Sawsan Khuri is a professional facilitator of interdisciplinary research collaborations, with over 25 years’ experience enhancing collaborative innovation across professions, sectors and cultures, enabling diverse groups of people to achieve significant and positive outcomes.
Education: BSc (Hons) University of Reading, PhD University of London, several advanced certificates in Design Thinking and Facilitation.
More information: A systems thinking natural, Sawsan developed a 5-country international project on cedar tree conservation around the Mediterranean region while still a trainee. She eventually became the first Director of Engagement for computational sciences at the University of Miami, Florida. Her approach has always embraced equity, diversity and inclusion, for example she teamed up with the start-up tech industry and local schools in Miami to encourage girls into STEM careers with events such as Women in Tech Careers (2015) and the She Innovates Tech conference (2016). She won a Leadership Award in 2014, is featured in the Super Cool Scientists Coloring Book (Sara MacSorely, 2017), and now based in Devon Sawsan was honoured with the Girls to Women Award at the Diversity Business Incubator Gala 2024.
Sawsan is the Founding CEO of Volt Entrepreneurs Ltd, powering entrepreneurship in young people. Her contribution to science education continues as a part time Senior Lecturer in Medical Sciences at the University of Exeter Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
Sawsan is originally from Lebanon and has lived, worked and made friends in the UK, the US, and the Middle East. She is native bilingual in English and Arabic, and comfortable speaking French and Spanish. She is a married working mum, enjoys traveling, global cultural traditions, and detective series repeats.
Memberships
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Global Educator with Duke Corporate Education’s ESG Academy
Member of the International Women’s Forum, UK
co-Chair of Education and Training Special Interest Group of the International Network for the Science of Team Science
Trustee at the Exeter Phoenix
Governor at Cranbrook Education Campus, part of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust