The Board of Advisors is comprised of volunteers who bring a wealth of expertise, experience, and passion to steering our strategic direction.
Dr. Farah Ahmed is a Senior Research Associate at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. She convenes the Cambridge Dialogues: Renewing K-12 Education in Islamic contexts academic network. Her current projects are Piloting the “How Islamic is my School?” school development toolkit and Reorienting Education in Muslim Contexts towards Awe and Wonder. She is the founder of the online Islamic Educator Learning Community, which partners with Camtree and supports online educator professional development. She is the founder and Director of Education at the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation, where she has led pioneering work in Shakhsiyah Schools, which involves renewing Prophetic ḥalaqah as dialogic pedagogy to develop shakhsiyah Islamiyah (Muslim Personhood). She is the lead developer of Shakhsiyah’s Halaqah and Thematic Curricula. She is a Governing Body Fellow at Hughes Hall College; a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.
Dr. Nadeem Memon is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Islamic Thought and Education (CITE) at the University of South Australia (UniSA). At CITE/UniSA, Nadeem serves as a Curriculum Advisor for the Graduate Certificate in Education (Islamic Education), the first online graduate education program for educators in Islamic schools globally. His research focuses on teacher education with particular emphasis on Islamic Pedagogy, comparative faith-based schooling, philosophy of religious education, and culturally responsive pedagogy. In his research program, Nadeem is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant (2022-2025) on Culturally Responsive Schooling. He also leads a monthly reading group on Faith-Based Pedagogies with educators and academics from various religious traditions and religious orientations.
Dr. Syed Misbahuddin is a compassionate and resourceful leader with extensive experience in education, research, and digital transformation. An engineering graduate from Osmania University, he holds an MS in Information Systems and Project Management, along with a PMP certification. His work spans software development and management consulting, particularly in education, where he has implemented innovative techniques in curriculum development and leadership. Dr. Syed has authored over 100 books on education, designed the Collaborative Leadership framework, and launched initiatives like Trellis School Support System and Harvest Publications. He has significantly contributed to the growth of educational institutions, helping MS Education Academy expand from 8 to 100 branches and developed a network of more than 4000 schools in India. Recognized with an Honorary Doctorate and several awards, he has trained thousands of teachers and students, focusing on holistic education and leadership. Currently, he serves on various educational boards in the US and India and continues to influence the EdTech landscape globally. He will be supported by Ms. Sabahat Fatima, COO of Mimber Academy and Author of Willow Series and the School Transformation Framework InshaAllah.
Dr. Ayda Succarie is a human resources and management lecturer, academic program advisor, and researcher at the School of Business at WSU. Her expertise is in Governance, social entrepreneurship, identity studies, organisational learning and development, organisational behaviour, management, and education systems. Ayda’s research portfolio includes faith-based governance frameworks, school climate and community wellbeing, Islamic teacher education, professional learning, professional identity, and holistic professionalism. Her research extends to student retention in higher education and social entrepreneurship teaching and practice. Externally, Ayda advises Islamic schools and community organisations on governance and organisational development and is passionate about facilitating change and innovation for societal impact. Ayda’s teaching philosophy centres around “holistic learning” by creating a positive teaching and learning space that harnesses rapport between the teacher and learner, where both parties feel valued and respected, learners are challenged to achieve expectations, and teachers are appreciated for their commitment to education.
Dr Zeeshan Ahmed is one of the leading management educationists in the country. He has held key positions at the top business schools in Pakistan, viz. LUMS, IBA Karachi, KSBL, Al Qadir University Project and GU Tech. He is also contributing as an advisor to several multibillion family businesses as well as some of the leading educational institutions in the country. Currently, Dr Zeeshan is the Pro-Chancellor of the recently-chartered Al-Ghazali University. In his previous job, Dr. Zeeshan served as the founding Dean of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Al-Qadir University Project Trust. Prior to joining Al-Qadir Trust, he served as the Rector and Dean KSBL, an emerging business school set up by the Engro group. He has significantly contributed to the institution’s academic growth and sustainability. Earlier, he was heading the undergraduate program at LUMS business school. Dr. Zeeshan has around 30 years of diverse experience in teaching, training, consulting and research in Pakistan and the US. Initially, he worked as a management consultant with Ferguson Associates, an affiliate firm of Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
He completed his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University, US in the discipline of Finance and MBA in Marketing from IBA Karachi. Professionally, he is a CFA and has also passed all CPA examinations. He is also recognized as a leading academic in Islamic Economics and Finance in the country.
Dr. Zeeshan also serves as a Member of Syndicate of Airwar College, Shariah Advisory Committee of State Bank of Pakistan, Board of Sinan-Wren Turkey, The Advisory Council of the Global Association of Islamic Schools (GAIS), Management Committee Reflections School, Board of Directors at Hikmah and Al Eeman Institute, Advisory Board-The Lab School, Trustee at Ihsan Trust and Patron-in-Chief at Naseeha Institute.
Dr. Şentürk is dean of the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. He was founding president of Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul and Usul Academy. Dr. Şentürk holds a PhD from Columbia University’s Department of Sociology, and specializes in Islamic studies, ethics, social theories and methods, sociology of religion and education, social networks, civilization studies and modernization and post-modernization.
Edris Khamissa is an International Consultant in Education and Human Development. He began his career as a teacher of English. His passion and expertise for the subject culminated in his nomination as the Chairman of the English Society of South Africa. He has been a head teacher of three schools. He has played a significant role in shaping the landscape of independent education in South Africa. As a founding member of the National Alliance of Independent Schools Association (NAISA), he contributed to establishing a collective voice for independent schools nationwide. He also served as a Director of the South African Association of Independent Schools (SAISA), providing strategic direction and leadership to support the sector’s development. Currently, he serves as an advisor to Pearl Academy, offering guidance on educational strategy and institutional growth. In addition, he holds the position of Chairman of As-Salaam Educational Institute, where he oversees governance, policy and the advancement of the institution’s educational mission.
He has conducted numerous workshops/seminars in over 30 countries including Australia, United States, Canada, England, Middle East, Nigeria, Lusaka, Mozambique, Botswana, Bangladesh, Malaysia and throughout South Africa. His topics range from Leadership, Youth Development, Moving from Efficiency to Effectiveness to Excellence, From Information to Transformation, Moving from Good to Great, Inspiring Teachers, Creativity in Schools, Dynamics of Marriage, Parenting in the 21st Century, Family Dynamics in the 21st Century and Project Management. He promotes excellence wherever he goes. He is an advisory member of IBERR – International Board of Educational Research and Resources. He is the co-author of the IBERR manual for Schools. He is also the co-author The Art of Public Speaking, Embrace the Joys of Public Speaking and Pre-Marital Conversations and Beyond. His expertise is in self-development and curriculum design. His creativity made him a dynamic lecturer in Didactic and Methodology at IPSA (International Peace University of South Africa). He also conducts in-service training for business corporations. As a Parenting Expert and a Marriage Counsellor, he conducts workshops on these topics.
He conducts motivation and training for Business Corporations. His particular focus is in soft-skills. Youth Leadership is another area of his focus. He is a regular guest on National and Community Radio Stations. His attendees find his programmes life changing. He believes that we should take ownership of our lives. This is clearly evident in his Personal Empowerment seminars/workshops. One of his other specialities is motivating and training nursing staff. This has in many ways resulted in improved patient perceptions − in some instances from mediocrity to excellence. He is also part of a public speaking academy. He believes that the benefits that accrue from proficiency in public speaking skills cannot be quantified. One of his unique features is his ability to respond to the diverse needs of the community. He not only identifies the challenges but he is able to provide solutions. All in all he is a dynamic individual with diverse talents.
Irshaad Amod is an Islamic scholar and educator with a 25-year track record of community leadership. A graduate in Tafseer and Hadith from King Saud University, he studied directly under esteemed scholars like Sheikh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah, Dr Mustapha Al Azimi, Sh. Adib Saleh, and Mufti Ibrahim Desai. He actively serves the community through key roles in the South African National Zakaah Fund, the Jamiat Ulema KwaZulu-Natal, and the Association of Muslim Schools (AMS) South Africa, focusing on education, religious guidance, and social welfare.
Ahmed ElHattab has been an active participant in the Islamic Philanthropy and Nonprofit sector in the United States since 1978. He joined the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) full time in 1983 for 37 years, where he served as the Executive Director of ISNA Development Foundation for 26 years, as well as ISNA Acting Secretary General for several years.
Ahmed ElHattab also has been the Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the American Islamic College in Chicago (AIC) since 2013, and recently assigned the role of its Interim Secretary General. Ahmed ElHattab currently is the Director of Development at Sterling Charitable Gift Fund (SCGF) and the Center for Islam in the Contemporary World (CICW) at Shenandoah University, a member of the Advisory Council of the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA), and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH), and he recently joined the Board of Directors of the Weekend Islamic Schools Educational Resources (WISER). He served as a member of the Steering Committee of the Global association of Islamic Schools (GAIS) for three years and recently joined its Advisory Council.
