QS Higher Ed Summit: Middle East 2026

Nunzio took his MBA at The Wharton School in the USA, where he won the Glockner Prize for Management, after gaining an MA at the University of Cambridge in the UK. At Wharton, Nunzio also led the team that won the Moot Corp Business Venture Award in 1990, in competition with teams from the top US and European business schools. Before starting his own business Nunzio worked in strategy consulting for Mercer Management Consulting and Bain & Company, in the UK and Italy. Nunzio is responsible for the annual QS TopMBA.com Applicant and Recruiter Research, producing several reports including the annual ‘QS Global 200 Business Schools: The Employers’ Choice’. He is also research director for the annual QS World University Rankings® and is recognized as an authority on the strengths, weaknesses and specializations of business schools and universities around the world. A respected journalist on management education and careers, Nunzio has written regularly for many leading newspapers including The Times of London for the past 15 years. Committed to QS setting an example in socially responsible leadership, Nunzio has given this reality by establishing the charitable foundation, QS Education Trust, which provides scholarships for higher education to young people who have demonstrated socially responsible leadership.

Dr Baniyas obtained his PhD in Pharmacology from University of Wales (Cardiff) in 1993. His clinical qualifications includes Board Certification by American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, American College of Forensic Examiners, American Academy of Pain Management & American Psychotherapy Association. He is Fellow of American College of Clinical Pharmacology, American College of Forensic Examiners, Royal Society for Public Health; American Psychotherapy Association & Honorary Fellow of Faculty of Occupational Medicine. Dr Baniyas is currently Higher Education Advisor & Director of Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) & Director National Qualification Center (NQC) at the Ministry of Education, UAE as well as holding Professorial Rank at the College of Medicine, UAE University (UAEU) and Consultant Clinical Toxicologist at Emergency Medicine Department, Tawam Hospital, SEHA. Dr. Baniyas has occupied several senior leadership positions in higher education and health including Dean College of Medicine and Provost (Chief Academic Officer) at UAEU. He also worked as Vice Chancellor at Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE), Academic Advisor at the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research and Executive Director for Higher Education at the Department of Education & Knowledge (ADEK), Abu Dhabi. Dr Baniyas served on Board of Trustees of Mohamed-5-University, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), Marriage Fund, Federal Health Authority and UAEU Council, Arabian Gulf University, National Institute of Health Specialties. Notably. He is founding Chair for National Institute of Health Specialties. His major committee membership include Drug Registration, Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety, Medical Certificates Evaluation & Certificates Equalization. He was involved in accrediting Medicine and Pharmacy Colleges and acted as External Examiner and Evaluator for various Higher Education Institutions. Dr Baniyas lectured on poisoning, chemical, biological and radiological warfare agents, medication safety, and pharmacotherapy of various diseases such as epilepsy, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. He received various awards and grants, supervised numerous PhD students and published over 100 papers and over 100 conference abstracts in the neuroscience, toxicology, community health and education fields. He served as editor and reviewer for medical and pharmaceutical journals.

His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi was appointed Minister of Education in May 2022. He oversees the process of developing the educational system in the UAE, increasing its efficiency, and enhancing educational outputs, to meet the nation’s future developmental, economic and social needs. His Excellency has also been the Chairman of the General Authority of Sports since 2021, responsible for setting plans, programmes, systems, and regulations to ensure the organisation and development of the sports sector in the country. Through his position, His Excellency has contributed to implementing numerous strategic initiatives like the National Sports Strategy 2031, and the launch of the Emirates Committee for Elite and High-Level Sports. The committee is one of the most significant initiatives resulting from the strategy, aiming to increase the likelihood that talented Emirati athletes will represent the UAE at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In June 2021, His Excellency Al Falasi was also appointed as First Deputy President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, aiming to improve the technical and administrative skills of the Olympic teams and enhance the UAE’s standing in regional and international sporting events.

In 2021, His Excellency Dr. Al Falasi served as the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs. He was responsible for strengthening the role of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector as one of the engines of the national economy, and for boosting the national entrepreneurship model across various economic sectors in line with the best international practices. In his role, he also contributed to strengthening the UAE’s standing and competitiveness as an attractive regional and global investment hub for SMEs, entrepreneurial projects, and emerging companies with promising growth prospects, aimed at becoming large enterprises based in the UAE.

From February 2016 until July 2020, His Excellency served as the Minister of State for Higher Education. During his tenure, he supervised the development of higher education and scientific research in the UAE, formulated new policies for the sector and streamlined the work of higher education institutions to ensure high-calibre outputs meeting the needs of the labour market. Besides, in October 2017, pursuant to the ministerial amendment to the UAE Government, Dr. Al Falasi took on the responsibility of equipping UAE nationals with future-orientated skills.

From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Al Falasi chaired the Board of Directors of the UAE Space Agency. During his tenure, the country witnessed the launch of the UAE Astronaut Programme, the first of its kind in the Arab region. As part of the programme, the first Emirati went on a space mission on September 25, 2019. Additionally, KhalifaSat was launched, being the first Arabic satellite to be 100 percent developed by Emirati engineers. The launch of the satellite was a historic achievement that contributed to cementing the UAE’s global position in the space science sector. Furthermore, the “Probe of Hope” to Mars, lifted off on July 20, 2020, and reached the Red Planet in 2021.

Moreover, His Excellency is the former Chairman of the Federal Authority for Human Resources and the UAE Tourism Council. Prior to pursuing a career in the federal government, Dr. Al Falasi was the CEO of Masdar Company, the Executive Director of Strategy and Tourism Sector Development at Dubai Tourism, the Vice President of the Mubadala Industry Unit, as well as a Consultant for the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He started his career as an Assistant Professor at Khalifa University.

His Excellency Dr. Al Falasi holds a PhD from Monash University, a master’s degree from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Engineering from Khalifa University in the UAE.

Dr. Schmidt is a seasoned administrator with over 33 years of broad-based experience as an executive academic leader and faculty member, spanning a wide range of public, private, and international institutions. Before joining the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), he served as President of the American University in Dubai (AUD), and Vice Provost for International Affairs and Professor of Global Studies and Human Geography at Middle Tennessee State University. He has held various leadership positions and played a vital role in transforming a range of public, private, and state institutions, representing the landscape of higher education, including the University of the Pacific, the University of Wisconsin System, and Yale University.

Dr. Schmidt holds a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University, an MA from The Ohio State University, and a BA from the University of Wisconsin. He has written extensively on post-WWII women’s rights and education issues in Japan and South Korea. He is a recipient of the AIEA (Association of International Administrators) Presidential Fellowship, the Korea Foundation Research Fellowship, and the Japan Mombushō Fellowship. He also participated as a fellow in Harvard University’s IEM (Institute for Educational Management).

Professor Ghassan Aouad joined Abu Dhabi University as its Fourth Chancellor in January 2023. Before that he served as President of Applied Science University in Bahrain for over eight years. He spent five years in the Department of Civil and Building Engineering of Loughborough University in the UK, where he obtained his MSc in Construction (1987) and his PhD entitled Integrated Planning Systems for the Construction Industry (1991). In 1992, Professor Aouad joined the University of Salford as a Research Fellow and progressed through to the role of Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science & Technology before he left in December 2011. During that time, he successfully supervised 24 PhD students, externally examined 52 PhD students, authored 3 major research books and co-authored one book, generated more than £10M in research funding as Principal Investigator and £8M as Co-Investigator, published 92 papers in top rated refereed journals, delivered more than 50 keynote speeches and invited lectures, and presented his work in more than 42 countries.

Prof Aouad moved on to broaden the geographical reach of his academic leadership by serving as the President of the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gulf University for Science & Technology (GUST) based in Kuwait. Furthermore, Prof Aouad served as President and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

In July 2016, Professor Aouad received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology from Loughborough University in the UK. Professor Aouad is also a member of the Advance HE Leadership and Management Strategic Advisory Group. In addition, he is a Fellow of Advance HE and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.

Dr Nigel Healey is Professor of International Higher Education and Vice President (Global and Community Engagement) at the University of Limerick. He is currently serving as Interim Provost and Deputy President. Prior to his appointment at the University of Limerick in April 2020, he held senior academic positions at Fiji National University, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Canterbury and Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as teaching positions at the University of Leicester and Leeds Beckett University.

Dr Healey has served as an economic policy advisor to the prime minister of Belarus and the deputy minister of economy of the Russian Federation and managed a number of multinational research and economic development projects in Europe and Asia. His current research interests are in the internationalization of higher education, transnational education and higher education policy and management.

Professor Ghassan Aouad joined Abu Dhabi University as its Fourth Chancellor in January 2023. Before that he served as President of Applied Science University in Bahrain for over eight years. He spent five years in the Department of Civil and Building Engineering of Loughborough University in the UK, where he obtained his MSc in Construction (1987) and his PhD entitled Integrated Planning Systems for the Construction Industry (1991). In 1992, Professor Aouad joined the University of Salford as a Research Fellow and progressed through to the role of Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science & Technology before he left in December 2011. During that time, he successfully supervised 24 PhD students, externally examined 52 PhD students, authored 3 major research books and co-authored one book, generated more than £10M in research funding as Principal Investigator and £8M as Co-Investigator, published 92 papers in top rated refereed journals, delivered more than 50 keynote speeches and invited lectures, and presented his work in more than 42 countries.

Prof Aouad moved on to broaden the geographical reach of his academic leadership by serving as the President of the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gulf University for Science & Technology (GUST) based in Kuwait. Furthermore, Prof Aouad served as President and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

In July 2016, Professor Aouad received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology from Loughborough University in the UK. Professor Aouad is also a member of the Advance HE Leadership and Management Strategic Advisory Group. In addition, he is a Fellow of Advance HE and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.

Dr. Wafa El Garah is Full Professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) and Project Director of the Center for Business Ethics at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI). She served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at AUI where she successfully led the university through the last stage of the NECHE Accreditation process. She also served as Dean of the School of Business Administration for 5 years. During her deanship tenure, she led the school through international EPAS reaccreditation process for the Bachelor of Business Administration program leading to 5 year accreditation. She is member of the European Foundation of Management Development board and the International Advisory board of University of Business and Technology, Jeddah. Dr. El Garah holds a Ph.D. in MIS from University of Central Florida and an MBA in Marketing and Management from University of North Texas. Prior to joining academia, she worked in several international companies.