Nadhiya Ahmed
Dean, Faculty of Education

Biography

Ms. Nadhiya Ahmed serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the Maldives National University. She has extensive experience in higher education leadership, mathematics education, pedagogy, curriculum development, and academic quality enhancement. She has previously served as dean of students and acting examination controller at MNU and has represented the academic senate on the university council. She has also contributed to national quality assurance as a member of the External Review Board of the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA), participating in institutional audits in 2017 and 2023. She has been a member of Local Education Group (LEG) since 2024.
Ms. Nadhiya has contributed to several national research initiatives, including Teaching as a Career: Perception, Value, and Choice in the Maldives; The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Higher Education Sector of the Maldives; and studies on curriculum implementation and educational transitions. She serves on the steering committee for the National Literacy and Mathematics Strategy, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education and UNICEF.
Her current projects include Capacity Building of Secondary Mathematics Teachers for Teaching Students with Complex Learning Profiles and Lost in Transition, which focuses on students’ educational transitions from lower to higher secondary and into higher education, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF.

Areas of Interest
• Teaching and Learning Mathematics
• Integration of Technology in Education
• Pedagogy and Educational Innovation

Teaching Interests
• Pedagogy and Teaching Excellence
• Mathematics Education
• Curriculum Studies and Educational Innovation
• Teacher Education and Professional Development
• Educational Leadership and Management in Higher Education

Research Projects

2025: Lost in Transition: A Study on Students’ Educational Transitions from Lower to Higher Secondary Education and to Higher Education in the Maldives; Collaborative project with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF.
2021: Teaching as a Career: Perception, Value, and Choice in the Maldives; research conducted through the Faculty of Education, The Maldives National University.
2020: The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Higher Education Sector of Maldives – Responses and Challenges.
2007: Attitudes and Perceptions of MCHE Staff in Introducing Online Learning in Their Teaching Strategy – Completed as the final project of the Master’s programme.

Masters in Education Technology, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, 2006
Postgraduate Certificate in Online Education, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, 2005
Bachelor of Arts Mathematics (Mathematics & Education double major, University of South Pacific, Fiji) 2002

Mathematics Education
Educational Transitions
Teacher Education
Higher Education
Educational Leadership and Management
Curriculum Development and Innovation
Digital Learning and Educational Technology
Inclusive Education

Lost in Transition: A Study on students’ education transitions from lower to higher secondary education and to Higher Education in the Maldives, MOE in collaboration with UNICEF

1 student

Pedagogy and Teaching Excellence
Mathematics Education
Curriculum Design and Development
Teacher Education
Professional Development
Educational Leadership
Higher Education Management

2022 Co-written Research on “The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Higher Education Sector of Maldives: Responses and Challenges”

Serves on the National Local Education Group and a range of university committees, contributing to educational policy and institutional governance.

Theveli International Conference

National Local Education Group

First Place with Distinction – Advanced Certificate of Middle School Teaching, Faculty of Education, Maldives College of Higher Education (now The Maldives National University)
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Leadership Appointments
Dean, Faculty of Education, The Maldives National University.
Former Dean of Students, The Maldives National University.
Former Acting Examination Controller, The Maldives National University.
Former Head, Department of Mathematics and Computer Education, Faculty of Education.
Representative of the Academic Senate on the University Council.
Member, University Council.
Member, Academic Senate.
Member, University Interim Council.
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National Recognition and Service
Member, External Review Board for Institutional Audits of Higher Education Institutions,

Maldives Qualifications Authority (2017 and 2023).

Member, Steering Committee for the National Literacy and Mathematics Strategy (Ministry of Education and UNICEF).

Member, Working Team for the National Curriculum Monitoring and Evaluation Tool (MRIC Project).

Consultant to Live & Learn to develop an e-learning programme.

Coordinator representing the Faculty of Education in the Edu-share Project, an international educational and research collaboration funded by the European Commission Asia-Link Programme.

Project lead: Capacity building for secondary mathematics teachers in teaching students with Complex learning profiles
Consultant supporting capacity building in digital and online learning through Live & Learn Maldives.
Participation in international educational collaboration through the Edu-Share Project involving seven universities.
Active participation in Faculty of Education extracurricular and community engagement activities.
Mentoring and supervision of student teachers through the annual Teaching Practicum.