Professor John Evans has a PhD and Master of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois, and a Master of Business in Accounting from Curtin University.
Professor Evans has extensive international experience as an academic leader and business manager through his roles as Dean of Campus for the University of Wollongong in Dubai, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Curtin Malaysia, Director of Curtin’s Asia Business Centre and currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University Dubai.
Email: john.Evans@curtindubai.ac.ae
Professor Chithirai Pon Selvan has extensive experience in teaching engineering students and has worked in academia for over twenty-three years. He has published/presented more than 150 research articles in journals and conferences. He has been invited and honoured as keynote speaker, session chair, resource person, and technical committee member of various conferences held in UAE, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Germany, Italy, Australia, and the UK. His research interests are in the areas of machine design, optimization techniques, manufacturing practices, renewable energy, and engineering sustainable development. He is the approved supervisor of many universities including Curtin University, Australia to guide PhD scholars and has produced many PhDs. He is a member of many professional societies including SAE, ASHRAE, IMechE, ASME, EI, ASQ, and ISTE. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), UK.
Prof Pon has received several prestigious awards in the UAE including the following.
Prior to joining Curtin University Dubai in July 2018, he served for 10 years in the UAE with Manipal University Dubai and Amity University Dubai.
Email: Pon.Selvan@curtindubai.ac.ae
Phone: +971 42452579
Dr. Nidhi Sehgal is the Head of School of the School of Business and Humanities at Curtin University Dubai. She completed her PhD in Business Administration and is also a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK. She holds two master’s degrees: one in the area of Business Administration with a specialisation in Human Resource Management and another in Philosophy with a concentration on Management. She was the university topper and secured a gold medal for outstanding performance in her MBA. She has also completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration.
She qualified with the National Eligibility Test for Lectureship conducted by the University Grants Commission, India. She has worked with prestigious government and private international universities in the UAE and India and has a rich teaching experience of over a decade. Prior to academia, Dr Sehgal has significant industry experience. She regularly presents her research papers at conferences and publishes her research in reputed journals. She has published research papers in the areas of teaching and learning, human resource management, and marketing.
Dr. Noor Ulain Rizvi holds a Ph.D. (Finance) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Delhi) which ranks in the top 3 in Indian rankings and 185 in QS Global World Rankings 2022. She has authored numerous research papers and attended prestigious fully funded conferences such as the annual meetings of the Asian Finance Association. She holds a degree of Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Education, and Master of Commerce from the University of Delhi (India).
As a senior research fellow awarded by University Grants Commission (NET-JRF), she has worked as a teaching assistant to renowned finance and banking professors. Noor is a member of the American Finance Association, Rotaract Society, and Asian Finance Association.
She received the ‘Rising Star (Academics)’ at MAGEX 2021 and the best research paper award in 2019 at BITS-Pilani, an institution of eminence conferred by the Government of India.
She is also a co-principal investigator on a project under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) research grant scheme. Previously, she was a research assistant in a project at the University of Delhi, titled “Developing the psycho-social profile of an Indian Adolescent”.
As an administrator, she was the Program Coordinator of the flagship B.Com (professional) program (300+ students) at her previous association, Manipal University Dubai. She assisted the coordinators at IIT Delhi in organizing the India Economic Summit 2017 (under the aegis of the World Economic Forum), along with many short-term courses. She was the founding Director of the Rotaract club at the Delhi School of Economics (University of Delhi).
Noor lectures in finance at Curtin University Dubai.
Email: Noor.Rizvi@curtindubai.ac.ae
Dr Yaeesh Yasseen is an experienced academic with 14 years of experience. He has been awarded a PhD in accounting, a Master of Commerce as well as an Honours and a bachelor’s degree . He is a Professional Accountant (SA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (USA). He was a previous associate professor at a leading South African University. He has worked tirelessly to position himself as an established researcher with experience in postgraduate research that focusses primarily on mentoring, coaching, and development of academics and professionals.
Apart from his academic responsibilities, he is also actively involved with Professional Accountancy Organisations (PAOs) through various structures and committees. His roles within the PAO and business landscape have ranged from board-level participation through to professional training of professional accountants and corporates. Dr Yasseen has an in-depth understanding of the current structure of how PAO, private, and state-owned entities function within a local and international context and how they relate to business. He tends to focus his efforts on quality and realignment of qualifications and has spent a large portion of time advising PAOs and businesses through various boards, committees, and professional education programmes. Dr Yasseen also spends large amounts of time advising on International Education Standards and how they link to the accountancy profession. He is passionate about issues concerning critical thinking within the accountancy and business profession; business regulations; regulation of PAOS; public interest; SMEs; and driving professional relegitimization.
Email: Yaeesh.Yasseen@curtindubai.ac.ae
Dr. Rex Bacarra has received two PhDs. He graduated with a PhD in Management Research with concentration on Organizational Development and Human Resource Management at King’s College London, UK and another PhD in Philosophy at De La Salle University, Manila. He is also McGraw-Hill Education’s Digital Faculty Consultant for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
He is a Noble Hero Awardee, the highest award given to an overseas Filipino by the UAE’s Philippine Consulate for excellence in the field and for his service to the community. The Khaleej Times profiled his story in an article entitled, “Dr. Rex Bacarra: An Extraordinary Inspirer for Students”. He has been chosen as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf by Illustrado Magazine for 5 years in a row; interviewed by Abu Dhabi TV (ADTV) for excellence in the field of teaching; awarded as the “Outstanding Educator of the Year” by The United Federation of the Filipino-American Educators in New York, USA, August 2020; awarded with “Innovator of The Year – Education” during the XAGA Awards by Xpedition Magazine, 2019; awarded with “Educator of The Year” by The Filipino Times, 2019; Gulf News cited him as one the favourite and memorable teachers based on the interview conducted with former students.
He was invited by the United Nations and Heartfulness Organization as a speaker during the International Day of Peace, Dubai, UAE. He was also invited to give a leadership talk to the Joint Aviation Command of the UAE military in Abu Dhabi, and as a jury in the Global Pitch Competition consisting of several countries upon the invitation of the UAE’s Ministry of Economy.
Email: Rex.Bacarra@curtindubai.ac.ae
Shelley Lawson was an English Language teacher for more than twenty years at higher education institutions in Germany, South Korea, KSA, and the UAE and she now works as a lecturer in the School of Business and Humanities at Curtin University Dubai.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, a Master’s in Media and Culture, and a Master’s in English Language and Applied Linguistics. She is currently conducting her PhD research into the credibility of personal stories on Twitter, and her other research interests include second language acquisition, culture, social media, and critical discourse analysis.
Shelley regularly presents at conferences and publishes her research, but still considers the most important and rewarding aspect of her job to be the teaching itself.
Email: Shelley.Lawson@curtindubai.ac.ae
Ms Mehroz Dilshad holds a Master of Science degree in International Economics, Banking, and Finance from Cardiff University, UK and a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours degree in Finance with distinction from Lahore School of Economics, Pakistan. She was awarded with a merit-based scholarship for four years when enrolled in her BBA (hons). With over five years of teaching experience in higher education, she has taught subjects in International Business at the foundation and undergraduate levels in Curtin University Dubai.
Mehroz has recently published four articles in the finance and education disciplines in International Business Research Journals. Being an economics, finance, and banking graduate, Mehroz has also worked in the banking sector to gain practical experience. She is currently pursuing Doctorate of Education (thesis in Finance & Higher Education) from the University of Liverpool, UK.
Email: Mehroz.Dilshad@curtindubai.ac.ae
Ms Vidhi Agarwal has more than 10 years of experience in Education Management – teaching the subjects of Law, Commerce, Management, and Ethics in the UAE and India. Her previous work experience includes working as a Partner for an international law firm, providing expertise and specialist skills in the management and operation of the firm. Ms Agarwal has performed contract analysis, related to investment funds and covenant quality assessments for credit rating agencies. With a Master’s in Law, a Master’s in Commerce, a Diploma in Business Management, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, Ms. Agarwal is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Management in a multi-disciplinary subject.
Email: Vidhi.Agarwal@curtindubai.ac.ae
Mr Ankit Kathuria holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree in Marketing & International Business, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
He has more than a decade of industry experience holding marketing and digital leadership positions at UBER, EMAAR, OLX, and Make My Trip.
He has worked across international markets including Europe, the Middle-East, South Asia, and North America. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Solvetude Marketing Consultancy, which engages with businesses with a mission to help them devise their digital strategy and growth roadmap.
He has been awarded as one of the Most Influential Marketing Leaders by World Marketing Congress and also been listed in the Top 3 Digital Marketers in the Ecommerce and Online Classifieds category by the Internet and Mobile Association of India. He has been invited and honoured as keynote speaker and panellist in various conferences in the UAE, India, Germany, and Thailand. His article on the “Emerging Role of Digital Marketing in Indian Market” has been published by the Consultant’s Review magazine. He also has multiple marketing campaign case studies published with Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Email: Ankit.Kathuria@curtindubai.ac.ae
Dr Khyati Shetty, is a recipient of several teaching and Industry awards, including the Global Training and Leadership Award-2017, GCC Women Leaders Award-2017, and Top 100 Global Training and Development Minds-2018. With an experience of more than 11 years in industry, consultancy and academia, she specializes in the subjects of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Marketing. She is also an Executive Coach, Innovation Facilitator, and Leadership Consultant to several Governments and has conducted more than 250 Executive Education Programs around the globe.
Her research interests are in the areas of Brand Personality and Women’s Entrepreneurship, and her sustained commitment to impactful research in Women and Leadership has led to her initiatives being recognized by the Diana Project-2018 and several leading journals and conferences.
Email: Khyati.Shetty@curtindubai.ac.ae
Phone: +971 42452572
Dr. Sonakshi Ruhela holds a Harvard Certification in Higher Education with a PhD in Psychology, recognized by the Ministry of Education, UAE. She is an accomplished Educationalist with over 12 years of extensive experience in Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching, training, mentorship, and research with students from different nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. She is also a Co-supervisor for Doctoral Research Scholars in the field of psychology and mental health. Dr Ruhela was a pioneer in forming the Department of Psychology at Amity University Dubai in 2016 and is currently designated as a Senior Lecturer and Program Coordinator for Psychological Sciences at Curtin University Dubai.
She is a Community Development Authority (CDA Dubai) Licensed Psychologist with a comprehensive experience in the field of Counselling, Psychotherapy, Behavioural-Lifestyle interventions, Neuro-linguistic programming, and Psychometric assessment. She is the recipient of the ‘People’s choice award for Excellence in Mental Health’ by The World Health Awards in 2021; ‘The Great Indian Women Leader Category- Education Award’ by Golden Signatures Awards in 2021; ‘The Middle East Women Leaders Award’ by World Women Leadership Congress & Awards in 2020, and many more awards.
Mahesh Raj Nagaraj holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and a Master’s in Computer Applications in Industrial Drives in Electrical Engineering, for which he secured a university gold medal. He has over 8 years of experience in teaching and student relations. He is currently pursing his PhD with Curtin University.
His research interests are in the areas of Nano Technology; Artificial Intelligent and Neural Networks; Electrical Power Generation; Smart and Eco-friendly System; and Maximum Power Point Tracking for Photovoltaic System. He has hands-on experience in the installation of various engineering laboratories and is a certified professional in PLC and SCADA.
Email: Mahesh.Nagaraj@curtindubai.ac.ae
Phone: +971 42452565
Sabiha Nuzhat holds a Master of Science in Information Technology (Software systems) with Distinction from Heriot Watt University, and a Bachelor of Science in Computing Science from Murdoch University. During her studies at Murdoch Dubai, she received the honour of being a Valedictorian, and was awarded the ‘Academic Excellence Award by DIAC’ (Dubai International Academic City) and the ‘Colonel S P Wahi Leadership Award’ for demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities. She has been teaching for more than 8 years to undergraduate students, mainly, objectoriented programming, databases, computer systems, system analysis & design, and mathematics. Sabiha has also been awarded fellowship by the Higher Education Academy, UK (FHEA) 2020.
Sabiha also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School – Scotland. Prior to teaching, she had been working in the marketing industry with her main focus on social media and web marketing. She was also responsible for various employee trainings at the organisation and holds an ISO qualified auditor certificate from QA Technic.
Currently, Sabiha is pursuing a PhD from Curtin University in Australia. Her research is focused on the use of Technology in Education.
Email: Sabiha.Nuzhat@curtindubai.ac.ae
Phone: +971 42452312
Ajita Nayar has a Master’s in Microbiology and Environmental Science and is an Associate Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. She is an experienced lecturer with more than 15 years of teaching both undergraduate and graduate students in Mumbai and Dubai. She is passionate about improving quality and adding value to Teaching and Learning practices and has been closely involved in curriculum and assessment design for undergraduate students. In addition to lecturing, she was also the Academic Counsellor and Institutional Effectiveness Coordinator at the American College of Dubai.
Ajita Nayar is also a qualified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has managed International Educational for Sustainable Development (ESD) projects for the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) in the UAE and Qatar which were adjudged by UNESCO as one of the five Best Practices in the Arab region. She was invited by UNESCO to present her project design and activities at the World Conference on ESD in Nagoya, Japan. She has represented the UAE in numerous international gatherings on Education for Sustainable Development in Norway, Scotland, Malta, Poland, Macedonia, Sweden, and Morocco, and is a regional member of the Commission on Education and Communication of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Ajita Nayar joined Curtin University Dubai in January 2018 and teaches Mathematics and Introduction to Statistics to the Foundation and Undergraduate students.
Email: Ajita.Nayar@curtindubai.ac.ae
Shahra Jafar was the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Academic Excellence Award and the Colonel SP Wahi Leadership Award during her time as a student pursuing a double major in Information Technology and Business Information Systems at Murdoch University Dubai.
During her time as a student, she began her career with Transnational Academic Group as an Adjunct Lecturer teaching Computer Productivity and Mathematics in the Foundation Program. At Curtin University Dubai, Shahra Jafar started as the Unit Coordinator and Lecturer for Mathematics and Computer Productivity, where she contributed towards the curriculum development of Physics and Chemistry in addition to her teaching portfolio. She has completed her Masters in Information Technology (Software Systems) from Heriot Watt University and is currently the head of Foundation Studies at Curtin University Dubai. Shahra is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK.
She is simultaneously pursuing her PhD with Curtin University, focusing on Artificial Intelligence.
Email: Shahra.Jafar@curtindubai.ac.ae
Phone: +971 4 2452576
Dr Bilal Siddiqi has experience in both academic and operational spheres. He has a PhD in literature from the University College of London, where he was recipient of a three-year scholarship. During his PhD, he edited a cluster of articles on Fyodor Dostoevsky entitled, ‘Rethinking Dostoevskii: Literature, Philosophy, Narrative’ with the renowned Slavonic journal, SEER. He also co-wrote the introduction for this cluster. He taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses at UCL and supervised undergraduate theses in literature. He is also a qualified schoolteacher, with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Oxford University. He has taught at various secondary schools in London and Oxfordshire, teaching English Literature and Language to students in between the ages of 11 and 18.
On the administrative and operational side, Bilal has worked predominantly in the media and education sectors, serving as Executive Director for Samaa TV, one of the premier news channels in Pakistan, and as a Marketing and PR executive and later manager at Murdoch University Dubai.
Email: bilal.siddiqi@curtindubai.ac.ae
Jeya Kumar has over 20 years of teaching experience. He has been an instructor, teaching Mathematics at Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in Al Ain for fifteen years. He piloted and pioneered an online web-based program called ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces) at HCT. Prior to his lectureship at HCT Al Ain, he worked as a teacher, computer instructor, and network administrator in Brunei. Mr. Kumar specializes in teaching mathematics by incorporating elements of computing.
He completed his first degree in Mathematics and Computing in the UK. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education (Mathematics and Computing) from Curtin University, Perth, Australia. He then went on to complete his MSc in Education (Classroom Technology) from Walden University. During his career, he has presented at a number of conferences and workshops for academics and professionals. Mr Kumar has also published on the ‘Online delivery of Mathematics courses.’ Mr Kumar currently teaches Mathematics at Curtin University Dubai.
Email: Jeya.Kumar@curtindubai.ac.ae
Phone: +971 42452580
Everyl Colaco holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Marketing and Management, a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification, and a Master’s in Business Administration.
Prior to her role as Senior Teaching and Learning Coordinator and Foundation Program Coordinator for non-STEM units, Everyl worked as an associate lecturer and in the Student Experience and Academic Departments. Having been part of the Curtin Dubai team since the launch of its campus in 2017, Everyl currently oversees the Student Success Centre, Student Experience, and the Student Council. She is a notable speaker for the University’s high school outreach program and has also emceed for events such as Curtin Dubai’s Graduation Ceremony in 2020 and the DEWA Business Cup Challenge.
Email: Everyl.Colaco@curtindubai.ac.ae
Nicholas Brown is a Teaching and Learning Coordinator in the Student Success Centre at Curtin University Dubai. He teaches courses within the University’s Foundation program, focusing on areas such as Critical Thinking, Academic Writing, and Project Management.
Born in the United Kingdom, Nick graduated with a BEng (Hons) in Architectural Engineering in Edinburgh and began his career as a Mechanical Building Services Engineer. Nick then moved to Dubai, managing several projects, including Expo 2020 Pavilions, helping them obtain their LEED Gold Sustainability targets.
As a Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Nick supports students with understanding the types of academic writing, tips and tricks on paraphrasing, referencing, and understanding how to identify credible sources when writing assignments.
Email: Nicholas.Brown@curtindubai.ac.ae
