Founders’ Message

Greetings!

We are delighted that you are considering the INTERLINK International Institutes at Al Yamamah University—a leading English-medium university in Saudi Arabia and the region.

Since its establishment at Al Yamamah University in 2004, INTERLINK’s unique program has empowered students to excel academically and professionally. Our graduates have secured positions at top corporations in the Kingdom, achieved academic distinction, won first- and second-place prizes in international debate competitions, and actively participated in youth forums across Europe. Many have also pursued higher education at prestigious universities in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

Founded in the United States in 1980, INTERLINK has helped thousands of students and professionals achieve their academic and career aspirations. Our alumni have attended esteemed institutions such as Berkeley, Cornell, Duke, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania, among many others. Today, they are making an impact as professors, researchers, and executives in leading global corporations, universities, and government agencies.

We invite you to experience our dynamic learning environment and take advantage of the enriching academic opportunities available in the Kingdom and beyond.

Ahad Shahbaz – President & CEO, INTERLINK International Institutes

Khalid Al Khudair – Board Chairman, Al Yamamah University

Ahad Shahbaz, President & CEO

Ahad Shahbaz has directed and overseen over 30 programs on various university campuses in the U.S. and abroad. Inspired by John F. Kennedy’s global message of helping and learning from the world through the Peace Corps program, he began his career in teaching and learning with the Peace Corps in Afghanistan and subsequently continued with coordinating the Teacher Corps/Peace Corps language and cross-cultural project at SUNY/College at Buffalo. Having completed his tenure at SUNY/College, he taught English as a second language at SUNY/Buffalo followed by directing the Office of International Student Affairs at Snead State College in Alabama. His incurable addiction to language and culture subsequently took him to Saudi Arabia to set up the Ohio University intensive English program in Taif, Saudi Arabia. An active participant in multiple organizations, he served EnglishUSA (formerly American Association of Intensive English Programs) as its first elected Vice President for Standards; Carolina TESOL as president; the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation as a task force member; and NAFSA: Association of International Educators as a multi-year presenter on leadership, management, and cross-cultural training. He obtained his BA in Liberal Arts/Linguistics from SUNY/College at Buffalo and his MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from SUNY/Buffalo. Committed to transformative education through project-based curricula, he currently oversees U.S. and international programs focusing on academic preparation, language learning, and cross-cultural training.

David Parsons, Senior Executive Director

David Parsons has had extensive experience in teaching, research, and administration. Prior to joining INTERLINK, David directed a Kellogg Foundation-sponsored program on agriculture in the liberal arts: “Food, Peace, & International Development” at Wilmington College of Ohio. He has taught ESL and conducted cross-cultural research in Algeria. Since 1986, he has worked with INTERLINK as teacher, assistant director and director of two different campus programs. As former president of Carolina TESOL, he has been active in the region promoting standards in ESL programs. David holds a B.A. in History and Math from Guilford College; an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Northwestern University; and a MAT in English as a Second Language from the School for International Training. He speaks fluent French and is familiar with Arabic and Russian.

In Memoriam: Bob Steiner, Founder & Chairman

Founder and Chairman, Robert Steiner had extensive experience in the field of cross-cultural training and international education. He  held key posts in leadership, management and training in the U.S. and abroad; was Director of Cross-Cultural Training and Research at the University of Hawaii; served as Director of the Fulbright Commission in Iran; at the request of Sargent Shriver, President John F. Kennedy’s brother-in-law, started and directed the Peace Corps programs in Afghanistan and Iran, and was later promoted to Peace Corps Regional Director for North Africa, Near East, and South Asia; worked as Executive Director of New Jersey Education Consortium; and was a consultant at the United Nations. As a chief executive officer of government agencies and private institutions, Robert managed and promoted world-wide educational and training projects. He held an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University and a B.A. in Mathematics and Physics from the College of Wooster. He was listed in Who’s Who in America. Robert spoke Farsi and French fluently.

Valley Peters, Executive Director

Growing up in rural Nebraska and Montana, Valley Peters acquired wanderlust at a young age as she dreamt of far-flung places. A study abroad program in college to New Zealand ignited her plan to pursue a lifetime of traveling and learning about other cultures. A stint as an Americorps volunteer ESL instructor opened the door for combining travel and culture with her love for learning. Outside the classroom, you’ll find her dabbling in artistic pursuits, hiking, hanging out with her daughter, and listening to Tedtalks.Valley has taught in Japan, Mexico, and in the United States in a variety of settings. Her love for the outdoors led her to Jackson, Wyoming where she spent 10 years at a non-profit developing literacy programming for adults, training ESL tutors and teachers, and eventually acting as the executive director. Her professional interests include learning-to-learn strategies, reading development, reflective practice, learner efficacy, and intercultural competence. She has presented at conferences in Japan, Wyoming, and Washington on “constructive chaos” in the classroom, group discussion skills, reflective practice, participatory pedagogy, training ESL tutors, and advanced reading strategies.

Ana Valdivia, Admissions Director

Ana Valdivia is originally from Lima, Peru. She graduated with a degree in architecture before moving to Bozeman, Montana where she has lived for over 15 years. She is now used to the long and cold winters. Her interest in learning about different cultures began in 2000 when she began working on the Montana State University campus. Being herself a non-native English speaker, she felt she had found the perfect place to help foreign students in Bozeman. Over the years, Ana has taken different roles and assumed increasing responsibilities. As admissions director, she now oversees the student application process and provides academic advising, ensuring the INTERLINK student experience is smooth and fruitful from the point of application, through graduation, and into their academic and professional transitions. Ana enjoys meeting and assisting students from different countries and backgrounds, and seeing them succeed at INTERLINK.

Allison Kerr, Marketing Consultant

Allison Kerr has been working in international higher education since 2015. Prior to INTERLINK, she started as a work study in the Office of International Education at St. Ambrose University, graduating in 2017, then served with the City of Davenport AmeriCorps Program as an Elementary Program Specialist at a local non profit. Allison joined INTERLINK in 2018 as a Student Services Coordinator before moving to the Home Office team as a project manager and, soon after, a marketing manager. Allison enjoys helping INTERLINK share students’ stories, and communicating the organization’s programs on the website. She values working at INTERLINK and the opportunity to connect with people from around the world. Outside of work hours, you might find Allison listening to a podcast, spending time in the sun, or starting a crochet project. She loves learning new things about the world and thinking creatively to find solutions.

Monique Cooper, Controller

Monique Cooper has been in the accounting field for over 25 years.  As a child, her family immigrated to the Denver area from the Netherlands. English is her second language.  She earned her accounting certificate at Barnes Business College.  While living in Southern California for 18 years she did the accounting for a personal injury attorney, cost accounting for a manufacturing company that produced nutritional supplements, and also in the auto repair industry.  She returned to Denver in 2005 and worked as comptroller and office manager/overseas liaison for a clothing designer whose goods were manufactured in China and New Zealand. By joining the INTERLINK team she is able to continue to embrace the cultural diversity she experienced within her own family and in other accounting positions.

Bu-Madyan Kahtan, General Director

Dr. Bu-Madyan Kahtan oversees the INTERLINK International Institutes on all Al Yamamah University campuses in Riyadh and Khobar as well as the outreach programs offered by INTERLINK. Bu-Madyan is a passionate English language teaching professional who has been working in the field of English language teaching, program administration, teacher training, and curriculum review and design for over 22 years. After earning his BA in TEFL from the College of Education, he earned a TESOL Certificate and was appointed as teaching assistant in Sanaa University, Yemen. After five years of teaching EAP and ESP at Sanaa University and EFL at Yemen’s most prestigious language center, YALI, he received a Fulbright Scholarship and earned his MA in TESOL/Applied Linguistics at the University of Northern Iowa, USA. He then served as a teacher trainer for in-service and pre-service teachers in the UAE. His training included an introduction to portfolios and continuous assessment.  From there, he joined the INTERLINK team and within two years was promoted to Instructional Coordinator and then Assistant Director. After 13 years in the position supporting and supervising multiple teachers and administrators, Bu-Madyan was promoted to General Director. Bu-Madyan’s strengths include quality assurance, program and curriculum review and design, assessment, teacher training, counseling, and comparative linguistics. He speaks Arabic fluently. He enjoys cross-cultural interaction and is a lifelong learner.

Randa Sibahi, Assistant Director

Dr. Randa Sibahi holds an EdD in TESOL and an M.Ed. from the University of Exeter. She is a passionate English language teaching professional who has been working in the field of English language teaching, teacher training, and curriculum review and design for over a decade. Sibahi has written on reflective practice, project-based learning, students’ evaluation of teaching and learning, academic writing and professionalism. Sibahi remains active in the field of ESL by attending and presenting at conferences and has been a member of TESOL for many years. Her areas of specialization are: TESOL, 21st century skills and improvement of both teacher competency and student academic success.

Ahmed Saad, Instructional Coordinator

Ahmed holds a B.Ed. in English Language Teaching, which he obtained in 2000. He also holds two internationally recognized teaching qualifications: CELTA, obtained in 2014, and DELTA with a focus on ELT management. These qualifications have provided him with a strong foundation in teaching and managerial skills. As an educator since 2002, Ahmed has worked as a teacher and teacher trainer for different international teaching organizations. He has taught in various contexts and at different levels, from primary school to university level. As an instructional coordinator at Al Yamamah University, Ahmed is responsible for overseeing instructors’ implementation of INTERLINK curriculum. In this role, he works closely with instructors to ensure that they have the resources and support required to deliver high-quality instruction. His passion for learning and professional development has led him to pursue an MBA in Management Information Systems at Marywood University.

Ahmed Talat, Instructional Coordinator

Ahmed Abdulaziz has been in the field of EFL for 16 years. He is a CELTA holder and has a BA in English literature from Ain Shams University and an MA in TESOL from SIT, Brattleboro, USA. He has three diplomas from the American University in Cairo majoring in translation, interpreting, and screen translation. He has given a number of presentations at international conferences such as TESOL Arabia, Nile TESOL, and The International Symposium at Al Yamamah University. His areas of interest include iPedagogy: using modern technology in teaching to help better acquire the language and accent vs international English. He believes that contextualizing the language and building a good rapport with students are key in language acquisition. Since 2011, he has continued to contribute to Interlink Institution with dedication and love.

Ms. Maisaa Tubail, Instructional Coordinator

In addition to having many years of experience in teaching English language, linguistics and literature within a Saudi context, Maisaa Tubail has an international academic background as she lived, studied and worked in the USA and Canada.  Maisaa holds a Master’s degree in English from Indian University of Pennsylvania (IUP), USA and an advanced diploma in using technology in education from Athabasca University (AU), Canada.  She taught in King Saud University (KSU) and Princess Nourah University (PNU) before joining INTERLINK.  She has also been involved in training programs.  Most recently, Maisaa has given a number of presentations on using LMS as an educational tool during and post the Covid-19 pandemic.  She is currently an instructional coordinator (IC) in the INTERLINK program.  Maisaa has always been passionate about learning (to update her professional skills and knowledge in the world of academia) and teaching.  She is keen on bringing that energy into the classroom, encouraging students to see education as a dynamic process of discovery and continuing development.  Besides teaching, she worked for Saudi TV and in interpretation.  Maisaa is fluent in Arabic and is constantly refreshing her French!

Ms. Hasnaa Hafez, Instructional coordinator

Ms. Hasnaa Hafez is an INTERLINK instructional coordinator with over 22 years of experience teaching English in various institutes and universities. She has dedicated her career to helping students achieve their language learning goals. For the past 12 years, she has been a proud member of the INTERLINK International Institute at Al-Yamamah University, where she has had the opportunity to work with students of different ages and backgrounds. Throughout her career, Hasnaa has developed a passion for creating engaging and effective language learning experiences that cater to the unique needs of individual students. Whether working with beginners or advanced learners, she strives to create a supportive and dynamic learning environment that fosters growth and development. In addition to her work as an EFL instructor, she has also served as an instructional coordinator, participating in curriculum development and teacher training. Through these roles, she has gained valuable insights into best practices in language instruction and become committed to staying up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques in the field.