University of Buraimi, Institutional Standards Assessment, Jun 2024
 
Dr. Achim Hopbach
 
Dr Achim Hopbach has over 25 years of experience in higher education, having served as research assistant, in university administration, higher education policy, and quality assurance. He recently set up his own consultancy business after having retired from leading the quality assurance agencies in Austria and Germany for 15 years. Dr Hopbach has extensive experience in the development and implementation of quality assurance legislation, systems and processes in Europe, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. He has served and serves as panel member and chair of evaluation panels for national audit and evaluation of quality assurance agencies in Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, Malta, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia, Haiti and East-African countries. His consultancy activities focus on the areas of cross-border higher education and branch campuses, design of quality assurance systems and setting up higher education institutions. He held and holds various positions in quality assurance agencies and associations, such as President of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) from 2009 to 2013; member of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) from 2005 to 2013; member of the University Quality International Board (UQAIB), Dubai, since 2015, and on international advisory board of various agencies. He has published numerous articles on the Bologna Process, quality assurance and qualifications frameworks.Dr Hopbach holds a PhD in History (University of Tuebingen, Germany) and a Master in History, Political Science and Law (University of Heidelberg, Germany). 

 
Dr Ahmed Mohammed Al Mamari
 
Dr. Al Mamari obtained his Bsc from Melbourne University, Msc from Nottingham University and PhD from Edinburgh University. He lectures in genetics and molecular biology for over 13 years now. He has a wide experience in higher education leadership. He is the assistant vice-chancellor for the University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Muscat. He also worked as the dean of Shinas College of Technology for over four years and the assistant dean for academic affairs at Ibri College of Technology. He worked as an expert in the Secretariate of the Education Council, previously.
He was instrumental in the amalgamation of the academic programs of the Colleges of Technology and Colleges of Applied Sciences. He led the committee of Education and Research into setting the new Academic bylaws, designing new programs for the university and laying out the guiding principles for research.  He is also a member of a number of national-wide committees such as the committee for Curriculum Development and the committee for Chemical Hazard. He is an external reviewer for Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance (OAAAQA). 

 
Prof. Hasan Bicak
 
Prof. Hasan Ali Bicak is the Founding Rector of the new established Rauf Denktas University in North Cyprus. After working at various administrative positions as registrar, head of departments, and the Dean of the Business and Economics Faculty at the Eastern Mediterranean University of North Cyprus for 30 years, he served as the President of the Higher Education Assessment and Accreditation Council during 2009-2013.Prof. Bicak served as a full-time resident Consultant at the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) of Saudi Arabia during 2014 and 2015. At NCAAA, apart from routine consultancy work he carried out several eligibility reviews at program and institutional levels. Before and after his consultancy work at NCAAA, he chaired and worked as a member in many reviews in Saudi Arabia including King Saud, King Khalid, Umm Al-Qura and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Taif and Qassim Universities. Apart from Saudi Arabia, Prof. Bicak reviewed several programs and higher education institutions in Bahrain, in Turkey, in Lebanon in Kosovo and in Oman, some of which were University of Bahrain, Koc University, Beirut Arab University, Mitrovica University and Muscat College and thus has an extensive knowledge on the higher education systems and external review processes of these countries. Prof. Bicak was an observer in the review panel, accrediting the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assessment (CAQA) of Serbia and his name is listed in the ENQA pool of reviewers.
 
Dr. Imran Hameed
 
Dr Imran Hameed holds a PhD in Human Resource Development from National University of Modern Languages, and a Masters in Public Health Management from Mahidol University. He is a medical doctor with specialization in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He has worked in various capacities as a clinician, administrator and educationist in different countries. He shifted from clinical practice to public health management and finally to teaching over the years. He worked as the Head of Department of Business Studies at the Higher College of Technology, in Muscat from 2016 to 2019, and as the Head of Department at Nizwa College of Technology from 2008 to 2016, where he was also leading the Quality Assurance, Health and Safety Units and co-chair of Research. In the past he has served as the Director of Training at the JICA Mother and Child Health Centre; as the Principal of College of Medical Technology; and Director of Children Hospital at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. He has been a consultant for academics to WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, JICA, and DFID. His academic publications include midwifery manual for traditional birth attendants, and training material for prevention of parent to child transmission of HIV/AIDS. He has published papers on human resource development and public health in various scientific journals. He is a reviewer and on editorial board of two journals on management sciences.
 
Dr. Wafa Abdulrahman Al Mansoori
 
Dr Wafa Abdulrahman Al Mansoori currently occupies the post of Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at the American University of Bahrain, where she is responsible for developing and leading the implementation of institutional research and assessment program to support the university’s mission and strategic initiatives. She received her BSc degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bahrain, her MSc degree in Microelectronic Systems and Communications from the University of Liverpool, UK, and her PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University, USA. In 2007, Dr Almansoori joined Bahrain’s Education Reform Project where she has assisted in the development of the Higher Education Quality Review System and participated in the pilot implementation of the System.  From 2008 to 2020 she occupied different positions at Bahrain’s Education & Training Quality Authority. These included the Director of the Directorate of Higher Education Reviews, Director of the Directorate of Vocational Reviews, Chair of the Academic Committee. Prior to that, she was a faculty member of the Electrical & Electronics Engineering Department at the University of Bahrain. Dr. Almansoori was appointed as a member of the Council for Regulating the Practice of Engineering Professions from 2013 to 2016 and as the Vice Chairman of the Council from 2016-2019. She is a member of the Bahrain Society of Engineers. Dr Al Mansoori is the recipient of the “Anita Borg Change Agent Award” in 2007.