Founders’ Message

Greetings!

We are delighted you are considering the INTERLINK International Institute at Al Y​amamah University, one of the leading English-medium universities in the Kingdom and the region.​

Since its establishment at Al Yamamah University in 2004, INTERLINK’s unique program has enabled students to perform with distinction. Some of their achievements include employment with leading corporations in the Kingdom; superior performance in their academic studies; first- and second-place prizes in international debate competitions; successful participation in youth forums in Europe; and successful attendance at US, Canadian, Australian, European, and some Asian universities.

Since its inception in the United States in 1980, INTERLINK has helped thousands of students and professionals to achieve their academic and professional goals. Some have attended major U.S. universities, including Berkeley, Cornell, Duke, MIT, and The University of Pennsylvania among many others. Now as alumni, they are using their skills to serve their communities as professors, researchers, and executives at major international corporations, universities, and governmental agencies.

We hope you, too, will be able to take advantage of our unique learning environment and its motivating and enriching academic opportunities in KSA and abroad..

With good wishes,

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.

David Woodward, Senior Advisor for Strategic Outreach

As the INTERLINK Senior Advisor for Strategic Outreach, David Woodward brings a wealth of significant experience in global business, international program administration, language education, and cross-cultural communication. His expertise spans 40 years of facilitating global K-20 education and multi-regional business development. He has led multi-site organizations nationally, conducted marketing and outreach internationally, contributed to corporate board and organizational development, and has set up strategic relationships worldwide. David was born in Iran where he spent his early youth and developed a fascination for languages and cultures of the world. He holds four degrees from the University of Washington, including an MA in Higher Education with a specialization in Teaching English as a Second Language, an MA in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, a BA in Linguistics, and a BA in History.

Shaima Shahbaz, Executive Director

A native of Colorado, Shaima Shahbaz has held various management posts in the US and abroad. After obtaining her BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado in Boulder, she volunteered as a project manager for the nonprofit Afghans4Tomorrow in Afghanistan. Her experience in Kabul inspired her to enroll at the U.N. University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. With an M.A. in Responsible Management, she then worked with the nonprofit BeadforLife, conducting research and managing projects in rural Uganda. Having served INTERLINK since 2012, Shaima has worked in various capacities including as Project Manager, Communication Director, and Assistant Director of the INTERLINK institute at St. Ambrose University. As Executive Director, Shaima brings a strong appreciation for and commitment to INTERLINK’s vision, mission, and ethos of service.

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.

Nebila Dhieb, General Director

Nebila oversees both the Women’s and Men’s Divisions at the university as well as all outreach programs offered by INTERLINK. With MA and PhD degrees in Applied Linguistics from the University of Manuba (UM), Tunisia, and as Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics at UM, she has lectured on Curriculum Development, Applied Linguistics, English for Specific Purposes, and TESL/TEFL Methodologies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. During most of her tenure, she has been involved in facilitating different pre-service and in-service teacher training programs. An active participant in international conferences in TESOL, TESOL ARABIA, the Maghreb Conference, and INTERLINK’s various, annual ELT International Symposia, she enjoys training, research, and writing. Her articles have been published in English for Specific Purposes, ITL Review of Applied Linguistics, CALL-EJ and English Teaching Forum. Her book “Understanding Reading in a Scientific Context: A Genre-based Approach” was published in 2010 (VDM). Nebila is fluent in Arabic and French.

Bu-Madyan Kahtan, Assistant Director

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 teach 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. Bu-Madyan’s strengths include program design, 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.

Mohamed Haroun, Instructional Coordinator

Mohamed graduated from Hunter College, City University of New York, with a BA in English literature and political science with a special honors in curriculum. Mohamed holds an MA in British and American literature. He also studied abroad at the American University in Cairo, which helped him to brush up on his Arabic and gave him his first taste of education in the Middle East. While attending college, Mohamed worked in higher education administration for ten years as the Assistant to the President of Hunter College. He developed his love for teaching when he was given the opportunity to teach expository writing in the Department of English. He completed a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults from the University of Cambridge and continued to refine his pedagogical outlook, both in theory and practice, while teaching both English and Arabic to adult learners at a language center in New York City. Mohamed is interested in research on second language acquisition in an EFL context.

Aaron Abdow, Instructional Coordinator

Aaron earned a B.S. in Organizational Management from Colorado State University and a M.A.T (TESOL) from SIT Graduate Institute. Prior to his role as instructional coordinator at INTERLINK Al Yamamah, Aaron was an English lecturer and teacher trainer. He began his teaching career as an English teacher with the Peace Corps in Mozambique and later worked with Peace Corps Liberia teaching English and mentoring administrators at a rural teacher training institute.