Higher education leaders, policymakers, and educators from across the region and beyond will gather in Dubai for the seventh MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum (MENA-HELF 2026), running between September 28 and 30 at the Kempinski Central Avenue.

Organized by the Center for Learning Innovations and Customized Knowledge Solutions (CLICKS), the three-day forum carries the theme “Global Challenges, Local Impact: Higher Education’s Role in Shaping a Resilient Future.”

The event will explore how universities can respond to global challenges in a changing landscape while delivering lasting impact locally.

The program includes keynote addresses, leadership panels, workshops, focus groups, debates, and networking sessions aimed at encouraging knowledge exchange on innovation and the future of higher education.

Dr. Roberta Malee Bassett, Global Lead for Tertiary Education at the World Bank, is among the panel of confirmed speakers.

Her keynote, “Embedding Vocational Considerations into the Curriculum: Putting Tertiary Education to Work,” will look at how vocational capacity building can be incorporated into the regular curriculum design.

This year’s research conference covers topics from sustainability and inclusive learning to teaching quality and academic coordination, with academics and higher education professionals from institutions such as the Lebanese American University, Ajman University, Aga Khan University, and Sharjah Maritime Academy lined up to present their individual and collaborative papers.

The forum aims to give education stakeholders a platform to discuss the challenges facing higher education, focusing on ways to strengthen institutional resilience, innovation, and collaboration.

The overarching goal of the grand leadership event is to maximize local impact to cater to the needs of communities and institutions on the ground.