Prof. (Dr.) Taimur Sharif is the Dean of the School of Management at the University of Kurdistan Hewlˆer, Iraq, and a Distinguished Professor at Woxsen University, India. He’s a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, and a Chartered Manager in the UK and Canada. Taimur has over 25 years of teaching, research and leadership experiences in the Middle East, South Asia and the UK. He was the Head of Business at Birmingham Newman University, UK, and the Director of the Faculty of Business at Muscat University, Oman. Taimur publishes in recognised journals and presents papers in international conferences.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Higher Education Digest, Dr Sharif shared his professional trajectory, insights on the key strategies required to integrate quality and excellence at all levels of education, his favorite non-academic book, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Dr. Sharif. What are some of the most significant changes or trends you’ve observed in higher education during your career, and how have you adapted your leadership approach to address these shifts?
Over the last two decades, I have observed numerous of changes in the global higher education (HE) landscape which I able to narrate from social, curriculum, technological, and financial perspectives. One of the notable changes had been the significant rise in diversity among educators and learners, featured by a growing number of ethnic minorities and female population in teaching as well as non-conventional students aiming reskilling or upskilling, such as working professionals, parents, carers, redundant employees, and so on. While accessible, flexible and affordable features of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) had been gaining popularity worldwide. In the wake of the COVID-19 and throughout the pandemic, a fast transition to embedding technologies such as online learning solutions, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), simulations, and so on, had happened in the HE sector to augment students’ learning experiences, while streamlining support services to ensure staff and student well-beings. Recent studies suggest that rising shifts of student preferences to blended learning modes, hybrid lessons, and virtual courses during and after the pandemic period. In terms of global student mobility, there had been a major decline in the flows to conventional destinations, such the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada, due to the changing socio-economic and geopolitical contexts, strict visa regulations, and rising competition from selective Asian countries which were typically the suppliers of international students. Other noticeable changes, particularly in the developed countries, include embracing sustainability and circular economy features, decolonising and decarbonising approaches, responsible citizenship, flexibility and diversity in learning options, and so on in curriculum designing, and teaching, learning and assessment activities.
I have followed agile and adaptive leadership styles in navigating uncertainty and remaining ahead of the game by making informed decisions in no time using a forward-thinking approach. In connection with curriculum designing and revisions, I have always focused on collaborating with the industry players and facilitating competency-based education (CBE) model with technology-enhanced learning (TEL) approaches to the development of contemporary employability skills of the graduates. One such example is my lead contribution to developing South Asia’s first Agribusiness MBA programme for American University in Bangladesh, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. Also, being watchful of the changing entrepreneurial ecosystem, cultural diversity, and student demographics (for example, rising participation of non-traditional students), I have made timely revisions in the curriculums with experiential learning and pastoral support provisions (including SEN) to produce “marketable” future workforce and entrepreneurs. Under my leadership, these approaches resulted in excellent performance of Business and Management subject area of Birmingham Newman University in all scales of the National Student Survey (NSS), scoring higher than the UK national averages in 2020 and 2021. Regarding the persistent fall in the number of international students, instead of heavily relying on such a vulnerable student base, I have emphasised on validating courses or opening study centres in overseas locations such as East Asia. This approach had not only created alternative and sustainable streams of revenues but also corroborated East Asian students’ parochial mindset of looking for options in the neighboring countries.
What do you love the most about your current role?
The opportunity to introduce creative but tested ways of staff management, program development, teaching and learning approaches, local and international academic collaborations, industry partnerships, transparency in governance, and so on, using the Bologna process in a real sense. In the 2023-24 academic year, besides leading the introduction of the British QA system of validating and moderating programs, I’ve designed and launched Iraq’s first ever Doctoral of Business Administration (DBA) program. The coursework component had been delivered in the weekends in blocks by internationally reputed flying-in faculty from the UK, using TEL approaches including VR. The thesis is going to be supervised by a combination of local and international subject area experts. Very recently, I’ve developed a 3+1 dual degree partnership for the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr with the University of Huddersfield, UK. For staff management, I’ve introduced a UK-style work allocation model (WAM) that requires a yearly 1500 hour work commitment of a full-time academic staff member, however with the flexibility of having relatively more focus on either research or teaching or a balance between both. Based on staff expertise and demonstrated records, I make adjustments in the WAM while allocating hours for the next academic year as part of the performance management and appraisal system. This approach now allows research-active staff an option of buying out teaching hours for research. The current role provides me freedom to pioneer such approaches and services for staff and student developments and wellbeing.
What are the most popular academic programs offered by the School of Management and Economics, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, and what sets them apart from other institutions?
The EMBA and lately DBA have been the most popular programs, given that these are professional courses offered only by us in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), providing widening participation opportunity to bachelor graduates in non-business subject areas. However, since we rank #1 in the KRI and have 100% graduate employability records in the recent years, all our programs have equal popularities and been preferred over similar programs offered by the local competitors. One of the other reasons behind the popularity of our programs is the common first year modules across all programs that offers flexibility to students on switching to other programs, e.g., from BSc Business and Management to BSc Economics and Finance, prior to the beginning of year 2, resulting in a higher retention rate.
What research initiatives is the School of Management and Economics, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr currently undertaking, and how do they address regional economic challenges?
I’d answer both parts of the questions together. The School of Management and Economics at the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr is currently engaged in several research initiatives aimed at addressing global and regional business, economic and financial challenges. These initiatives often focus on topics such as sustainable development, digital business, entrepreneurship, and the impact of economic policies on local communities. Currently, we’re focusing on the following areas of research:
- Sustainability research: Examining sustainable economic, financial and business practices, environmental impact, and strategies for sustainable development in the region in light of the global experiences.
- Policy research: Analyzing the impact of economic policies and providing recommendations to enhance governance and economic performance including financial markets and banking.
- Digital finance: Analyzing how access to real-time data affects financial forecasting, budgeting, and resource allocation; Exploring the impact of financial technologies on traditional banking and investment strategies, including digital payments, blockchain, and crowdfunding; Assessing how digitization changes the landscape of financial risk management and compliance.
- Digital marketing: Investigating effective use of social media, SEO, content marketing, and targeted advertising to reach consumers; Understanding how digital tools can improve customer engagement, personalization, and loyalty through data analysis; Developing metrics and analytics to measure the effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns.
These initiatives aim to foster economic resilience, promote innovation, and enhance overall regional development, in alignment with the KRI Vision 2030 targets.
What are your views on leadership? How should university administrators ensure that their faculty members and students transform into world-class leaders?
Leadership as a model has evolved in various forms, not as one size fits all. Very few intelligent people would dispute the global leadership crisis in the world today. In the HE sector in particular, leadership has transformed into corporate style of management due to the influx of a large number of universities, accompanying competitive rivalry in securing a greater stake of learners from the market, sometimes being compelled to recruit candidates with weak academic profiles, and persistent rising cost of rendering a wide variety of student services. I’m increasingly observing introduction and strict compliance of clock in and out provisions in managing staff in many universities in the developing world. I’m also worryingly seeing the way quantity is taking over quality, given that the target setting corporate style culture is ruining the collegiality of research-informed teaching and scholarly activities of academics. University leaders these days often fail to promote a right blend of “doing things right” and “doing right things” approaches. Without this approach, team members often struggle to progress in career with a creative mindset while fulfilling the requirement of operating within clearly defined ethical and legal boundaries.
As a practitioner of the servant leadership principles, I believe leadership is fundamentally about serving others. Here are my views on how university administrators can foster world-class leaders among faculty and students:
- Collaborative culture: Fostering teamwork and collaboration across departments; understanding the needs and concerns of faculty and students; creating an environment where everyone feels heard and valued; leading by example with honesty and accountability, and setting a standard for ethical behavior.
- Professional development: Offering workshops and training sessions with a focus on leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution for both faculty and students; creating a supportive network for growth by establishing formal mentorship programs (e.g., peer mentoring) where experienced faculty and administrators guide emerging leaders.
- Student leadership: Creating platforms (e.g., student union, clubs, or community projects) for students to lead projects that allow diverse perspectives to shape innovative solutions; Providing them with the tools, resources, and autonomy to succeed, and guidance to taking ownership; encouraging partnerships with local organizations and businesses to provide live project experiences and helping students and staff apply leadership skills in practical settings.
- Celebrate achievements: Building a culture of recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of faculty and students in leadership roles; facilitating level playing platforms for faculty and students to offer regular feedback and use this to continuously improve programs and support structures.
By embodying these principles and implementing supportive strategies, university administrators can cultivate a collegial environment for nurturing world-class leaders.
As a seasoned academician and administrator, what are your suggestions, to integrate quality and excellence at all levels of education?
Integrating quality and excellence in education requires a multifaceted approach. I can think of the following strategies as key:
- Curriculum development and standardization: Regularly updating the curriculum to reflect current knowledge and industry standards, involving faculty, students, and industry experts in the development process; aligning programs with accreditation standards and best practices to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
- Assessment and feedback mechanisms: Implementing robust assessment methods that measure student learning outcomes and program effectiveness; using data to drive improvements and inform decision-making; establishing channels for feedback from students, faculty, and alumni to continuously assess and improve programs and services.
- Student engagements: Fostering an engaging learning environment through active learning techniques, collaborative projects, and real-world applications of knowledge; in complement, building partnerships with local businesses and organizations to enhance practical learning experiences and increase job placement and internship opportunities.
- Inclusive practices and support provisions: Promoting diversity and inclusion in all educational practices to create a supportive and equitable environment for all students; providing comprehensive support services, including academic advising, mental health resources, and career counselling, to help students succeed.
- Faculty development: Investing in professional development for educators to enhance teaching methods and stay updated on pedagogical advancements; encouraging research initiatives and innovative practices among faculty and students to foster research capabilities; creating opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.
What is your favorite non-academic book and why?
“Muhammad: 11 Leadership Qualities That Changed the World”, written by late Nabeel Al-Azami. The unique feature of this book that has attracted me is that it is authored by someone who not only brought cutting edge research in leadership studies and valuable leadership insights from the life of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in constructing a paradigm for prophetic [servant] leadership that I’ve been fascinated to, but also shows the practical implications of this model in the modern era, based on his 20 years of leadership experience in the MNCs and award-winning global NGOs as well as industry consultancies. The leadership perspectives of the author from a blend of academic research, practitioner experience and entrepreneurial insights have deepened my understanding of the principles of servant leadership in practice.
How do you wind down or rejuvenate after a long week or day?
Spending some quality time in a family or social environment, doing some readings related to the current topic of my research, taking a long bath, following world political and financial news, practicing mindfulness or meditation, going for a nature walk, or enjoying a movie.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
In next 5 years, I envision myself continuing to contribute to the field of education, possibly in a senior strategic leadership role, such as a Pro-Vice Chancellor or a Vice President. In this role, I aim to focus on strategic initiatives that enhance student success, foster innovation in teaching and learning, and strengthen partnerships with industry. Additionally, I hope to engage more in thought leadership, sharing insights through publications and conferences, and mentoring emerging academic leaders. Ultimately, my goal is to drive positive change in business education and contribute to the broader academic community.
Do you have any advice for aspiring professionals working in the higher education landscape?
I’ve the following key pieces of advice for aspiring professionals in the HE landscape:
- Embrace lifelong learning: In the constantly evolving and challenging HE landscape, stay updated on industry trends, educational technologies, and pedagogical advancements; be flexible and open to new ideas, be it integrating technology or exploring alternative educational models; cultivate resilience to navigate obstacles and maintain a positive outlook, while building your continuous professional development (CPD) profile.
- Ensure research-teaching balance: Contribute to your field through research and publication to enhance your credibility and advance knowledge within your discipline; however, strive for a balance between your research pursuits and teaching responsibilities, as both are crucial for your development and the institution’s mission; in addition, develop strong communication skills for effective teaching, administration, and stakeholder engagement.
- Focus on student success: Students’ success is your success. So, always prioritize the needs and experiences of students; use their success stories in guiding curriculum development and teaching methodologies; promote diversity and inclusive practices to enrich student learning and prepare them for a global workforce.
- Build robust networks: Network and cultivate relationships with colleagues, industry leaders, and alumni to open doors for collaboration, mentorship, and career opportunities; in complement, also network internally with other faculties and departments to create interdisciplinary programs and initiatives that enhance the educational experience.
By focusing on the aforementioned areas, you can make a meaningful impact in the HE landscapes and contribute to the development of future leaders.