Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry is the President of the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) in Slovenia and Professor at Cairo University Faculty of Medicine. Previously, serving as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Executive Director of the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Programme, he was extensively involved in initiating and managing Euro-Mediterranean partnerships in Education, Research and Innovation. He participated in reform of the Egyptian Research and Innovation Strategy, managed innovation grants to the Research and business sectors and initiated public engagement in Science and Innovation. Representing Egypt, he co-chaired several policy committees and councils, including the Euro-Mediterranean Group of Senior Officials for Research and Innovation, the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology and the Africa-EU Research and Innovation high-level policy dialogue. He formerly served as the founder and director of the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) at Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, where he pioneered public-private partnerships in Medical education and skills training. He also served as the founding President of Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Cairo. He is the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies (IJEMS) and the founding President of the Forum for Euro-Mediterranean Innovation in Action (FEMIA). 


Aleksandra Porjazoska Kujundziski
has a PhD in technical sciences (chemical engineering-new materials-polymers). Since 2010, she has been working at the International Balkan University in Skopje at the Department of Industrial Engineering. Since January 2017, Dr. Porjazoska Kujundziski has held the position of Vice-Rector of Educational Affairs, and from January 2017, has been the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. She has taken part in several scientific research projects. Her research interests are related to the enhancement of teaching effectiveness in higher education, polymer nanomaterials, biodegradable polymers, and the mathematical modelling of processes. She is the author of many scientific papers.

Claudio Cressati holds  a postgraduate degree in Jurisprudence and Political Science from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and a PhD in Philosophy of Law and Political Doctrine from the University of Padua. He is Professor of History of Political Thought and Deputy Director of the Department of Law at the University of Udine. European integration is his main field of teaching and research. Prof. Dr. Cressati has consistently been the recipient of Jean Monnet chairs and modules. He is Director of Studies of the Erasmus Mundus MA in Euroculture and Scientific Coordinator of the European Documentation Centre at the University of Udine. With extensive teaching experience in Europe and beyond, he is President of the European Academy of Friuli Venezia Giulia and member of the Board of AUSE, the Italian scientific society for EU studies.

Dušan Lesjak, Ph.D., professor of Management information system (2000) and Management of Education (2010), began teaching at the University of Maribor, Slovenia in 1985, and has been an active researcher, scholar and manager for more than 30 years focusing on Management and Funding of Higher Education, e-Learning, e-Business and Digital Marketing. He was a Fulbright Scholar, conducting Ph.D. in the USA. In recent years he is engaged in many international research projects dealing with education, higher education and e-learning in the EU, Western Balkans and Middle East. He was a State Secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology from 2006 until 2008 and a special advisor to the minister, responsible for higher education and science from 2012 till 2013. He was an acting president of EMUNI from 2013 till 2014. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Management in Education. He was awarded »Computer Educator of the year 2003« by the IACIS, received a Golden plate from the University of Primorska in 2005 and EMUNI Seal for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnerhip in 2018.

Alaa Abdelwahed Abdelbary has a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Zagazig University, Faculty of Science, in Egypt. He is  Vice President of Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt. With a strong focus on applying innovative mathematical and computational approaches to solve complex physical problems, Prof. AbdelBary has made significant contributions to the field.

His expertise extends to the use of machine learning techniques for decision support systems, where he has demonstrated a keen ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies into practical applications. As the Vice President at AASTMT, he leads a dedicated team in the sector of higher studies and scientific research, overseeing numerous national and international projects in the field of science and technology.

Prof. Abdelbary’s influence in the academic community extends beyond his institutional role. He is an active member of the Naqaa Nanotechnology Network and the International Leadership Association, highlighting his commitment to fostering collaboration and advancing knowledge in his field. Additionally, he serves on the editorial boards of prestigious journals such as the Journal of Applied Science Research, Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, and International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology Research.

Prof. Dr. Abdelbary was Lecturer of Mathematics from 1998 – 2003 across the three colleges of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, & Maritime Transport (the College of Business Administration, the College of Maritime Transport, and the College of Engineering and Technology). He is a distinguished academic and researcher with more than 300 research papers in reputable journals and conferences to his name.

He is also the legal representative for the Arab Academy for the EU, USAID, WFP, UfM, Unimed and EMUNI.

Karim Moustaghfir is Associate Professor of Human Resource Development, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Coordinator of the Mediterranean Program at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. He is also Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Business Performance – Cranfield School of Management (UK) and Visiting Professor at the International School for Social and Business Studies (Slovenia), the University of Salento and the University of Basilicata (Italy). Karim Moustaghfir is also member of the Senate and Chair of the Student and Study Affairs Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI). After completing his Masters and Ph.D degrees, he worked as Research Fellow at the University of Salento (Lecce – Italy). He published different articles and papers in the fields of knowledge asset management, strategic human resource development, entrepreneurial learning, innovation, organizational behavior and performance. He also coordinates different national and international research/consulting projects in knowledge management, human resource development, knowledge and innovation, e-business management, e-Learning & distance education, and quality assurance in higher education. Karim Moustaghfir is member of several journal editorial boards and conference boards and also member of different professional associations in Morocco, Europe, and the US. Prior to his academic career he held management positions in the banking and management consulting fields. Karim Moustaghfir speaks four languages (Arabic, French, Italian and English).

Luigia Melillo, Ph.D. is the Rector of Pegaso International in Malta and Head of UNESCO Research Office for Ethics Lifelong Learning of European Center for Bioethics and Quality of Life. From 1980 to 2015 Professor of History of Medicine and Intercultural Bioethics at University “L’Orientale” of Naples, where she was Vice-Rector for University relationship with School and Adult Educational System and also President of Center of LifelongLearning, the first in Italian Universities.
Currently she is Professor of Medical Statistics at Università Telematica Pegaso, where from 2014 she has been directing the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Lifelong Learning (C.E.L.L.) and is the Dean of the Master’s Degree programme in Management of Sport.
Constantly involved in international meetings and conventions. She has been an active member of several national and international research bodies and commissions and coordinated many cooperation and mobility E.U. projects held in Euro- Mediterranean area, specifically about UAM (Unaccompanied Minors Migrants) and topic Towards an Euro-Mediterranean Lifelong Learning Community.
She published several papers and books about History of medicine, Intercultural Bioethics, migrants and human rights. She promoted the signature of a Manifesto/Declaration entitled “Lifelong learning as an emerging human right in Euro-Mediterranean Area” as deliverable of an EMUNI Think-Tank, organized by her in Naples at University l’Orientale eight years ago.

Rony Darazi holds a PhD in Engineering Sciences from the Ecole Polytechnique de Louvain in Belgium. He is the Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Internationalization at Antonine University in Lebanon, and has been Full Professor at the Faculty of Engineering since 2019. He was previously Associate Professor and Dean of the same Faculty. Prof. Dr. Darazi is the Higher Education Expert for the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, and has been a European Project Manager in multiple capacity-building projects since 2017. He is a member of the Technical Committee of the Higher Education Council for the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and is a member of the Executive Board at the Universities Association of Lebanon (UAOLB) as well as an International Expert at the National French Agency for Quality Assurance. Prof. Dr. Darazi has published approximately 17 articles as author or co-author, spoken at numerous conferences, and has received several awards for his work, including from the Grant AUF-PCSI Inter-university Scientific Cooperation Project (2020-2022).

Mouïn Hamzé obtained his “Doctorat d’Etat” from France, he was Professor of Plant Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Chairman of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute. In 1998, M. Hamzé was appointed Secretary General of the National Council for Scientific Research – Lebanon (CNRS-L). He has launching new programs in empowering the scientific community and establishing new cooperative projects with bilateral, EU and Euro-Med initiatives in Sciences, Technology and Innovation. He published several books and scientific papers in agriculture, science policy, technology transfer and ethics;
M. Hamzé was awarded Doctorates Honoris Causa, National Merits from France, Italy, Regional and International Organizations.

Jaka Vadnjal is Head of Academic Affairs at the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI), Slovenia. His topics of teaching and research are entrepreneurship and linked topics, family business management, managing growing business, business environment and business and managerial economics. He has presented at prominent research conferences including Babson, Kaufmann, ISBE, ISPIM, Rent etc. worldwide. Having published over forty papers in scientific journals and four chapters in scientific books, Prof. Dr. Vadnjal is also co-author of several text-books on entrepreneurship.

As well as heading Academic Affairs at EMUNI, Prof. Dr. Vadnjal is also Managing Editor of the International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies. He has experience in external quality assurance in education: participation as a representative of the accredited HEI in different positions (dean, president of senate, director of research, teacher) in the different accreditation procedures provided by Slovene accreditation agency NAKVIS and by international agencies AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA and FIBAA at different HEIs. His international experience in external quality assurance in higher education include membership of outside expert groups at the Croatian national accreditation agency AZVO, and ARACIS, the accreditation agency of Romania.

Jaka Vadnjal was born in 1965 and graduated in mechanical engineering before gaining a Masters in entrepreneurship and a PhD from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Prof. Dr. Vadnjal has been visiting professor at several foreign universities. He also teaches part time at the Faculty of Economics of University of Ljubljana and Faculty for Accounting and Finance and at three universities outside Slovenia: Switzerland, Northern Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is also experienced in teaching online courses. He has 28 years of teaching experience in higher education institutions, including classroom and online teaching as well as mentoring final theses on all three levels. 

At the end of 2019, he finished his mandate as CEO of a small bank, prior to which, he was dean at GEA College of Entrepreneurship, where he is elected full professor in entrepreneurship, teaching mostly courses related to entrepreneurship and small business management. He has been teaching there for more than two decades and managed and participated in several research, development and demonstration projects (FP, Tempus, Phare, Interreg, Leondardo, Erasmus etc.).

Rosario Sinatra, Ph.D. is full professor of Mechatronics and Applied Mechanics at the University of Catania, Italy. Deputy Rector for policies in the Mediterranean area; president of engineering courses; coordinator of various cooperation projects with Mediterranean countries. Member in various committees in the management of academic affairs, at regional and national level. It has many collaborations with many universities throughout the world and in particular with the MED countries. He is author of over 110 works, including those published in specialized journals, and presented at international conferences.

Rouchdy Ragaa Zahran obtained his Ph.D. from Washington University – St. Louis, in 1986. His research interests involve modeling of molecular composites. He published around 50 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and international conferences, and a patent. 
Dr. Zahran is the former President of Alexandria University. He represented Egypt and Alexandria University in regional and international events (2004 – 2017). He was member of the Board of Senghor University (2016 – 2019), and advisor to the Governor of Alexandria (2018/2019). He is involved in several advisory committees in Alexandria University and Supreme Council of Universities. He is a Board member of NAQAAE, and Chairperson, BOT, Al-Alamein International University, Egypt.

Prof. Dr. Lotfi Ben Romdhane is a full professor at the University of Sousse, Tunisia. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Sherbrooke, Canada with excellent honors. He has published more than 70 papers at international conferences and in journals, including the IEEE and ACM Transactions. He is currently heading the MARS research laboratory, and headed ISITCom/U. of Sousse from 2017-2020.

Dr. Maysoun Ibrahim is a professional in Information and Communication Technology for Development with many years of diverse experience from Palestine. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence, Chairperson of the Experimental Incubation Committee of the Council, and acted as the Chairperson of the 2019 National Forum on the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Dr. Ibrahim holds a PhD in Information Technology with a focus on Smart Sustainable Cities, a dynamic area that lies at the core of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A researcher with a rich track record of publications, she has published research papers at renowned international conferences and highly ranked scientific journals, as well as the recent book titled: “Smart Sustainable Cities: Transformation towards Future Cities.” Dr. Ibrahim also contributed a chapter on the “Fourth Industrial Revolution and Smart Cities in the time of COVID-19” in an international book titled: “In the time of Pandemic: Managing through Crisis”; both books are available on Amazon. She is currently a reviewer and a member of the programme committees of top international research conferences and journals.

With extensive academic experience, Dr. Ibrahim previously worked as a part-time lecturer at different local universities and delivered various academic webinars and seminars to universities in the Arab region and globally, including Rice University in USA, Portsmouth University in UK, New York University (Abu Dhabi campus) in UAE, Beirut Arab University in Lebanon and others. She is also a member of numerous national and international committees and councils, including the United Nations ESCWA Technology Center Technical Committee and Coordinating Committee for Industry Research Centers in the Arab Region among others.

Ambassador Hatem Atallah from Tunisia (co-chairperson) is coming from a rich diplomatic background that encompassed over 35 years, Ambassador Atallah was the Tunisian Ambassador in several countries including the US, the UK, South Africa and Ethiopia, He was also the Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the Organization of American States, the African Union, the Economic Commission for Africa, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), UN-Habitat, and the International Maritime Organization. He was appointed Diplomatic Advisor to the Head of the Tunisian Government until February 2015. Ambassador Atallah participated in numerous summits, ministerial meetings and high level conferences of the African Union, the United Nations and the Union for the Mediterranean. He gave numerous conferences on political, diplomatic and cultural themes in several universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. From March 2015 to December 2017 he served as Executive Director of the Anna Lindh Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures in the Euro-Mediterranean Region. Ambassador Atallah serves on the Board of Governors of the Gorée Institute in Sénégal and is a founding member of « AVASP » (Institute for Strategic Analysis and Prospective Studies – Tunis). He is also member of the Association of International Studies and teaches at the Diplomatic Institute in Tunis.

Nehal Nabil Nasef is a 2nd year MA student at EMUNI University in Slovenia. She has been working as a Communication officer for Financial Training services providers in Egypt. Five years of experience working as a Customer Service Representative for Vodafone the UK account. Used to work for Saint Andrew’s for refugees in their office in Egypt, as a volunteer for 6 months as an English teacher and helped in social activities for refugees. Participated in Erasmus+Traineeship Mobility in Belgium as a project designer.

Yara El Turk was born and raised in Lebanon. She is a multidisciplinary visual artist with a Masters in Communication. Yara has always been a keen believer in the ideals of freedom, justice and art. With the many crises that Lebanon was facing on a daily basis, she got more acquainted with the power of art in inducing change on political and socio-cultural levels. She decided to combine her love for writing with her passion for artistic creations to transmit a full image of the influence of art on Lebanese identity and to emphasize and spread the messages behind it. She graduated as an NLP practitioner from ABNLP in the United States which increased her leadership, communication and influence. Through the Master in IBC at EMUNI, Yara thrives to work for the public good to affect societal change and provide equal access to justice for individuals and organizations in need.

Saleh Saleh was born in Palestine. He is a mechanical engineer and Masters student of the EMUNI Intercultural Business Communication programme. From the city of Bethlehem where he currently resides, Saleh completed his Mechanical Engineering degree at Birzeit University in 2021. He had the privilege of serving as Vice President of the Mechanical Engineering Club in 2020, and gained hands on experience working as a Coordinator Engineer at Siniora Company in Dubai. In addition to his endeavours, he is a management board member of the Palestine Solar and Sustainable Energy Society. This position reflects his commitment to promoting sustainable practices. 

Emna Jbara holds an undergraduate degree in Business Management from the Mediterranean school of business in Tunisia and currently doing her master degree in Intercultural Business Communication at EMUNI. She is very passionate about Marketing and Communication. She likes to keep herself updated about changes that occur in this domain as she has always worked on herself to develop the needed skills. She was able to put her passion into practice through her participation in various clubs and associations.