The GCES Board

Dr. Khalaf AlAbri is an assistant professor in the leadership of education systems and policies in the Department of Educational Foundations and Administration, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University. He obtained a BA in Education majoring in English Language from Sultan Qaboos University in 2006, an MA in Educational Leadership from the University of Queensland in Australia, and a PhD in Education Systems and Policies from the University of Queensland in 2016. Khalaf is currently the Director of the Main Library at Sultan Qaboos University, and prior to that (2016-2020) was the Head of the Quality Assurance and Academic Accreditation Unit at the College of Education. He is an external reviewer in the register of the Omani Academic Accreditation Authority. Khalaf is interested in studying the impact of globalization on education systems and policies. His current research focuses on education for global citizenship, education goals for sustainable development, and internationalization of education.

Natasha Ridge is the founding Executive Director of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research. Prior to this appointment, she was the Acting Director of Research at the Dubai School of Government. Natasha has over 20 years of experience working in the international education sector including in Singapore and Australia. She holds a Doctorate of Education in International Education Policy from Columbia University, a Master's in International and Community Development from Deakin University and a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University. 

Natasha has more than 30 publications, including a book entitled Education and the Reverse Gender Divide in the Gulf States: Embracing the Global, Ignoring the Local and another entitled Philanthropy in Education: Diverse Perspectives and Global Trends. Her latest research focuses on philanthropy and education in the MENA region as well as the nature and impact of father involvement on education in the Arab World. In addition to being a founding Executive Board member and former President of the Gulf Comparative Education Society Natasha is also serves on several boards including the NORRAG Advisory Board, EduAlliance and the RAKEZ Academic Zone Board.

Dr. Ahoud Alasfour is an Assistant Professor in Comparative Education at the Department of Educational Foundations and Administration at the College of Basic Education - the Public Authority for Applied Education and training in Kuwait (PAAET). Alasfour completed a master’s degree in Education Policy International (MEPI) at the University of Melbourne, before completing her PhD in Higher Education Privatization Policies in Kuwait from the same University in Australia in 2015. Her main research area is Comparative Education. She has an active participation in conferences both regionally and internationally. She has published several papers, a book, and book chapters in both Arabic and English. She has been the President of the Gulf Comparative education Society (GCES) since April 2018. Also, she is a managing editor and a member of editorial and advisory boards of the Gulf Education and Social Policy Review (GESPR), and The WCCES Chronicle - World Voices Nexus (WVN). She is also a member of the publication committee of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) since September 2020. She is a member and one of the founder of project HESPRI - Elevating Higher Education public policies: an empowering SPRIngboard, a four-year project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – Staff Exchanges.