Bridging AI, Ethics, and Education: Dr. Dalia Hanna’s Vision for the Future of Learning
When Westcliff University Canada set out to launch its first program, the Master of Information Systems and Technology (MIST), one of the earliest champions of the initiative was Dr. Dalia Hanna, a Toronto-based engineer, educator, and innovator. From the program’s proposal stage to its current delivery, Dr. Hanna has been a guiding force, helping shape a curriculum that balances cutting-edge technology with ethical leadership, human adaptability, and real-world readiness.
Building an Agile and Industry-Focused Program
As one of the original contributors to the MIST program’s foundation, Dr. Hanna played a critical role in reviewing accreditation proposals, defining learning outcomes, and shaping courses designed to serve Canada’s fast-evolving tech sector. Now an adjunct faculty member in the College of Technology and Engineering, she continues to teach and consult, applying more than two decades of experience in both academia and IT leadership.
Dr. Hanna brings a rare combination of technical expertise and administrative insight. With degrees in computer science, electronics engineering, and instructional design, and credentials including P.Eng and PMP, her multidisciplinary background helps bridge the gap between theory and practice.
She commends Westcliff’s agility in an often slow-moving higher education landscape:
“Westcliff is very agile, taking huge risks but founded in strong research and data. They’re not scared to introduce new tools for students and implement innovations in teaching and learning. It’s practical, it’s current, and it’s bold.”
Integrating AI, Governance, and Human Oversight
Few topics in education and technology today are as transformative, or as misunderstood, as artificial intelligence. For Dr. Hanna, the key is ensuring that AI serves academic and ethical goals, not the other way around.
“The tools shouldn’t shape the academics,” she explains. “It’s the needs within education that drive the demand for technology.”
In her courses, Dr. Hanna pilots AI tools and uses them as teaching moments. She encourages students to critically assess AI-generated results rather than accept them at face value:
“I tell my students, use AI, but evaluate it. Check the references, see if it makes sense. Critical thinking and human oversight are still essential.”
Her perspective reinforces MIST’s holistic approach, equipping students not just to use advanced technologies, but to govern them responsibly and understand their broader implications in data security, privacy, and ethics.
Preparing Future-Ready Leaders
Dr. Hanna believes that soft skills remain irreplaceable, even in an AI-driven world. Through courses emphasizing leadership, project management, and communication, the MIST curriculum ensures graduates are prepared to lead teams, manage complex projects, and adapt quickly to new challenges.
“AI can automate a lot, but it can’t replace communication, planning, or ethical decision-making,” she says. “These are the skills that make professionals valuable, and they’re at the heart of this program.”
By integrating a 3 session capstone project into a one year masters curriculum, an uncommon feature at this level, Westcliff Canada ensures students graduate with both technical expertise and practical experience. Whether they’re mid-career professionals or new residents to Canada, students gain exposure to real industry environments, build networks, and develop confidence as future-ready leaders.
People, Purpose, and Lifelong Learning
When asked what has been most rewarding about her journey with Westcliff, Dr. Hanna doesn’t hesitate:
“The people,” she says. “The faculty, the students, the staff, everyone is so dedicated. Many students are balancing work, family, and studies, yet they bring incredible experience and energy into the classroom. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”
Her own story reflects the program’s emphasis on lifelong learning. Over more than 20 years, Dr. Hanna completed her degrees and certifications while raising a family and advancing her career. She believes education should adapt to each individual’s journey:
“Everyone has their own plan and goals. You just have to find the path that fits your life and keep going.”
Finding Opportunity in Change
Despite the turbulence currently reshaping higher education, Dr. Hanna remains optimistic. She sees transformation not as a threat, but as an opportunity for creativity and reinvention.
“Everything is changing, the systems, the teaching, the learning, all at once,” she reflects. “But out of the chaos comes creativity. We just have to stay committed and keep moving forward.”
As Westcliff University Canada continues to evolve, leaders like Dr. Hanna embody the spirit of progress and purpose that defines the institution. Her voice, grounded in both research and real-world practice, ensures that the next generation of tech professionals will not only adapt to the future, they’ll help shape it.