Dr. Bilal Siddiqi serves as the Vice Chairman of Lancaster University Ghana, and Director of Curtin University Dubai. He is also a Director at CNBC Africa, Forbes Africa and Mera FM, a radio station in Pakistan.
At Curtin University Dubai, Dr. Siddiqi serves as Managing Director – Learning and Teaching, where he provides strategic and operational leadership across academic affairs. His portfolio spans from management of academic faculty, partnership matters, research initiatives, professional staff development, to learning and teaching. He is also closely involved with all strategic initiatives of the Transnational Academic Group (TAG) which owns and operates both Curtin University Dubai and Lancaster University Ghana.
Dr Siddiqi is particularly passionate about furthering Curtin University Dubai’s collaborations in the fields of sustainability, digital mental health and the future of work. He actively represents the interests of the University’s academic community while fostering partnerships with government, industry, and research organizations. Under his leadership, Curtin University Dubai launched its Innovation Hub and established its first business incubation program, Ignition, to support entrepreneurship and innovation within the University community. He also introduced the University’s inaugural Faculty Development Program, a cross-campus professional learning initiative that has resulted in several funded Innovation in Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (iSoLT) projects in Dubai.
Dr. Siddiqi completed his Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from the University of Sussex in 2008, followed by Master of Arts in Modern European Philosophy at the University of Warwick in 2010. He earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in English (Secondary Education) from the University of Oxford in 2014 and completed his PhD in Russian Literature at University College London (UCL) in 2021.
Dr. Siddiqi has a background in both entrepreneurial and academic spheres. Prior to joining TAG, Dr. Siddiqi held senior leadership roles, including Executive Director at Samaa TV, one of Pakistan’s largest news networks, where he was responsible for marketing and communications. He has also worked in marketing and public relations for Murdoch University Dubai and in strategic planning for TAG. Alongside his leadership experience, Dr. Siddiqi has maintained an active academic career, serving as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant at University College London, a secondary school teacher in Oxfordshire, a lecturer at Curtin University Dubai, and a mentor to emerging academics.