OBREAL Global has transformed over the past years from an association that primarily promotes European Union-Latin America cooperation in higher education and research, to one with a broader inter-regional mandate and membership scope, committed to strengthening South-South- North cooperation within and between regions.

2020/21 has been a busy time period, whereby, in the midst of a global pandemic, OBREAL Global has consolidated ‘Chapters’ in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, India and Africa, each of which is driven by membership and has shaped its own needs and priorities.

OBREAL Global has taken steps to promote inter-regional dialogue and exchange on key topics of common interest, ranging from the internationalisation of learning, digitalisation, international research management and the role of universities in local development

OUR HISTORy

OBREAL was created as an association in order to implement a cooperation project of the European Commission (DG RELEX y EuropeAid). At that moment, the European Commission pointed out in its call that the relationship between the European Union and Latin America had become closer as a result of bi-regional summits, existing association agreements (i.e. México and Chile) and association agreement negotiations. Therefore, more and more advices were required for decision-making in the area of bi-regional relationships. OBREAL was born in this context, with the aim of contributing to the creation of a network of institutions and organizations from both regions which had no coordination mechanisms and/or limited visibility. As a result, OBREAL was set up by 23 academic institutions, research centers in Europe and Latin America, and their own networks.

Between 2004 and 2016, OBREAL’s research was organized in five thematic areas:

  • Trade and financial relations and regional integration
  • Democracy, human rights and the rule of law
  • Social and development cooperation
  • Global governance and multi-regionalism
  • Civil society and institution’s building

In 2017 OBREAL become OBREAL Global, re-defining its former thematic areas and extending its outreach from Europe to Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, incorporating new members and supporting institutions in the association.

OBREAL Global Goals

Foster South-South-North policy dialogue

Promote intra and inter regional integration as a key component of South-South-North collaboration

Promote a truly internationalised perspective of Higher Education and Research..

Generate collaboration spaces for higher education institutions, the youth sector, industry and public authorities in promoting human development.

OBREAL Global Goals

Foster South-South-North policy dialogue

Promote intra and inter regional integration as a key component of South-South-North collaboration

Promote a truly internationalised perspective of Higher Education and Research.

Promote a truly internationalised perspective of Higher Education and Research.

PRESIDENCY

Ramon Torrent
President

BIO

Ramón Torrent

President

Between 1988 and 1998, Ramon Torrent was a member and later the Director for International Economic Relations in the Legal Service of the EU Council.

He is one of the five EU-proposed members of the roster of arbitrators for the EU agreements with Central America, Peru and Colombia, Chile, CARIFORUM, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Korea, SADC and Central Africa. Until his retirement in September 2017, Ramon was a full professor of Political Economy and International Economic Law at the Universitat de Barcelona. He launched in 2008 and directed for 10 years the extinct Master of Laws in International Economic Law and Policy (IELPO LL.M.), a top-notch program that gathered salient Faculty and talented students from more than 84 nationalities, and whose graduates currently occupy leading positions worldwide. He has coordinated a number of International, mainly EU-funded, projects of cooperation in Higher Education with Latin America, the Mediterranean, the EU’s Neighbouring Countries and Africa. He launched the process of the Arab – Euro Conferences on Higher Education (AECHE). He is currently (2019) the scientific coordinator of the Horizon 2020 project EULAC Focus (“Giving Focus to the cultural, scientific and social dimension of EU – CELAC relations”) as well as the President of OBREAL Global.

Kiran Gopakumar Rajalekshmi
vicepresident

BIO

Kiran Gopakumar Rajalekshmi

Vicepresident

Dr. Kiran Gopakumar Rajalekshmi is  currently the Dean of Middle East College (MEC), which is one of the largest higher education institutions in the Sultanate of Oman and the Vice -President of OBREAL-Global.

Kiran  holds a PhD in Information Systems from the London School of Economics & Political Science, UK.  Kiran has more than 23 years of vast experience from his key roles at national and international levels in areas relating to higher education management, teaching, research, strategic policy development, quality assurance, social computing, governance reforms, e-governance, and ICT for development. He is an External Reviewer with the Oman Authority of Academic Accreditation (OAAA) since 2015.

In his capacity as the Dean of MEC, Dr. Kiran has chaired the Institutional Standards Assessment panel to colleges/universities within Oman. Dr. Kiran also holds vast experience in heading and implementing key governmental projects on e-governance and ICT in Kerala, India.

INTERREGIONAL BOARD

VIDYA YERAVDEKAR
Indian Chapter Chair - SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNITERISTY (india)

BIO

Vidya Yeravdekar

Indian Chapter Chair
Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar is the Principal Director of Symbiosis Society, and the Pro Chancellor of Symbiosis International University
The Symbiosis International University is a multidisciplinary, multinational, multi-cultural University that having 45000 students from all States of India and international students from 85 countries. The Symbiosis Society not only has under its ambit the Symbiosis International University but also has K12 Schools, College of Arts and Commerce and Museums- the Afro Asian cultural museum and the Dr. Ambedkar Museum. Dr. Vidya holds a Post Graduate Degree in Medicine, a Degree in Law and Ph.D. in 'Internationalisation of Higher Education in India’. Having presented papers at various National & International Conferences, she has numerous research publications to her credit and has also authored several books. Ranked No.14 amongst India’s top 25 Powerful Women, Dr. Vidya has been instrumental in bringing in innovative approaches to promote internationalisation of higher education in India. As a member of University Grants Commission (UGC) for two terms, Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) under Ministry of Education and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under Ministry of External Affairs, she has been a facilitator of innovative approaches to higher education in India. Dr. Vidya has been appointed as a member of the expert group on Global Outreach of Higher Education, formulated by UGC to implement the National Education Policy 2020 that was rolled out by the Ministry of Education Govt. of India, member of the Advisory Group of Analytical and Advisory work (ASA), World Bank and member of the Board of Trustees of Muscat University, Oman. She is a Chairperson of the FICCI Committee on Higher Education and serving 3rd term. Dr. Vidya has been appointed as Member of India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) Trust set up by Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India, to promote the ‘Brand India’ label in overseas markets and member of the Expert Group constituted by the UGC for Development of Educational Framework for Global Citizenship in Higher Education Institutions. She has elected as Member of the Central Governing Council of Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) set up by Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, Member of the General Assembly of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Governing Body of Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA), Government of Maharashtra. She is also the Board of Director of the Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Dr. Vidya has been appointed as the first Chair of the OBREAL Global India Chapter a for a period of 3 years. She is a member on the Board of several organisations like Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, Research Committee of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Public Health Foundation of India, Symbiosis University of Applied Sciences Indore, Symbiosis Skills and Open University, Pune. She is a member of many corporate bodies such as Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Confederation of India Industry (CII), Maratha Chambers of Commerce and Industries (MCCIA) and Not for profit organisations like HK Firodiya Foundation, India International Centre (IIC), Pune International Centre (PIC) & Pune Citizens Police Foundation (PCPF). She has also been a member on many other organizations

OLUSOLA OYEWOLE
African chapter chair - AAU (ghana)

BIO

Olusola Oyewole

African Chapter chair - AAU (Ghana)
Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole is a Nigerian professor of Food Science and Technology, specifically Food Microbiology and Biotechnology. He is currently the Secretary General of the AAU.
He is the former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria and has also worked as a Senior Expert in Higher Education for the African Union Commission in Ethiopia. Professor Oyewole’s work experiences at the national, regional and continental levels have endowed him with a wealth of knowledge in coordinating multinational research and development programs.

Oscar Domínguez
South American Chapter Chair - ASCUN / enlaces (colombia)

BIO

Oscar Domínguez

South American Chapter Chair
Executive Director of Asociación Colombiana de Universidades ASCUN (Colombian Association of Universities)
Agricultural Engineer, Specialist in Environmental Education; Specialist in Strategic Management and Master in Education. He currently serves as Executive Director of Asociación Colombiana de Universidades ASCUN (Colombian Association of Universities).

Myriam Moïse
Caribbean Chapter Chair - Universities Caribbean (Jamaica)

BIO

Myriam Moïse

Caribbean Chapter Chair
Dr Myriam Moïse is Associate Professor at the Université des Antilles in Martinique, researcher at the Caribbean research lab of social sciences and Fulbright scholar
She is the Secretary-General of Universities Caribbean, the organization of Caribbean universities and research institutes. She holds a joint doctoral degree from Paris Sorbonne University and the University of the West Indies. Her research fields include Gender Studies, Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies, with a special focus on literary and artistic creations by Caribbean women. Dr Moïse is very committed to developing collaborative research and educational projects in the wider Caribbean region. She is currently engaged in various research activities including the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program “Connected Worlds: The Caribbean, Origin of Modern World” (www.conneccaribbean.com). She was Executive member of the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) and continues to serve the CSA journal as a French Caribbean sub-editor. She is also French expert-advisor for the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC).

Management Team

Paulo Speller
Representative in Brazil

BIO

Paulo Speller

Representative in Brazil

He joined the OBREAL Global Management Team as Senior Representative in Brazil in 2018.

Prior joining OBREAL Global, Paulo acted as the secretary general of the OEI (Organization of Iberoamerican States) and between 2010 and 2015 Professor Speller was the secretary of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education of Brazil. Paulo was also the Rector of the Federal University of Matogrosso and the President of ANDIFES (Associação Nacional dos Dirigentes das Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior)

Elizabeth K. Colucci
Director | International Projects

BIO

Elizabeth K. Colucci

International Projects Director

Elizabeth Colucci currently serves as the International Projects Director for the OBREAL Global Observatory, based in Barcelona, a membership organisation that provides a platform for strategic partnerships between the EU, Latin America and different regions of the world.

She has supported the transition of this organisation towards its current global mandate, profiled around North-South-South multi-lateral cooperation in the higher education, research, audio-visual, employment and local development sectors. For the Global Observatory, and in her broader function as a global higher education consultant, Elizabeth develops and coordinates projects on topics ranging from research management to local development, to innovative curricula design, to quality assurance and accreditation.

She presently advises the European University Association (EUA), a major stakeholder in the European Higher Education and Research Areas, which she worked for as a programme manager between 2008 and 2015. She has also previously worked for the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) in Brussels, the Fulbright Commission to Belgium and Luxemburg and the European Commission of the EU. She has both lectured and published on topics related to higher education internationalisation, mobility, joint degrees, teaching and learning reform, the Bologna Process, higher education regional integration and e-learning. Elizabeth has degrees from both Duke University and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), but feels that her education has been and will be a continuous process.

Nicolas Patrici
Director | Development & Strategy

BIO

Nicolás Patrici

Development & Strategy Director

Nicolas Patrici is one of the directors of OBREAL Global. Dr.Patrici has an extensive experience in education management and international cooperation. He has worked extensively in higher education projects and regional integration initiatives in India, Oman, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean

Nicolas has been in charge of the coordination of ALFA, Erasmus Mundus Action 1, 2 and 3, TEMPUS Projects and leading EU cooperation and research projects and EU specialized actions in the field of international cooperation for more than 15 years. Before his appointment as a director at OBREAL-Global, Dr. Patrici has been the Director of theObservatory of Globalization of the University of Barcelona (2017-2020), the director of the University of Barcelona and Middle East College´sSmart Knowledge Alliance SKA based in Muscat (2014-2017), Oman and worked for UB’s AECHE Secretariat that leads the AECHE (Arab-European Conferences on Higher Education) process together with the European University Association (EUA) and the Association of Arab Universities (AARU) (2013-2017).Nicolás holds a bachelor’s degree (5 years) in political science from Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), (Argentina), an MPhil from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (Spain), and has pursued doctoral studies in Science Po, Paris (France), Leiden University (The Netherlands) and the University of Barcelona (Spain) where he obtained his Doctoral Degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Philosophy and Classical Studies.

Agustina Calabrese
Director | Finance

BIO

Agustina Calabrese

Financial Director
Agustina Calabrese currently serves as the Financial Director for OBREAL Global
She has extensive experience in financial management, and coordination of EU projects in 4 different continents, under the European Universities programme, the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education, the ALFA programme, the TEMPUS programme and the Erasmus Mundus programme. She has also managed technical assistance projects funded by the European Commission at the University of Barcelona: SPHERE (Support to Higher Education Reform Experts) and HAQAA (Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation) and she is currently part of the HAQAA2 Implementing Team. Agustina is a sociologist, with research experience in the fields of Public Administration. Her main responsibilities have included EU-LAC Higher Education Policy analysis, Data Analysis, preparation of project proposals and general project financial control

Pablo Beneitone
Senior Project Expert | Higher Education Policy

BIO

Pablo Beneitone

Senior Project Expert Higher Education Policy
Pablo Beneitone currently serves as the Senior Project Expert Higher Education Policy for OBREAL Global
Since 1994, Pablo Beneitone has participated, coordinated and led a number of international programmes and projects on academic mobility, regional convergence and international university cooperation (Erasmus +, ALFA, TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus, etc.) in different countries and regions. Dr Beneitone is the author of several scientific publications related to current issues in higher education, as well as the director of research on academic mobility, credit systems, global competences and learning outcomes, and the impact of these on the processes of curriculum internationalisation at the National Univeristy of Lanus in Argentina where he also is a professor. Pablo holds a degree in International Relations, a Master in International Cooperation and a PhD in Social Sciences.

Jimena Estrella
Strategic Advisor | innovation and institutional development

BIO

Jimena Estrella

Strategic Advisor for innovation and institutional development.
Jimena Estrella holds a PhD in Economics and Agricultural Policy from the Universita degli Studi di Padova, a Master in International Business from the Universita degli Studi di Udine, and a degree in Administration from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo.
She is currently a professor at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Argentina where, until 2022, she served as Secretary of Research, International Relations and Postgraduate Studies of the Rectorate. Jimena was responsible for the design and implementation of policies for the promotion of science, internationalisation and postgraduate studies and was in charge of the creation of the Innovation Area of the UNCuyo. Jimena Estrella participates as a consultant and researcher in national and international projects, with a strong focus on the wine sector. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) since May 2015.

Jaume Fortuny
Senior Project Manager

BIO

Jaume Fortuny

Senior Project Manager
Jaume Fortuny is Senior Project Manager at OBREAL Global.
He provides transversal support in relation to the financial and project management of OBREAL GLOBAL's programmes and service contracts. He also develops his work as an expert on digitisation issues in the initiatives deployed by the association and in its representation in international forums. Jaume Fortuny has a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the UPC, an MBA focused on Innovation from the UB-EAE and a postgraduate degree in Industry 4.0 from the UAB. Since 2013 he has worked in the management of multiple European higher education and research projects and in several service contracts with international agencies in different countries. Jaume also has strong competences related to technology (with specialisation in the role of ICT for development) and digitalisation (where he has worked as a consultant for public and private entities). Jaume is fluent in Catalan, Spanish and English and has basic knowledge of French, Italian and German.

Ángel Manuel Rafael
Project Manager

BIO

Ángel Manuel Rafael

Project Manager

Angel Manuel Rafael is Project Manager at OBREAL Global.

He provides transversal support regarding the project and financial Management of OBREAL GLOBAL´s EU funded programs. He also provides support to global surveys and research work on Higher Education and Research.

Angel Manuel Rafael has a degree in Business administration and Economics from the University of Marburg, Germany. Since 2004, he has been working in several European countries and organisations (public and private) and has gained a lot of experience as Team leader, managing large European higher education and research projects (LLL, TEMPUS, Erasmus +, FP7, H2020, IMI, ACP Innovation Fund, LIFE etc.) and launching studies on Higher education and research policy. Angel has also strong competences related to the budget and proposal development of Higher Education and Research and Development projects, implementation of trainings and the development of internal ICT solutions to facilitate the EU project management. He has longstanding experience in private and public entities providing where he provided support to entrepreneurs and start ups, SME´s and big companies and public entities accompanying their business development and growth and providing support according to their needs in the different phases they were in.

Angel speaks German, Spanish, English and French fluently and has basic knowledge of Portuguese and Arab.

Apiyo Okwiri
Project Manager

BIO

Apiyo Okwiri

Project Manager

Apiyo Okwiri is currently the Project Manager for Africa at OBREAL Global.

She has vast experience in the field of International cooperation in Higher Education and quality assurance.

She has worked as a lead consultant on Research and Education Networks in Eastern and Southern Africa of Ubuntunet Alliance, Malawi. She has been involved in several collaborative projects with other organizations focused on Higher Education, namely the Association of African Universities (AAU), the African Union (AU), and the European Universities Association (EUA) under the Africa-EU partnership as a Tuning Expert in Tuning Africa and Institutional Evaluation Expert in Europe-Africa Quality Connect: Building Institutional Capacity through Partnership.

She is a former President of Erasmus Mundus Association (EMA) global, former President of the EMA African Chapter and Co – Chair of Erasmus+ Students and Alumni Alliance (ESAA). She is currently co-leading the establishment of the African Student and Alumni Forum (ASAF).

She’s a Kenyan national and an alumna Erasmus Mundus. She holds and M.A Economics from the Joint European Master in Comparative Local Development (CoDe) programme having studied at the University of Trento in Italy, Corvinus University in Hungary, University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, and Regensburg University in Germany. She is carrying out her doctoral research at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya and holds a B.Sc in Mathematics & Chemistry from Egerton University, Kenya.

Apiyo has excellent command of Swahili, and English and has basic knowledge of Italian, French and German.

Eloi Espósito
Communication Manager

BIO

Eloi Esposito

Communications Manager
Eloi Espósito is currently the communications manager at OBREAL Global.
Eloi holds a degree in Tourism from the Universitat de Girona. He has experience in communication management and development of different projects and initiatives in institutional and social organisations.

Nicole Font
Project Manager

BIO

Nicole Font

Project Manager
Nicole Font Guedes is Project Manager at OBREALGlobal.
Nicole Font provides transversal support to OBREAL Global’s funded programmes and manages the SPHERE Initiative, a project aimed at modernising higher education in EU neighbouring countries. Specialised in international relations and higher education, she has longstanding experience in project and communication management by implementing strategies to improve results and achieve significant impact. She contributed to European funded actions such as Erasmus+ Capacity Building, Horizon Europe, and European Universities Initiative. Nicole Font holds a master’s in international relations from the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) and a degree in Journalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Her practices include international cooperation, research and analysis of the SGDs, impact management, follow-up of emerging issues of EU policies, strategic communication strategies, and multistakeholder relationships.

Wail Benjelloun
Senior Adviser Higher Education Policy - Africa

BIO

Wail Benjelloun

Africa Project Manager
Senior Adviser Higher Education Policy - Africa
Wail Benjelloun holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience (Psychobiology), from the State University of New York, Binghamton. He was the founding President of the Moroccan Association for Neuroscience, serving as Chairman of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa, and member of the Governing Council of the International Brain Research Organization. His publications reflect his research interests in the neural basis of learning and memory as well as his commitment to promoting national and regional policies for quality education and research. A former President of Mohammed V University in Rabat and President of the Conference of Moroccan University presidents, he is currently Emeritus professor and member of the Research commission of the Moroccan National Quality Assurance Agency . In addition, he sits on the Boards of Trustees of Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, the Governing Council of the European University Center for Cultural Heritage in Ravello and chairs the Board of Trustee of the Alexandria Trust (London).

Kibrome M. Haile
Africa Project Manager

BIO

Kibrome Mekonnen Haile

Africa Project Manager
Kibrome Mekonnen Haile is OBREAL Africa Project Manager.
He provides transversal support to developing OBREAL Global’s Knowledge Production pillar. He focuses on Regional Integration, data collection and management systems, and policy design for higher education. Kibrome Mekonnen Haile has an LLM in Public International Law from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Since 2008, he has been working in various Ethiopian higher education institutions as a lecturer, administrator, and project coordinator. He is a Senior Lecturer of International and African Union Law and a former Dean of the Jimma University School of Law, Ethiopia. He has also served as Secretary of the Consortium of Ethiopian Law Schools. He has extensively worked on legal education policy and has rendered consultancy services for decision-makers at the national and international levels. He has led the PDU Development Team under HAQAA2 and has also been a contributor and member of the training team of the HAQAA MOOC series. Kibrome is fluent in English and Amharic.

Lika Glonti
Senior Adviser Higher Education and Eastern partnership

BIO

Lika Glonti

Senior Adviser Higher Education and Eastern partnership
Lika Glonti is a Senior Adviser Higher Education and Eastern partnership at OBREAL Global
Dr Lika Glonti has over 20 years of experience of applied research and evaluation work in the field of education and training, including 14 years of work experience in EU projects as a coordinator of National Tempus/Erasmus+ Offices in Georgia and senior project manager at the EU4Dialogue project. She was assisting the European Commission’s services and national authorities in the Tempus/Erasmus+ programme implementation, supporting higher education reform, organizing educational and cultural events in conflict areas in former Soviet countries, enhancing the visibility of EU programmes. Lika Glonti has a doctoral degree from the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich, Germany and a Master degree from the Tbilisi State University in Georgia.

Daniel King
Strategic partner in Digitalisation

BIO

Daniel King

Strategic partner in Digitalization

Daniel King is the Director of King Digital Agency, helping clients and companies to build new digital channels to sell, communicate and promote their products and services. Focus on social media, web and interactive multimedia 4.0

Jenny Delos Reyes
Administrative Officer

BIO

Jenny Delos Reyes

Administrative Officer
Jenny Delos Reyes is currently a financial administrative assistant at OBREAL Global.
She graduated from Lluïsa Cura as Administrative Assistant in 2016. She is a specialist in administrative billing with more than 5 years of experience.

Presidency

Ramon Torrent
President

BIO

Ramón Torrent

President

Between 1988 and 1998, Ramon Torrent was a member and later the Director for International Economic Relations in the Legal Service of the EU Council.

He is one of the five EU-proposed members of the roster of arbitrators for the EU agreements with Central America, Peru and Colombia, Chile, CARIFORUM, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Korea, SADC and Central Africa. Until his retirement in September 2017, Ramon was a full professor of Political Economy and International Economic Law at the Universitat de Barcelona. He launched in 2008 and directed for 10 years the extinct Master of Laws in International Economic Law and Policy (IELPO LL.M.), a top-notch program that gathered salient Faculty and talented students from more than 84 nationalities, and whose graduates currently occupy leading positions worldwide. He has coordinated a number of International, mainly EU-funded, projects of cooperation in Higher Education with Latin America, the Mediterranean, the EU’s Neighbouring Countries and Africa. He launched the process of the Arab – Euro Conferences on Higher Education (AECHE). He is currently (2019) the scientific coordinator of the Horizon 2020 project EULAC Focus (“Giving Focus to the cultural, scientific and social dimension of EU – CELAC relations”) as well as the President of OBREAL Global.

Kiran Gopakumar Rajalekshmi
vicepresident

BIO

Kiran Gopakumar Rajalekshmi

Vicepresident

Dr. Kiran Gopakumar Rajalekshmi is  currently the Dean of Middle East College (MEC), which is one of the largest higher education institutions in the Sultanate of Oman and the Vice -President of OBREAL-Global.

Kiran  holds a PhD in Information Systems from the London School of Economics & Political Science, UK.  Kiran has more than 23 years of vast experience from his key roles at national and international levels in areas relating to higher education management, teaching, research, strategic policy development, quality assurance, social computing, governance reforms, e-governance, and ICT for development. He is an External Reviewer with the Oman Authority of Academic Accreditation (OAAA) since 2015.

In his capacity as the Dean of MEC, Dr. Kiran has chaired the Institutional Standards Assessment panel to colleges/universities within Oman. Dr. Kiran also holds vast experience in heading and implementing key governmental projects on e-governance and ICT in Kerala, India.

Interregional Board

VIDYA YERAVDEKAR
INDIAN CHAPTER CHAIR - SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNITERISTY (INDIA)

BIO

Vidya Yeravdekar

Indian Chapter Chair
Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar is the Principal Director of Symbiosis Society, and the Pro Chancellor of Symbiosis International University
The Symbiosis International University is a multidisciplinary, multinational, multi-cultural University that having 45000 students from all States of India and international students from 85 countries. The Symbiosis Society not only has under its ambit the Symbiosis International University but also has K12 Schools, College of Arts and Commerce and Museums- the Afro Asian cultural museum and the Dr. Ambedkar Museum. Dr. Vidya holds a Post Graduate Degree in Medicine, a Degree in Law and Ph.D. in 'Internationalisation of Higher Education in India’. Having presented papers at various National & International Conferences, she has numerous research publications to her credit and has also authored several books. Ranked No.14 amongst India’s top 25 Powerful Women, Dr. Vidya has been instrumental in bringing in innovative approaches to promote internationalisation of higher education in India. As a member of University Grants Commission (UGC) for two terms, Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) under Ministry of Education and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under Ministry of External Affairs, she has been a facilitator of innovative approaches to higher education in India. Dr. Vidya has been appointed as a member of the expert group on Global Outreach of Higher Education, formulated by UGC to implement the National Education Policy 2020 that was rolled out by the Ministry of Education Govt. of India, member of the Advisory Group of Analytical and Advisory work (ASA), World Bank and member of the Board of Trustees of Muscat University, Oman. She is a Chairperson of the FICCI Committee on Higher Education and serving 3rd term. Dr. Vidya has been appointed as Member of India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) Trust set up by Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India, to promote the ‘Brand India’ label in overseas markets and member of the Expert Group constituted by the UGC for Development of Educational Framework for Global Citizenship in Higher Education Institutions. She has elected as Member of the Central Governing Council of Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) set up by Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, Member of the General Assembly of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Governing Body of Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA), Government of Maharashtra. She is also the Board of Director of the Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Dr. Vidya has been appointed as the first Chair of the OBREAL Global India Chapter a for a period of 3 years. She is a member on the Board of several organisations like Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, Research Committee of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Public Health Foundation of India, Symbiosis University of Applied Sciences Indore, Symbiosis Skills and Open University, Pune. She is a member of many corporate bodies such as Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Confederation of India Industry (CII), Maratha Chambers of Commerce and Industries (MCCIA) and Not for profit organisations like HK Firodiya Foundation, India International Centre (IIC), Pune International Centre (PIC) & Pune Citizens Police Foundation (PCPF). She has also been a member on many other organizations

OLUSOLA OYEWOLE
AFRICAN CHAPTER CHAIR - AAU (GHANA)

BIO

Olusola Oyewole

African Chapter chair - AAU (Ghana)
Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole is a Nigerian professor of Food Science and Technology, specifically Food Microbiology and Biotechnology. He is currently the Secretary General of the AAU.
He is the former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria and has also worked as a Senior Expert in Higher Education for the African Union Commission in Ethiopia. Professor Oyewole’s work experiences at the national, regional and continental levels have endowed him with a wealth of knowledge in coordinating multinational research and development programs.

OSCAR DOMÍNGUEZ
SOUTH AMERICAN CHAPTER CHAIR - ASCUN / ENLACES (COLOMBIA)

BIO

Oscar Domínguez

South American Chapter Chair
Executive Director of Asociación Colombiana de Universidades ASCUN (Colombian Association of Universities)
Agricultural Engineer, Specialist in Environmental Education; Specialist in Strategic Management and Master in Education. He currently serves as Executive Director of Asociación Colombiana de Universidades ASCUN (Colombian Association of Universities).

MYRIAM MOÏSE
CARIBBEAN CHAPTER CHAIR - UNIVERSITIES CARIBBEAN (JAMAICA)

BIO

Myriam Moïse

Caribbean Chapter Chair
Dr Myriam Moïse is Associate Professor at the Université des Antilles in Martinique, researcher at the Caribbean research lab of social sciences and Fulbright scholar
She is the Secretary-General of Universities Caribbean, the organization of Caribbean universities and research institutes. She holds a joint doctoral degree from Paris Sorbonne University and the University of the West Indies. Her research fields include Gender Studies, Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies, with a special focus on literary and artistic creations by Caribbean women. Dr Moïse is very committed to developing collaborative research and educational projects in the wider Caribbean region. She is currently engaged in various research activities including the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program “Connected Worlds: The Caribbean, Origin of Modern World” (www.conneccaribbean.com). She was Executive member of the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) and continues to serve the CSA journal as a French Caribbean sub-editor. She is also French expert-advisor for the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC).

MANAGEMENT Team

Paulo Speller
Representative in Brazil

BIO

Paulo Speller

Representative in Brazil

He joined the OBREAL Global Management Team as Senior Representative in Brazil in 2018.

Prior joining OBREAL Global, Paulo acted as the secretary general of the OEI (Organization of Iberoamerican States) and between 2010 and 2015 Professor Speller was the secretary of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education of Brazil. Paulo was also the Rector of the Federal University of Matogrosso and the President of ANDIFES (Associação Nacional dos Dirigentes das Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior)

Elizabeth K. Colucci
Director | International Projects

BIO

Elizabeth K. Colucci

International Projects Director

Elizabeth Colucci currently serves as the International Projects Director for the OBREAL Global Observatory, based in Barcelona, a membership organisation that provides a platform for strategic partnerships between the EU, Latin America and different regions of the world.

She has supported the transition of this organisation towards its current global mandate, profiled around North-South-South multi-lateral cooperation in the higher education, research, audio-visual, employment and local development sectors. For the Global Observatory, and in her broader function as a global higher education consultant, Elizabeth develops and coordinates projects on topics ranging from research management to local development, to innovative curricula design, to quality assurance and accreditation.

She presently advises the European University Association (EUA), a major stakeholder in the European Higher Education and Research Areas, which she worked for as a programme manager between 2008 and 2015. She has also previously worked for the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) in Brussels, the Fulbright Commission to Belgium and Luxemburg and the European Commission of the EU. She has both lectured and published on topics related to higher education internationalisation, mobility, joint degrees, teaching and learning reform, the Bologna Process, higher education regional integration and e-learning. Elizabeth has degrees from both Duke University and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), but feels that her education has been and will be a continuous process.

Nicolas Patrici
Director | Development & Strategy

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Nicolás Patrici

Development & Strategy Director

Nicolas Patrici is one of the directors of OBREAL Global. Dr.Patrici has an extensive experience in education management and international cooperation. He has worked extensively in higher education projects and regional integration initiatives in India, Oman, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean

Nicolas has been in charge of the coordination of ALFA, Erasmus Mundus Action 1, 2 and 3, TEMPUS Projects and leading EU cooperation and research projects and EU specialized actions in the field of international cooperation for more than 15 years. Before his appointment as a director at OBREAL-Global, Dr. Patrici has been the Director of theObservatory of Globalization of the University of Barcelona (2017-2020), the director of the University of Barcelona and Middle East College´sSmart Knowledge Alliance SKA based in Muscat (2014-2017), Oman and worked for UB’s AECHE Secretariat that leads the AECHE (Arab-European Conferences on Higher Education) process together with the European University Association (EUA) and the Association of Arab Universities (AARU) (2013-2017).Nicolás holds a bachelor’s degree (5 years) in political science from Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), (Argentina), an MPhil from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (Spain), and has pursued doctoral studies in Science Po, Paris (France), Leiden University (The Netherlands) and the University of Barcelona (Spain) where he obtained his Doctoral Degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Philosophy and Classical Studies.

AGUSTINA CALABRESE
DIRECTOR | Finance Department

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Agustina Calabrese

Financial Director
Agustina Calabrese currently serves as the Financial Director for OBREAL Global
She has extensive experience in financial management, and coordination of EU projects in 4 different continents, under the European Universities programme, the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education, the ALFA programme, the TEMPUS programme and the Erasmus Mundus programme. She has also managed technical assistance projects funded by the European Commission at the University of Barcelona: SPHERE (Support to Higher Education Reform Experts) and HAQAA (Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation) and she is currently part of the HAQAA2 Implementing Team. Agustina is a sociologist, with research experience in the fields of Public Administration. Her main responsibilities have included EU-LAC Higher Education Policy analysis, Data Analysis, preparation of project proposals and general project financial control

Pablo Beneitone
SENIOR PROJECT EXPERT HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY

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Pablo Beneitone

Senior Project Expert Higher Education Policy
Pablo Beneitone currently serves as the Senior Project Expert Higher Education Policy for OBREAL Global
Since 1994, Pablo Beneitone has participated, coordinated and led a number of international programmes and projects on academic mobility, regional convergence and international university cooperation (Erasmus +, ALFA, TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus, etc.) in different countries and regions. Dr Beneitone is the author of several scientific publications related to current issues in higher education, as well as the director of research on academic mobility, credit systems, global competences and learning outcomes, and the impact of these on the processes of curriculum internationalisation at the National Univeristy of Lanus in Argentina where he also is a professor. Pablo holds a degree in International Relations, a Master in International Cooperation and a PhD in Social Sciences.

JIMENA ESTRELLA
STRATEGIC ADVISOR | INNOVATION AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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Jimena Estrella

Strategic Advisor for innovation and institutional development.
Jimena Estrella holds a PhD in Economics and Agricultural Policy from the Universita degli Studi di Padova, a Master in International Business from the Universita degli Studi di Udine, and a degree in Administration from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo.
She is currently a professor at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Argentina where, until 2022, she served as Secretary of Research, International Relations and Postgraduate Studies of the Rectorate. Jimena was responsible for the design and implementation of policies for the promotion of science, internationalisation and postgraduate studies and was in charge of the creation of the Innovation Area of the UNCuyo. Jimena Estrella participates as a consultant and researcher in national and international projects, with a strong focus on the wine sector. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) since May 2015.

Jaume Fortuny
Senior Project Manager

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Ángel Manuel Rafael
Project Manager

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Ángel Manuel Rafael

Project Manager

Angel Manuel Rafael is Project Manager at OBREAL Global.

He provides transversal support regarding the project and financial Management of OBREAL GLOBAL´s EU funded programs. He also provides support to global surveys and research work on Higher Education and Research.

Angel Manuel Rafael has a degree in Business administration and Economics from the University of Marburg, Germany. Since 2004, he has been working in several European countries and organisations (public and private) and has gained a lot of experience as Team leader, managing large European higher education and research projects (LLL, TEMPUS, Erasmus +, FP7, H2020, IMI, ACP Innovation Fund, LIFE etc.) and launching studies on Higher education and research policy. Angel has also strong competences related to the budget and proposal development of Higher Education and Research and Development projects, implementation of trainings and the development of internal ICT solutions to facilitate the EU project management. He has longstanding experience in private and public entities providing where he provided support to entrepreneurs and start ups, SME´s and big companies and public entities accompanying their business development and growth and providing support according to their needs in the different phases they were in.

Angel speaks German, Spanish, English and French fluently and has basic knowledge of Portuguese and Arab.

Apiyo Okwiri
Project Manager

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Apiyo Okwiri

Project Manager

Apiyo Okwiri is currently the Project Manager for Africa at OBREAL Global.

She has vast experience in the field of International cooperation in Higher Education and quality assurance.

She has worked as a lead consultant on Research and Education Networks in Eastern and Southern Africa of Ubuntunet Alliance, Malawi. She has been involved in several collaborative projects with other organizations focused on Higher Education, namely the Association of African Universities (AAU), the African Union (AU), and the European Universities Association (EUA) under the Africa-EU partnership as a Tuning Expert in Tuning Africa and Institutional Evaluation Expert in Europe-Africa Quality Connect: Building Institutional Capacity through Partnership.

She is a former President of Erasmus Mundus Association (EMA) global, former President of the EMA African Chapter and Co – Chair of Erasmus+ Students and Alumni Alliance (ESAA). She is currently co-leading the establishment of the African Student and Alumni Forum (ASAF).

She’s a Kenyan national and an alumna Erasmus Mundus. She holds and M.A Economics from the Joint European Master in Comparative Local Development (CoDe) programme having studied at the University of Trento in Italy, Corvinus University in Hungary, University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, and Regensburg University in Germany. She is carrying out her doctoral research at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya and holds a B.Sc in Mathematics & Chemistry from Egerton University, Kenya.

Apiyo has excellent command of Swahili, and English and has basic knowledge of Italian, French and German.

Eloi Esposito
Communication Manager

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Eloi Esposito

Communications Manager
Eloi Espósito is currently the communications manager at OBREAL Global.
Eloi holds a degree in Tourism from the Universitat de Girona. He has experience in communication management and development of different projects and initiatives in institutional and social organisations.

Lika Glonti
Senior Adviser Higher Education and Eastern partnership

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Lika Glonti

Senior Adviser Higher Education and Eastern partnership
Lika Glonti is a Senior Adviser Higher Education and Eastern partnership at OBREAL Global
Dr Lika Glonti has over 20 years of experience of applied research and evaluation work in the field of education and training, including 14 years of work experience in EU projects as a coordinator of National Tempus/Erasmus+ Offices in Georgia and senior project manager at the EU4Dialogue project. She was assisting the European Commission’s services and national authorities in the Tempus/Erasmus+ programme implementation, supporting higher education reform, organizing educational and cultural events in conflict areas in former Soviet countries, enhancing the visibility of EU programmes. Lika Glonti has a doctoral degree from the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich, Germany and a Master degree from the Tbilisi State University in Georgia.

Daniel King
Strategic partner in Digitalization

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Daniel King

Strategic partner in Digitalization

Daniel King is the Director of King Digital Agency, helping clients and companies to build new digital channels to sell, communicate and promote their products and services. Focus on social media, web and interactive multimedia 4.0

JENNY DELOS REYES
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

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Jenny Delos Reyes

Administrative Officer
Jenny Delos Reyes is currently a financial administrative assistant at OBREAL Global.
She graduated from Lluïsa Cura as Administrative Assistant in 2016. She is a specialist in administrative billing with more than 5 years of experience.