director, Institute of International Studies in Education at the
University of Pittsburgh-USA.
Dr. Osama holds a PhD in International and Development of Education from the University
of Pittsburgh in 2003, a Certificate in Evaluation Practices from George Washington
University as well as an Executive Leadership Certificate from INSEAD.

Abstract :
In 2018, the European Commission published a “Digital Education Action Plan”, which builds on two Communications which it adopted in May 2017 : “A renewed EU Agenda for Higher Education and School development” and “Excellent teaching for a great start in life”.
These documents outline a number of relevant policy objectives, which remain more valid than ever. These include : support for high-quality education; improving its relevance; developing Europeans’ digital skills and making them more visible; boosting innovation and digital competences in all education institutions; opening up education systems.
The Action Plan focuses on implementation and the need to stimulate, support and scale up purposeful use of digital and innovative education practices. It draws on a wide range of education and training stakeholders including business, research, NGOs, as well as, non-formal education where relevant. It has three priorities : (1) Making better use of digital technology for teaching and learning; (2) Developing relevant digital competences and skills for the digital transformation; (3) Improving education through better data analysis and foresight.
For each priority, the Action Plan sets out measures to help EU Member States address the challenges. These include: (i) providing tools to help educators and trainers make better use of technology including better internet connectivity; (ii) targeted action to develop relevant digital competences; (iii) reinforced and new efforts to improve education via better evidence and analysis.
The keynote presentation will focus on all these elements from the perspective of a forward looking European HE institution.

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We are Advance HE:
We believe excellence is achieved by people. We are dedicated to helping higher education shape its future. Providing insight, so you can use the foresight. Enhancing organisational performance, to deliver sustainable change. Developing and connecting people, so they can share best practice. Accrediting achievement, so you can be recognised. Removing the barriers, so you can succeed. Driving positive change, to make higher education better for all.

We focus on supporting transformative leadership and management, teaching and learning, equality, diversity and inclusion, and effective governance, including the importance of accreditation of teaching and learning programmes, Athena SWAN, and the Race Equality Charter. We support the higher education sector by convening and facilitating continual enhancement; building on our established networks and communities of practice; and, concurrently, building our resources, insights and knowledge in support of ‘what works’ and best practice in the areas our members tell us are priorities for them.

Contact: solutions@advance-he.ac.uk

Panel Discussion II: “Looking beyond the 4th Industry Revolution: How to Plan the HE Sector for Relevance in the Future”

Panel Brief

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought fundamental changes into almost every aspect of our lives; however as opposed to earlier industrial revolutions; the speed, breadth and depth of this revolution is forcing us to quickly adapt and rethink about the purpose of our universities, how will we educate for the fourth and future industrial revolutions how will be able to create value and support tomorrow’s knowledge based economy.

During the panel discussion, various panelists will discuss how higher education has responded to previous industrial revolutions around the world and what difference and new aspects are emerging from the 4th IR. They will attempt to address three core questions:
• Is the education sector catching up with the fourth industrial revolution?
• What should the sector do to adapt to rapid disruptive changes ?
• How do we plan and reconstruct our education systems so that they remain relevant?

Chair
Solveig Nicklos, Dean, Abu Dhabi School of Government (ADSG), UAE
Panelists
> Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese, President, Saint Leo University, USA
> Dr. Mervat Chouman, Vice President, Planning and Development, Effat University, KSA
> Prof. Ali Hamie, Vice-President, Academic Affairs at Arts, Sciences & Technology University, Lebanon Consultant, Lebanese Parliament, Information & Communication Committee
> Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Provost, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria
> Mr. Ghanim Al Falasi, Senior Vice President of People Happiness and Innovation Corporate Services, Vice Chairman of Smart City Project Committee, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, UAE

Panel Discussion I: “The 4th Industry Revolution and the HE Ecosystem: The Changing Paradigms”

Panel Brief

The 4th IR is demanding for profound changes in the model and approaches adopted by the HE sector. The education system must accept the idea of becoming more diverse, less formal, and in many ways un-conventional in order to be responsive to the rapid changes we are witnessing. The concept of lifelong learning and enabling learners to explore their potential, ability to learn and become agile learners should be considered as a top priority by HEIs. We must expedite the strategies that will allow us to close the gap between education and industry and create better synergies with the workplace to ensure we produce graduate that the business needs.

Throughout various interventions panelists will discuss various megatrends reshaping the HE sector and discuss what changes are occurring today in our HE ecosystem as a result of the 4th IR. The panelists will also suggest a roadmap for higher education institutions, policymakers and regulators to enable the HE Ecosystem to both adopt and adapt to these changes

Chair
Professor Ghassan Aouad, President, Applied Science University, Bahrain
Panelists

– Dr. Kevin Mitchell, Chancellor, American University of Sharjah, UAE
– Prof. Makhanya Mandla, Vice Chancellor, University of South Africa (UNISA), South Africa
– Prof. Khalid Al-Begain, President of Kuwait College of Science and Technology, Kuwait
– Dr. Lahcen Haddad, World Learning Trustee (US) & Toulouse Business School Professor (France & Morocco)

Workshop 3| University 4.0: Meeting the Demands of the 4th IR: A Strategic Imperative

Workshop Overview

The era of the 4th IR demands from University leaders and decision makers to re-think the way it used to do ”business” and examine how it can effectively respond to the significant shifts in labour market demands and benefit from the many advantages technological advancements are bringing to the table while appreciating also the challenges that may be encountered.

For universities to be responsive there is a need for a strategic vision and a clear sense of direction with close involvement from external stakeholders including government and industry and strong leadership to prevent universities from lagging behind in this fast changing environment.
This workshop will considers how universities should strategically plan for the future, what sort of opportunities and challenges they must be ready to face and what kind of synergies and collaborations they must establish.

Workshop Objectives:
• Predict the trend that would have the greatest impact and discuss how institutions could best respond
• Determine the best strategies to create synergies between the HE sector, industry and government
• Identify the most profound changes to working practices within Universities
• Set strategic priorities/ directions for universities to enable them to meet the demands of the 4th IR
• Discus the role of leadership into setting priorities and facilitating change
• Provide examples of University 4.0 in action

Workshop Facilitator: Sally Jeffery, Partner and PwC’s Global Education Network Leader

Workshop 2| The Impact of various I-4.0 technologies on the Higher Education Sector

Workshop Overview

In order to educate for the 4th IR and future ones, there is a need for universities to embrace the technologies associated with them. New technologies such as AI, virtual reality, cloud, mobile learning, social network and big data have been reshaping the sector by creating many opportunities that build a learning ecosystem that allows for personalized and flexible learning to take place. Students can be empowered to design their own educational pathways based on their personal goals and pursue lifelong learning pathways. This workshop aims at addressing some of the emerging technologies most likely to impact the HE sector in the next 3 to 5 years and explore how they can be effectively integrated within a clear framework.

Workshop Objectives:

•Identify 7 of the most disruptive technologies having the biggest impact on higher education in the next 3-5 years
•Explore how each of these technologies is or will be re-shaping the higher education sector
•Examine how these technologies can be effectively used within the context of higher education, not only in teaching and learning but in all aspects related to the learning experience
•Address some of the key challenges associates with the use of these technologies

Workshop Facilitator: TBA

Workshop 1| The 4th IR and its Impact on Learning and Teaching

Workshop Overview:
How is the HE Sector preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
Tim Hinchcliffe

Advance HE’s latest research entitled Building Higher Education Curricula Fit for the Future (2018) indicates that in order to achieve multi-faceted educational outcomes there needs to be a deeper understanding of the ways in which the experiential, participatory and reflective nature of active, work-based learning is not just a transformative experience for students in HE, but also has the potential to transform society through more flexible and cognitively agile workers and citizens who embrace “a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological worlds” (HMG, Industrial Strategy 2017: p.32).

The next generation of students may only spend a few years, if any, using the content knowledge acquired during their degree program. They will be expected to communicate with colleagues and clients, ethically and professionally across platforms, disciplines, cultures, national boundaries and cyber-physical interfaces. They will have multiple roles and job titles that currently do not exist, work simultaneously for multiple organizations, in a working life that could span 60 years and they will work from home, in the cloud and alongside robots, making decisions based on data drawn from a wide variety of sources.

In this context, the workshop will give participants the opportunity to explore a range of questions, including:
-What type of attributes and competencies do your graduates have and what will they need in thefuture
-Is your current educational portfolio future-proof and what are its defining features?
-How would you represent your learners’ journey through HE and how would you characterize the ways that they interact with the different elements of the curriculum?
-How are we preparing the next generation of learners for Industry 4.0?
-How are we supporting the development of skills to build and use the technology and data that will underpin Industry 4.0?
-In what ways can we utilize truly interdisciplinary approaches that help to develop more resilient, flexible and cognitively agile learners?
-How can we design teaching and learning opportunities to facilitate this “fusion of technologies”?
-How are we ensuring that HE providers remain civic institutions supporting the needs of local communities and sharing knowledge of what Industry 4.0 will mean to them?

Workshop Objectives:
At the end of the workshop participants will have been enabled to:

-Reflect on the challenges and opportunities associated with the impact of Industry 4.0 on Higher Education globally
-Represent their current state of readiness within their institutional context – from questions of curriculum design to stakeholder engagement
-Design a future-facing, holistic educational experience that takes into account the challenges and opportunities explored in the workshop
-Engage with Gamification facilitation techniques

Workshop Facilitator: Tim Hinchcliffe, Senior Advisor in Teaching and Learning, Advance HE

CLICKS Partner to the 8th International Arab Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education

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