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Academic Board
PROFESSOR MAHSOOD SHAH
Professor Shah has completed his PhD with a research focus on quality assurance in Australian higher education. Over the last 18 years, he has led learning and teaching at faculty and school level at three Australian universities. He has extensive experience in all aspects of learning and teaching leadership including strategy and governance, quality assurance and enhancements, and maintenance of standards. Professor Shah is also on the TEQSA Expert Register and has also been part of review panels with various international quality assurance agencies.
ACTING CHAIR
INDEPENDENT ACADEMIC BOARD MEMBER
Professor Roger Hadgraft
INDEPENDANT ACADEMIC BOARD MEMBER
Roger Hadgraft is a civil engineer with 30 years’ experience in transforming engineering education through project-based learning (PBL) and educational technology. He was instrumental in introducing a project-based curriculum in civil engineering at Monash University and in several disciplines at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Roger was an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Discipline Scholar and co-author of the Threshold Learning Outcomes for Engineering and Information Technology and he has been a member of several national learning and teaching projects.
Professor Mehregan Mahdavi
INDEPENDANT ACADEMIC BOARD MEMBER
Professor Mehregan Mahdavi is a highly experienced educator with over two decades of experience in higher education teaching, research, and management. Throughout his career, Mehregan has worked at various universities and institutes within Australia and abroad. Mehregan has successfully led several quality assurance and curriculum development projects within higher education, demonstrating a strong commitment to promoting excellence in learning and teaching. With academic expertise in both Information Technology and learning and teaching in higher education, Mehregan brings extensive knowledge and expertise to the field. He is currently a senior IEEE member.
Professor Shelley Kinash
Chief Academic Officer
Professor Shelley Kinash is the Chief Academic Officer at Universal Higher Education, with over 30 years of experience in tertiary education. She also chairs academic boards for two private education providers, contributing to benchmarking and innovation. Her research focuses on student voice, equity, and graduate outcomes. A Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she has taught in educational technology, inclusive education, and more. As a leader at three Australian universities, she has driven institution-wide quality and student experience, fostering collaboration and high-quality outcomes for students, staff, and communities.
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Thara Shimoga
Executive Manager
Thara Shimoga serves as the Executive Manager and Registrar at Universal Higher Education, bringing over 20 years of experience in higher education. In her current role, Thara manages the complex processes of student admissions, enrolments, and records, ensuring that all operations are aligned with institutional policies and regulatory requirements. Thara is committed to enhancing the student experience by implementing robust support systems that address student needs from orientation through to graduation.
Thara also plays a pivotal role in upholding academic integrity, developing and enforcing policies that foster a fair and ethical academic environment. Thara’s leadership in governance and compliance ensures that UHE operates within the highest standards of risk management, aligning institutional practices with legal and regulatory frameworks.
With a strong background in Higher Education policy, governance and quality assurance Thara contributes to shaping the strategic direction of the institution. Thara is dedicated towards student success and institutional excellence, Thara oversees UHE's compliance with TEQSA, AQF, CRICOS, ESOS Act, and HESF 2021. Thara is a key member of UHE's Executive Management and various committees.
Paul Collier
INDEPENDANT ACADEMIC BOARD MEMBER
Until his retirement in July 2024, Paul was Professor of Accounting at Monash Business School where he has been Deputy Head of the Department of Accounting & Finance, Associate Dean for Research Training, and most recently Director of the Monash MBA Program. ​
He is a CPA who holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting (UTS), a Master’s degree in organisation behaviour (UNSW), a Graduate Diploma in Education (UTS), and a Doctor of Philosophy (Warwick). ​
Paul’s career commenced in the private sector, where he became Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary, and subsequently General Manager (Operations) for a listed manufacturing company in Sydney. ​
He then made a late career transition, becoming Head of Training & Development for a UK police force, and then moved into academia. His main areas of research interest and publications have been in performance measurement, management control, governance, and risk management in the public and not-for-profit sectors. ​
Paul has been on the board of Festival Housing, a large social housing organisation in England; Peninsula Health (which operates Frankston & Rosebud hospitals in Melbourne) and two academic charities, as well as two privately owned companies. At Peninsula Health, Paul was Chair of the Finance & Resources Committee, and a member of the Audit & Risk Committee and the Remuneration Committee. At Festival Housing, Paul was Chair of the Audit Committee. ​
He has been an author and subject matter expert for CPA Australia, and previously with CIMA in UK, in the fields of management accounting, risk and management control systems.
Paul was a member of the Academic Board and Teaching & Learning committee of a reputable private higher education provider from 2014 to 2020.