Dr Hanan Khalifa

Dr Hanan Khalifa

Director, Education Transformation & Impact

Hanan leads a cross-divisional team of Cambridge English experts in the field of language learning, teaching and assessment, providing evidence-based decision-making and transforming language education, working with ministries of education worldwide and developing strategic partnerships at a global level.

Previously Hanan has held ministerial roles as an advisor to education ministers and university presidents, and has worked for international development agencies and world renowned educational firms (BC, AMIDEAST, AIR, FHI 360). Hanan's areas of expertise are language testing, educational assessment, monitoring and evaluation, standard setting, research (methodology, instrument design, data analysis) and institutional capacity building.

Hanan’s work experience includes education reform strategy, bespoke solutions, test design, curriculum and syllabus design, materials development, baseline and impact studies, assessment audits, and managing large surveys (TIMMS & PISA). Hanan is an expert member on Council of Europe CEFR panels and the EAQUALS inspection committee. In 2018, she was the first international female expert to be appointed as a board member in a state university in Malaysia. Hanan has presented worldwide, with a track record of over 60 conference presentations and 30 publications, including Examining Reading (used as key reference material by ALTE and by Master's programmes in UK universities). She was the recipient of the 1989 Hornby Award for ELT and a joint winner, with Burns and Brandon, of the 2013 IEAA Award for innovation in International Education. Hanan holds a PhD in Language Testing from Reading University, UK.

Key publications and conference presentations

Burns, A and Khalifa, H (Eds) (2017) Second Language Assessment and Action Research, Studies in Language Testing volume 48, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press.

Docherty, C, Barakat, T, Kniveton, E, Mikati, L and Khalifa, H (2017) Improving student learning through upskilling teachers: The case of Lebanon, Research Notes 65, 75-88.

Khabbazbashi, N, Khalifa, H, Robinson, M, Ellis, S and Mifsud, C (2017) Understanding language learning in Malta, Research Notes 65, 3-23.

Khalifa, H and Docherty, C (2016) Investigating the impact of international assessment: A convergent parallel mixed methods approach, in Moeller, A J, Creswell, J W and Saville, N (Eds) Second Language Assessment and Mixed Methods Research, Studies in Language Testing volume 43, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 269-295.

Saville, N and Khalifa, H (2016) The impact of language assessment, in Tsagari, D and Banerjee, J (Eds) Handbook of Second Language Assessment De Gruyter Mouton, 77-94.

Khalifa, H, Khabbazbashi, N, Said, M and Salam, S (2015) International assessment and local contexts: A case study of an English language initiative in higher education institutes in Egypt, in Papers in Language Testing and Assessment (PLTA), Association for Language Testing and Assessment of Australia and New Zealand.

Khalifa, H, Khabbazbashi, N, Abdelsalam, S and Said, M E (2014) An investigation into the impact of a workplace English language programme in Egypt, Research Notes 58, 20-27.

Robinson, M, Galaczi, E D, Docherty, C, King, A and Khalifa, H (2014) Supporting national education reform: The Cambridge Malaysia Baseline Project, Research Notes 58, 40-44.

Salamoura, A, Khalifa, H and Docherty, C (2014) Investigating the impact of language tests in their educational context, paper presented at the 40th Annual Conference of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA), Singapore, May 2014.

Khalifa, H (2013) Student Achievement Test Development Manual: Training Resource in English Language Testing, Academy for Educational Development.

Lim, G S and Khalifa, H (2013) Criterion-related validity, in Geranpayeh, A and Taylor, L (Eds) Examining Listening: Research and Practice in Assessing Second Language Listening, Studies in Language Testing volume 35, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 303-321.

Taylor, L. and Khalifa, H. (2013) Assessing students with disabilities: Voices from the stakeholder community, in Spanoudis, G. and Tsagari, D. (Eds) Assessing L2 Students with Learning and Other Disabilities, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 229-252.

Khalifa, H and Salamoura, A (2011) Criterion-related validity, in Taylor, L (Ed) Examining Speaking: Research and Practice in Assessing Second Language Speaking, Studies in Language Testing volume 30, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 259-292.

Khalifa, H, ffrench, A and Salamoura, A (2010) Maintaining alignment to the CEFR: the FCE case study, in Martyniuk, W (Ed) Aligning Tests with the CEFR: Reflections on Using the Council of Europe’s draft Manual, Studies in Language Testing volume 33, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 80-101.

Khalifa, H and Weir, C J (Eds) (2009) Examining Reading: Research and Practice in Assessing Second Language Reading, Studies in Language Testing volume 29, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press.

Khalifa, H (2008) Testing teaching knowledge: developing a quality instrument to support professional development, in Taylor, L and Weir, C J (Eds) Multilingualism and Assessment, Studies in Language Testing volume 27, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 191-202.

Ashton, M and Khalifa, H (2007) Opening a new door for teachers: Cambridge ESOL Teaching Knowledge Test, in Stephenson, L and Davidson, P (Eds) Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development: Insights from the Arabian Gulf, Dubai: TESOL Arabia.

Khalifa, H (Ed) (2002) A Handbook for Test Administration, Egypt: Ministry of Education Press.