UWC Adriatic is delighted to announce that Khalid El-Metaal will be the next Rettore as of August 2022.
Khalid is currently Deputy Head at Toronto French School – Canada’s International School in Toronto, a large and well-known IB and French curriculum school, where he has served as Deputy Head since 2016. Prior to his role in Toronto, Khalid was Deputy Head Teacher, Secondary, at the Modern English School of Cairo for five years, having been the Head of Modern Languages there for the previous three years. Before that, he held a range of different positions in a variety of educational contexts in the UK.
Originally from Egypt, he was raised in the UK from the age of eight and took his undergraduate degree in France at the University of Nantes. He holds a Post Graduate Certificate of Education in French and English from the University of York (UK), an MA in Education from the Open University (UK) and he is currently completing an Educational Doctorate at the University of Bath, UK.
He is fluent in English, French and Arabic and he possesses a basic knowledge of Italian, that he is planning to develop before his arrival in Duino. Khalid will join our UWC Adriatic community with his wife Eve, who is originally from France.
Thanks to the challenging selection process designed by the Search Committee (with the invaluable support of the executive search firm RSAcademics), the College received 54 applications for this position and 25 of them were interviewed by RSAcademics. Following a series of in-depth interviews via video conference with nine long-list candidates, the Search Committee invited four final candidates and their partners to Duino for three days. From December 5th to 8th they were introduced to the College community and had in-person interviews with the Search Committee and the College President. They were also able to meet all members of the College Community, and ask questions about the school with the Rettore and the College’s senior leadership. The Committee, chaired by the President of UWC Adriatic, Ambassador Cristina Ravaglia and nominated by the Steering Committee according to the College Statutes, was composed of representatives of the College’s main stakeholders: UWC International, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the Director of the Agnelli Foundation, representing the College Steering Committee. An internal representative of the faculty was also part of the Search Committee. Alongside the numerous interviews, all candidates had meetings with the student body, the faculty and the administration, with both sides having the opportunity to ask questions. Individual written feedback was provided anonymously to the Search Committee by all constituencies. The candidates and their partners also had an opportunity to have lunch in mensa with our students and had some time to explore the College, the village of Duino and the surrounding area.
At the end of this thorough selection process the Committee offered with great conviction the position of Rettore to Khalid El-Metaal. “I am honoured to be entrusted with the care and further development of the UWC Adriatic community and I will be looking to build on the achievements of Will Turner during his time as Rettore. In addition, my wife, Ève, and I very much look forward to living in Duino and fully immersing ourselves in the rich local culture.”
The outcome of the selection was also greeted with great satisfaction by Will Turner who commented “I am very much looking forward to working with Khalid over the coming months to ensure as smooth a handover as possible before he takes up his role in August. He will bring a tremendous amount of experience and a new perspective to the College, and I am certain it will go from strength to strength under his leadership.”
Ambassador Cristina Ravaglia commented “Finding a Head to succeed Will was not always going to be easy but at the end of a very thorough process, we are truly delighted that Khalid will be the next Rettore of UWC Adriatic. Articulate, with a deep passion for education, Khalid is purposeful, innovative and energetic. His cultural heritage and Mediterranean roots will enrich UWC Adriatic, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming him and his wife Eve to Duino”.
