Dubai’s Education Horizon: Resilience & Growth

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), is responsible for a wide spectrum of education in Dubai's private sector, spanning early learning, school, and higher education and training Institutes. Dr. Al Karam has the distinction of holding key positions across the UAE. He is chairman of the Dubai Future Education Council, a member of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN) advisory board, and an education committee member of the Global Council for Happiness and Wellbeing. He is a member of the university council at UAE University, and serves on the board of trustees for Dubai Future Foundation and Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is a board member of Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Cares, and is also a member of the Higher Committee for Protection of the Rights of People with Disabilities in Dubai. Previously, Dr. Abdulla held positions in various government sectors, including: vice chairman and secretary general, Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance; chairman of the Dubai Government's Human Resources Committee, which was set up as the link between human resources programs and initiatives and Dubai's goals and strategic priorities; and board member, Dubai Knowledge Fund, which seeks to effectively participate in developing Dubai's knowledge capital through profitably managing funds. He was also a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Education 2010. Prior to the formation of KHDA, he held the post of CEO of Dubai Knowledge Village. Before that, he headed the Research Unit at Dubai Internet City and began his career working as a software engineer in the US and France. He holds a PhD in computer engineering from the University of South Carolina.

Neslihan Aydagul is the Managing Director for The Business Year in the UAE. Ms. Aydagul's experience in the research field pans to the early 2000s where she lead research projects in Qatar and Bahrain as well as opening her employer's offices in South East Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. After successful launches, she switched her focus to the GCC, and has been based in the Gulf for the past 10 years, Saudi Arabia and the UAE particularly Abu Dhabi, during which time directed the production of 12 annual investment manuals and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Gulf.