Prof. Dr. Sanaa Ashour is a Professor of Gulf Studies at the Center of Gulf Studies at Qatar University. Previously, she served as the director of the Sociology program at Al Ain University in the United Arab Emirates. She also served as a visiting professor at TU Dresden, DZHW, and FiBS in Germany. She has a PhD in Development Studies from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Bonn, Germany, and a master’s degree in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Professor Sanaa Ashour has published her work in leading international journals on higher education institutional and policy dynamics, shedding light on the complex forces that shape higher education in rapidly developing contexts, particularly within the Gulf region. Her research bridges policy-oriented inquiries—including quality assurance, institutional development, and the evolution of private higher education systems, and digital transformation—with student-centered issues such as access, awareness, behaviors, and retention. By critically analyzing structural challenges like dropout phenomena and gender disparities, and exploring the cultural legacies that shape teaching evaluations, her scholarship offers valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners striving to improve educational quality in the region. A key area of her work is the impact of globalization on higher education, as she examines how increased internationalization presents both challenges and opportunities for institutions and policymakers. In addition, she has authored a book on ethnic politics and the policy-making process.

• Higher Education Institutional and Policy Dynamics
• Globalization, Internationalization of HE, and Digital Transformation in HE
• Student Engagement in HE

RESEARCH PROFILE  

ORCID NO: https://orcid.org/0000–0002–3326–4702  

ACCESS TO PUBLICATIONS ON:  Scopus & Google Scholar