Our alumni are a talented community, and we’re always delighted to hear about their career successes since leaving Brunel. We recently heard from two members of our Jordan Alumni Association who are doing great things in their field.
Luma Al Adnani celebrates the launch of Arabic cartoon brand, Adam wa Mishmish
First up we’re shining a light on Luma Al Adnani, the CEO and Founder of Arabic cartoon brand Adam wa Mishmish ('Adam and Mishmish'), who has seen enormous success at the EXPO2020 Dubai. Adam wa Mishmish has just come off an extraordinarily successful tour in the UAE and Gulf region, including 52 shows at EXPO2020 Dubai, seeing tens of thousands audience members attend.
Luma graduated with a master’s degree in International Journalism in 2010 and worked as a journalist and radio presenter for three years after leaving Brunel. Now a mother of two, she was keen for her children to learn the Arabic language. Struggling to find engaging Arabic content to support their learning, together with family members, they decided to create their own content, and Adam wa Mishmish was born.
Staring as a YouTube channel that featured original songs and animations, Adam wa Mishmish is one of the first original Arabic cartoon brands for early years children, containing educational and entertaining content to compete with the likes of Peppa Pig and Barney. Today, Adam wa Mishmish is watched in over 50 countries, with over 30 million views and 117,000 subscribers. The brand also offers a platform to learn Arabic with Adam wa Mishmish, containing thousands of resources including flashcards, stories, and games to help parents and teachers teach their children Arabic. Most recently, Adam wa Mishmish have been touring the Gulf with their original concerts and plays having just completed a successful tour in the UAE.
You can follow the stories of Adam wa Mishmish over on their YouTube channel and hear all the latest news on their Instagram page.
(Adam wa Mishmish on tour in the UAE)
Dr Mutaz Al Debei appointed to senior role with Al-Ahliyya Amman University
Next up, we’re highlighting Dr Mutaz Al Debei on his appointment as the new Dean for the Business School in Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU); the first private university and pioneer of private education in Jordan, and recipients of institutional and programmatic accreditation.
Prior to taking up the post, Mutaz has held roles as Senior Territory Manager for the Public Sector, Senior Territory Manager for Autonomous Data Management and Cloud Technology, and Principal Cloud Platform Consultant for Big Data and Business Analytics with Oracle. In the preceding years, Mutaz held the position of Director of Big Data and Advanced Analytics at Intrasoft MEA, following on from his time as Associate Professor of Information Systems and Computing at the University of Jordan, ICT Chief Consultant at the National Center for Security and Crises Management, and IT Manager for Arab Radio and Television in Jordan Media City.
Earning his Brunel PhD in Information Systems and Computing in 2010, Mutaz has received many international and nationally significant research awards including the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers in 2015; the Researcher Award from The University of Jordan in 2012, 2014, and 2018; Best Paper Awards from UKAIS in 2008) and IFIP 8.2 in 2010; and the Brunel Vice Chancellor's Prize for Doctoral Research in 2010.
Interested in joining an Alumni Association in your country? Take a look at our International Association webpages for more information.