29 September - 1 October 2026
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The Arena, Riyadh | Saudi Arabia.
Professor Dame Heather J. McGregor
Provost and Vice Principal - Heriot-Watt University Dubai
Professor Dame Heather J. McGregor DBE FRSE is the Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai. Professor McGregor was previously the Executive Dean of the Edinburgh Business School, having held the post since 2016. Her earlier career was in investment banking, and she has spent 17 years as an entrepreneur leading her own executive search firm prior to her move into higher education.
Professor McGregor has a PhD from the University of Hong Kong in Structured Finance and an MBA from the London Business School. She is a qualified chartered management accountant (CGMA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Her undergraduate degree was a BSc in Agricultural Economics & Marketing from Newcastle University. She is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Sunderland, and holds an Honorary Degree from the University of East London.
Professor McGregor is an experienced writer and broadcaster, including writing a column for the Financial
Times for 17 years. She was the founder of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, www.taylorbennettfoundation.org which works to promote diversity in the communications industry, and a founding member of the steering committee of the 30% Club, which works to raise the representation of women at senior levels within publicly listed companies. Professor McGregor has served, and continues to serve, on the board of public listed companies.
In 2021, Professor McGregor was one of the first two people at Heriot-Watt University to be named a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She was awarded a CBE in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List in UK for her services to business, especially diversity in the workplace. in the 2023 New Year’s Honours List she was made a Dame of the British Empire for services to education and business and heritage in Scotland. She was among the first to be recognised with the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by King Charles III.
Speaker Sessions
Leaders in Education
1499
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قابلية التوظيف تبدأ أبكر مما تعتقد: خمسة أشياء يمكن لكل مدرسة القيام بها لطلابها
Session Summary:
قابلية التوظيف لا تبدأ في الجامعة، ولا تبدأ بالتأكيد عندما يكتب الطالب سيرته الذاتية الأولى. يتم وضع الأسس في وقت أبكر بكثير، من خلال تطوير رأس المال الاجتماعي، والوعي الذاتي، ومهارات التواصل، والمشاركة الهادفة مع عالم العمل.
في هذه الجلسة العملية والمثيرة للتفكير، ستستكشف البروفيسورة السيدة هيذر ماكجريجور خمس طرق يمكن للمدارس من خلالها دمج قابلية التوظيف في التعلم اليومي دون موارد إضافية كبيرة. سيكتشف المندوبون طرقًا بديلة لخبرة العمل، ويفحصون ما يقدره أصحاب العمل بشكل متزايد، ويقيمون نهج مدرستهم الحالي، ويغادرون بأفكار عملية يمكنهم تنفيذها على الفور لتحسين نتائج الطلاب.
نتائج التعلم
بنهاية هذه الجلسة، سيكون المشاركون قادرين على:
شرح لماذا تحتاج قابلية التوظيف إلى البدء في المدرسة، وعدم الانتظار حتى الجامعة
إظهار طرق بديلة لخبرة العمل حتى قبل الوصول إلى الجامعة
تحديد السمات الرئيسية التي يقدرها أصحاب العمل بشكل متزايد، بما في ذلك التواصل والقدرة على التكيف والمرونة والعمل الجماعي والوعي الذاتي. تؤكد الأبحاث المسلط عليها الضوء في أدبيات قابلية التوظيف ليس فقط على المعرفة التقنية ولكن أيضًا على القدرات الاجتماعية والتعلم مدى الحياة والقدرات التأملية الذاتية
تقييم النهج الحالي لمدرستهم لتطوير رأس المال الاجتماعي لطلابهم
تطوير خطة عمل لتعزيز نتائج قابلية التوظيف دون الحاجة إلى موارد إضافية كبيرة
Employability Starts Earlier Than You Think: Five Things Every School Can Do for their pupils
Session Summary:
Employability does not begin at university, and it certainly does not begin when a student writes their first CV. The foundations are laid much earlier, through the development of social capital, self-awareness, communication skills and meaningful engagement with the world of work.
In this practical and thought-provoking session, Professor Dame Heather McGregor will explore five ways schools can embed employability into everyday learning without significant additional resources. Delegates will discover alternative routes to work experience, examine what employers increasingly value, evaluate their school's current approach, and leave with practical ideas they can implement immediately to improve student outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Explain why employability needs to start at school, and not wait until university
Show alternative routes to work experience before even arriving at university
Identify the key attributes employers increasingly value, including communication, adaptability, resilience, teamwork and self-awareness. Research highlighted in employability literature emphasises not only technical knowledge but also social, lifelong learning and self-reflective capabilities.
Evaluate their school's current approach to the development of social capital for their students
Develop an action plan to strengthen employability outcomes without requiring significant additional resources.
