Service

I believe that service is a great opportunity for professors to effectively share their disciplinary expertise and professional experiences

Issam W. Damaj

At the University level, I have been assigned leadership roles in the following key services:

  • Leadership in Quality Assurance
  • Department Chairpersonships
  • Program directorships
  • External Examiner
  • Research Boards
  • Governance
  • Assessment
  • Program and Curriculum Development
  • Laboratory Project Management and Design
  • Program Reviews
  • Programmatic Accreditation
  • Institutional Effectiveness
  • Institutional Accreditation
  • Recruitment
  • Budgeting
  • External Consultancies

Administrative Appointments and Roles:

My academic administrative appointments include the following:

  • Programme Director, Computer Science Programme, Cardiff School of Technologies, Cardiff Met, 02.2023 – Present
  • Founding Co-Director, Centre for Engineering Research in Intelligent Sensors and Systems (CeRISS), Cardiff Met, 05.2023 – Present
  • Founding Head, Intelligent Hardware Research Group, Cardiff Met, 05.2023 – Present
  • Founding Director, Centre for Quality Assurance, BAU, September 2019 – August 2020
  • Founding Chairperson, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, American University of Kuwait, 09.2013 – 08.2016
  • Founding Chairperson, Computer Engineering Department, American University of Kuwait, 09.2012 – 08.2013
  • Program Lead, Computer Engineering Program, American University of Kuwait, 09.2009 – 08.2012
  • Chairperson, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Dhofar University, Oman, 09.2007 – 08.2009

Responsibilities comprised strategic planning, developing curricula, designing programs, designing capstone courses, managing and designing laboratories, leading institutional accreditation, leading ABET programmatic accreditation, servicing on a wide-ranging of academic committees at all university levels, budgeting, recruitment, coordinating student advising, etc.

Committee Service:

  • University Quality Assurance Committee, September 2019 – January 2022
  • University IT Steering Committee, September 2019 – August 2020
  • University Strategy Committee, September 2019 – August 2020
  • Faculty of Engineering Council, September 2019 – August 2020
  • Member, University Research Board, American University of Kuwait, 10.2016 – 06.2018
  • Member, College Assessment Committee, American University of Kuwait, 10.2010 – 05.2013, and 10.2015 - 08.2016
  • Member, University Admission and Enrollment Management Committee, American University of Kuwait, 05.2013 – 08.2015
  • Member, University Policies and Procedures Committee, American University of Kuwait, 09.2012 – 08.2013
  • Chairperson, University Curriculum Committee, American University of Kuwait, 09.2011 – 08.2012
  • Member, University Council, Dhofar University, 09.2007 – 08.2009
  • Member, University Research Board, Dhofar University, 03.2007 – 10.2007

Institutional Accreditation:

  • University FIBAA Institutional Accreditation Committee, September 2019 – Present
  • Chairperson, Institutional Accreditation Committee for Students and Student Support Services, Dhofar University, 10.2007 – 08.2009
  • Member, Institutional Accreditation Steering Committee, Dhofar University, 10.2007 – 08.2009

Responsibilities included strategizing and steering the first stage of institutional accreditation by the local accrediting authority – the quality audit stage. Moreover, the tasks included developing the service strategies, plan deployments, measuring the effectiveness of services, and identifying improvements for a wide-range of student services and writing their self-study chapter. The steering work at the university level comprised alignment of subcommittee works, training faculty and staff, reviewing all criteria works, and reviewing the university-wide self-study.

Programmatic Accreditation:

  • Consultant on Engineering Education, Accreditation, and Quality Assurance, Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, March 2009 – Present.
  • Consultant on ABET Accreditation matters with the Faculty of Engineering, Beirut Arab University, Debbieh, Lebanon, March 2018 – March 2019.
  • ABET Accreditation Lead and Institutional Representative, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, American University of Kuwait, 09.2011 – 06.2018
  • Chairperson, ABET Accreditation Steering Committee, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, American University of Kuwait, 11.2011 – 06.2018
  • Chairperson, ABET Accreditation Executive Committee, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, American University of Kuwait, 11.2011 – 06.2018
  • Chairperson, Assessment and Curriculum Committee, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, American University of Kuwait, 02.2014 – 08.2016
  • Principle Author and Writeup Lead, Computer Engineering ABET Accreditation Self-Study Report, American University of Kuwait, 09.2013 - 06.2015.
  • Supervisor and/or member, standing committees, ABET accreditation assessment plan implementation: assessment and curriculum committee, data collection committee, course assessment committee, project evaluation committee, student liaison committee, student advisory board, curriculum guide committee, and industrial advisory board, American University of Kuwait, 09.2012 – 08.2016

Responsibilities comprised leading the preparations for ABET Accreditation including the development of its assessment plan, departmental structuring, plan implementation, self-study reports writeup, and coordinating the logistics of accreditation. The plan employs direct assessments to the general education and major components; with special emphasis on capstone projects. A bouquet of assessment tools support the plan, such as, course assessments by faculty; standardized tests; and exit, alumni, and employer surveys. The structure is supported by a student and industrial advisory boards.

Accreditation Training Attendance:

  • Administration Crisis Management, 2019
  • ABET Symposium, 2018
  • ABET Symposium, 2017
  • Assessing Student Professional Competencies, ABET, 2016
  • Creating a Culture of Assessment, ABET, 2016
  • ABET Symposium, 2016
  • Project Management to Create Your Self-Study & Prepare for the Visit, ABET, 2015
  • ABET Symposium, 2015
  • Developing & Implementing a Sustainable Assessment Plan, ABET, 2014
  • ABET Symposium, 2014
  • Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL), ABET, 2011
  • Institutional Effectiveness, 2011
  • Conducting a Self-study, 2007
  • The Plan for an Omani Higher Education Quality Management System, 2007

Program and Curriculum Development:

  • Computer Engineering (BS, BE), 2009 – 2022
  • Systems Engineering (BS, BE), 2013 – 2016
  • Electrical Engineering (BS, BE), 2012 – 2016
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering (BS), 2007 – 2009
  • Computer and Communications Engineering; (BS), 2007 – 2009; (MS), 2005 – 2006
  • Electrical Engineering (MS), 2005 – 2006
  • Computer Science (BS and MS), 2004 – 2005
  • Software Engineering (BS and MS), 2004 – 2005
  • Computer Graphics (BS and MS), 2004 – 2005
  • Management Information Systems (BS and MS), 2004 – 2005

The development comprised the program educational objectives, student outcomes, the creation of core major courses, capstone courses, elective courses, laboratory courses, project-based learning components, standardized course learning outcomes, and their mappings to student outcome indicators at the program level.

Laboratory Project Management and Design:

  • Digital Systems Laboratory, Beirut Arab University, 2019 – 2022
  • Machines and Power Systems Laboratory, American University of Kuwait, 2013 – 2014
  • High-Performance Computing Laboratory, American University of Kuwait, 2012 – 2013
  • Digital Systems Laboratory, American University of Kuwait, 2009 – 2010
  • Circuits and Electronics Laboratory, American University of Kuwait, 2009 – 2010
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories, Dhofar University, 2007 – 2009

Responsibilities included the preparation of specifications aligned with the curriculum, planning laboratory layouts, furniture and interior design, and synchronizing communication among purchasing, services, IT, and other departments. Supervisions included room constructions, electrical and IT installations, equipment setups, testing, and training. Other tasks included hiring of laboratory instructors and technicians and developing policies, procedures, and laboratory teaching material. Laboratories prepared: digital systems, electric circuits, electronics, computer organization and architecture, microprocessors, interfacing, embedded systems, high-performance computing, communications, instrumentation, control, data acquisition, power systems, machines, drives, renewable energy, and power electronics.

Professional Service:

As an academician and an engineer, I have been involved in a variety of professional services. My activities comprise program evaluation, counselling, consultancies, services to international conferences and journals, workshops, invited talks, services to professional societies, and included the following:

  • Program Evaluator (PEV), ABET, Engineeering Accreditation Commission (EAC), USA.
  • Member of the International Evaluators and Experts Group, Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC), Turkey.
  • Founding Counselor, AUK-IEEE Student Branch, American University of Kuwait, Kuwait.
  • Launched the Annual Electrical and Computer Engineering Exhibition, American University of Kuwait, Kuwait.
  • Launched the Electrical and Computer Engineering Seminar Series, American University of Kuwait, Kuwait.

I am a member of the Scientific Committees, of two projects co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union:

  • Developing Curricula for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (DeCAIR), Beirut Arab University, Lebanon.
  • Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Graduate Employability through University-Enterprise Cooperation (ELEGANT), Beirut Arab University, Lebanon.

I have been constantly serving as a reviewer and member of International Program Committees of international conferences since 2003 including the following recent conferences::

My activities with international journals include the following:

I have developed and maintained an Internet Portfolio that includes an Academic Website (www.idamaj.net), a Facebook Education Website (www.facebook.com/iwdamaj), an Instagram site (www.instagram.com/iwdamaj), and a Twitter professional site (twitter.com/issamwd).