Uptown International School

Uptown International School

Uptown International School

UIS is a community of active, inquiring learners comprising students, parents, and school staff where knowledge, skills, and compassion are developed and celebrated. Our students will develop into responsible citizens of Egypt and the world. UIS is a community of active, inquiring learners comprising students, parents, and school staff where knowledge, skills, and compassion are developed and celebrated. Our students will develop into responsible citizens of Egypt and the world. Uptown International School

Uptown International School

Andy Dailey

Andy Dailey

Title: Director of Uptown International School

Mr. Andy Dailey is a well-regarded international school leader with vast experience in International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. In 2014, he was Founding Director of Albanian College Durres, Albania. In 2015, he was promoted to Executive Director and established a second campus of Albanian College in Tirana, Albania. Both schools were fully authorised for IB Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP), and Diploma Programmes (DP). Albanian College Tirana was the first IB Diploma Programme school in the country.

Prior to his work in Albania, Mr. Dailey helped establish IB Diploma Programmes at International Academy Amman (IAA) in Jordan and New Cairo British International School (NCBIS) in Egypt. While at IAA, he served as the IB Diploma Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) Coordinator and taught IB MYP Individuals and Societies. At NCBIS, he served as the IB Diploma CAS Coordinator and taught IB Diploma History. Prior to these positions, Mr. Dailey worked at The American International School in Egypt (AIS), serving as an IB Diploma History teacher, the IB Diploma CAS Coordinator, and as Head of Department of Social Studies for 11 years.

Mr. Dailey has also worked for the International Baccalaureate (IB). He has served as an IB Diploma History and IB Diploma CAS Workshop Leader, presenting over 60 teacher workshops in 12 years throughout Europe and the Middle East. He has also served as an Assistant Examiner for IB Diploma History and IB Diploma Extended Essays in History. Mr. Dailey has been an active member of the IB History Curriculum Review Committee and currently participates on the IB CAS Curriculum Review Committee. He has been a consultant for new and developing schools and for schools working towards IB authorisation.

Mr. Dailey is currently the Series Editor for Access to History for the IB for Hodder Education, the largest textbook publisher in the United Kingdom. He has authored or co-authored three titles in the series and edited many others. His titles include Peacemaking, Peacekeeping International Relations from 1918 to 1936, Causes and Effects of 20th Century Warfare, and The Move to Global War. He has co-authored an IB Middle Years Programme textbook for Individuals and Societies for Grade 9 and 10.

Mr. Dailey is from Tennessee in the United States and has lived and worked in schools in the United States, Croatia, Egypt, Jordan, and Albania. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Education from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Michigan State University

Dr. Mostafa El Feki

Dr. Mostafa El Feki

Title: Board Member

Dr. Mostafa El Feki is a highly skilled diplomat with extensive experience in the political and cultural fields garnered from a prolific career in the international arena. He was appointed Director of the Library of Alexandria as of 28 May 2017.

Dr. El Feki has held numerous positions within the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most notably including that of Ambassador of Egypt to Austria and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Non-resident Ambassador to the Republics of Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia and Counsellor of Egypt in New Delhi and Vice-Consul and Diplomatic Secretary at the Consulate General and Embassy of Egypt in London. He has also served as First Assistant to the Egyptian Foreign Minister for Arab and Middle East Affairs, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the League of Arab States and Governor of Egypt at International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

On the national front, Dr. El Feki has served as Secretary of Information and Follow-up to the President of Egypt and Head of the Bureau of Information and Follow-up for the Egyptian Presidency.

In addition, Dr. El Feki has served as a Member of the Egyptian Parliament with positions as Chairman of the Arab Affairs, Foreign Relations and National Security Committee at the Consultative Council, Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee of the Egyptian People’s Assembly and Vice President of Freedom and Human Rights Committee amongst others. Throughout his career, Dr. El Feki has made broad-based contributions in society as a literary scholar, intellectual, historian, writer and educator. In contributing to life-long learning, over the years Dr. El Feki has lectured at some of the most reputable universities, research institutions and cultural centers in Egypt and abroad. For over a decade, he served as an external Professor of Political Science at the American University in Cairo and was the Director of the Egyptian Institute for Diplomatic Studies and the Founding President of the British University in Egypt.

Kay Mongardi

Kay Mongardi

Title: Board Member

Kay Mongardi is a well-known and well-regarded veteran in the field of international education. She has most recently served as Chair of the Board of Albanian College, a system of IB Continuum Schools in Albania. She has served as the Chair of the Board of Brookhouse School in Nairobi, Kenya. Ms. Mongardi was an Accreditation Officer for the Council of International Schools (CIS) for Africa, Italy, and the Middle East, from 2004 to 2016.

Ms. Mongardi has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Wheaton College in the US, a Post-Graduate Diploma of Education from Makerere University College in Kampala, Uganda, and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Pepperdine University in California in the US.

Other experience in international education includes:

• American International School in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt – Secondary Principal
• Lincoln International American School, Buenos Aires, Argentina – High School Principal
• American British Academy, Muscat, Oman – High School Principal and Deputy Superintendent
• Nagoya International School, Nagoya, Japan – Principal
• Escola Graduada, São Paulo, Brazil – Middle School Dean
• Buena Vista High School, Corona, California – Teacher, Work Experience Counselor,
• Adult Education, Amnesty ESL Resource Person
• Auburndale Junior High School, Corona, California – Science Teacher
• International School of Genoa, Genoa, Italy – Head of School
• Khartoum American School, Khartoum, Sudan – Head of School
• International School of Moshi, Moshi, Tanzania – Grade level and Science Teacher
• Arusha School, Arusha, Tanzania – Grade 4 and 7 Teacher
• African Girls’ Secondary School, Moshi, Tanzania – Science, History and Math Teacher

Rachel MacKinnon

Rachel MacKinnon

Title: Board Member

Ms. Rachel MacKinnon is from the United Kingdom, but was born in Zambia. Before attending university in the United Kingdom, she lived in many countries around the world. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Plymouth University and a Master’s Degree in Education Management from Oxford Brookes University.

Ms. MacKinnon is currently Executive Director of the International Learning Group School, an international school located in Pristina, Kosovo. She is the former Head of Primary and Acting Director of Albanian College Durres in Albania and the Interim Head of School and Deputy Head of School of Woodford International School in the Solomon Islands. Prior to this, Ms. MacKinnon was the Director of Learning and International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) Coordinator at The King’s School in Australia. She also has other leadership and teaching experiences in China, the United Kingdom, The Solomon Islands, Australia, and The Bahamas.

Ms. MacKinnon is an official IB PYP Workshop Leader, School Visitor, and Consultant. She is also an IB PYP Curriculum Connections provider. She has been trained for Council of International Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and The National Center for School Curriculum and Textbook Development accreditation teams. Ms. MacKinnon has served as Accreditation Officer, has worked with Advanced accreditation, and is a member of the Academy of International School Heads. Additionally, she is a private consultant, working with American, British, and IB framework and curriculum schools, helping to develop and promote international education around the world.

Dr. Marc Abrioux

Dr. Marc Abrioux

Title: Board Member

Dr. Marc Abrioux is from France and is a renowned and well-regarded international educator, administrator, and developer of the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme. He has a Diplȏme d’Etudes supérieures and a Licence ès Lettres from Bordeaux University in France, a Master’s Degree from MacMaster University in Canada in Romance Languages, and a second Master’s Degree in French and Political Studies from Aberdeen University in the United Kingdom. Mr. Abrioux holds a Doctorat de troisième cycle from Bordeaux University in France.

Mr. Abrioux is the former Director of Studies and of International Affairs at Lester B Pearson College in Canada and the former Head of School of the International School of Sophia Antipolis in France. Most recently, Mr. Abrioux was the Headmaster of United World College of the Adriatic in Italy. He was the Founding Director of the International Seminar on Youth and Development and of the International Seminar on Youth Leadership, and of international education programmes in Costa Rica and Vietnam.

He is the recipient of the Rietzke International Award for Educators and was one of 50 distinguished educators invited to the United Nations in New York for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Mr. Abrioux is the co-author of Introducing the IB Diploma Programme with Cambridge University Press. He most recently served on the Board of Albanian College.

Chris Wright

Chris Wright

Title: Board Member

Chris Wright is from the United Kingdom and is a well-respected international educator, school administrator, developer, and evaluator of the International Baccalaureate curricular and leadership programmes. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from Durham University and a Master’s Degree from the University of London. He has been awarded the Ynys Seli Prize in Education. He is an acclaimed author, editor, and contributor to books on education.

Mr. Wright has been Director of three schools, has worked for the University of London in educational research and teacher education. He currently works as Director of Education for an organization that operates 50 schools in the United Kingdom.

He has extensive experience of working with the International Baccalaureate Organization, including:

• Author of a number of their professional development courses
• Chair of authorization and multi-programme evaluation visits
• A lead developer for new Heads of School and Leading Learning workshops to support the introduction of the new IB Standards and Practices (2020)
• He has been involved in the growth and development of a number of international schools as far afield as Albania, India, and Mexico and is a sought-after consultant all over the world.

Dr. Hana Kanan

Dr. Hana Kanan

Title: Board Member

Dr. Hana Kanan is originally from Nablus, Palestine. She earned her BA degree in English Literature and Education from the Jordan University in Amman, a Master’s Degree from Birzeit University in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Master’s Degree and Doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, USA, in Educational Leadership.

Dr. Kanan has worked in schools in Palestine, the United States, Qatar, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, as a teacher, teacher trainer, college instructor, Director and Managing Director. She has worked in some of the most prominent and international school programs in the world, but also in inner-city schools and in refugee camps. Dr. Kanan’s research focuses on motivation, mentoring, educational training, and international schooling. 

Dr. Kanan has served as the Director of The International Academy-Amman, a prominent school in Amman, Jordan. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Alliance of International Education (AIE), is a Board Member of the Queen Rania Foundation, and is a Board Member of the Nadia and Ghyath Sukhtian Foundation.

Dr. Kanan has previously served as the President of The Middle East IB Association twice, has been a Board Member of Albanian College, and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Council of International Schools (CIS). She has also been a Board Member for the accreditation and classification of private schools in Jordan, and an Executive Committee Member for the National Center for Curriculum Development in Jordan.

Dr. Karim Salem

Dr. Karim Salem

Title: Board Member

Dr. Karim Salem is an Associate Professor at the School of Business Administration, Economics, and Political Science at The British University in Egypt and a former member of the Egyptian Parliament. Dr. Salem holds Doctorate from the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences at Cairo University. His Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree, in Business and Public Administration, were received from The American University in Cairo.

Dr. Salem has also served on the faculty of Foreign Trade at Helwan University, on the faculty of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport and was a visiting faculty member at the National University of Public Service in Hungary. He has served as an instructor at The American University in Cairo, the Egyptian Police Academy, and at the Anti-corruption Academy of the Administrative Control Authority.

Representing Heliopolis in the Egyptian Parliament from January 2016 until January 2021, Dr. Salem served on the Education and Scientific Research Committee. Additionally, he served on the Planning and Budgeting, Culture and Media, and on the General Parliamentary Committees. While serving on these committees, he contributed to legislation regarding education, as well as civil service reform, public finance, local government, social empowerment, public enterprise, and economic development. 

Dr. Salem has a keen interest in public policy, education and education reform, and governance. He has contributed to numerous publications, including the Journal of Business Studies, Arab Journal of Political Sciences, International Journal of Business and Public Administration, Journal of US-China Public Administration, and the Scientific Journal of Economics and Commerce.

Dr. Salem has been contracted as a strategic development consultant  by several Egyptian government  institutions from 1997 through 2016, as well as several international development organizations including the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Canadian Agency for International Development Agency.