22^nd Annual Conference

Prof. Mohamed El-Ansari is an acknowledged academic and the President of Circle International, where he oversees a number of initiatives aimed at developing global higher education, creating academic partnerships, and promoting doctorate education. With a strong dedication to international collaboration and transnational education, he has played a key role in establishing networks that link universities across regions and disciplines.

His research and academic efforts have focused on university social responsibility, transnational education (TNE), and the sustainability of higher education in crisis zones—an area of ongoing interest that positively informs his work in higher education policy and education diplomacy.

In addition to his leadership at Circle International, Prof. El-Ansari is an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London (UCL) and an honorary professorand external examiner for various institutions in the United Kingdom as well as internationally. He is regarded for his contributions to international students & early-career academics and the formation of strategic academic collaborations throughout global academia.

His experience includes hosting high-level educational events and working with both government education agencies and educational institutions. He actively contributes to the establishment of scholarship programmes and capacity-building activities, notably in the MENA region and Africa, in partnership with the institutions in the UK and Europe.

Prof. El-Ansari is passionately dedicated to advancing innovation, academic governance, and higher education excellence. His continuous research and global partnerships continue to make a significant contribution to the international academic community.

Prof. Tahir Rashid is the Associate Dean International at Salford Business School, University of Salford, UK, where he provides strategic leadership in international partnerships, global student recruitment, and the advancement of Global Citizenship initiatives. From May 2022 to August 2023, he also served as Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (International Partnerships), playing a pivotal role in delivering the University’s internationalisation strategy across Bahrain, Malaysia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Switzerland.

Prof. Rashid has an extensive publication record, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and international conference presentations in the fields of digital marketing, international higher education, and the creative industries. He is also the co-author of the widely adopted textbook Digital and Social Media Marketing, published by Routledge.

With over 25 years of experience in international higher education, Prof. Rashid has taught, researched, and collaborated with globally respected institutions including University College London, KEDGE Business School, the University of Sheffield International Faculty, and Salford Business School. He currently serves on the board of CIRCLE International and is an active member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) international education forums, including the GMCA-Pakistan and GMCA-Bangladesh forums, as well as the Manchester India Partnership

Prof. Razaq Raj stands as a globally recognised academic figure, boasting a wealth of experience in teaching, research, leadership, and management across a diverse array of countries, including the United Kingdom, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, China, Japan, and South Korea. He currently holds the title prestigious position of Visiting Prof. at France’s Kedge Business School, as well as the esteemed title of Honorary Prof. at the University of Vitez in Bosnia. His impressive career spans several domains, including external examining and curriculum development for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs in business management, events, and tourism. Moreover, Prof. Raj has lent his expertise as a Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Reviewer, responsible for monitoring and enhancing educational standards and quality within UK higher education.

Prof. John-Paul Okeke is a Senior Lecturer in Management (Strategy and Operations) at the Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism. He is currently the Centre Leader of MDIS Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and leads the Research Methods Module at the University of Sunderland. He has a broad range of experiences in UK higher education, British Transnational Education Partnerships (TNE) and industry practice within and beyond the UK. His previous roles in academic management include Programme Manager of the Global MBA at De Montfort University Kazakhstan (DMUK), Programme Manager for the Doctorate in Business Management (DBA), and BA Business Management at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) with successful outcomes.

John-Paul has a BSc in Business Management, MA in Management, and a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Professional Certificate in Marketing and Digital Marketing. His Doctoral research was on Human Resource Management with a focus on Knowledge Management (KM) which he brings to his management practice. Prof. John-Paul is a qualified teacher having obtained the Award in Learning and Teaching in HE (ALTHE) and the PG Certificate in Higher Education (PGCert HE) both accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA). He is currently an External Examiner at the University of Coventry (BA (Hons) Business and Human Resource Management; PgC/PgD/MA Leadership in the Road Sector and MA Management) and the University of Bedfordshire (BSc- Human Resource Management pathways and with Law assessments). These roles ensure that he is up to date with training, conversations on assessments, and reporting on academic standards, quality, and consistency of teaching compared to the QAA quality code. Prof. John-Paul is a Senior Fellow (SFHEA) of the Higher Education Academy and acts as a mentor to new academics using his experiences as an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Endorsed Coach.

Associate Prof. Nikola Draskovic leads the University Department of Economics at Algebra University. He completed his PhD in 2010 at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, specializing in marketing. Before this, he acquired dual master’s degrees in marketing and management from the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Economics and Business. From January 2019 to February 2023, he served as the Commercial Director at Colas Hrvatska d.d. and as a director at its Slovenian subsidiary. His academic tenure includes roles as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at RIT Croatia, spanning four years. Before that, he spent thirteen years as a sales manager and key account manager at Vetropack Straža d.d. His career initiation was in the marketing sector, managing advertising projects for both domestic and international clients, including notable companies like Hrvatski Telekom, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Hyundai. His research focuses on the marketing role of packaging, personal sales, marketing strategy, and digital marketing.

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Beata Szymańska-Waczyńska PhD is a graduate of doctoral studies at Leeds Beckett University in the UK. She graduated with distinction from the Master of Business Administration studies at the Polish Open University in Warsaw and Oxford Brookes University in the UK.

She has many years of experience as a business advisor, trainer and lecturer. She has cooperated with many educational institutions in Poland and the UK, including: Leeds Beckett University, Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania / Polish Open University in Legnica, Warsaw and Krakow, Warsaw University of Technology, Jan Wyżykowski University.

She has published her articles in the UK, Ireland and Poland. She is a lecturer at the Jan Wyżykowski University. Beata Szymańska-Waczyńska also conducts business and language trainings for em-ployees of such prestigious companies as Mercedes-Benz Polska, LIS Polska, Toyota Boshoku, Haerter Technika Wytłaczania, KGHM PM S.A., VOSS Automotive Polska Sp. z o.o., and Johnson & Johnson Poland.

Dr Siavash Mahvash is a researcher and higher education professional with experience across academic, regulatory, and applied research settings. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering and has worked on projects ranging from infrastructure materials development to educational quality assurance and institutional research strategy.

His work spans teaching and curriculum coordination, institutional compliance, and research management, with a focus on using data and evidence to support policy and practice. He has led multi-stakeholder projects in both academic and commercial contexts and has contributed to organisational frameworks for evaluation, performance monitoring, and student outcomes.

Siavash currently works in higher education, where his responsibilities include programme leadership, staff development, and academic governance. His research interests include applied data use in education, evaluation methodology, and interdisciplinary knowledge translation.

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