Professor Ghassan Aouad brings a wealth of leadership and academic experience to his role as Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University (ADU), serving as the President of Applied Science University in Bahrain for over eight years before joining ADU. He obtained his MSc in Construction (1987) and his PhD in Integrated Planning Systems for the Construction Industry (1991) from the Department of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University in the UK.
After completing his PhD, Professor Aouad joined the University of Salford as a Research Fellow, progressing to become Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science and Technology. During his tenure at Salford, he supervised 24 PhD students, examined 52 PhD students, authored three research books, published 92 papers in top-rated journals, delivered over 50 keynote speeches, presented his work in more than 42 countries, and generated over £10M in research funding as Principal Investigator and £8M as Co-Investigator.
Following his tenure at Salford, Professor Aouad extended his leadership expertise globally, serving as the President of University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Kuwait. He also held leadership roles in professional organizations, including the President and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
In 2016, Professor Aouad received an honorary Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University. He is a member of the Advance HE Leadership and Management Strategic Advisory Group and a Fellow of Advance HE and the Chartered Institute of Building.
Qualifications
Loughborough University, UK
Honorary Doctorate of Technology
July 2016
Loughborough University, UK
PhD in Civil Engineering (Construction Management Area)
Topic Entitled: "Integrated Planning Systems for the Construction Industry"
October 1987 - June 1991
Loughborough University, UK
MSc in Construction
The course included Construction Technology, Management of Design and Construction. Also, courses in Temporary Work Design, Economics, ICE conditions
of contract, Systems Analysis and Design, computer programming (Basic and Fortran Languages) and applied statistics.
October 1986 - September 1987
Beirut Arab University, Lebanon
BSc in Civil Engineering
The five year course included Structural Analysis, Reinforced Concrete Design, Surveying, Water and Sanitary Engineering, Highway Engineering,
Soil Mechanics, Materials Engineering and Computer Applications.
October 1978 - June 1983
Previous Positions
President
Applied Science University in Bahrain
November 2014 - January 2023
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait
May 2013 - November 2014
President
University of Wollongong in Dubai
January 2012 - December 2012
Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science and Technology
University of Salford, United Kingdom
February 1992 - December 2011
Past President and Vice President
Chartered Institute of Building, CIOB
June 2014 - July 2015
Published Books
Constructing the Future
By Ghassan Aouad, Angela Lee and Song Wu
Taylor & Francis 2006
Requirements Engineering for Computer Integrated Environments in Construction
By Ghassan Aouad, Yusuf Arayici
Wiley 2009, US
Computer Aided Design Guide for Architecture, Engineering and Construction
By Ghassan Aouad, Angela Lee, Song Wu, Timothy Onyenobi
Taylor & Francis 2010
Process Management in Design and Construction
By Rachel Cooper; Ghassan Aouad, Angela Lee, Song Wu, Andrew Fleming, Mike Kagioglou
Wiley 2008
Presentations
The Art and Science of Doing Research
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Scenario Planning: Addressing the need of future learners
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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How to succeed in doing a PhD
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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LinkedIn Posts
Loyalty in Leadership
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Signing and MOU with the Arab Open University, Jordan Branch
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Power of smiles
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Signing an MOU with the Royal University for Women, Bahrain
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Importance of Communication in Universities
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Congratulations of our Chairman
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Things that are No Longer Common
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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ADU Town Hall Meetings at our Abu Dhabi Campus
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Welcoming HE Joyce Msuya
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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QS Higher Ed Pre-Summit
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Joy of Meeting the Students Council Members of Abu Dhabi University
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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A Sunday Morning Reflection
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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QS Arab Forum 2024
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Joy of Being Ranked 12th in the QS Arab Region University Ranking
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Presidential Roundtable: QS Arab Forum 2024
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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ADU Ranks 12th in the QS Arab Region University Rankings 2025
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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International Conference on Advancing Sustainable Futures (ICASF 2024)
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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QS Arab Forum 2024: Meeting Dr. Ashwin Fernandes
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Professor Nigel Healey: A True Role Model
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Thank you Prof. Habib Fardoun
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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10 Inspirational Quotes about Peace
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Joy of Being Ranked Top 200 of THE World University Ranking
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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University Students: Past and Future
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The World of 100 Annual Conference
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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ADU's MBA Joins the Top 200 in the World
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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ADU in the Top 200 Universities in the World
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Birmingham for THE World 100 Annual Conference
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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My Journey from Lebanon to the UK
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Supporting Students and Building Confidence
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Refugee Crisis: A Humanitarian Tragedy
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Leading Universities in an Age of Inequality
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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10 inspiring quotes for a better tomorrow
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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An Early Morning Reflection From Manchester
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The World Academic Summit in Manchester
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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International Conference on Education: Pioneering the Future of Education
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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International Conference on 'Refugee Women's Health in Light of Climate Change'
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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International Conference on Education: Pioneering Education's Future
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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12 "Ingredients" Perfect for a Failure Soup
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Exploring Five Generations: What Comes Next?
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Practice What You Preach: Walk the Talk
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Dr. Ashwim Fernandes Visited ADU
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Importance of Being on the Road
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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OTMC 2024 Conference
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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EQUIS Re-accreditation
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Importance of Being Valued
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Honorary Recognition by the Arab Council for Social Responsibility
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Most annoying people we encounter: a weekend morning reflection
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Most Joyful People We Want Around: A Weekend Morning Reflection
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Abu Dhabi University: Driving High-Impact Research and Innovation
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Building University Reputation Through Academic Partnerships
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Interview Podcast with Professor Judyth Sachs of Studiosity
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Congratulations to the Stars
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Interview Podcast with Professor Judyth Sachs of Studiosity
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The International Conference on Education (ADU_ICEDU2024)
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Important Moments in My Career Apart from My Current Job
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Helping High School Students Choose a University Degree
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Importance of Marketing in Building a University Reputation
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Building Reputation in Universities: The Importance of Good Governance
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Building University Reputation Through Quality Students and Admissions
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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A Heartfelt Thank You
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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THE World 100 Annual Conference
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Building Reputation in Universities: The Importance of Universities Rankings
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Path to Success
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Why I Am So Proud of ADU
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Building the Reputation of a University: Quality Faculty
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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University Reputation: Writing Papers in Top Peer-Reviewed Journals
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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An update on my LinkedIn Journey at Abu Dhabi University: nearly 4.5 million impressions
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Exciting News: Message from Phil Baty of THE on LinkedIn; I am absolutely delighted
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Recognizing Hard Work and Talent
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The University of Tomorrow
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Types of Intelligence
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Should University Leaders Be Active on Social Media?
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Stereotyping: Beyond Labels
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Citations and h-index
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Times Higher Education (THE) Best Small Universities Rankings 2024
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Challenges Facing Universities Worldwide
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Transformative Leadership: Driving Meaningful Change in the Higher Education Sector
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Twenty of my favorite quotes
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Professors of Life
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Schools of Tomorrow: Preparing Students for the Challenges Ahead
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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18 months at ADU
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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A summer break reflection on my LinkedIn posts
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Measuring Research and Innovation Outputs
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Sunday morning reflections
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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A Journey Through the History of Universities
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Authentic Leadership: Being True to Yourself
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Connecting Different Generations: Insights from an Insightful Student Interview
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Art of Compromise: the skill everyone needs nowadays
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The student experience throughout its life cycle: our duty of care
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Are we doing enough?
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Importance of Strong Family Bonds: Eid Reflections
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Ingratitude Epidemic: Why Thankfulness is Disappearing from Modern Life
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Navigating the Minds of Leadership: Sociopath vs. Psychopath in a leadership role
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Four revolutions that have shaped our world
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Leading by Example
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Multifaceted Nature of Success
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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A Weekend Reflecttion: Teaching as a Performance
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Morning Inspirational and Motivational Quotes
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Exciting News: ADU in the top 60 universities in the THE Young University Rankings 2024
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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10 inspritional quotes on leadership
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Invited to join the Advisory Council of the Association of Indian Principals (AIP)
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Leadership Schools and Philosophies: A Historical Journey
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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Are leaders born or made?
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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We need to build bridges: Lessons from the University of Life
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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The Impact of Technology of Lifestyles: Blancing Advancement and Challenges
By Prof. Ghassan Aouad
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