The President’s Blog
28/08/2025 2025-09-18 9:37The President’s Blog
The President's Blog
Building for the Hundredth Wave
On our summer holiday, my kids and I played our usual beach game: build a castle near the water and see whose survives longest against the relentless crash of the waves. Their winning move? A moat to channel the water away. A wall to take the hit. Protect the tower at all costs. It’s a simple game — but it’s also a masterclass in leadership. Success isn’t about building the tallest tower. It’s about designing for resilience, protecting what matters most and preparing for the challenges ahead: • Be proactive — act before the first wave hits.• Plan for the future — anticipate and adapt to what’s coming.• Have agency — take ownership of what you can control. At Euro University of Bahrain, that’s how we build — 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵. …
The Signs Are Just the Beginning
You may have noticed banners along Bahrain’s roads this summer. A quiet sequence of words: Hello. Bonjour. Ciao. Hola. Then, gradually, something more: A unique journey. An exceptional experience. Towards a bright future. Join the Elite. Today, we can share what those signs were pointing toward. They are part of a new campaign—one designed not simply to advertise, but to invite. Because what we’re building at Euro University of Bahrain isn’t just another place to study. It’s a different kind of higher education experience. At EUB, we offer University of London degrees taught here in Bahrain by an international academic team. But what distinguishes us goes beyond the certificate. It’s the intention behind the design. We’ve created a university culture grounded in personal mentorship, small-group learning, and academic systems that prioritise depth, readiness and human development. The result is something rare: an education that is global in scope, yet locally …
Culture Happens. Let’s Build One We Love
At Euro University of Bahrain, we’ve never viewed culture as something soft or secondary. For us, culture is the operating system of the university—the way things actually get done when no one is watching. That’s why we’ve taken the time to articulate it, not in the abstract, but in terms of the behaviours, expectations and shared norms that underpin how we work. Our Culture Code doesn’t try to enforce conformity or flatten individual voice. Instead, it provides clarity. It gives everyone—staff, students and partners—a sense of how we approach problems, make decisions and learn from failure.At its core are four principles. 𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁. Autonomy at EUB isn’t a perk—it’s a responsibility. We expect initiative, ownership and good judgement. Not everything requires permission. We focus on results, not time served, and trust people to make things better without waiting for direction. 𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵. Silence slows us …
Learning Isn’t Easy. And It’s Not Meant to Be
A recent piece in Times Higher Education raised a concern that deserves attention. As AI becomes more common in universities, we risk something important. Not a loss of control or academic integrity—but a loss of purpose. Learning isn’t supposed to be easy. At Euro University of Bahrain, we’ve said from the start that students don’t always want difficulty. But they often need it. Because real learning happens in the struggle. In the pause. In the moment something doesn’t come easily, and you have to work it through. That’s how judgement is formed. That’s how confidence grows. AI can help. But if we use it to smooth over every challenge, we’re not helping students learn. We’re helping them avoid the very process that builds their understanding. Learning isn’t simply finding the answer. It’s practising how to work through the question to discover the answer for yourself. …
Not Everything That’s Asked For Should Be Given
One of the realities of higher education is that students arrive with very different expectations. Some are focused on the long-term. Others are trying to get through the next step. Some want a full experience. Others are simply looking for a recognised degree and a clear outcome. None of that surprises me. It’s not our job to label those motivations as right or wrong. But it is our job to be clear about what kind of institution we’re building. At Euro University of Bahrain, we’ve made deliberate choices—about our curriculum, our teaching and the wider student experience. That includes structured internships from the first year, real-world projects and teaching that encourages reflection and independent thinking—not just to reinforce theory, but to prepare students for the kinds of decisions they’ll face beyond the classroom. It’s designed not only for those who arrive seeking challenge and growth, but also for those who …
Professor Andrew Nix is the President and CEO of Euro University of Bahrain. He has published more than 600 international papers and successfully supervised 65+ PhD students. He is well-known for his ground-breaking research contributions that shaped the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards. More recently, Professor Andrew’s 5G wireless research is globally recognized for tackling societal challenges related to smart cities, urban transportation and digital healthcare.
