Rubi Mahmood

Lecturer in Initial Teacher Training & International Education - University of Derby

Rubi Mahmood is an international educator, consultant, and doctoral researcher with over 20 years of experience working across the UK, Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia. She has contributed to large-scale education reform, teacher development programmes, and international assessment projects across public and private education sectors, collaborating with organisations including Nord Anglia Education and CfBT Education.

Rubi is currently a Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education and International Education at the University of Derby, teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes while completing her PhD. Her doctoral research explores values-based approaches to embedding Education for Sustainable Development within higher-education teacher-education curricula, drawing on environmental citizenship and global competence frameworks. She previously held senior leadership roles with the Abu Dhabi Department of Knowledge contributing to strategic initiatives including school improvement, student competence frameworks, international benchmarking and assessments, and special educational needs and inclusion. Her work spans global citizenship, sustainability education, SDGs, STEM, inclusion and international teacher professional development. She volunteers with STEM Racing competitions, is a Climate Ambassador, school governor, and a trustee for an arts charity. She has presented at international events including the European Parliament, UN-Habitat, BETT, CIES, & IAIE.

Speaker Sessions

GESS Talks Live 1525

Apr 21 2026 | 3pm - 3:40pm

Building Leadership Qualities: Empowering Students and Educators Through Action

Session Summary:

This interactive session explores practical strategies and actionable elements that both students and teachers can implement to develop essential leadership qualities within educational environments. Leadership development extends beyond formal positions, encompassing everyday actions, mindset shifts, and skill-building activities that foster confidence, responsibility, and influence. Participants will discover how classroom practices, extracurricular engagement, and collaborative projects can serve as leadership development opportunities. The session provides concrete tools and techniques that educators can integrate into their teaching practice while simultaneously modeling leadership behaviors, creating a culture where both students and teachers grow as leaders together. Join this session to:

• Master practical classroom activities, project-based learning approaches, and peer collaboration methods that naturally build leadership skills in students

• Develop leadership model through teaching practice and instructional techniques that demonstrate leadership qualities while creating opportunities for student leadership growth

• Designing classroom cultures and school-wide initiatives that encourage risk-taking, decision-making, and responsibility-sharing among all community members and create leadership-rich learning environments

• Build student-centered leadership activities, peer mentoring programs, student-led conferences, collaborative problem-solving projects, and community service initiatives that build confidence and influence skills

Speakers

Georgios Kormpas | Director of Student Affairs - Al Yamamah University
Rubi Mahmood | Lecturer in Initial Teacher Training & International Education - University of Derby