Dr. Jabbar A. Al-Obaidi

Jabbar A. Al-Obaidi received his Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a master’s degree in Art Education from Hartford University, and a bachelor’s degree in drama and theater from Baghdad University. Currently, Al-Obaidi serves as the Special Advisor to the President for Global Partnerships, the Minnock Institute for Global Engagement, Bridgewater State University (BSU). Al-Obaidi also served as Acting Chair, Communication Department, Spring 2022, and Fall 2017, and the Chair of the Communication Department from 2005-2011. He also served as the director of the Center for Middle East Studies (2011-2018), Academic Director of Global Programs 2018-2022 at BSU. In addition to his extensive teaching and administrative experiences in the US, he taught in Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and China. Professor Al-Obaidi ‘s administrative contribution, scholarly work, and teaching cover curriculum and programs, management and leadership, assessment, pedagogy, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), instructional technology, intercultural communication, and media in the Middle East. He also produces and hosts INFOCUS, a cable television program, and makes documentary films. He also served as Co-Chair of the NECHE Self-Study Steering Committee for BSU Reaccreditation 2019-2022. His latest publications include Changing Global Media Landscapes: Convergence, Fragmentation, and Polarization, Emerging Technologies Transforming Higher Education: Instructional Design and Student Success, and The Role of Educators as Agents and Conveyors for Positive Change in Global Education.