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  • David Julien

    Dr David Julien currently acts as Secretary-General of the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (OUI-IOHE) and Executive Director of the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAIE). Based in Montreal, Canada, he coordinates a network of 350 higher education institutions across the Americas and speaks the four official languages of the continent (English, French, Portuguese and Spanish). He owns a Doctorate and a Master’s degree in Organizational and Intercultural Psychology from the University of Sherbrooke where he was appointed Ambassador of his Faculty in 2022. He also owns a Bachelor’s degree from Laval University and has taken courses in leadership and management at Harvard University and McGill University. He has accumulated 20 years of management experience in three distinct organizations including the IOHE, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and UNESCO where he has been responsible for developing inter-governmental partnerships and different capacity building programs in education and sports. He has taught at the Confucius Institute in Montreal, University of Sherbrooke, Marie-Victorin College, Universidad del Valle (Colombia) and Kaifeng University (China). He has also offered training seminars in various Latin American universities where he travels frequently.




  • Wondwosen Tamrat

    Wondwosen Tamrat (PhD) is associate professor and President of St. Mary’s University (SMU) in Ethiopia. He has a PhD in Higher Education from the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, three master’s degrees from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, University of Warwick, United Kingdom, University of Melbourne, Australia and a Graduate Certificate in Quality Assurance in Higher Education from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He has taught at tertiary level for more than two decades. He is strongly committed to the revitalization of the African higher education sector which is reflected in his writings and responsibilities at continental and global levels. He is an affiliate scholar of the Program for Research on Private Higher Education headquartered at the State University of New York at Albany, US, a board member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) and coordinator of the sub-cluster for private higher education in Africa under the African Union’s higher education cluster of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA). He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, member of the International Advisory Board of the International Journal of African Higher Education and a jury at the Ethiopian Quality Award. He has published over 50 articles, and four books (two more in the pipeline). He contributes regularly to global higher education outlets such as University World News, Inside Higher Education and International Higher Education, with more than 100 commentaries to his name. He also reviews articles for several peer reviewed international journals. He recognizes the critical role of partnership and leadership in spearheading improvements in the sphere of higher education at local, regional and global levels. His scholarly output, network and wide experience in the sector can provide additional strength to the IAU Administrative Board.




  • Nana Aba Appiah Amfo

    Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo is the first female Vice-Chancellor at the University of Ghana. She is an experienced academic and university administrator, with over twenty years of experience in the higher education sector. She brings a lot of innovation, resourcefulness, and tact to her professional engagements. As Vice-Chancellor, Professor Amfo is driven by two key notions – technology as an enabler and a devotion to human welfare – in all the operations of the University. Prior to her appointment as Vice-Chancellor in October 2021, she served as Acting Vice-Chancellor from August 2021. She was Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Academic and Student Affairs from November 2019. Professor Amfo was founding Dean of the School of Languages (2014 – 2019), and Head of the Department of Linguistics (2013 – 2014). Professor Amfo’s professional expertise and leadership has been recognized by her peers. She serves on the Consultation Board of the International Pragmatics Association. She is an Assistant Secretary General of the Federation of Modern Languages and Literatures, FILLM (a UNESCO-affiliated scholarly association). She was the President of the Linguistics Association of Ghana. She is a pioneer fellow, senior scholar, mentor, and assessor of the African Humanities Program of the American Council of Learned Societies. She is the Founding President of the African Humanities Association (AHA), an off-shoot of the AHP. She is Co-founder and the Acting President of the African Pragmatics Association. Professor Amfo is a fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD), Commonwealth Professionals Fellowship, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the nternational Women’s Forum Leadership Program. Professor Amfo was awarded as the GUBA (Grow Unite Build Africa) Nana Yaa Asantewaa Woman of Enlightenment for her resilience and work in academia which has created knowledge, built confidence and broken down barriers to opportunities.




  • Cristina Sarmento

    Cristina Montalvão Sarmento has been Secretary-General of the Association of Portuguese-Speaking Universities since 2006, founder and Director of the Political Observatory, Professor at the ISCSP of the University of Lisbon and guest researcher at the Laboratory of Power Networks and Cultural Relations at UERJ. Her main areas of investigation are Political Theory, Public Policy, Security Studies and Political Culture. A member of several Political Science Associations, she held academic management roles at FCSH-UNL where she was Deputy Assistant Director for Research and Assistant director of the Cultural History Center where she coordinated the research line in political studies.




  • Miquel Nicolau-Vila

    Dr Miquel Nicolau-Vila is Rector of the University of Andorra, and President of the Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories (NUSCT).
    Born in 1962, Dr. Nicolau-Vila focused his professional career primarily on higher education, contributing to the field the expertise acquired through his PhD in Electronic Engineering (Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, 1995) and his three Master’s degrees in Science in Intelligent Systems and Parallelism (Ramon Llull University), in Computer Engineering (Polytechnic University of Catalonia) and in Philosophy (University of Barcelona).
    Miquel Nicolau-Vila’s 33-year career in higher education combined teaching and research (languages and computer science - University of Andorra, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Open University of Catalonia, and Ramon Llull University) with managerial positions.
    Dr Nicolau-Vila’s academic experience as lecturer, full professor (up to present) and head of research groups afford him a comprehensive appreciation of the challenges facing academic practitioners which, in turn, has been an invaluable asset in executing managerial responsibilities ranging from Director’s positions (School of Engineering, and IT Department, Ramon Llull University,1995-2002 and 1994-2002, respectively), to member of Executive and Academic Councils (Ramon Llull University, 1998-2002), and Head of Research and Quality Councils (University of Andorra, 2006-2015).
    Leadership roles as Rector of University of Andorra (2015-current), President of the Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories (2018-current), Andorran representative at the Ibero-American University Council (CUIB, 2016-current) and President of the Vives Network of universities (2017), have shaped and informed Miquel Nicolau-Vila’s vision of the role and responsibilities of higher education in society and in the global community.
    Dr Nicolau-Vila, who speaks more than 6 languages, is a strong advocate of international collaboration for global sustainability and mutual understanding to ensure peaceful coexistence and global prosperity. His commitment to these principles inspired him to lead the constitution of the NUSCT.




  • Henk Kummeling

    Henk Kummeling has been professor of Constitutional Law since 1995 at Utrecht University. As distinguished professor, since 2015, his research focuses on institutions in new democratic constitutional states and the role of international organisations. He has a strong interest in connecting his work with universities in different parts of the world as is visible in his role as extraordinary professor at the University of the Western Cape Town, South Africa, and his involvement in higher education and research in the Dutch Caribbean and with the Anton de Kom University in Paramaribo, Surinam. Between 2005 and 2017 he was president of the Dutch Electoral Council, and he has been Rector Magnificus since 2018.




  • Shahin Bayramov

    Shahin Bayramov has been Rector of Mingachevir State University, based in Mingachevir city, Azerbaijan since 2019. He received his Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degrees in International Economics from Azerbaijan State University of Economics (1996-2012) and completed a graduate study programme in Higher Education Administration and Academic Leadership at Penn State University, USA in 2016. He has also completed Professional Development Programs at Indiana University (USA, 2009), University of Warwick (UK, 2015), and Cornell University (USA, 2016).
    Dr Bayramov has attended several conferences and forums held in Azerbaijan, Turkey, USA, China, Russia, UK, France, Finland, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Lithuania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan.
    He was Deputy Director of the Research and Higher Education Department at the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2017-2019), and was Azerbaijan’s Country Coordinator for the BFUG (2017-2020) and a Twinning Project Country Leader on “Support to Strengthening the HE System in Azerbaijan” (2018-2020). He also served as Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Programs at Azerbaijan State University of Economics (2012-2017).
    While serving as an Expert of the Science and Education Committee at Azerbaijani Parliament, he took an active part in drafting the new Education and Science Laws (2006-2015).
    Shahin has been an Expert in several international projects financed by EU, UNIDO, WTO, USAID, USTDA, JICA, ADB, IDB, etc. (2003-2022), and was a Grant Manager of the TEMPUS Project on “Development and Improvement of the University Administration on International Affairs” (2013-2017). He as also received awards and grants from WTO, UNIDO, EU, and from governments of Azerbaijan, USA, Japan, China, and Switzerland.
    He has also been a Representative of Azerbaijan State University of Economics at IAU, EUA, and FUIW (2012-2017).
    Areas of his interest are HE Internationalization, Global Trends in HE, Bologna Process, EHEA, HE Administration, Multiculturalism in HE, University Rankings, International Economics, and Sustainable Development.




  • Peter Aronsson

    Peter Aronsson (born 1959) is a professor in history with sustained engagement in the role of the academy as an independent but central institution to promote a better world. As a professor he led large international comparative projects building an informed general understanding of the dynamics when cultural institutions like national museums interplay more – and sometimes less - successfully with the making of nation and states from 1750 to 2020s (EuNamus). Generalizing from this comes an engagement in the power of universities to contribute in both the more constantly relevant issues for humankind to empower new generations to take on their lives as individuals and citizens better equipped but also the urgent need for dealing with the complexities of Agenda 2030. To provide knowledge and interaction needed for a sustainable future needs a capacity for international collaboration which includes the urgent programmes for Open Science. This programme as formulated recently by among others UNESCO (https://www.unesco.org/en/natural-sciences/open-science) starts with important and basic opening of not only publication but also other resources as data and open educational resources. But it also needs to frame the ability to use and implement the potentiality in very divergent setting. New digital opportunities are powerful and instrumental in pursuing this internationalization by enhancing the role of technology in higher education. Exploring and promoting these capacities is contingent on a strong and independent academia and will use the priorities of IAU in promoting values-based leadership in higher education, gives an urgent motivation for the importance of fair and ethical internationalization of higher education. One of the main purposes and tools to reach out is to integrate sustainable development into higher education and research strategies.




  • Yoshiaki Terumichi

    Yoshiaki Terumichi, born in 1962, has served as the 16th president of Sophia University since April 2017. He graduated from Keio University in 1985 and earned his MD and Dr Eng from Keio University in 1990 and 1994 respectively, and became a professor at Sophia University in 2004. Dr Terumichi’s research field is multibody dynamics which is one of the numerical simulation theories for dynamic behaviors of mechanical systems. He has served in various managerial positions at Sophia University, including Director of the Center for Student Affairs, Director of the Admissions Office, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Executive Director for Global Academic Affairs and Director of the Human Resources Center for International Cooperation.
    Dr Terumichi has been active in taking different roles in promoting internationalization of universities, and currently serves as the President and Institutional Board Member of the Japan Network for International Education (JAFSA) (2016 to present), and from 2019, Vice President of the Japan Association of Private Universities and Colleges. He is also active in Catholic university networks such as International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP), working closely with institutes of higher education.




  • Samit Ray

    Professor Dr Samit Ray is a well-known educationist and social reformer, the first educational model innovator and entrepreneur of Eastern India and the pioneer of professional training for competitive examinations for government jobs. Prof Dr Samit Ray is also the Founder-Chairman of RICE Group and the Founder and Chancellor of Adamas University. Prof Dr Ray envisioned for the upliftment of urban and rural youth by making them competent enough to face any competitive examination for government jobs. Thus, in 1985, Ray’s Institute of Competitive Examinations (RICE), was born. The rest is history. Today RICE is synonymous with Government or Public sector job preparation center in the East and has helped create ove 1,00,000 successful professionals in the arena of Government services.
    Professor Dr Ray dreamed of a utopia to provide a solution for all educational needs under one roof. It was with this idea that Adamas Knowledge City at Kolkata, India was established. The Knowledge City was built with the concept of a "City within a City" and holds an array of educational institutes - Adamas University, Adamas World School, Adamas Institute of Professional Studies etc. Located in an area of over 120 acres of lush green environment, Adamas Knowledge City has within itself a University and a School. Adamas Knowledge City also provides several facilities such as a guest house, amphitheatre, open air auditorium and a soon-to-be-set-up commercial center. Adamas University, since its inception in 2014, has pursued excellence not as a goal, but as a way of life. Professor Dr Samit Ray is the Chancellor of the University. Again, Adamas University portrays the lifelong values and ethics of its Founder-Chancellor. The university has a truly global outlook but is rooted in Indian ethos. Being a sports enthusiast, Prof Dr Ray has always promoted sports and Adamas University provides up to 100% scholarships to sportspersons. Prof Dr Samit Ray has been honoured with many awards such as ’Emeritus Professor’ by the Dnepropertrovsk University of Ukraine, special recognition as Education Entrepreneur of India by North America Bengali Conference, Mother Teresa International Award by Mother Teresa International Award Committee - 2018, WCRC- Leaders Excellence Award for Excellence in Education, Innovation and Leadership – in Asia region 2012-13, Global Indian Excellence Award - 2014 at London, Most Promising Leader - Consumer and Product Survey by WCRC – 2014 and many more. Most recently, Bath Spa University UK conferred Prof. Dr. Ray with Honorary Doctorate. At present, Prof Dr Ray heads several groups of organization directly employing around 2000 individuals and indirectly providing earning opportunities to more than 5000 people, dealing with Education, IT, Publication and many others. He is also associated with many benevolent social and cultural activities.

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