Royal Air Force Technical College, Institutional Quality Audit, May 2013
 
Dr Andrew Thomas
 
Educational Consultant and most recently Director of University of Sussex International Centre with a focus on student transitional experience and Pathway Programmes, (Foundation, Year 1 and pre-Masters). I oversaw successful validation of programmes and UK Higher Education Review (Embedded Colleges) outcome for 2018 and 2019 with reference to UK Office for Students whilst working across the university and partners to deliver enhanced student teaching learning and good degree outcomes for all students. Prior to this, I spent 17 years in the Gulf growing my teaching and senior leadership experience in Foundation/ Bridging programmes, student services and support, community learning, continuing professional development, employability skills and quality assurance and enhancement activities in UAE, Oman and Bahrain; finishing as Dean of Humanities at Bahrain Polytechnic and chair of institutional quality assurance. I carried out consultancy work with the Bahrain Ministry of Education to improve teaching and learning in state vocational colleges and with employers on the development of employability skills including English and Arabic. I have worked with the OAAA since 2010 on GFPQAs, Institutional Quality Audits and Institutional Standards Assessment as well as delivering training to new reviewers and acting as moderator and appeals panel member. I have an Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Management with a focus on cross-cultural management and leadership in Gulf contexts and have carried out management consultancy and training across the region. I am a Senior Fellow of the HEA with wide international experience of transformational and experiential learning, strategic planning and quality assurance and enhancement. 
 
Dr. Elizabeth C. Stanley
 

Dr. Stanley (Ph.D.,Analytical Chemistry, University of Illinois, 1972) served in faculty and administrative positions in higher education organizations in the United States for 28 years and in Saudi Arabia for two years before joining the Office of the Provost at Zayed University (United Arab Emirates) in fall 2001.  She retired from her position at Zayed University in August 2010 and currently serves as an independent consultant in higher education, with particular interests in accreditation and international higher education.    Dr. Stanley previously held positions in institutional research, institutional advancement, academic affairs, business and finance, continuing education, assessment of experiential learning, and degree program coordination.  She has consulted with a number of institutions, held leadership roles in professional organizations, and served as a consultant-evaluator with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, as a site visitor for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and as an external reviewer for the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority.


 
Dr Hilal Abdullah Al Hinai
 
Dr Hilal Al Hinai is the General Manager, Corporate Support Services, Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (ORPIC).  He was formerly the General Manager Commercial and Corporate Affairs of Sohar Aluminium Company, Oman.  Dr Hilal has a BSc in Military Science from the Staff and Command College in Oman, a MBA from Durham University, UK and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Hull University, UK.  From 1983 to 2000, Hilal`s career rose from Officer to Commanding Officer for the Engineering Maintenance Wing at the Ministry of Defence.  Hilal`s successes include the establishment of the aviation technician training programme for the Royal Air Force of Oman that enabled the Air Force to achieve a 70% nationalisation programme in less than 13 years.  From 2000 to 2001, Hilal consulted for the Al Suleimani Group, an organisation inovlved in oil, gas and aviation logistical services.  During this period, Hilal was responsible for restructuring of Al Suleimani in Oman and Dubai`s Jabel Ali Free zone, as well as the implementation of a unified Human Resources system across the group.  From 2001 to 2007, Hilal was Project Director for Oman`s Ministry of Defence where he led and managed a multi-cultural and multi-disciplined team of 40 members in establishing the US$1 billion Technical College for the Ministry of Defence.  In his current capacity as General Manager Commercial and Corporate Affairs,  Hilal was instrumental in ensuring that 55% of Sohar Aluminium`s monthly spend was spent in the local community as well as the development of a well defined Social Corporate Responsibility Framework whereby Sohar Aluminium contributed to the sustainability of a stable social and economic environment.  Dr Hilal has authored a number of papers on organisational development and globalisation and is a member of the British Institute of Management Consultancy.
 
Air Commodore Engineer Muhammad Ismail
 

Presently, Muhammad Ismail is working as Director Quality Assurance at National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi since May, 2019. He is dealing with the implementation of the policies/guidelines issued by Higher Education Commission(HEC) of Pakistan, the Pakistan Medical Commission and Pakistan Nursing Council at NUMS. Prior to this, he had been appointed as Head of the Quality Assurance Division of HEC Pakistan as Consultant/Expert Quality Assurance during October2015 to January, 2019. Quality Assurance Division of HEC works for developing and reviewing the quality assurance policies for the Pakistani higher education sector through the recommendations of National Quality Assurance Committee(NQAC) and issuing them after the approval of the Commission. Muhammad Ismail got his Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Pakistan Air Force(PAF) College of Aeronautical Engineering (CAE) winning NED Gold Medal and Arif-Manzoor Shaheed Gold Medal. He received his Master’s degree in Physics, with roll of honor, from Government College Lahore, Pakistan and MS in Aerospace Engineering, with distinction, from University of Oklahoma, USA. He served in PAF during 1975 to 2005, against different instructional, administrative and staff assignments including faculty member at PAF College of Aeronautical Engineering, Principal of a PAF College, Director of Studies at PAF Academy, Director of Education and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Education)at Air Headquarters. He was also deputed to King Faisal Air Academy, Riyadh Saudi Arabia during Aug, 1984 to Nov, 1987. Besides several other honors and awards, he is recipient of President’s Award of Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)(i.e. Star of Excellence-Military).During May 2005 to October 2015, Muhammad Ismail served National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) Islamabad, as Director Quality Assurance and International Collaborations. At NUST, he dealt with matters concerning implementation of policies and programs for quality assurance/enhancement as per the guidelines of HEC and the and international collaborations of NUST. He also facilitated the accreditation of NUST academic programs by PEC, NBEAC, PCATP, NCEAC and PM&DC. He has conducted several seminars and workshops on quality assurance, as resource person, at national level and has been declared as HEC’s Master Trainer. He is on the panel of accreditation experts of Pakistan Engineering Council and Member of National Panel of HEC Pakistan for Institutional Performance Evaluation (IPE) of Universities and Review of Graduate Programs (RGP). He has conducted several accreditations of engineering programs, university internal quality audits and IPEs as well as RGPs of many Pakistani universities. He has participated and contributed in numerous national and international conferences and has various publications to his credit including contributions in ACU, APQN and QS organized events. Based on his engagement in multifarious activities in the field of quality assurance Muhammad Ismail has been selected as Consultant for Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN). While being the Director Quality Assurance NUST, he was instrumental in winning the APQN’s Best/Model IQA Award– 2014 for NUST and also won the APQN Quality Champion Award – 2016 for himself while being at HEC Pakistan.