Center for Learning Innovations and Customized Knowledge Solutions

We are delighted to introduce Jozefa Fawcett, UK, who will serve as one of the Sessions' Chair at the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum (MENA-HELF 2026).

Held under the theme:

“Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education’s Role in Shaping a Resilient Future”

📍 Kempinski Central Avenue, Dubai, UAE
📅 28–30 September 2026

Join higher education leaders, experts, and innovators from across the MENA region and beyond for three inspiring days of meaningful dialogue, networking, collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation.

🌐 Register today and learn more: www.menahelf.com

We are delighted to introduce Dr. Mona Ismail, Dean, Scientific College of Design, Oman, as one of the Sessions' Chair at the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum (MENA-HELF 2026).

Held under the theme:

“Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education’s Role in Shaping a Resilient Future”

📍 Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai – UAE
📅 28–30 September 2026

Join higher education leaders, experts, and innovators from across the MENA region and beyond for three inspiring days of networking, collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation.

🌐 Register today and learn more: www.menahelf.com

In partnership with Quality Matters (QM), we are pleased to announce our upcoming Online Workshop titled:
🤖 “Teaching with Intelligence: A Human-Centered Approach to AI in Higher Education”.

This interactive workshop will explore practical, human-centered approaches to integrating AI that:
• Support academic quality and meaningful student learning
• Promote responsible and ethical AI adoption
• Leverage the strengths of both human intelligence and artificial intelligence
• Empower educators to design effective, future-ready learning experiences
• Keep educators and learners at the center of the educational experience.

📅 22 October 2026
⏰ 1:00 PM–5:00 PM UAE Time
💻 Online via Zoom
🎟️ Early Bird Registration Deadline: 25 September 2026

🔗 Details & Registration: Teaching with Intelligence – Workshop Details & Registration

Join us to explore how we can move beyond simply using AI toward teaching with intelligence—responsibly, thoughtfully, and humanely.

We are delighted to introduce Dr. Karim Moustaghfir, Associate Vice President for 21st Century Learning Innovation & Faculty Development at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, as one of the Sessions’ Chair at the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum (MENA-HELF 2026), held under the theme:

“Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education’s Role in Shaping a Resilient Future”.

📍 Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai – UAE
📅 28–30 September 2026

Join higher education leaders from across the MENA region and beyond for three days of networking, collaboration, and innovation.

Register today and learn more at: www.menahelf.com.

🌍 Introducing Our Plenary Chair – Dr. Nabil El Khadi!

We are delighted to announce Dr. Nabil El Khadi, Vice President, Academic Affairs and Development at Applied Science University, Bahrain, as the Plenary Chair for the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum (MENA-HELF 2026) Under the theme:

“Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education’s Role in Shaping a Resilient Future”
📍 Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai – UAE
📅 28–30 September 2026

Join higher education leaders from across the MENA region and beyond for three days of networking, collaboration, and innovation.

Register today and learn more at: www.menahelf.com.

🌍 Introducing Our Plenary Chair – Solveig Andres Nicklos!

We are delighted to welcome Solveig Andres Nicklos, Managing Director at X.O Advisory, as the Plenary Chair of the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum (MENA-HELF 2026).

Under the theme:
“Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education’s Role in Shaping a Resilient Future”

📍 Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai – UAE
📅 28–30 September 2026

Join higher education leaders from across the MENA region and beyond for three days of networking, collaboration, and innovation.

Register today and learn more at: www.menahelf.com.

📅 Mark your calendars!

This September, during the opening of the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum, we will celebrate the winners of the 5th Cycle of the Zairi International Awards for Excellence in Higher Education.

The Awards Ceremony will be graced by the distinguished presence of Her Excellency Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, UAE Minister of State for Government Development and the Future.

Named in honour of the late Professor Mohamed Zairi, the Awards recognise higher education institutions creating tangible and meaningful impact across areas including research, community engagement, digital transformation, equity, internationalisation, disruptive education, and institutional excellence.

🏆 Discover the nominees for the 5th Cycle and the institutions being recognised for their achievements and impact: https://cli-cks.com/zairi-international-awards/

🙏 We extend our sincere appreciation to Cengage EMEA for its generous support of this year’s Awards Ceremony.

📢 Applications are now open for the 6th Cycle of the Zairi International Awards.
🔗 Learn more about the Awards and submit your application:https://cli-cks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Zairi-International-Awards-6th-Edition_compressed.pdf

Is your university ready for what comes next?

AI is transforming teaching, research, & administration. Student expectations are evolving, financial pressures are intensifying, accreditation requirements continue to grow, & institutions are being asked to achieve more with increasingly limited resources.

The question is no longer whether universities need to change, but how they can change in ways that create sustainable value & lasting institutional impact.

Lean is often associated with manufacturing or cost reduction. In higher education, however, it offers much more: a practical approach to removing unnecessary complexity, improving processes, empowering people, & ensuring that institutional efforts create meaningful value for students & other stakeholders.

When integrated with quality assurance, digital transformation, & AI, Lean can help universities become more student-centred, agile, innovative, & evidence-driven. It can also support the development of more effective working environments while enabling institutions to respond proactively to emerging challenges. Transformation is not simply about doing more with less; it is about identifying what matters most, eliminating what adds little value, & doing the important work better.

For the first time in Dubai, CLICKS is bringing together higher education leaders & professionals for a dedicated two-day workshop on applying Lean principles within universities

🛠️The Lean University: Strategies and Tools for Sustainable Value and Institutional Impact”
📅 14–15 October 2026
📍 Hotel Pullman Creek, City Center, Dubai – UAE

Through practical tools, real-world examples, & interactive discussions, participants will explore how Lean principles can help institutions address inefficiencies, strengthen institutional performance, & build a culture of continuous improvement.

Who should attend?
This workshop is designed for university leaders, deans, directors, quality assurance & institutional effectiveness professionals, strategy & planning teams, process improvement specialists, administrative leaders, & academic & professional staff involved in institutional transformation, digitalisation, operational excellence, or the enhancement of the student experience.

🔗 For further information or to register: https://cli-cks.com/2025/06/the-lean-university-strategies-and-tools-for-sustainable-value-and-institutional-impact/

Beyond this workshop, Lean transformation is one of CLICKS’ consulting areas. We have developed a range of practical toolkits, institutional roadmaps, & customised solutions to help higher education institutions assess their current practices, streamline processes, strengthen performance, & embed a sustainable culture of continuous improvement.

Workforce readiness is not a challenge universities can solve alone.

It requires a connected ecosystem in which higher education, industry, government, and civil society work together to align learning with evolving workforce needs and translate knowledge and research into meaningful social impact.

At the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum, our opening panel discussion on “Bridging Boundaries: Building a Collaborative Ecosystem for Workforce Readiness and Social Impact” will bring together distinguished leaders from academia, government, and industry to explore how such ecosystems can be built and sustained.

The discussion moderated by Prof. Yusra Mouzughi, Provost, University of Birmingham Dubai, UAE, will examine university–industry–government collaboration, experiential learning and community engagement, supportive policy frameworks, approaches to measuring impact, and successful partnership models from the MENA region and beyond.

The conversation will involve:
• Prof. Bassam Alameddine, President, American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), UAE
• Dr. Karim Seghir, Chancellor, Ajman University, UAE
• 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, Senior Adviser, Policy Development, Education, Human Development and Community Council, UAE
• Morwenna Crago, Senior Director, Marketing, Product & Sales Enablement, Higher Education, McGraw Hill International

We invite colleagues from across the globe to join us for this important conversation and contribute their perspectives on how collaborative ecosystems can better prepare graduates, respond to societal needs, and create sustainable impact.

🔗 To find out more about the upcoming Forum or register, visit www.menahelf.com

In an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment, universities require governance models that are agile, innovative, and resilient. Effective governance is no longer just about oversigh; it is about enabling institutions to anticipate change, respond strategically, and create the conditions for long-term success.

Join us at the 7th MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum (MENA-HELF) for a panel discussion:

Reinventing Governance: Agility, Innovation, and Institutional Resilience

Moderated by Dr Ashwin Fernandes from QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the panel will feature :

• Prof. Nader Elbokle, University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Egypt
• Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar , SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, India
• Dr. Julie Furst-Bowe, Arkansas Tech University, USA
• Dr. Wafa Almansoori, American University of Bahrain (AUBH)
• Prof. Salim Al-Harthi Sultan Qaboos University , Oman
• Dr. Nitesh Sughnani , Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA), UAE

The panel will examine:
• Governance frameworks that promote institutional agility and innovation.
• The role of leadership in driving governance reform.
• Mechanisms for inclusive and responsive decision-making.
• The relationship between governance practices and institutional resilience.
• Lessons from successful governance transformations across higher education.

Register today at:
https://www.menahelf.com