Mr Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices.

He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders around the world to improve quality and equity in education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that Schleicher “understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I’ve met, and he tells me the truth” (The Atlantic, July 11). Former UK Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher “the most important man in English education” – even though he is German and lives in France. Before joining the OECD, he was Director for Analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA).

He studied Physics in Germany and received a degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the “Theodor Heuss” prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement”. He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.

Dr. Bethany Fishbein is the Assistant Research Director for Psychometrics & Data Analysis at IEA's TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, located at Boston College in the United States. Dr. Fishbein is an experienced education researcher, psychometrician, and data analyst, and has worked in international large-scale assessment for almost 10 years.

She holds expertise in transitioning assessment programs to computer-based systems including the psychometric methods for evaluating mode effects and adjusting measurement scales to account for mode differences. She specializes in analyzing e-assessment process data and designing process databases. Dr. Fishbein works on creating and maintaining the TIMSS and PIRLS achievement trend scales and context scales and manages programming and data analysis work to monitor data quality. She helps coordinate and author publications, including peer-reviewed research studies, technical reports, and international results reports for the TIMSS and PIRLS studies. She also has experience in developing assessment instruments for cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of student learning.

Tony is the Research Director for Education Development Trust (EDT, formerly known as CfBT Education Trust). Tony is a graduate of the University of Oxford and has 40 years of experience in different aspects of K-12 education and school reform. EDT is a large not-for profit international education consultancy organisation, headquartered in the UK and working on education reform projects all over the world. On behalf of EDT Tony has provided technical advice to reform projects in many countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He manages the EDT research programme.

He is also personally the author or co-author of several research reports including: ‘Lessons from London Schools’ (2014), ‘Interesting Cities’ (2015), ‘School improvement in London’ (2016), ‘Rapid school improvement’ (2016), ‘The rapid improvement of government schools in England’ (2017), ‘England’s approach to school performance data’ (2017), ‘Promising practice: Government schools in Vietnam’ (2018) and ‘Technology-Supported Professional Development for Teachers- Lessons from developing countries’ (2018). During 2020 he undertook consultancy for the global EdTech Hub tracking policy responses to the global pandemic. In the context of the health emergency the EdTech Hub published his report on effective approaches to home learning. ‘Best practice in pedagogy for remote teaching.’

Douglas has been QAA’s Chief Executive since October 2015 and is Director of QAA Enterprises Ltd. His work has included leading the transformation of QAA and directing its contribution to changes to the policy, regulatory and quality landscape across the UK and most recently, QAA’s role in supporting higher education adapt to the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Douglas is a member of the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment, the UUKi International Strategic Advisory Board and a Board member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). He was a member of the UK government delegations to the 2018 and 2020 Ministerial Forums of the European Higher Education Area. Previous contributions to higher education policy include being in memberships of: the Jisc – Emerge Education advisory group on digital assessment; the UK government’s Teaching Excellence Framework Delivery Group; the NUS & UUK-led Student Charter Group and the subsequent Framework for Partnership Group; the British Council Going Global Steering Group; and chair of the ENQA Staff Development Group.

Douglas joined QAA in 2002 as Director of Administration, and has subsequently held the roles of Director of Resources and Chief Operating Officer and was QAA’s Company Secretary from 2002 to 2016. He is a graduate in Public Administration from what is now Glasgow Caledonian University. He is a trustee/governor in two local schools.

Dr Tess Goodliffe is currently a higher education quality consultant based in France. She was formerly Deputy CEO Technical Affairs for the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) and her role in the OAAA supported the management and implementation of the two-stage institutional accreditation system and related processes; review of General Foundation Programs; provision of capacity building for institutions and external reviewers; and supporting the development of the revised Oman Qualification Framework. She is now working with higher education institutions and quality agencies in all areas of development, strategy, review and capacity development. As well as working with the OAAA, she has worked with the Ministry of Education, Myanmar (through Cardno and AUSAid); University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka; Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), UAE: Education and Training Quality Authority, Bahrain and ISPD, Belgium. Before joining the OAAA in 2007, she was the Associate Dean (Professional Development) for Caledonian College of Engineering, Oman. Her role involved oversight of the development and implementation of the Professional Development Planning module as well as student and staff professional development; the Foundation Program department; and student support services including Library and student activities. In terms of external quality assurance review activities, Tess has been a reviewer for QAA Scotland and has also served as a reviewer for the Bahrain Quality Assurance Agency and UQAIB in Dubai. She has published articles and delivered presentations at a number of local, regional and international conferences and, until 2014, she was Reflections Editor for the online journal ‘Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives’. In 2006 Tess was awarded the UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education Silver Badge of Honour for her contribution to engineering education.

Has extensive experience in international cooperation, 18 years in the European Training Foundation (www.etf.europa.eu). Domains of expertise: skills anticipation and matching; qualifications systems and frameworks, working with country’s stakeholders, policy makers and research.

Coordinates the skills anticipation and matching network of Eastern Partnership “Make it Match”. Initiated and coordinates ETF activities in the domain of Big Data for Labour Market Intelligence, based on collection of online job vacancies classified and analysed using machine learning techniques. In the domain of qualifications and qualifications frameworks: Member of EQF Advisory Group (2013-2017), provided advise to EQF referencing process of several ETF partner countries. Advised Georgia, Morocco and Moldova on development of NQF legislation, governance and implementation. Coordinated development of the system of validation of non-formal and informal learning in North Macedonia. Contributed to joint research projects with Cedefop and Unesco on comparison of qualifications. Contributes regularly to “Global Inventory of Qualifications Frameworks” (Cedefop, ETF, UNESCO), with substantive inputs to thematic and country volumes. Since 2019: thematic adviser and coordinator to African Union – European Union Partnership project developing the African Continental Qualifications Framework (2019-2022).

Accomplished executive skilled at leading the development, delivery, and support of robust cost-effective services, systems and architectures. Offers a unique combination of strategic technology vision, business acumen, and tactical leadership to consistently deliver to plan and bring value to the organization. He has been a Senior Strategic Development Executive – with over 15 years of increasingly responsible roles in Enterprise Management, Strategic Planning and Quality Development. He is an Enterprise Systems Innovator with a record of accomplishment for implementing cutting edge solutions that solve business, issues while managing costs and risk. He is also an expert in academic accreditation and quality – with practical experience in the processes of building and activating quality systems and leading academic institutions to obtain accreditation and quality certificates.

Yasser is an Electrical Engineer with BSc degree in Electrical Power Systems from the University of Bahrain class of 1988. Yasser is also a holder of MBA in Financial Management from Hull University, UK class of 2003. He established his career on 1st October 1988 with Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. (GPIC) as a trainee graduate electrical engineer. Having undergone extensive training and development both in Bahrain and overseas, he held a number of senior positions in GPIC including Electrical Supervisor in the Maintenance Department, Training Superintendent in the Administration Department, Safety and Security Superintendent and Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Manager in the SHE Department, Technical Services Manager, Plants Operations Manager, and is currently General Manager Manufacturing.

Mr. Alabbasi, is a member of the Supreme Council of Occupational Safety and Health for the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Deputy Chairman of the Bahrain Health and Safety Society. Yasser is also a member of a number of professional and social societies including the National Safety Council, UK. Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA); Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), UK, National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), USA.

He is a Vice President of Education in the College of Excellence Company and the founder and General Director of the National Centre for Evaluation and Professional Accreditation “NACEPA”. He is also the Founder and General Director of Vocational and Professional examination directorate, TVTC. And the Head of Department of General Studies and the Head of Community Services Center of Riyadh College of Technology. Dr Saad has and 35 years of experience in strategic management, research & development, education, Science, TVET management, Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Assessment, National Occupational Skill Standards “NOSS” and National Qualification Framework “NQF”. He honored his doctoral in heavy metals monitoring from University of Bradford (UK) and master’s degree of radiation and environmental protection from University of Surrey (UK). He is a Board Member of Technical College and Strategic Partner Institutes in Saudi Arabia and member of Accreditation Authority in the Saudi Council of Engineers and number of local, regional and international committees/joint committees.

He is currently in charge of the Human Resources Department Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company, (GPIC) during which he provides training programmes and train the trainees programme for all GPIC employees. He got his PhD. in Mechanical Engineering from Ibaraki University, Hitachi, Japan. He took out a patent on fabrication of a micro-hole nozzle to the mitigation of pitting damage in mercury target vessel. He worked at University of Bahrain as an Assistant Professor in the College of Engineering at the Mechanical Engineering Department. He is a member in Bahrain Society of Engineers, Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers and Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company Toastmasters Club. He published several papers in different journals.

He is a Chief of Training at Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) in Bahrain. He is responsible for developing career programs and vocational training for Engineers and Technicians in EWA using the on-job & in-class methodology. He is certified member of American Talent Associate and board member of Bahrain SMEs Society. Raed worked in Canada as business consultant and business developer for different businesses. He honored his doctoral from Columbia Southern University and Master of Business & Entrepreneurship from University of Waterloo in Canada.