As new director of the MBA and and Healthcare Administration programs at Flinders University, Associate Professor Angie Abdel Shafei brings diverse international skills to her role. We asked her about the human-centric skills that are central to the new MBA subjects – and why her farm in the Adelaide Hills provides her family with such solace.
What is your role at Flinders?
I’m an Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Health Administration and Master of Business Administration programs at Flinders University – and I bring a future-focused vision in leading the programs with a strong industry 4.0 and 5.0 focus. We are fostering collaborations with new industry partners and incorporating latest trends and new future-focused topics into already successful programs.
What journey brought you to Flinders?
With a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Medicine, along with more than 25 years of industry, clinical, academic and research experience across the public and private sectors in Australia, Asia-Pacific countries, Europe and North Africa, I bring great interdisciplinary expertise that I strive to embed throughout my current role. I’ve co-founded a technology company, worked on consulting and research projects and have been involved in multiple board positions for start-ups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Not-for-Profits (NFPs), and with international enterprises across diverse industries including health care, aged care, wellness and holistic care, manufacturing, retail and technology.
What do you bring to the Flinders MBA program?
Having extensive experience in the internationalisation of higher education, I provide leadership to the Master of Health Administration Programs at Flinders University in Australia, Singapore and China. With Adelaide rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities with strong green credentials, world-class health research and facilities, a booming technology sector and abundance of work opportunities available for international graduates, we look forward to welcoming more international students and from around Australia. Our courses are flexible and individually tailored with extensive industry engagement. These future-focused programs have been shaped and are led by esteemed industry leaders, so we are equipping our talented graduates and future leaders with unprecedented capabilities and knowledge to create value and address skills shortages in this fast-evolving digital world.
How have your experiences shaped your current work?
Having a special interest in digital transformation and innovation in health, my expertise and research interests span digital health, health service management, quality improvement, health promotion and uses of emerging technology in improving healthcare delivery including health apps, wearables, virtual reality, process mining, telehealth and social media in health.
As a Rotary International Board member strongly committed to peace, good will and sustainability, I do believe that through adopting technologies such as AI, machine learning, the Internet of Things, Blockchain and many more, our industry 5.0 leaders also need human-centric skills and competencies that empower responsible leadership, so they can manage these technologies and support a future workforce.
Utilising innovative and sustainable approaches that consider environmental and societal impacts is paramount, and my mission is to ensure that our Flinders graduates are ready to tackle these challenges with a resilient, human-centric focus, which is embedded throughout our degrees.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Having travelled all over the world, I feel privileged to finally settle Australia, and Adelaide is my favourite destination. I live on a farm with my husband and two children in the picturesque Adelaide Hills and we see ourselves as custodians of our land. We apply regenerative farming methodologies to ensure the health of our land and animals, and I feel blessed to watch the sun set over the hills each day. In my spare time, I enjoy sailing along our coast with family and friends, and reading a book as the sun sets while enjoying fantastic panoramic landscapes. I also volunteer with Rotary International on community projects and strive to do my part in making this world a better place.