
Higher education leaders and decision makers from more than 40 countries have assembled today at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi for the 2nd MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum organized by the Center for Learning Innovations and Customized Knowledge Solution
The Forum organized under the theme “Towards Transformative Higher Education in the MENA Region: The Role of Innovation in the 21st Century Digital and Knowledge based Society” was preceded by three hands-on workshops tat too place on the 9th of November.
The first day of the Forum featured four very interesting and thoughts provoking keynote addresses by eminent speakers involving Professor Mohamed Zairi, Emeritus Professor and Chairman of the European Center; Dr. Kathleen Ives, CEO and Executive Director of the Online Learning Consortium, Mr. David Lock from the Leadership in Higher Education Foundation in the UK and Mr. Tarek Al Shawa, Director, Education Business Solutions,ITS, Kuwait. In addition a very interactive debate that engaged the audience through the use of voting devices tackling online education took place and presented the views and opinions of high level experts from South Africa, Egypt, Oman and the UAE.
The afternoon session featured an interaction panel discussions that brought to the table Presidents and provosts of leading institutions including Effat University in KSA, the American University of Sharjah, St. Francis Xavier University in Canada and the IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence in France.
Among participating institution at the forum were: Al Hail, Jazan, UBT, Princess Noura Universities in KSA; the Community Colleges in Qatar; Universities of Nizwa, Sohar and Sharqqya in Oman; AUS, HCT, Abu Dhabi University, American University of the Emirates, American University of RAK, Sharjah University, etc. in the UAE Jarash University in Jordan; Palestine Open University; International University of Africa, Jeezira and AlNailan in Sudan in the UAE and many others.