Category: 2019 Speaker

Professor Mansoor Alaali became President of Ahlia University in 2015. He joined Ahlia University in 2009 after a long academic career.

Professor Mansoor’s research interest is applied computer science, data mining, algorithms, Artificial Intelligence and Ethics. After graduating from the University of Teesside (UK), he gained his Master of Science and PhD from the University of Aston in Birmingham (UK). Prof. Mansoor is a member of numerous professional bodies.

An editor and reviewer for international refereed journals, Professor Mansoor has written several books and numerous journal and conference articles; delivered keynote speeches; and is a committee member for local, regional and international conferences.

In 2022, Professor Mansoor authored the books, “COVID-19 Challenges to University Information Technology Governance” published by Springer, “Assessing University Governance and Policies in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic” published by IGI Global and “Bahrain Village Houses A walk in the Past” published by IngramSpark, USA.

Dieter Bryniok graduated as a micro-biologist. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Tuebingen, Germany with a doctoral thesis on the immuno-enzymatic detection of methanogens in biogas producing microbial consortia. Between 1985 and 2017, he worked for the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB), Stuttgart, Germany as a scientist, research group leader and vice department leader, initially in the chemical microbiology (CMB) department. He has been vice department leader of the institute’s environmental biotechnology and biochemical engineering department (UBT) since 2001. Previously, he worked as senior project manager in the fields of biodegradation of hazardous substances, water management, bio-energy, sustainable development, industrial biotechnology and bio-economy. Byniok headed the Fraunhofer Demonstration Center for Process Integrated Environmental Technology for six years (1995-2001) He was also responsible for establishing the Fraunhofer Center for Energy and the Environment in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, between the years of 1998 and 2001. Furthermore, he was managing director of the Fraunhofer Water Systems Alliance – a network of up to 13 Fraunhofer Institutes working in the field of water supply and wastewater management – for ten years from 2007 onwards. Bryniok held a professorship in environmental biotechnology from 2010 to 2022 at the newly founded Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (HSHL) in Hamm, Germany, where he worked full-time from November 2017. He headed two research fields for bioenergy and bio-economy. Since 2018, he was Vice President for Research and Transfer, before he retired in August 2022.

A senior leader with a background in strategy development, collaborative working and knowledge management. At Coventry University Jo is the institutional lead on national and international policy engagement. She is responsible for coordinating our engagement with relevant bodies, national regulatory bodies and HE networks such as University Alliance and the World Technology Universities Network (WTUN). Through her work she has a wide network of HE, industry and policy contacts. Jo has led on a number of organisational change programmes within the university, the two most significant involved (i) establishing two new professional services departments to support our growing research aspirations, as well as our continued engagement with industry and (ii) the launch of a formal Location Independent Working programme. She is a CMI accredited coach and supports colleagues with their personal development through our university’s coaching and mentoring academy. Jo strongly believes that collaborative working is key to economic and societal growth and that the Higher Education sector has a key role as a catalyst for collaboration. Experience: HE policy in the UK; developing business cases for investment; chairing and facilitation of large and small groups; public speaking; networking and building influence; project management; public funding bid writing and development; flexible working practices; business-university collaboration; public funded research and enterprise programmes; business and enterprise support; managing complex budgets; information and knowledge management.

Prof. Smile Dzisi is the former Vice-Chancellor/Rector of Koforidua Technical University. She was the first female to be appointed a Rector of a Polytechnic in Ghana. She ably led the transition of her Polytechnic into a Technical University. Prof. Dzisi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; a Master of Public Administration degree from University of Ghana and a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia where she also received an award for the most distinguished Ph.D. thesis. Prof. Dzisi is the first female to serve as chair of the Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana. She has provided consultancy to the DAAD, UNFPA, Commonwealth of Learning and the World Bank. She champions entrepreneurship education, women empowerment, as well as technical vocational education and training (TVET) and was recently selected as a model for TVET by COTVET/GIZ.

Prof. Dzisi served on the Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa Board as West Africa Coordinator of Women in Technical Education and Development. For her outstanding competency, innovativeness, commitment and passion for excellence, Prof. Dzisi received the Name in Science and Education Award from the Academic Union and the Club of Rectors of Europe, United Kingdom in 2019, Ghana Women of Excellence Award in 2019 and the Daasebre Silver Jubilee Award of Excellence in 2017. She is currently the President of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology, a private university college in Tema, Ghana.

Dr Godwin Poi is Senior Lecturer and Director of University Advancement & Linkages at the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, (UAT), Bayelsa State, Nigeria. His specialist subject area is Entrepreneurship Research and Development. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) as well as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He holds a Ph.D in Management (Human Capital Development) and an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from UK universities. He presently also heads the Department of Business Administration of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences. He has published in both national and international journals.

Professor Vishanth Weerakkody is Associate Dean of International and Enterprise at the Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences and Chair of Bradford Business and Social Enterprise Board. He was formally Dean of Faculty and is a Professor of Digital Governance in the School of Management at the University of Bradford. Before moving to the University of Bradford, he held various senior management roles at Brunel Business School.

His current research and teaching are multidisciplinary and centred around public sector policy implementation, process transformation through digital technologies, social innovation and the implementation, diffusion, and adoption of disruptive technologies in society. Focusing on the evolving role of technology, Prof Weerakkody closely follows and critiques digital-enabled service transformation efforts in government that fail to deliver public value and meet citizens’ expectations. He was called to the House of Commons in 2018 as a scientific expert to provide evidence on UK’s digital transformation efforts in public administration. His passion for solving societal problems through research and innovation has allowed him to attract over £25 million of R&D funding over the last few years from the EU, ESRC, Qatar Foundation, British Council and UK Local Government.

As a research-active academic, Prof Weerakkody continues to publish in the Chartered Association of Business Schools 3* and 4* journals. Prior to joining academia, Prof Weerakkody worked in several multinational organisations including BAT Industries and IBM.

Paul Thorning is a Professor of Innovation and Director of Open Innovation at the University of Bradford. He leads programmes focused on helping UK and European SMEs to forge stronger international links, particularly with China, in order to translate and develop new technologies in healthcare. Paul also runs the Accelerated Student and Graduate Entrepreneur programme at the University of Bradford. This programme focuses on enabling students and graduates to establish successful social and business enterprises. A guiding principle is that start-ups can be international at birth, through connecting and developing talent from different countries. The programme is able to help students from first meeting and developing an idea to receiving funding for their enterprise in just four months. Paul has a broad-ranging senior-level career spanning technical, research, managerial, and commercial roles in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. He also spent three years as a Country Director of a lead partner for UNHCR, responsible for refugee programme in Tanzania. He is CEO of a University spin-out pharmaceutical technology company, Crystec, and has also established a successful charity for disabled and disadvantaged children. Paul is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, holds an MBA with distinction, and speaks five languages.