Driving Excellence in Higher Education Through Feedback Analytics and AI: Explorance Bluenotes MENA 2024 Begins In Dubai

 Explorance is staging the seventh edition of Bluenotes MENA this week (5-7 November), co-hosted with Zayed University in Dubai.

The conference, which this year is titled ‘Synergizing Perspectives – Harnessing Feedback Analytics and AI to Empower Student Engagement and Institutional Excellence’, will welcome over 200 delegates to the Zayed University Convention Center. With a combination of keynote speeches, panel discussions, university presentations, technology and customer success zones, and a gala dinner, the three-day event is designed to support institutions striving for better student and faculty engagement.

Samer Jaffar, General Manager – MENA at Explorance, said: “We are really looking forward to Bluenotes MENA, which brings together higher education professionals in quality assurance, institutional research and effectiveness, and information systems to explore the transformative power of feedback analytics and AI in education. As always, we are anticipating some excellent discussion and intel-sharing, including from Explorance partner universities already benefiting from Blue, our course evaluation surveys software, and MLY, which supports enhanced qualitative analysis of student insights emerging in surveys. We are also finalising our program for Bluenotes Europe, which will come to London on 20-22 November.”

Among the conference highlights are:

Keynote speeches

• The Importance of Leveraging AI in Corporate Social Responsibility: H.E. Sarah Shaw, National CSR Fund, Majra.
• Using Student Feedback, Performance Metrics, and Engagement to Enhance Quality and Student Success: Professor Andrew Turner, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Curriculum Development), Coventry University.
• Building a Braver Future with Feedback / The Future is MLY: Samer Saab, CEO, Explorance.

University presentations

• Future Ready Mentoring: An Assessment of Impact and Effectiveness: Matthew Abley, Institutional Research Analyst, University of Westminster.
• Regulating Adaptive Competency-Based Learning through Workplace-Based Assessment: DMCG’s Journey: Dr Hiba Ismail, Teaching Assistant, Dubai Medical College for Girls.

Panel discussions

• Cultivating Institutional Excellence through Data-Driven Decision Making: featuring Professor Michael Allen, Acting Vice-President, Zayed University; Professor Ghassan Aouad, Chancellor, Abu Dhabi University; Dr Tod Alan Laursen, Chancellor, American University of Sharjah; and Dr Karim Seghir, Chancellor, Ajman University; moderated by Samit Lotlikar, Institutional Research and Data Analytics Manager, Zayed University.
• Student Engagement from Application to Graduation: featuring Professor Ahmed Ghonim, Higher Colleges of Technology; Dr Sonakshi Ruhela, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology of Dubai; Gulnaz Toguzbayeva, Director of Quality Assurance Department, SDU University; Dr Adel Alkhalil, Dean of Quality and Development, Hail University; and Dr Lamya Alshurbaji, Head of Follow-Up and Support at the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Center, University of Bahrain; moderated by Samer Jaffar, General Manager – MENA, Explorance.
• Paving the Way: Streamlining Educational Systems for Enhanced Engagement– featuring Inas Abou Sharkh, Director of Information Technology, Ajman University; Kareem Gad, Director – Information Technology, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (and Head of IT and Governance, Dubai Health); Mohamed Elfadly, Tech Solutions Director, The American University in Cairo; and Joseph Aninias, Director of Information Management and Technology, Abu Dhabi University; moderated by Anastasia Tsimiklis, Chief Marketing Officer, Explorance.
• Enhancing Faculty and Staff Collaboration and Wellbeing through AI-Driven Feedback: featuring Dr Wafa Almansoori, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation, American University of Bahrain; Dr Hesham Elmarsafawy, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Gulf University; Suzan Abu-Shakra, Faculty Affairs Manager, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; and Dr Hanadi Kadbey, Head of Institutional Research and Effectiveness Department, Emirates College for Advanced Education; moderated by Professor Abhilasha Singh, Vice President of Academic Affairs, American University in The Emirates.
• Unlocking Institutional Growth: The Power of Higher Education Benchmarking Consortium: featuring Dr Hazem Qattous, Assistant Professor, Princes Sumaya University for Technology; Professor Santosh Ray, Director of Institutional Research and Quality Assurance, Liwa College; and Dr Nida Qayroom, Head of Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness, Institute of Management Technology, Dubai; moderated by Dr Felly Chiteng Kot, Director of Institutional Research and Analytics, American University of Sharjah.