Elrefae is a Professor of Financial Economics and Accounting with expertise in higher education management, risk management, and corporate governance in higher education institutions (HEIs). In July 2011, he was appointed President of Al Ain University (AAU), where he continues to lead initiatives in academic excellence, strategic development, and institutional governance. Prior to joining Al Ain University, he held senior academic leadership and administrative responsibilities for over 16 years in Jordanian higher education institutions.
Under his leadership, Al Ain University expanded geographically by opening its Abu Dhabi campus in 2016, which features state-of-the-art infrastructure and the latest technology. The expansion was designed not only to accommodate growing student enrollment but also to enhance the quality of education across the university.
Guided by a long-term vision, he pursued international accreditation goals for AAU. During his leadership, the College of Pharmacy received ACPE accreditation, the College of Engineering achieved ABET, the College of Business earned AACSB, the College of Education obtained CAEP, the College of Communication was accredited by AQAS, the College of Law attained HCERES accreditation, becoming the first university in the U.A.E. with comprehensive international recognition at the time. Most recently, AAU achieved International Institutional Accreditation by QAA (UK).
Elrefae’s demonstrates a strong commitment to community and higher education. He has served on numerous councils and advisory bodies, including the Coordination Council for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR, UAE), the Arab Universities Governance Council, and the Middle East and North Africa Advisory Council for AACSB. He was the General Secretary of the Society of Student Affairs Deanship Management (SSADM), an emerging organization within the Association of Arab Universities. He also served as a member of the Executive Council of the Association of Arab Universities and on the Board of Trustees at Middle East University (MEU).
Elrefae has been proactive in promoting education quality and aligning AAU with regional global quality standards. Recognized for his contributions to education quality assurance, he was named a ‘Model of Good Practice in education management’ by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the MOHESR in the UAE. He has chaired and served on committees for Academic Accreditation and Equivalence of Foreign Degrees at the Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. As President of AAU, he has signed numerous memoranda of understanding and agreements with regional and international higher education institutions as well as industrial firms in both the private and government sectors.
Elrefae’s scholarly work spans multiple areas, including higher education quality, international higher education, diversity and education, risk management in universities, corporate governance, asymmetric information in higher education, financial economics, industrial organization, and big data. He has authored as well as edited several books on accounting, finance, and economics with reputable publishers, and has published more than 200 papers in high-ranked peer-reviewed journals. His research has appeared in the Vine Journal of Information and Knowledge Management System, the International Journal of Management Education, Review of Accounting and Finance, Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Management Research and Practice, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, Energy Policy, International Review of Administrative Sciences, International Journal of Trade and Global Markets, ICT Express, Cluster Computing, the Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Global Business and Economic Review, and the International Journal of Economics and Business Research, among others. He also contributed to the development and authorship of accounting, business, and economics textbooks following the UNCTAD curriculum, offered through the Arab Society of Certified Accountants.
Elrefae has served as patron and chair of the steering committees of several international conferences in economics and business. He currently serves as Chief Editor of the AAU Journal of Business and Law, Associate Editor of the International Journal of Economics and Business Research (IJEBR), and sits on the editorial boards of the International Arab Journal of Information Technology and Global Business and Economic Anthology (GBEA). He also served as a guest editor of Global Business and Economic Review (GBER), IJEBR, and other Arabic academic journals. In addition, he is a regular reviewer for several Elsevier- and Scopus-indexed academic journals and is frequently invited to serve as an external evaluator for scholarly attainment and promotion portfolios in economics, finance, and accounting.
Elrefae earned his Ph.D. in Financial Economics from the University of Cincinnati, USA. and is an active member of the American Accounting Association, American Economic Association, and Arab Economic Association. In recognition of his leadership, scholarship, and professional contributions, Elrefae has received numerous awards throughout his career.
Memberships
American Accounting Association (AAA)
American Economic Association (AEA)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.
This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
