Ali was born in Babylon/Iraq and studied as an international student in the UK since the age of 19. He is the first and only, Arab college Principal in the UK and was recently selected for the UK prestigious Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) Star Award. Since 2006, Ali has been Principal of Southend Adult Community College (SACC). Ali has taken the college from strength-to-strength, and in July 2009 LSIS awarded SACC its Beacon status, making it the first and only Local Authority-run adult community college in the country to receive the award. Judged by OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) in 2008 as ‘outstanding’ in many areas including leadership and management, it places SACC in the top 4% of adult colleges.

Ali’s expertise in leadership and management of the vocational education and training sector focuses on identifying and meeting the strategic vocation, education and training needs of local government, the voluntary sector and the private sector.

Ali is member of the National Principal’s Champions group advising the Further Education minister on the role of FE in Community Cohesion and Preventing Violent Extremism. He serves as an OFSTED associate inspector and became a founding member and Vice-Chairman of the Rawabit steering group in 2004, a UK-Iraq strategic partnership to help develop the vocational and technical education sector in Iraq. Ali is a trustee of Iraqi Institute for Economic Reform, a board member of the LLUK Catalyst programme and an executive member of Holex with responsibility for leadership.

Ali Hadawi is participating in the Iraq: meeting the challenges through education reform and partnerships session.