The President’s Blog
28/08/2025 2025-09-18 9:37The President’s Blog
The President's Blog
Teaching in 2025: Why Human Connection Still Matters Most
Last week I had the privilege of attending Bahrain Polytechnic’s Teaching and Learning 2025 conference. The theme — “Can AI Replace Teachers?” — sparked valuable reflection. While many of the presentations focused on practical uses of today’s AI tools, the bigger takeaway for me lay elsewhere. It reaffirmed a belief I’ve long held: that AI, for all its promise, cannot replace the human core of education. Teaching is not just content delivery — it is connection, inspiration and interpretation. As AI becomes more embedded in our systems, we must resist the temptation to reduce education to automation. Instead, we should focus on how AI can support the qualities only humans bring: empathy, communication, critical thinking, ethical judgement — and equally important, the uniquely human capacities for art, imagination and creativity. In the rush to integrate AI, we must remember: students are not datasets, and learning is not a transaction. It …
In a world where machines think faster than us, what gives humans their true edge?
During a quiet moment of reflection, sparked by a conversation with an AI agent, I found myself pondering a profound question: Why do humans continue to strive to learn, create and understand — even as machines surpass us in raw intelligence? Humans don’t just solve problems; we seek to understand 𝘸𝘩𝘺 they matter. We long to belong, to contribute and to create meaning. We push ourselves to climb Everest not simply because it exists, but to feel the limits of our endurance. We went to the Moon not just because it was hard, but because it stirred our curiosity and sense of wonder. At Euro University of Bahrain, education is more than transactional. It’s existential. Our focus goes beyond preparing students for jobs — we prepare them for lives rich with curiosity, courage and contribution. We teach not just to transfer knowledge, but to inspire transformation. Quality education requires investment. But …
Simon Sinek said “You can’t scale special”
It’s a warning that feels especially relevant in education. The pressure to grow quickly — to scale — can often come at the expense of what truly matters: the depth of experience, the quality of relationships and the crafted support that students need to thrive. When you chase volume, the personal connections that make education meaningful start to fray. The time for thoughtful mentoring shrinks. Learning becomes a process to get through, rather than a journey to be lived. That’s why scaling “special” isn’t just difficult — it risks breaking the very thing that made it special. At Euro University of Bahrain, our founders embraced this reality. They drew on a rich European tradition of education that values quality over quantity, relationships over transactions and deep personal growth over fast expansion. Building a university this way takes patience and intention. It’s not the easiest path, but it’s the right one. …
Some of the most impactful leaders I’ve seen in higher education aren’t the loudest ones
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝: The visionary often gets the spotlight: bold ideas, big statements, sweeping ambition. But meaningful, lasting change? It often comes from a different kind of leader. These are the ones who show up every day with quiet focus. They do the hard work for progress, not applause. Their contributions may not trend or headline, but over time, they shape the institution in profound ways. They understand that strategy doesn’t live in presentations. It lives in the daily decisions, the operations, the quiet coordination that moves things forward — slowly, but with purpose. They balance the urgency of now with the patience to build for ten years ahead. They listen. They adapt. They move with intent, not ego. For them, success isn’t about being right — it’s about getting it right. In the Middle East, as higher education accelerates, we need more of this kind of leadership: grounded, …
Empowering Learners with skills for Tomorrow
At Euro University of Bahrain, our commitment goes beyond academic knowledge. Across all our programmes — Business, Computing, and Law — we focus on equipping learners with the Global Employability Skills that today’s employers actively seek. In today’s fast-changing workplace, technical know-how alone isn’t enough. Employers value creativity to drive innovation, emotional intelligence to build strong teams, adaptability to navigate uncertainty and communication skills that connect ideas and people. These are the abilities that make the difference between simply doing a job and truly thriving in a career. Through a curriculum designed with these real-world demands in mind, complemented by practical experiences and dedicated career support, we prepare learners to confidently meet challenges and seize opportunities. Our partnership with the University of London Careers Service adds tangible benefits for EUB learners, including exclusive access to career planning tools, recruitment preparation resources, webinars, alumni networks and personalised guidance — all aimed …
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.
