Our Story

Quality Assurance Strategic Planning and Institutional Research (QASPIR), an international organization based in USA, UK, MENA and India has established its credibility in helping a large number of higher education institutions across the globe in professional development of their faculty and staff.

QASPIR partners with institutions to unlock student potential through Transformative Learning.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide high quality services to higher education and be instrumental in their success and continuous improvement, through transformative learning.

Our Vision 

Our vision is supporting institutions to excel in the 21st century.

Our Goal 

Our goal is to help institutions prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.

Our Values

Integrity

Our commitment to honesty, transparency, and affordability defines who we are and what we do.

Inclusiveness

Our differences make us stronger. We celebrate equitable opportunity and model diversity in everything we do.

Curiosity

Inquiry-driven thinking, considering different perspectives, and constantly questioning what can we do to make things better to drive innovation, is at our core.

Excellence

We emphasize quality global partnerships, community expertise, and collaboration.

Lifelong Learning

Promoting a growth mindset and taking control of our learning is essential for continuous improvement for ourselves and others.

Leadership

Stuart Blacklock

Founder & CEO

Stuart is the driving force behind Qedex.  He has worked in higher education since 2011 and worked throughout the world learning different education systems and their accreditation processes.  Stuart’s work has covered North America, South America, Europe, MENA, India and Indonesia.

Stuart’s vision of affordable, equitable and accessible professional development led to the creation of Qedex, which in turn led to the realization that Transformative Learning can play a vital role in helping institutions stay relevant for the 21st Century.  

Dr Jeff King

Chief Academic Officer

Jeff King, EdD, is the Assistant Vice President of Transformative Learningat the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). He is a chief architect of UCO’s Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR), which is UCO’s operationalization of its mission to provide a transformative education to students.

Jeff is responsible for creating an evidence- and rubrics-based process in the curriculum and the co-curriculum that enables  students to develop  beyond-disciplinary skills and to expand their perspectives of their relationships to self, others, community, and environment. Jeff’s background includes faculty professional development work for more than 25 years in higher education.

Dr. Rachel Johnson

COO

Rachel has extensive experience in international higher education and a well-rounded profile in university operations, strategy, and leadership. Both her academic background and professional motivation are rooted in a commitment to developing the university student’s engagement and development.

Rachel provides expertise in communications, quality assurance, accreditation, student affairs, policy and governance. She is skilled in partnership development, change management, team building and coaching, and working with specialized and start-up institutions.

Dr Daniel Kirk

  Senior Advisor

Dr. Daniel Kirk is currently serving as the Dean of the College of Education and a Human Services at Lindenwood University, USA. Dr. Kirk has a lot of other roles such as as Dean and Professor of Education at  Winona State University, the American University of Ras Al-Khaimah, Associate Dean & Professor at the National Defense College in the United Arab Emirates, Associate Dean in the College of Education, and Executive Director of the School of Learning and Teaching at the Pacific University, Oregon (USA), etc.

 Ralph Wolff

Senior Advisor

Ralph Wolff is an independent consultant for higher education.Working for over 17 years as the President of WASC, a trustee of the USIU Africa, a member of National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI).
Ralph founded QA Commons in 2016 and has a wealth of knowledge and resources relating to soft skills for employability.
Ralph is also a serving member of the University Quality Assurance Institutional Board (UQAIB) in Dubai.

      Prof. Dr. Ir. R. Eko Indrajit

  Senior Advisor

Eko started his business, management, and information technology practices in Price Waterhouse Indonesia as Senior Consultant before joining several prominent corporations such as: Prosys Bangun Nusantara – Cap Gemini Consulting, Renaissance Indonesia, the Jakarta Consulting Group, Soedarpo Informatika Enterprise, and IndoConsult Utama.

As an academician, he has been appointed as Chairman of Perbanas School of Information System and Technology, Research Director of Swiss-German University, and participated as active faculty members in several universities, which are: University of Indonesia, Atma Jaya Catholic University, Bina Nusantara University – Curtin University of Technology, Trisakti University – Edith Cowan University, and IPMI – Monash University. Currently he is the President of the Association of Higher Learning Institution in Computing and Information Technology Studies. Leading more than 700 universities and 1,500 program of studies all over the nation. He is also known as a President of International Association of Software Architect – Indonesian Chapter.

He is also assigned by the government of Indonesia as a member of the Board of National Educational Standard (BSNP-Ministry of Education), the Board of Indonesian Professional Certification Authority (BNSP-Ministry of Labour and Transmigration), and the Board of National Research Council (DRN-Ministry of Research and Technology).

        Sarah Barnes 

    Director Client Success

With an impressive track record of delivering client satisfaction for over 20 years in both the finance and education sector, Sarah brings a tireless commitment to the success of QASPIR.

 

THE TEAM AT QASPIR

Meet the spirited team committed to make a difference in Education

QASPIR INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD


Dr. Timothy Brophy

Bio

Timothy S. Brophy is Director of Institutional Assessment at the University of Florida and Professor of Music Education. He has published over 50 articles and book chapters, is sole author of three books, editor of nine books, and is a founding editor of the open-access online Journal of Assessment in Higher Education.  He serves as an assessment expert for the New York State Arts Blue Ribbon Commission and served as an assessment developer for the International Baccalaureate in the Hague, Netherlands.

At the University of Florida, Dr. Brophy developed, implements, and sustains the University of Florida’s Assessment System and serves as Chair of the Academic Assessment Committee. He is responsible for all matters related to the university’s accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and established, maintains, and refines the university’s institutional effectiveness and assessment processes. He served on the SACSCOC Board of Trustees from 2011-2017 and is the University of Florida’s SACSCOC liaison. He currently serves as a chair for SACSCOC on-site and off-site review committees.


Dr. Tamer Salama Elmarsafawy

Bio

PhD in Biometrical Genetics from Cairo University, Egypt.

Professor of Biostatistics, RAK Medical & Health Sciences University.

As a teacher and researcher around 27 years of experience in training, teaching and research [published more than 27 papers (Education, Biology, Statistics, Genetics)].

One of the founding members of the Institutional Effectiveness, Quality Assurance & Accreditation office at RAK Medical & Health Sciences University.

Played a leading role in developing policies and guidelines of RAKMHSU for Licensure and Accreditation by CAA, UAE.

Member of RAKMHSU advisory Board.

Member of the Executive Council, Research and Ethics Committee and Chair of Assessment Committee at RAKMHSU.

Member of Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (ANQAAHE).

Responsible about University evaluation process on Academic and Non-academic levels and report to the President.

Orienting the faculty and students and coordinate with the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), UAE for the quality implementation of CAA’s Standards.

Active member in evaluation of short and long-term University strategic plans.

Key member of institutional review and cross institutional review.

Monitoring and evaluating the academic integrity at RAKMHSU.

Setting standardized procedures for course and program development in line with CAA standards.

Evaluating program outcomes and effectiveness annually.

Providing guidance to Master students in Pharmacy and Nursing Colleges for statistical part in Dissertation.

Coordinator of RAKMHSU Data to Center of Higher Education Data and Statistics (CHEDS) at Ministry of Education, UAE.

Coordinator of RAKMHSU Data to Federal Human Resources Authority, UAE.

RAKMHSU coordinator to CAA Team and ERT visits to RAKMHSU.

RAKMHSU coordinator to Qualifications Framework Authority (QF Emirates), UAE.

Consultant to different educational institutions within UAE.


Dr. Prof. Abhilasha Singh

Bio

A staunch supporter of quality education with a strong commitment to academic
excellence and unwavering dedication to the success of students, Prof. Abhilasha
Singh is a Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of
Organizational Behaviour at the American University in the Emirates, Dubai, UAE.
Throughout her distinguished career, she was engaged in a series of academic
administrative positions at various institutions, providing strategic directives at a
senior leadership role and ensuring its implementation with determination, while
working closely with the University President and senior administrative colleagues. In addition to advising the Board on strategic directives and liaising effectively between the President and the members of the Board as General Secretary of the BoardofTrustees at American University in the Emirates, she was actively engaged in monitoring compliance with prescribed standards and mandating administrative
requirements, for operational excellence both as the Vice President for Research
and Advancement and as Dean for College of Education. She also had served as
President and CEO of the College of Fashion and Design, accredited by the UAE
Ministry of Education, while concurrently serving as strategic advisor (honorary
position) to the President of American University in the Emirates, Dubai.
Passionate about excellence in higher education, she has been actively engaged inthe quality frameworks and assessment processes, while closing the quality loop
through identifying the potential gaps and redesigning the processes.
Author of more than thirty papers, articles, and case studies, based upon extensive grant-funded research, published in national and international journals, she is a
dedicated, accomplished, and progressive leader, with a history of providing
educational, research, and organizational direction for academic institutions.
Apart from holding a Doctorate, she is a Certified Practitioner of MBTI, EQ-i/ EQ
360, Balance Scorecard and SHRM. Her credentials also include an executive certificate program in Talent Analytics from MIT


Mr. Akhil Pruthi

Bio

Mr. Akhil Pruthi is Deputy Director – Strategic Initiatives at Alliance University and works with the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. He has a deep interest in institutional research and higher education strategy to solve key issues including improving the quality of higher education, internationalization, branding, and perception in the World University Rankings. He brings in-depth understanding and insights on policies and practices to facilitate collaborative partnerships supporting mobility, research, and teaching.

He has previously worked with O.P Jindal Global University where he led initiatives for the Office of Rankings, Benchmarking, and Institutional Transformation (ORBIT). He holds an MBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Indian School of Business (ISB) in Entrepreneurship and Marketing, and an MS from the University of Southern California (USC) in Electrical Engineering.


Prof. Pete Boyd

Bio

Prof Pete Boyd is an education consultant and research mentor working with educators and practitioner researchers in schools, colleges and universities to support the development of research-informed practice. He is emeritus professor in education at the University of Cumbria and visiting professor in academic development at Newman University.

For twelve years Pete was a teacher and head of department in secondary schools in the north of England and for three years worked in residential adventure education and field-study for primary and secondary school students. He became a teacher educator based in higher education and his primary field is teacher education, including initial education for beginning teachers as well as advanced professional education and professional development for experienced teachers.

As a teacher educator Pete contributed to teaching and learning development, including design and validation of an innovative part-time foundation degree programme for teaching assistants and a fully online part-time masters level

programme for experienced teachers. He moved into academic development and led a programme for new academics on teaching, learning and assessment in higher education. His research at this time related to this academic development role and focused on academic induction and on assessment and feedback in higher education. Pete was the lead author of UK national guidelines for academic induction of new teacher educators based in higher education. The ‘Becoming Teacher Educator’ guidelines were published by the Higher Education Academy and won the BERA / Sage practitioner research prize in 2009.


Dr. Carl Moore

Bio

Dr. Moore is currently the Assistant Chief Academic Officer at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He also serves as Certificate faculty in Temple University’s Teaching in Higher Education Certificate program, teaching faculty for USC’s Equity, and a workshop facilitator for the Online Learning Consortium. He is also frequently an invited speaker and consultant on inclusion, leadership, and faculty development and teaching and learning related topics.  He has a Doctorate in Urban Education from Temple University and a Masters of Arts from The Ohio State University in Higher Education Administration. His dissertation investigated how exemplary college faculty employ Universal Design for Learning principles in their teaching practices.
Carl has been teaching for over 14 years. Along his path, he has served as maintained appointments across the faculty classification gamete serving in Instructional, Adjunct, and Tenure-Track faculty roles. He has also created and instructed a variety of courses in education at The Ohio State University, Temple University, Cabrini College, and Arcadia University in both face-to-face and online formats. For the past several years Carl has dedicated his career to advancing the field of faculty development. He has done so by serving as a Department Chair at UDC, Assistant Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at Temple University, and Co-Chair of the POD Network Conference.  Alongside his career in academic affairs, Carl has also served in a number of student services leadership roles charged with enhancing student success. These roles entailed work in advising, retention, multicultural affairs, and TRIO programs. As a self-described “techie” and advocate for mission alignment the sum of Carl’s passions lie leveraging technology to enhance student outcomes at the course and institutional levels.


Mr. Sandeep Singh Sisodia

Bio

Sandeep graduated from the Ohio State University’s Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture in 2012 with a Master of Architecture. He has also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from India and has been registered as an Architect with the Council of Architecture, New Delhi, India since 2010. Sandeep has been teaching Architecture and Design courses at various institutions since 2008, as well as practicing as an Architect and Designer for nearly a decade now.

Having completed work on an exhibition/competition for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2012, “Common Ground”, he has subsequently designed and curated a number of installations with undergraduate architecture students at various institutions, both as part of their studios as well as independent workshops, and have also curated a City-level architectural exhibition at the Science Centre, Surat.

Sandeep believes in a blend of synchronous as well as asynchronous teaching, learning and assessment as part of his pedagogy. Currently, Sandeep is on a path to establish himself as a Digital Leader in the domain of Architecture and Design education, that is not limited to a specific audience. His Research interests lie in the notion of a transient sense of place, documentation and awareness of Unseen and hitherto Unprotected Heritage of cities and towns in erstwhile Rajputana, as well as developing interactive and critical content for designers.


Dr Amal BouZeineddine

Bio

Dr Amal BouZeineddine has earned her doctoral degree in Bilingual Education from Boston University in Massachusetts, United States of America. She is the Associate Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at the American University of Beirut and a full time faculty member in the Department of Education at the University. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in elementary education with focus on teaching of language arts, curriculum design and children’s literature.

She is the chair of the Practice Teaching Committee, Chair of Revising the BA program and Chair of the Comprehensive Examination-Elementary Education. In addition, Dr. BouZeineddine is the convener for Elementary Education and currently the Technical Coordinator of RACE II/DFID project with MEHE. Dr. BouZeineddine has been a consultant for educational institutions and has conducted in-service training and professional development activities for both Pre University and higher education faculty in Lebanon and the region in places such as Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, KSA, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Sudan. Dr. BouZeineddine’s research interests include assessing learning outcomes at both the program and course levels. In addition, she developed and reviewed research-based training manuals. Of her works are: •Faculty members ’ and Department Chairs ’ Perceptions about the Program Learning Assessment Process: the Case of the American University of Beirut. •A recommended framework for identifying best practices in teacher preparation programs. •Improving teacher education in Arab countries: What can we learn from international experiences? •Assessing Learning Outcomes: Changing Habits of Mind and Transforming Universities into Learning Communities ; •Evaluating Program Learning Outcomes – Process and Product – the Context of Qatar University- research grant ; •A Mechanism for Assessing Teacher Performance; •Relationship Between Reading Attitudes, Achievement, and Learners’ Perceptions of Their Jigsaw II Cooperative Learning.


Dr Heather Friesen

Bio

Dr. Heather Friesen is currently serving as Executive Director of Organizational Planning and Strategy at Abu Dhabi University. She has worked in higher education for 25 years in Canada and the Middle East, holding senior positions in strategic planning, institutional research, enrolment management, quality assurance and accreditation.

Her research and career interests include the study of student success, with her doctoral work examining factors that impact higher education participation and persistence mapped against GI (geographic information systems) coordinates as a proxy for neighbourhood and socioeconomic status.

She received her Doctorate of Education in higher education leadership from Simon Fraser University, Canada.


Dr Mike Keppell

Bio

Professor Michael James Keppell is an accomplished visionary and international thought leader. He is able to expertly deliver exemplary leadership and learning design to elevate teaching effectiveness integrated with educational environment change. He is a specialist in design-based research and innovation for large-scale transformations.

Michael’s immense experience and capability has been most recently demonstrated in his role of Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching with Taylor’s University, Malaysia. He led the implementation of Taylor’s Curriculum Framework (TCF), which transformed thirty-six undergraduate programmes and over 750 modules.
He designed the professional development program and facilitated workshops and clinics with over 500 academic staff across four faculties and 14 schools. His robust implementation vision and framework has moved Taylor’s learning and teaching to a unique market position.


Dr. Jörg Waltje

Bio

Dr. Jörg Waltje can draw on more than 20 years of experience in
educational and academic environments. His interests lie in curricular
innovations, creative practice, and continuous improvement of the learning
experience in higher education. He is a Principal Fellow of the UK Higher
Education Academy and holder of the ACUE Certificate in Effective College
Instruction. His broad training and expertise in teaching, assessment,
faculty development, and educational technology, combined with his
well-developed interpersonal and intercultural competencies and his
leadership experience, make him an excellent consultant who can see the
big picture. Dr. Waltje is an innovator and idea generator, outgoing and
witty, with an outstanding ability to motivate, inspire, and build close
working relationships with administrative and academic colleagues. Over
the years, he has served in increasingly complex administrative positions
in several universities and colleges. Holding leadership roles in both
public and private institutions, in the US and abroad, and working with a
variety of constituent groups has provided him with a wealth of
perspectives to work effectively with all educational audiences and
stakeholders.

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