Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi (special guest speaker) is the President of the American University of Sharjah and the former president of the International Publishers Association (IPA). A trailblazer in the global publishing scene, Bodour Al Qasimi created a positive impact by pushing the IPA’s agenda on freedom to publish and intellectual property rights.
In 2019, Bodour established PublisHer, an informal networking body that seeks to increase the number of women in leadership roles in the publishing industry. As the CEO and founder of Kalimat Publishing Group, she has been an avid advocate of the role of books and literacy in enlightening children.
Bodour chaired the committee of Sharjah World Book Capital 2019, an honor awarded by UNESCO. Her work to further Sharjah’s contributions as a hub for reading, literacy, and culture culminated in global recognition for the emirate. Bodour has a bachelor’s degree in archaeology and anthropology from Cambridge University, and a master’s degree in medical anthropology from University College London