Professor Gisela Loehlein is a renowned academic and visionary leader with extensive global experience in academic, practice and governance.  She holds a Ph.D. in Architecture, from the Welsh School of Architecture in Wales, United Kingdom.  Prof. Gisela’s versatile nature and keen interest in cultures has extended her portfolio across the USA, Europe, Australasia and Middle East.  With more than 20 years of experience and having worked on over 30 of Dubai’s renowned projects, Prof. Gisela is a natural international networker that has led new initiatives in both architecture and in higher education.  She has steered policy alignment, international quality assurance initiatives, recruitment, retention, and campus development.  Prof. Gisela also serves as an Advisor to senior leaders, organizations and universities around the world on capacity-building and internationalization, bringing innovative and meaningful change to the future of higher education, architecture and design.  Her graduates have achieved international acclaim, winning the Aga Khan Award, and also received scholarships to top international architecture schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and Delft university.  

Raised in a brick manufacturing dynasty family in Germany, that had employed robotics in the 1970’s via a European funded project, she is well-versed in the field of built environment.  Her multifarious background in management education and the architectural environment has made her accomplished in dynamic education systems and frameworks, enabling her to drive impactful transformation in higher education worldwide.