Category: Delegate

Dr. Azzazy is a tenured full professor of Chemistry (2003-present) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). He served as the Chairman of Chemistry Department and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies & Research at the School of Sciences & Engineering, AUC.

Prior to joining AUC, Dr. Azzazy was a postdoctoral fellow and assistant professor at University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (1995-2002). He holds two board certifications in Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics from the American Board of Clinical Chemistry, Washington, DC. Dr. Azzazy has over 26 years of experience in biomedical research and currently leads the Novel Diagnostics & Therapeutics research group at AUC. Dr. Azzazy authored 77 publications in refereed journals, 70 conference presentations, and 25 book chapters. He has co-edited two books on “diagnostic enzymology” and “Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Egypt”. According to Scopus, he has H-Index of 21 and 1887 citations. Dr. Azzazy is the co-founder & CTO of the startup company D-Kimia Innovative Diagnostics, LLC which develops affordable diagnostic solutions. He is also the founder and CEO of NanoEbers, LLC which focuses on development of biocompatible nanofibrous wound dressings. Dr. Azzazy is the recipient of several awards including State Prize in Advanced Technological Sciences, Excellence in Research & Creative Endeavors Award (AUC), Global Innovator Award (Texas Christian University), and Arab Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award (UAE).

Dame Mary Archer DBE started her career as a physical chemist and taught Chemistry at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She was chair of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for ten years and is currently chair of the Science Museum Group and Cambridge Early Music. She is President of the UK Solar Energy Society and the Guild of Church Musicians, a trustee of Britten Sinfonia and iCould, and a non-executive director of Hydrodec Group plc. In 2012, she was appointed DBE for services to the NHS.

Justine is part of the national Education and Skills leadership team for KPMG. Based in Leeds, until 2015 Justine led KPMG’s work across the Public Sector in the North, encompassing Local Government; the NHS; Higher Education and Social Housing. Since then, whilst keeping more than one foot in the North, her substantive role is a national one as the Market Director for KPMG’s Education and Skills practice – responsible for the development of our work in this sector, encompassing schools, 14-19, Higher Education and increasingly the wider skills agenda linked to Northern Powerhouse and devolution. She leads our work with some of the largest Education providers nationally as well as being at the forefront of our work in the skills space.

Justine is passionate about the evolving role of public service and the potential of working across an economic geography to change the way we currently deliver and receive services. She has a particular interest in the strategies cities and places can utilise to grow economically and the role of collaboration to achieve that.

Justine studied English Literature and Language at New College, Oxford and has a Masters from Essex in the Study of Contemporary Japan. She is Senior Independent Governor at Leeds Trinity University; on the Leeds and York Chamber of Commerce Leadership Board and a Fellow of the RSA.

Dr. Abdulla Y. Al-Hawaj, the Founding President of Ahlia University, ranks in the top echelon of educational leaders in the Arabian Gulf. His incumbency in numerous managerial posts in prestigious organizations associated with educational development at a national level, combined with a plethora of academic accolades awarded to him by esteemed institutions, attests to Dr. Al-Hawaj’s being in the vanguard of higher educational reform in the Kingdom of Bahrain. In recognition of Dr. Al-Hawaj’s trail blazing contributions in the sphere of educational advancement in the Kingdom of Bahrain, he was appointed in the year 2000 — by royal decree – as a member of the Supreme Committee for the Kingdom National Charter, in which he serves as the coordinator of its Educational Committee. Dr. Al-Hawaj holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Manchester (UK) and a B.Sc. (Hon.) in Mathematics from the University of Kuwait.

Dr. Al-Hawaj launched his distinguished academic career at the University of Bahrain, in which he held the successive posts of Dean of Registration & Student Affairs, Chairman of the Department of Mathematics, and Chairman of the Department of Computer Science. He attained the rank of Professor of Mathematics at the University of Bahrain in 1993 and continued to serve the University of Bahrain in that capacity until 2005. Dr. Al-Hawaj’s profound contributions to the fields of Mathematics, Computer Sciences, and Education through numerous research papers, books, media debates, and public discussions are vast. His unstinting dynamism, paradigm-shattering innovation and superlative achievement in the academic and social arena have accorded him a number of prestigious awards and honorariums.

Dr. Al-Hawaj has extensive experience in leading large multi-dimensional institutions. His signature use of pragmatic and innovative thinking in solving complex educational and business issues stems from his strong managerial and educational background. He is widely acclaimed as a pioneering architect of the private university in the Arabian Gulf and a leading proponent of excellence in Higher Education in the whole of the Middle East. He is the Chairman of the Executive Office of The Association of Arab Private Institutions for Higher Education. In the year 2019, he was awarded the Doctor of Science honoris causa (DSc) from Brunel University London for his contribution to international education.

Ms Vivienne Stern is the Director of the UK Higher Education International Unit which represents the UK higher education sector internationally. The Unit works to support the UK higher education sector’s international activities, and to promote its distinctive strengths overseas.

Prior to her role in the Unit, Vivienne was Head of Political Affairs at Universities UK where she was responsible for developing and implementing the political strategy for the membership body representing 134 UK Universities. She previously worked in the UK Parliament for the Chair of the Education and Skills Select Committee, and as a Policy Advisor for Universities UK, specialising in quality, student experience, innovation and university-business links. She is a graduate in English Literature from the University of Cambridge.

Ann Taylor was appointed Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor at the University of Bradford with effect from 1 August 2015.

Baroness Taylor has a long association with Bradford, having graduated with a BSc in Politics and History from the University in 1969. She also received an Honorary Doctorate of the University in 1997 for her public life and political achievements.

She is one of The Labour Party’s most experienced politicians, beginning her political career as MP for Bolton West in 1974, serving more recently as MP for Dewsbury.

She has held many senior positions both in government and opposition, including Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. She became Leader of the House of Commons in 1997 before being appointed Government Chief Whip.

She was Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee from 2001-2005. She has since served as a Government Minister in the House of Lords, as Minister for Defence Equipment and Support and Minister for International Defence and Security. She has also served as a Representative on the Council of Europe and the Western European Union. She became a Life Peer in 2005.

Mr Engida has spent the last 20 years leading and managing international organisations advancing the cause of poverty eradication, peace building and, sustainable development. He has extensively worked on rural and agricultural developments, water and climate challenges, education, sciences, technology and innovation, intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity, communication and information with emphasis on freedom of expression and the free flow information on and offline as well as good governance. Mr Engida brings to the international public service a broad range of leadership and management skills from his academic background and rich experiences in the private sector. Mr Engida is a specialist in change management, good governance and transformative leadership in diverse international setting. Mr Engida has travelled widely in public speaking and leadership engagements at international conferences on peace and sustainable development issues and conferred with political leaders, policy makers, international, regional and national non-governmental organisations, the private sector academia and civil society.

Mr Engida has served as the World Bank nominee on the Boards of Trustees in a number of international organizations including Africa Rice (as a Chair) , the International Water Management Institute (Audit Committee Chair) . He is currently a member of CoRA – Conseil d’orientation de I’Agence franc;aise inter-etablissements de recherche pour le developpement, the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and the McKinsey Executive Panel.
Born in July 1956 in Addis Ababa, Mr. Engida holds a B.A. (Honours) degree in Economics from the University of Manchester (UK) and an MBA with Commendations in Strategic Management from City University Business School in London (UK).

Mr Engida is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales since 1995 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK) . Mr Engida worked in progressively responsible managerial and leadership positions at Ernst & Young, BOC and Thompson-Reuters, the latter for ten years in the UK and Kenya (1986-1995). He was a senior executive at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Rome), a Director at the International Livestock Research Institute (Nairobi). Mr Engida has also served as a governance and management specialist on External Program and Management Review Panels of three major agricultural research centres supported by the World Bank, FAO, UNEP and UNDP.

Mr Engida is a recipient of Doctor Honoris Causa. He was also awarded the Honorary Professorship from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology.
Mr. Engida joined UNESCO as Deputy Assistant Director-General for Administration and Comptroller in June 2004. He is serving as Deputy Director-General since July 2010, and from January 2014 to February 2016, has taken on the added responsibility of managing the Communication and Information Programme of UNESCO.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed Getachew Engida to be a member of the Board of Governors of the United Nations System Staff College beginning January 2016 on the recommendation of the High Level Committee of Management.

Mr Engida is married to Martha Tilahun and they have three grown up children.

Tom is a fierce advocate of the development of smarter communities. It is people and communities that shape our cities and regions. The infrastructure, fabric and services of our conurbations need to be intelligent and built around the needs of citizens.

There are significant and complex challenges faced by society which need to be addressed by public services, businesses, academia, schools and communities working together.

Tom has a significant insight into elements of the UK’s transport infrastructure and underpinning systems having worked with Virgin Trains, Eurostar, VOSA and the Highways Agency. However it is his later experience where he has worked in a number of Technology and Information leadership roles with Middlesbrough, Sunderland (CIO) and Norfolk (CIO) Councils that have shaped his views on the future of public services. A common theme in these roles has been partnership, digital inclusion, a focus on economic regeneration and through a raft of activities to link and join services across the public service spectrum.
It is this insight and experience that has demonstrated to Tom that a the journey to becoming a Smarter Community starts with its people, that empowering a community is dependent on incubating innovation and fostering collaboration.

In his current role Tom is responsible for leading on a number of strategy areas including, health, local government and the Future City.

Creating the environment for collaboration, for innovation and for doing the right thing is a massive challenge even in today’s digital age. BT are proud partners in the Digital Health Zone, a ground breaking initiative lead by the University of Bradford. The aim of this programme to bring together citizens, care providers, the city administration, large and small business to address many of the health and care problems we see in Bradford and beyond.

Director of the National Media Museum, Jo Quinton-Tulloch, has over 20 years of experience in Museums. She began her career as a member of the public facing Learning team at the Science Museum and has since gone on to deliver world class programming and exhibitions in the UK and USA (at the Science Museum in London, the Boston Museum of Science in the United States and the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth) ranging from small temporary displays to multi-million pound, award-winning permanent galleries.

Jo strongly believes that museums have a key role to play within communities. Not only do they preserve and conserve cultural heritage but they offer opportunities for people to learn, share and be inspired. Her focus in her role in Bradford has been to forge new, sustainable partnerships across the city and region which reposition the Museum as a centre of excellence in STEM learning related to the Museum’s collections in the technology of light and sound.