Professor Mirahan Zedan: Bridging Executive Strategy and Academic Innovation on the R&D Bridge
The mission of the Nordic R&D Bridge is to forge sustainable partnerships and foster knowledge exchange between European institutions and the Middle East and North Africa. Few academic leaders embody this bridging role as completely as Professor Mirahan Zedan.
Combining a distinguished career as a university professor with deep, hands-on experience as a board member of several organizations, Professor Zedan represents the powerful integration of theoretical rigor and practical executive action.
Her profile—a blend of academic leadership at Helwan University and MSA University in Cairo, as well as King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah, makes her insights indispensable for researchers, industry partners, and executive education providers looking to thrive in the digital age.
The Dual Mandate: Academia Meets the Boardroom
Professor Mirahan Zedan’s professional trajectory is defined by a commitment to eliminating the often-cited gap between academic knowledge and real-world application.
While currently lending her academic expertise at institutions like Helwan University, her true distinction lies in her history as a co-founder and board member of several NGOs.
This practical, top-tier executive experience ensures that her teaching and research are not theoretical exercises; they are validated blueprints for success. When she mentors a student or advises an executive, her methods are grounded in a PhD-level understanding of complex phenomena, yet tailored to be immediately applicable in the competitive global settings.
This unique dual mandate allows her to cultivate a generation of leaders who are both deeply reflective and highly adaptive.
Executive Development: The IBCT-Certified Bridge
Beyond the university lecture hall, Professor Zedan functions as a catalyst for organizational change through her role as a Certified Trainer by the International Board of Certified Trainers (IBCT). Her executive development programs are highly sought after because they address immediate, high-stakes industry needs, including:- Training Model Innovation: Helping academic institutions pivot and find new sources of competitive advantage.
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC): Providing academic institutions with the frameworks necessary for sustainable, ethical, and resilient operations—a cornerstone of international partnership.
- Strategic Planning and Foresight: Teaching leaders how to anticipate future trends rather than merely reacting to them.
These training specialties are the direct link between the academic research ecosystem and corporate strategy, making her a vital asset in the Nordic R&D Bridge’s goal of fostering sustainable partnerships. She cultivates professionals who are not just recipients of knowledge but active architects of their organizations' competitive future.
The SKRC Dialogue: Translating R&D into Global Influence
The upcoming exclusive interview, "Research from Zero to Publication," serves as a perfect demonstration of her commitment to capacity-building. This session, hosted by the SKRC's The Swedish Dialogue platform, directly addresses the practical barriers that prevent groundbreaking academic work from achieving global recognition.
In the interview, she is set to tackle critical, modern challenges that plague both academics and corporate R&D divisions: the necessity of high-impact writing to ensure acceptance in top-tier journals, and the strategic guidance needed for the ethical integration of Generative AI into research.
By focusing on Knowledge, Strategy, and Leadership—the three pillars of her professional philosophy—she provides the essential missing link: translating research ideas into published papers that serve as proof points for further international collaboration and corporate investment.
Professor Mirahan Zedan truly embodies the role of a modern academic leader—one who teaches strategy because she has lived it, and who bridges the often-distant worlds of scholarly rigor and executive decision-making.
Through her continued leadership and collaboration with platforms like the Nordic R&D Bridge, she remains a pivotal figure in ensuring that research talent in the MENA region is equipped to meet global standards and drive future economic growth.