Dr. Malini Nair is an award-winning educator, researcher, management professional and mentor with extensive international experience in higher education and industry. She holds a Ph.D. in Management and specialises in educational innovation, sustainability, human resource development, quality management, career development and artificial intelligence. Her AI expertise includes the responsible use of AI and generative AI in teaching, research, curriculum design, assessment, student mentoring, career guidance and innovation.

At the Higher Colleges of Technology in the UAE, Dr. Nair has contributed to curriculum development, programme improvement, experiential learning, industry engagement and student innovation. Her mentorship achievements include a student environmental innovation recognised by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, as well as student successes in national and international innovation competitions for three consecutive years.

Before joining higher education, Dr. Nair served as Group HR Manager for a multinational retail group, where she supported the implementation of the EFQM Excellence Model and ISO certification initiatives.

Her recognitions include the International Business Silver Stevie Award, the Gold Globee Business Award, the Global Recognition Award, the Best Research Paper Award and the HCT Teaching Excellence Award.

Dr. Nair is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK (SFHEA), an IRCA-registered Lead Auditor with the Chartered Quality Institute, UK (CQI), a licensed International Career Development Assessor Practitioner (CDAP-IL, UK) and a Scrum-certified professional. Her combined experience in education, industry, research, quality assurance and AI enables her to evaluate innovative educational initiatives from academic, technological, organizational and social-impact perspectives.