ARAM MOHAMMAD QADIR
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
ABDULKAREEM AL FAISAL
Chairman of PM’s Advisory Council
Serwan M. J. Baban
Chief Scientific Advisor to the President of KRI
HAMID KHALAF AHMED
Advisor to the Prime Minister
Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq
Adnan Ibrahim Al-Sarraj
Advisor to the Prime Minister for Education Affairs
MOHAMMED HUSSEIN AHMED
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Head of Apparatus of Supervision and Quality Assurance
IAIN GILLESPIE
University of Dundee
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Professor Iain Gillespie has been Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee since January 2021. He is the elected Convener of Universities Scotland (US) and Vice-President of Universities UK (UUK), having previously held the role of Chair of Universities Scotland Research & Knowledge Exchange Committee. He is also Chair of the Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) Scottish Committee and a member of the UK UCEA Board. Iain was Visiting Professor in innovation in the life sciences at the University of Edinburgh. He spent 10 years at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD) leading work on science, technology and innovation and more than a decade in UK central government, with sci- ence-based roles in the Cabinet Office, and the Departments of Environment of Trade and In- dustry and of Health. He has had considerable engagement at UN and regional intions.
IDRIS HADI SALIH
Tishk International University
Head of Board of Trustees
Dr. Idris Hadi Salih is the Head of Board of Trustees of Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq. He has taken several ministerial positions in Iraq and Kurdistan Region. He is a former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (2006- 2009), former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Iraq (2005-2006), former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Iraq (2004-2005), former Minister of Municipal- Energy in KRG (1996) and former Minister of Transportation and Communication in KRG (1992- 1996). Dr Idris also hold the position of president of Salahaddin University in Erbil, Iraq during 1999-2000, and head of Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering at Salahad- din University during 1985-1990. He speaks Kurdish, Arabic, English, Russian and some Turkish.
Kamaran Younis Mohammadamin
Salahaddin University-Erbil
President
Assistant Professor Dr. Kamaran Younis Mohammadamin has BSc in Chemistry, MSc in Bio- chemistry and PhD in Clinical Biochemistry. He has a long experience in teaching undergradu- ate and postgraduate students in the College of Medicine and the College of Health Sciences. He has an extensive experience in higher education management and administration. He previ- ously held the positions of Acting President, Vice President for Admin and Financial Affairs and Vice President for Students Affairs at Hawler Medical University. He also worked as the General Registrar of Hawler Medical University and the Registrar of the College of Medicine. Besides, he headed or acted as a member of different committees such as examination committees, post- graduate studies, university planning and development and scientific committees. He has pub- lished several research papers on the different aspects of clinical biochemistry and supervised several postgraduate students (MSc and PhD students). His research interest is in the field of clinical biochemistry.
Nooraddin Ismail Alla Werdi
Hawler Medical University
President
Professor Dr. Nooraddin Ismail Alla Werdi is consultant and professor of surgery. He has F.R.C.S in London and Fellow of Royal college of surgeon of England, American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.), and European board (E.B.S.Q). and Candidates for the Arab Board of Surgeons (CABS). He is a president of Hawler Medical University. He teaches different courses in the College of Medicine. He is a Patron of Zanco Journal of Medical Sciences, Erbil Dental Journal, and Erbil Journal of Nursing and Midwifery.
SULTAN T. ABU-ORABI
Tishk International University
President
Prof. Sultan T. Abu-Orabi is an organic chemist, who obtained his PHD from the University of Michigan, USA in 1982. Currently he is the Secretary General of the As- sociation of Arab Universities, which has its headquarters in Amman, Jordan. Professor Abu Orabi previously served as President of Yarmouk University, Jordan’s second largest public university, President of Irbid National University, and Tafila Technical University in Jordan. He was also President of the Jordanian Chemical Society and President of the Arab Union of Chemists. He was a visiting Professor at Bahrain University and at King Fahd University for Petro- leum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Abu Orabi is an Editor-in-chief of two international chemistry journals, and is a member of many editorial boards. He has served in many advisory boards, and presented lectures at numerous international confer- ences. He has also received several research fellowships and awards, and published over seventy papers throughout his career spanning thirty-five years
Ahmed Anwar Dezaye
Knowledge University
President
Ph.D in Chemistry (Catalysis), the University of Sidney, Australia. The President of Knowledge Univer- sity/Erbil(private) from 1st of February 2024 till now. The President of Bayan University/Erbil (private) from 2nd of October 2021 till 5th of August 2023. The President of International University of Erbil (private) from 4th of March 2020 till 31st of August 2021. He has been appointed as a President of Salahaddin University-Erbil, Kurdistan Region from November 2009 till 12th of February 2020. General Director of Scholarships at the Ministry of Higher Education, Kurdistan Regional Government between 2006-2009. Vice President of SUE from 2004-2006 in addition of his role and lecturing at the department of Chemistry since 1985. Prof. Dezaye has more the 35 publications in different Iraqi and world reputable journals. He has supervised three PhD students. Prof. Dezaye is a member of several professional bodies including, Chemists syndicate, the Royal Australia Chemical Society, Kurdistan Teachers society, a council member of the SUE and the Ministry of Higher Education, KRG.
AMMAR TARIQ
Head of Education British Council Iraq
Before joining the British Council, Ammar Tariq worked on humanitarian, construction and en- vironmental projects. Over the last fifteen year Ammar have been involved in the designing and leading teams to deliver national scale donor funded programme on both basic and higher education sectors in Iraq. Development of the National Technical and Vocational Education Strat- egy, National Inclusive Framework, National Enrolment Strategy, and School) were among the many outcomes that Ammar contributed to their development. Ammar has degree in construction and environmental engineering from the University of Technology in Baghdad.
ELEANOR ROBSON
University College London
Ancient Middle Eastern History
Eleanor Robson is Professor of Ancient Middle Eastern History at University College London and a Fellow of the British Academy. Since 2017 she has directed the Nahrein Network, based at UCL, the British Museum and the Kurdish Institution for Strategic Studies and Scientific Research. The Network fosters interdisciplinary, locally led research on how history, heritage and related areas can contribute to the sustainable development of culture, economy, environment and society in Iraq and KRI. Her personal research for the Network involves increasing the accessibility and understanding of the ancient cuneiform cultures of Sumer, Babylonia and Assyria, through digital humanities.
ROZHEN KAMAL MOHAMMED-AMI
Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies & Scientific Research Researcher
Rozhen Kamal Mohammed-Amin is an architect and academic with an interdisciplinary background and research interest in the confluence of digital technology, architecture, and heritage. She is an Associate Professor and Researcher at the Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies & Scientific Research (KISSR) and President of the Cultural Heritage Organization (CHO). Rozhen also serves as a Co-Director of the Nahrein Network (based at University College London (UCL), UK), and Vice President of RASHID, an internation- ECOSOC/UN special consultative status (based in Germany). She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at UCL and a member of UKRI’s (UK Research and Innovation) International Develop- ment Peer Review and Talent Peer Review Colleges. Rozhen’s research focuses on developing and evaluating emotional AR and VR experiences for engaging with heritage (including difficult heritage) and eliciting historical empathy. She is a recipient of numerous national and international appreciations, scholarships, awards, and fellowships and is also the developer, proposal writer, and director/co-director for a number of academic and heritage projects that received international funds from the UK, USA, and the European Union.
MICHAEL OSBORNE
University of Glasgow
Adult and Lifelong Learning
Michael Osborne is Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning at the University of Glasgow, and Director of the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning within the School of Education. He is also the European Director of the PASCAL Observatory on Place Man- agement, Social Capital and Lifelong Learning and one of the core members of the Lower to Middle Income Countries research group at the university. His main interests in research are: the role of education in international ties, widening participation to higher education, teaching and learning in higher education, the VET/HE interface and the development of learning cities and regions. He is a Co-I within the ESRC funded Urban Big Data Centre within which he has worked on projects concerned with education, place and disadvantage, and on learning city metrics. He has been PI of the British Academy GCRF funded Strengthening Urban Engagement of Uni- versities in Africa and Asia project. He has also been Co-I within the UKRI GCRF funded Global Centre for Sustainable, Healthy Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods.
SIMON THOMPSON
School of Education and Social Work
Professor Simon Thompson is Head the School of Education and Social Work and is committed to researching and developing effective practice and scholarship in higher education and teacher education pedagogy. After 20 years of successful teaching and leadership in undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and initial teacher training he was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for the quality and impact of his contribution. Simon has deliv- Beijing, Cyprus, Nigeria, Ghana, India, Japan, Cambodia and Kazakhstan
JANROJ YILMAZ KELES
Middlesex University
Faculty of Business and Law
Janroj Yilmaz Keles is an Associate Professor in Politics at Middlesex University Law School and a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at LSE, researching on peace and conflict, political violence, ethnicity and migration in the Middle East and South Asia. He studied in Turkey, Germany and United Kingdom and received his PhD in Sociology and Communications from Brunel University, London. He served as a co-editor of Work, Employlogical Association (2018-2022). He publishes articles in highly ranked peer-reviewed journals. His monograph Media, Conflict and Diaspora (I.B. Tauris, 2015), was well received by the academic community. He is currently a co-investigator of the GCRF Gender, Justice, and Security Hub, focusing on migration and displacement in Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
PAT WHEELER
University of Nottingham
Faculty of Engineering
Prof Pat Wheeler received his BEng [Hons] degree in Electrical Engineering in 1990 from the University of Bristol, UK. He received his PhD degree for his work on Matrix Converters from the University of Bristol, UK in 1994. In 1993 he moved to the University of Nottingham and worked as a research assistant in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In 1996 he became a Lecturer in the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Group at the University of Nottingham, UK. group. He is currently the Director for Global Engagement in the Fac- ulty of Engineering and the Head of the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Research Group. He was Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham from 2015 to 2018. He is a member of the IEEE PELs AdCom and is currently IEEE PELS Vice-President for Technical Operations. He has published over 850 academic publications in leading international conferences and journals
MEHIYAR KATHEM
Nahrein Network Deputy Director
Dr Mehiyar Kathem is the Nahrein Network’s Deputy Director. As part of his role, Mehiyar supervises all the network’s programmes, including Research Grants, Visiting Scholarships and Graduate Studentships. He is also Programme Lead for AcademIQ, a multiyear programme designed to support Iraqi researchers in the arts, humanities and social sciences with academic skills development. He also assists Iraqi academics and oping partnerships and communication with Iraqi Government institutions, domestic NGOs and academics. Mehiyar completed a PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) where he researched peacebuilding interventions and the formation of Iraq’s domestic NGO sector after the 2003 War. His current publications explore the often problematic relationships between heritage and state-building in post-war Iraq.
Jason Norris
University of Dundee
Director of Globalization
Jason Norris is Director of Global Partnerships at the University of Dundee and is responsible for the strategic implementation and delivery of the University’s Internationalisation Strategy as it relates to educational partnerships and student mobility. Key successes have been supporting the launch of a new Joint Institute and Joint Educational Programme in China, as well as setting up University operations in multiple regions. Jason graduated from the University of Dundee in 1999 with a BSc (Hons) in Microbiology, and following roles in the industrial and commercial sector, joined the University of Dundee in the Student Recruitment & Admission department in 2003. Since then, Jason has worked in management and leadership roles covering student recruitment, admissions, international development and partnership, and higher education management.
Michael Green
British Council Iraq
Dr Michael Green is currently working for British Council Iraq on a project to develop research-based partnerships between UK universities and universities in Iraq and Kurdistan Region. Following a Bachelors degree in Oriental Studies, Michael completed his PhD in Egyptology and spent almost 20 years as an Egyptologist. During this period, he held research fellowships in the universities of Edinburgh, Melbourne, Goettingen, Tuebingen, and Durham and worked also in the Leiden Museum of Antiquities in Netherlands. Subsequently he worked for almost 30 years leading on international recruitment and partnerships in De Montfort, Ulster, Leicester and Loughborough universities. During this time, he engaged personally in development of partnerships within Iraq, China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. In addition to his current role on behalf of British Council Iraq, Michael is also Advisor to the Stirling Education Group, which operates private schools and universities in several countries, and is joint director of Central Asia Education Consultants, based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Based on his experience as an Egyptologist, Michael retains a strong interest in all projects related to cultural heritage in the Middle East, and its potential to support sustainable initiatives at local level, through development of areas such as heritage tourism.
Diane Levine
University of Leicester
Criminolog
Dr. Diane Levine began her career as a school teacher and was then in civil service for over a decade before completing her PhD (Warwick). As a result she has been and continues to be committed to social change through education and evidence-informed policy. Dr Levine’s research is focused on understanding the ways in which children and adolescents survive and thrive when life is challenging, particularly in a digital world, and in retisystemic, interdisciplinary approach to understanding childhood resilience. Dr Levine takes an interdisciplinary approach to all her research practice, and has been funded by the British Academy, Economic and Social Research Council, Arts and Humanities Research Council, Global Challenges Research Fund, Wellcome Trust, and Horizon 2020.
Mary Ryan
University of Glasgow
International Development Research Manage
Mary Ryan is the International Development Research Manager in the University of Glasgow’s Strategic Research Initiatives team. In her role, Mary builds interdisciplinary connectivity between research teams across the university, supports the development of strategic partnerships, strengthens university processes to better support international collaboration, represents the university in national fora on in- ternational development research and seeks to build the best possible environment for networking and capacity strengthening workshops for Research Managers and Administrators in the UK and Africa and sat on the Steering Group for the ‘Consolidated Approach to Assurance and Due Diligence’ Project. Mary holds a Bachelors degree in Biology and Sociology and a Masters degree in Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology. She has 20 years’ experience in project management and 10 years’ experience managing in- ternational development research. In her free time, Mary runs (very slowly) and enjoys cooking, reading and travel.
Tala Kasim
Aston University
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Dr. Tala Kasim is a distinguished Chartered Civil Engineer, combining over 15 years of expertise in both industry and academia. Holding a PhD in Digital Construction Technologies from Cardiff University, her focus on integrated solutions and automated sustainability compliance checking demonstrates her commitment to cutting-edge advancements. Currently serving as a lecturer at Aston University, Tala is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a UK. Her dynamic leadership roles, including Programme Director and Deputy Head of Department, reflect Tala’s strategic planning acumen and commitment to fostering collaborative learning environments. With a solid foundation in civil engineering principles and a focus on digital construction, Tala Kasim is a pivotal figure at Aston University, embodying adaptability, extensive knowledge, and dedication to excellence in civil engineering and construction management.
Graeme Barker
Cambridge University
Professor Graeme Barker CBE FBA FSA FRGS, Disney Professor of Archaeology Emeritus and Senior Fellow, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge. CB2 3ER; Professorial Fellow, St Johns College, St John’s Street, Cambridge.
HUSEYIN DOGAN
Bournemouth University
Human Computer Interaction
Huseyin Dogan is the Director of the Computing and Informatics Research Centre, and Professor of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Prof Dogan’s research focuses on Human Factors, Digital Health, Assistive Technology and Systems Engineering. He has over 150 publications and his research featured on the BBC South, BBC Radio Solent, The Ergonomist, Auto Express, Bournemouth Echo and The Sunday Times magazine. He is the Co-Founder of four MSc programmes: MSc Digital Health; MSc tors; MSc Marketing & User Experience. Prior to Bournemouth University, he worked as a Research Associate at Loughborough University. He has 8 years indus- trial experience working as a Higher Scientist for BAE Systems. Prof Dogan received his Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Systems Engineering from Loughborough University, MSc in Human Computer Interaction with Ergonomics from University College London, and BSc in Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London.
Robin Banerge
University of Sussex
Developmental Psychology (Mental Health Practice Uni)
Professional Service
As the first Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement at University of Sussex, Professor Robin Banerjee is the University’s strategic lead on engagement with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders locally, nationally, and internationally. Robin was previously the Head of the School of Psychology, one of the largest and most academically diverse communities of psychology students and staff in the UK. Under his leadership, the School of Psychology at Sussex has become one of the dents in the UK, while also maintaining a strong position in the national top 20 for research quality and income. His own research expertise relates to the social and emotional development of children and young people, with a particular focus on working with policymakers and practitioners in education and mental health. He is the founder of the unique and innovative Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness, which brings together an interdisciplinary team of academics and diverse community partners to explore, investigate and illuminate kindness and its impacts on people and communities.
Amr Farhad
Loughborough University
Global Engagement Team
Amr Fahhad serves as a senior member of the Global Engagement Team at Loughborough University, where he overseas responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA). In his position, Amr offers invaluable support in academic and research recruitment, while also fostering collaboration among various stakeholders.
SURA AL-MAIYAH
Loughborough University
Architectural Engineering
Dr Sura Al-Maiyah is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) and the BEng and MEng Architectural Engineering Programme Director at Loughborough University, United Kingdom. Prior to her current position, she led the BSc Architecture Programme at the University of Salford, the Master Course in Sustainable Architecture at the School of Architecture, University of Portsmouth, worked in the research-based practice Short and Associates Architects in London, and held a Research Associate position at the School of Built Environment at Ulster University. Sura’s research interest is in daylight and health, building occuco- author of ‘’Daylight, Design and Place-Making’’ by Routledge (2021) and the author of over 30 journal papers and international refereed conference papers. Sura has led and collaborated on funded research projects including the AHRC-funded project MOVE (£188K) and served as a reviewer for several journals, conferences, and funding bodies. She is a member of the AHRC’s Peer Review College (PRC), a reviewer for the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2011. She supervised PhD students in the areas of thermal and visual comfort of building occupants, ageing population and inclusive living and playing environments.
ANTHONY O’TIERNE
University of Leicester
Accounting and Finance
Dr Michael Green is currently working for British Council Iraq on a project to develop research-based partnerships between UK universities and universities in Iraq and Kurdistan Region. Following a Bachelors degree in Oriental Studies, Michael completed his PhD in Egyptology and spent almost 20 years as an Egyptologist. During this period, he held research fellowships in the universities of Edinburgh, Melbourne, Goettingen, Tuebingen, and Durham and worked also in the Leiden Museum of Antiquities in Netherlands. Subsequently he worked for almost 30 years eading on international recruitment and partnerships in De Montfort, Ulster, Leicester and Loughborough universities. During this time, he engaged personally in development of partnerships within Iraq, China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. In addition to his current role on behalf of British Council Iraq, Michael is also Advisor to the Stirling Education Group, which operates private schools and universities in several countries, and is joint director of Central Asia Education Consultants, based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Based on his experience as an Egyptologist, Michael retains a strong interest in all projects related to cultural heritage in the Middle East, and its potential to support sustainable initiatives at local level, through development of areas such as heritage tourism.
Oana Borlea-Stancio
Nahrein Network Administrator
Oana Borlea-Stancioi is the Nahrein Network Administrator. She has worked on the project since 2018 and is the first point of contact for applying projects, visiting scholars and graduate studentships as well as the Nahrein team member supporting devolved projects through their lifecycle, including due diligence, financial reporting and payments. Oana is currently a research student with the School of Anthropology and Conservation, Unimania through the lens of social anthropology.