Delegates

Yusuf Abdullaev, Ph.D., D.Sc., is Rector of Samarkand International University of Technology in Uzbekistan. His Ph.D. thesis at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan focused on the foreign policy of Iran at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, and his DSc thesis addressed the challenges of higher education in foreign countries. Starting his professional career as a regular teacher, Dr. Abdullaev advanced to become the Rector of Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages, First Deputy Minister of National Education, and Head of the Department of Science and Education at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. After the nation declared its independence in 1992, he was appointed as the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation. Since February 2022, he has served as the Rector of the newly established Samarkand International University of Technology. He is a full member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the International Academy of Arts (Russia), the Russian Academy of Pedagogical and Social Sciences, and a member of the Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan. He is the author of more than 300 scientific works.

Robin Baker, Ph.D., became president of George Fox University in 2007 and just completed 25 years of service at the institution. During his presidency, in the midst of very turbulent times in higher education, George Fox has grown to become the largest private university in Oregon while retaining its strong Christian commitment. Dr. Baker previously served as George Fox provost for eight years. Under his leadership, the university has expanded academic programs in professional fields, including undergraduate engineering and nursing, as well as graduate health science programs, including physical therapy, physician assistant and occupational therapy. He has also overseen the addition of opportunities in NCAA intercollegiate athletics, including football, golf, lacrosse, and esports teams. Dr. Baker completed a PhD in Civil War and American Political History with honors at Texas A&M University in 1989. He is on the executive committee of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Faith-based Colleges and Universities,  the board of directors of the Council of Independent Colleges, and the NCAA Division III Board of Governors Subcommittee on Congressional Engagement & Action. His wife Ruth will accompany him to The Oxford Conclave.

Carolyn Bishop, Ph.D, has served as president of the Consortium for Global Education since 2002. An international education organization begun in 1987, CGE supports international programs for its 40 private accredited university members in 23 American states and 10 nations, and representing over 7,000 full-time faculty members. Members encourage partnerships with more than 300 overseas institutions in 90 nations and welcome international faculty and students to their campuses from 61 countries. Dr. Bishop completed her PhD at Emory University in Educational Leadership and Supervision after receiving her M.Ed. at Clemson and undergraduate degree from Furman University. With a network of global connections from 20 years living overseas, she assists member university leaders in university partnerships, links between government leadership, and ministries of education. She promotes mutually beneficial academic programs and assists student and faculty exchanges and study abroad opportunities. She advises on internships and short-term faculty-led trips, international research opportunities, J-1 visa placements, and international recruiting assistance. Her husband David will accompany her to The Oxford Conclave.

Ian Cosh is chair of the board of Northrise University and Vice President Emeritus of Community and International Engagement at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. He was born in Northern Ireland and raised in Southern Africa. He is a US and UK citizen. He is a Past District Governor of Rotary International District 6170 and is the global development advisor to the Vice Chancellor of Liverpool Hope University. He also serves as chair of the executive committee of the Consortium for Global Education. Ian has 15 years of experience in the telecommunication industry and 32 years of experience in Christian higher education. His wife Sharon will accompany him to The Oxford Conclave.

Nabil Costa is co-founder of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, now known as Thimar, where he serves as CEO. In 2011, Costa founded, within Thimar, SKILD Center for Smart Kids with Individual Learning Differences (SKILD) – one of the first centers for children with special needs in Lebanon. e concurrently serves as General Secretary for the Association of Evangelical Schools in Lebanon (AESL) and sits on
the Executive Committee of the Association of the Private Educational Institutions in Lebanon. In 2017, MEHE appointed Nabilnas the private schools’ representative to the Ministry of Education’s Committee for Special Needs Education. before joining the NGO world, he had a 20-year career in business.  In recognition of his contributions to the education field in Lebanon, he received in May 2011 an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Samford University in Alabama.

Bobby L. Hall, Ed.D., serves as provost of Samarkand International University of Technology in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Hall recently joined SIUT following a 42-year career at Wayland Baptist University in Texas, serving as president for the last eight years. Previously, Hall was Wayland’s executive vice president and provost, the chief operating and chief academic officer of the 10-campus system. His administrative responsibilities, planning and budgetary oversight extended from the home campus in Texas to external campuses in five states and Kenya as well as an extensive online program. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in management from Wayland, and a doctor of education degree in higher education administration at Texas Tech University. He was chair and board member of the Consortium for Global Education, board member and chair/president of the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities, executive board member of Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, and a board member of the Higher Education Research and Development Institute for Independent Colleges.

John C. Knapp, Ph.D. is the former president of two distinguished American colleges, most recently Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania where he led innovative initiatives to enhance the student experience and strengthen competitiveness in the market. He completed his service in June 2024 following the most successful year in fund- raising and student recruiting in the college’s 243-year history. Previously, he was president of Hope College in Michigan. Earlier in his career, he designed and directed academic programs in ethical leadership at several universities and worked with corporate leaders to found a non-profit, independent executive-education center helping hundreds of businesses and professional firms address ethical challenges and sustain values-based cultures. Cofounder and director of The Oxford Conclave since 2004, he is an internationally known speaker, having addressed several hundred academic, business, and governmental audiences in nine countries on five continents. Through Knapp Leadership LLC, he advises leaders seeking to enact transformational change and manage challenging issues in their organizations.. His wife Kelly co-directs The Oxford Conclave, managing logistics and leading programs for spouses and partners of delegates.

Fr. Bechara Khoury is president of Notre Dame University-Louaize in Lebanon. His journey began on July 22, 1995, when he was ordained a priest at the Maronite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In addition to his holy mission, Fr. Khoury dreamed of enlightening generations. Therefore, he pursued a specialized degree in the management of  educational institutions, a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Dijon (now the University of Burgundy), an MS in Economics and Social Sciences from the Catholic University of Paris, and an MTh in Theology from the Catholic University of Angers, France. Fr. Khoury’s experience in student affairs management and finance at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) equipped him with the right skills to take office in 2021 as the 7th President of the University, guiding it to become one of the top accredited universities in Lebanon. Not only is he proficient in Syriac, Greek, and Latin, but he also speaks the language of students by being fluent in Arabic, French, and English. Following his passion, Fr. Khoury’s vision is to educate the soul and the mind, thus shaping a better future for generations to come.

Hilary L. Link, Ph. D., is the 15th president of Drew University in New Jersey. She has a distinguished track record of leadership at prominent higher education institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to joining Drew, she was president of Allegheny College in Pennsylvania where she was the first female president. Earlier she served as dean of Temple University Rome and as vice provost at Barnard College of Columbia University. She began her career in higher education as director of scholar programs at New York University. Dr. Link earned her bachelor’s degree at Stanford University and both her master’s degree and doctorate in Italian language and literature at Yale University. Recognized as a multidisciplinary scholar, she has sought to provide students with a cross-disciplinary path to think critically, communicate creatively and question everything. In 2021, she was the recipient of the Pittsburgh Professional Women’s Influential Leader Award.

Michael H. Mittelman, OD, MPH, MBA, FACHE, FAAO, became the sixth president of Salus University in July 2013, bringing extensive experience as a senior healthcare executive. Most recently, he led the merger of Salus University with Drexel University in Philadelphia. Dr. Mittelman retired from the US Navy as a Rear Admiral after a distinguished 33-year career, culminating in his role as Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy. His extensive knowledge of multiple healthcare disciplines is grounded in a diverse range of positions, including U.S. Pacific Command Surgeon, where he led the DoD’s medical response to the Fukushima disaster in 2011. He earned his Doctor of Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and is a graduate of the Naval War College. He holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an MBA from Temple University’s Fox Business School. Dr. Mittelman held numerous leadership positions in the Navy, such as Command Surgeon for U.S. Joint Forces Command, Director of the Medical Service Corps, and Commanding Officer at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan. His roles spanned the globe, influencing military medicine at the highest levels and enhancing healthcare delivery to diverse populations. Dr. Mittelman’s military awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal and Distinguished Service Medal. His wife Tanis will accompany him to The Oxford Conclave.

Dr. Moffat Zimba, is vice chancellor of Northrise University in Zambia, an institution he co-founded in 2004. Born in Zambia, he pursued education in Accountancy and later in Theology. He was awarded a Doctorate in Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in the United States. He has worked for a variety of businesses and ecclesiastical organizations, including the Catholic Diocese of Ndola Youth Deoartment; Coopers and Lybrand (Zambia), Indeni Oil Refinery (Zambia),  and several churches in the United States. In addition to Northrise University, he serves on the boards of Zambian  institutions including Mapalo Morning Glow Academy, Arising Life Ministries, Ndola Zambia, and Hannel Boys Boarding School.  Dr. Zimba is a strong voice for authentic leadership and servanthood, a mentor to pastors, organisational leaders and young men. He also currently serves as an Elder at Ndola Baptist Church (NBC). His wife Doreen will accompany him to The Oxford Conclave.

Expert Facilitators

David Cunningham, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), a consortium of 300 colleges and universities under the auspices of the Council of Independent Colleges. The network is based at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously he served as director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, overseeing the development and editing of three books published by Oxford University Press. David is also the editor of two additional volumes and the author of five books. He holds a faculty appointment as professor of theology at Aquinas College; his research focuses on Christian theology and ethics and their relationship to rhetoric and drama. David previously served on the faculty at Hope College, where he was director of the CrossRoads Project, Hope’s Lilly-funded Program for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV), and on the faculties of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and the University of St. Thomas (MN). He holds a BSS in communication studies from Northwestern University, a BA and MA in theology and religious studies from the University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in religion from Duke University. His wife Marlies will accompany him to The Oxford Conclave.

Dr. James Robson is Director of the Centre for Skills, Knowledge, and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) and Associate Professor of Tertiary Education Systems. He also leads the MSc in Higher Education, and sits on the Research Management Committee and is CI of the Centre for Global Higher Education. His research focuses on the political economy of Tertiary Education systems, bringing together key interests in the nexus of education and employment, the critical study of skills supply and demand, research eco-systems, access, social justice and sustainability. He has received major funding from the ESRC, the AHRC, the GCRF, the Edge Foundation, the Royal Society, the British Academy, the Office for Students and Research England. In 2023, he became a founding member of the WorldSkills Global Research Council. He has conducted major research projects on connections between education and employment and has been involved in education and training system design and coordination. His expertise extends to skills supply and demand; emerging skills needs and the changing nature of work; green skills; education and training institutional reform; and graduate destinations and learner outcomes.

Special Guests

Elizabeth Kiss, D.Phil., is Warden of Rhodes House and CEO of the Rhodes Trust, overseeing  the world’s oldest graduate scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, as well as several partnership programmes. Founded in 1903, the Rhodes Scholarships support outstanding students from around the world for graduate study at the University of Oxford. Before joining the Rhodes Trust, Dr. Kiss (pronounced ‘quiche’) served for twelve years as president of Agnes Scott College in Georgia, during which time the college broke records for enrollment and retention and was named the country’s most successful liberal arts college for graduating low-income students by the U.S. Department of Education, and the No. 1 Most Innovative National Liberal Arts College by U.S. News and World Report. From 1997 to 2006 Dr Kiss served as the founding director of Duke University’s Kenan Institute for Ethics, building a university wide interdisciplinary centre focused on promoting moral reflection and commitment in personal, professional, organisational and civic life. She received her BA in philosophy from Davidson College in North Carolina, becoming Davidson’s first female Rhodes Scholar and receiving a BPhil and DPhil in philosophy from the University of Oxford.