Yusra is a highly motivated and innovative academic leader with over 22 years’ experience in the Higher Education sector and over 5 years industry experience in large blue- chip organisations. She has a proven track record of delivering to strategic objectives and a passion for providing a quality educational offering that is relevant to the workplace. She is a committed individual with a unique understanding of both Western and Arab cultures and an ability to motivate staff and students incorporating a deep understanding of the links between industry and academia, coupled with a natural personal presence and an articulate approach to negotiation. Educated in the UK, Yusra has a Bachelors in Business Administration from Richmond College London, an MBA from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and a PhD in Knowledge Management from Liverpool John Moores University, where she continues to be a Visiting Professor. She built her academic career in the UK where she worked for more than 14 years developing expertise in education management with a particular focus on Doctoral programmes. She has established a cross disciplinary research profile spanning knowledge sharing and the sustainability agenda. Yusra has supervised many Doctoral & Masters theses in the broad management area, has numerous publications in the field and is an invited keynote speaker at many international conferences.
A Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Yusra is a member of multiple international Boards dedicated to advancing learning, teaching & research in higher education. These include the UK Quality Assurance Agency, (QAA), the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) and the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA). Further, she is on multiple advisory and editorial boards. Before taking up the role of Provost at University of Birmingham Dubai, Yusra was President of the Royal University for Women in Bahrain and Vice Chancellor of Muscat University in Oman. Notably, she was also the first female head of a University in Oman.