Research Faculty

Ronald Tuninga, PhD, is Rector at Wittenborg and an internationally recognised academic leader in business and management education. He brings extensive experience from senior leadership positions across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, as well as a distinguished career as professor, researcher and consultant. In addition to his role at Wittenborg, he is… read more.

Professor Ad Kil, PhD, is the Vice President Applied Research at Wittenborg. He is also Professor of Professional Research Didactics and Director of Executive PhD Programmes at Nyenrode Business University, the Netherlands, and Chendu, China, and Professor of Research at the Nordic International Management Institute, China. He is a former HRD professor at Nottingham Law… read more.

Rauf Abdul, PhD, Dean and Head of School of Business, holds a PhD in Human Resource Management from the University of Twente, the Netherlands, in addition to an MBA and MSc in Business. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), he is an expert in business education, accreditation, and curriculum innovation, working with AACSB, AMBA, FIBAA, and NVAO. Since 2015, Abdul has… read more.

Dadi Chen, PhD, is Deputy Head of School of Business at Wittenborg's Amsterdam study location, Associate Professor of Applied Sciences and Programme Coordinator. He obtained a PhD degree in Education from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and received his master’s degree in Foreign Linguistics & Applied Linguistics from Xi'an Jiaotong University in… read more.

Fahad Shakeel, PhD, Deputy Head of School of Business, is also an Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences and Teaching Quality Coordinator at Wittenborg. He completed his PhD at Radboud University, the Netherlands, in 2021. His research focuses on leadership, ethics and sustainability. He teaches multiple modules related to his research… read more.

Carol Kaufman-Scarborough, PhD, has taught at the Camden Campus of Rutgers University for over 30 years. She is a committed teacher, author, and advocate for her students as a marketing professor at the School of Business. Following her role as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies at the School of Business, in addition to her research and teaching… read more.

Daniel O'Connell, MM, BMSc, Dipl. TEFL, Head of English Department & Foundation Programme, moved to California in the 1970s and worked as a graphic designer for the now defunct Ananda Publications. In the latter part of the 1970s, Daniel returned to London and entered a 3-year course in Homeopathy and Flower Remedies of Dr Bach in London. To finance this study, he… read more.

Kriszta Kaspers-Rostas, MSc, completed her bachelor's studies at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration in Finance and Banking at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. In the second year of her bachelor's studies, she was an Erasmus student at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences studying International Business and Languages. During this… read more.

Gábor Molnár, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Sciences, is an academic with research interests in high-tech innovations, (big) data-related policymaking, and applied Artificial Intelligence. He is also a business development professional with over twenty years of experience in the high-tech industry. In addition to teaching for Wittenborg, Dr Molnár is an Associate… read more.

Lucy Omwoha, MSc, Examinations Manager and Senior Lecturer, combines extensive teaching expertise with key administrative responsibilities. She holds a bachelor's in International Business Management, a master’s in International Event Management, and is pursuing a PhD at the University of Brighton. As a Senior Lecturer, Lucy plays a vital role in student development across… read more.

Muhammad Ashfaq, MBA, PhD, Professor of Applied Sciences, is widely recognised as an outstanding and experienced business and finance expert with more than 16 years of international experience. He is also a regular visiting faculty member at LSI Business School Cambodia, and the international MBA program at Coburg University, Germany. His research interests include FinTech,… read more.

Tauseef Ali, PhD, graduated in Biometric Pattern Recognition. He was technical lead on a project called “Balljames” funded by SciSports and also worked on design and implementation of computer vision and machine learning algorithms for application development on embedded systems. He was nominated for the best teacher award in 2014 at the University of Twente in the course… read more.

Gilbert Silvius, PhD, is an experienced lecturer, researcher and consultant, with a focus on project management and information management. He has over 20 years’ experience in organisational change and IT projects and is a member of the international enable2change network. Gilbert has published over a 100 academic papers and several books, and supervises academic research at… read more.

Abu Manju, PhD, graduated with his first degree in Statistics, then completed an MSc in Statistics at the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, followed by a PhD in Biostatistics at the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands, in 2016. His doctoral thesis considered the development and application of statistical methods for optimally designing the nested cost-… read more.

Alexander Bauer, PhD, has more than a decade of international sales and management experience. Before he joined academia in 2014, he worked as an International Sales Manager – leading global sales teams, conducting negotiations on a global level with customers and suppliers in North and South America, Europe and Asia. He studied Business Management with a major in Marketing… read more.

Natália Leal, PhD, MA, Lic., Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences, is an Executive, Career and Life Coach. She has over 20 years of work experience across different countries and sectors, from academia and research, to policy making and international non-governmental organisations management. She is the former Chief Executive of WFTO and a former Lecturer at the University… read more.

Colin Mackenzie, DBA, FHEA, Associate Professor of Applied Sciences, is an experienced businessman and entrepreneur. He has acted at board level in a variety… read more.

Sibylle Heilbrunn, PhD, Senior Lecturer, is a sociologist and professor, currently holding a full professor position at Kinneret Academic College on the Sea of Galilee, where she is Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. With a PhD in Organisational Sociology from the University of Haifa and extensive postgraduate studies in Business Administration from the… read more.

Mats Carlbäck, PhD, holds a PhD in Business Administration, School of Business, Economics and Law from the University of Gothenburg. Next to his appointment at Wittenborg, he is an assistant professor at the School of Culinary Art, Meal Science and Hospitality at Örebro University in Sweden. Previously, he has held managerial roles in Sweden and the UK and owned and managed… read more.

Carlos Roos, PhD, holds a Licentiate Degree in Arts from Universidad Central de Venezuela, as well as an MA in Philosophy and a PhD in Creative and Performing Arts from Leiden University. He is a scholar committed to transdisciplinary research and education with an emphasis on the creative industries. He has published over 10 research entries in peer-reviewed journals and… read more.

Georgia Pazarzi, PhD, Lecturer, is an academic with research interests in integrated reporting, sustainability performance and financial performance, the quality of accounting information, and the predictability of accounting numbers. She has extensive experience in academic teaching in the areas of accounting and auditing. She has published her research in academic journals… read more.

Anne-Marie Filip-Beil, PhD, is a senior lecturer and as such is responsible for modules on quantitative and research methods. She holds a PhD in Mathematics from Duke University, US, and an MSc in Mathematics-Mechanics from the University of Bucharest, Romania. Besides her appointment at Wittenborg, Anne-Marie is a senior lecturer at New European College and a lecturer at the… read more.

Hind Albasry, PhD, received a BS degree in electrical and electronic engineering (communication engineering) from the University of Al-Fateh, Tripoli, Libya, in 2003; an MS degree in communication network planning and management computer from the University of Portsmouth, U.K., in 2009; and a PhD degree in electronic engineering (communication engineering) from the University… read more.

Angela Pizarro, PhD, Lecturer, has over fourteen years of experience in International Health and is a licensed Pharmacist. She has engaged in education, research, quality assurance, operations planning and auditing on a global scale. As a researcher, she has been published in indexed journals and has participated in scientific events worldwide. Angela has held… read more.

Bojan Georgievski, PhD, earned his doctorate in Economic Sciences from the University of St Ciril & Methodius in Macedonia, in 2011. He is an assistant professor and researcher at several different universities both in Macedonia and Kuwait. He has a combined teaching experience of 6 years, and a combined professional experience in 3 different industries of over 15 years… read more.

Neha Basnet, PhD, obtained her doctor of philosophy degree and defended her thesis, Young rural-urban migrants' transition from education to work in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2022. Using qualitative longitudinal research methods in conjunction with timeline mapping exercises, she studied young rural-urban migrants working at call centres and their transition from education… read more.

Jian Liu, PhD, Erasmus+ Project Administrator & Researcher, has a strong academic background in Business Administration, with a specialised focus on the digital innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurship. He obtained his PhD at the University of Twente, where his research examines entrepreneurial team resilience amid adversity.

Isaac Acheampong, PhD, Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences, is a Fellow of the Advance HE Academy. He holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy from California University FCE, an MBA from the University of Bradford (UK), an MSc in Strategic Management from Erasmus University (Netherlands), a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education from Falmouth University… read more.

Nnamdi Oguji, PhD, MSc (Tech), MSc, is an experienced professional with more than nine years’ experience working as a Business Development Expert, Senior Business Analyst and Supply Chain Planner for KONE Corporation. He is also an international business (IB) researcher with research interests in international entry strategies, emerging markets, supply chain management,… read more.

Mercedes Bertotto, PhD, is a Lecturer and Doctor of Engineering with a strong background in data science, particularly in machine learning, feature selection, pre-treatment and exploratory data analysis. Specialising in chemometrics at Wageningen University & Research, she conducted data analyses to optimise predictive models and gained experience in designing experiments… read more.

Johan Winbladh, PhD, is currently working on research for policy improvements and has a background in Management Consulting at Ernst & Young (now EY) in Stockholm, Sweden, and other locations in Europe and the US. At Ernst & Young, he was responsible for project management on various projects for international institutions running projects for quality assurance in… read more.

Cha-Hsuan Liu, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Sciences, is a versatile and accomplished professional with a multi-disciplinary background. She has significant expertise in healthcare, education, social policy, management and innovation. She is active in both academia and the public sector. She's currently a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies… read more.

Robert Muster, MSc, Lecturer, is a Data Science Researcher and Teacher with expertise in data science, statistics, research methods for social sciences, artificial intelligence, network science, business analytics, digital transformation, marketing, computer programming, information management, open science and digital education. He is currently finalising his doctoral… read more.

Tina Huesing, PhD, holds a PhD in global leadership and an MBA. Next to her appointment at Wittenborg, she is an Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences at New European College, Germany, and senior consultant at Wyrmwood Consulting.  Previously, she taught at the University of… read more.

Ilona Balcerczyk, PhD, Lecturer, received a master's degree in Administration and a PhD in Law from the University of Lodz, Poland. In addition to being a lecturer at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, she is an assistant professor at the Jan Kochanowski University in Poland. She also works as Deputy Department Director in the civil service in Poland. She has much… read more.

John Canning, PhD, Senior Lecturer, is an experienced academic with over 20 years in Higher Education. He currently works at Kingston University London as Director of Kingston Academic Practice Standards (KAPS), where he supports new and experienced educators in achieving their AdvanceHE Fellowships. In addition to teaching at Wittenborg, Canning previously worked at the… read more.

Vijay Kochar, PhD, holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Design from Cambridge University. He is multilingual and has travelled extensively throughout his professional life. He has experience working in India, Australia, the US, Belgium, France, Germany and the UK. His key competences are in the area of customer, employee and results orientation, strategic agility,… read more.

Zijian Wang, MSc, Senior Lecturer, is a generalist in international business. His teaching has reached over 2,500 students from 100+ nationalities. Alongside his academic career, he runs a tech company, Honey Badger Technologies, in the city centre of Amsterdam, which focuses on state-of-the-art cloud computing. Zijian's research interests include organisational redesign,… read more.

Andreas Kallmunzer, PhD, has been Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management at Excelia Business School, La Rochelle, France, since 2019. Originally from Germany, he holds a habilitation and a PhD in business management from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He has completed numerous research stays at international business schools and universities, including… read more.

Alberto Forte, PhD, is a senior lecturer at Wittenborg and an adjunct Professor at the University of Bologna where he teaches Tourism Economics in the Economics Department. His career in teaching and research at HE level started in 2004 when he embarked, as a recipient of the School of Sport and Service Management (University of Brighton, UK), on a PhD research project in… read more.

Cansu Tor Kadioğlu, PhD, Lecturer, currently holds a postdoctoral research position at the University of Twente and is a supervisor at Erasmus Rotterdam University, ESE Business Economics and Marketing. Her research interests are focused on consumer behaviour, social media marketing, digital marketing and green marketing. Currently, she lectures  at Wittenborg  on the subject… read more.

Roy Mouawad, PhD, is based in Barcelona, Spain and is a lecturer at Wittenborg. He holds a PhD and Master of Research in Management Sciences. He collaborates with several universities and business schools such as ESADE Business School, Toulouse Business School, ESB Business School and Geneva Business School. Roy teaches courses related to Leadership and People Management,… read more.

Mohammad Mahdi Jalili, PhD,  is a lecturer of Civil Engineering. He teaches Geotechnics and Soil Mechanics, Principles of Structural Design, Construction Technology, Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics, Mathematics, Sciences and Materials as well as Civil Engineering Technology.

Upon completing his PhD thesis at the University of Edinburgh under the supervision of… read more.

Nikita Pahwa, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences and Programme Coordinator at Wittenborg. She holds a PhD in Economics and has a decade of teaching and research experience. She began her teaching career in 2012 and has taught a variety of bachelor's and master's subjects. Before joining Wittenborg, she created content, managed a team and taught research and… read more.

Taoufik Samaka, DBA, is a procurement and operations professional who, since 2001, has held managerial positions in the renowned telecom corporates sector with assignments mainly in emerging markets. He is Adjunct Professor for MBA programmes at Webster University. At Wittenborg, Taoufik holds the position of Senior Lecturer. He holds DBA and EMBA degrees from Toulouse… read more.

Usman Ahmad, PhD, is a dedicated senior lecturer and enthusiastic researcher with a solid background in both industry and academia. His industrial experience includes proficiency in budgeting, accountancy and data management. In academia, Usman has excelled in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, module management and has played a key role in developing a new academic… read more.

Vanessa de Oliveira Menezes, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Sciences, holds a bachelor's degree in Tourism from UNIOESTE, Brazil, and continued with a specialisation in Human Resources Management at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil. She earned a master’s degree in Tourism and Hotels Management at Universidad de Extremadura, Spain, and a PhD in Business Management… read more.

Vajihe Shojaei, PhD, Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences, has a strong international background in academia and industry. She holds a PhD in International Marketing, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. With over ten years of experience in higher education, she teaches a range of business, management and research-related modules, with a focus on… read more.

Amy M. Abdou, MA, MA, Senior Lecturer, teaches at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences and IES Study Abroad. She is also a PhD candidate in the department of Science Business Innovation at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Amy’s research focuses the impact of subsidised social entrepreneurship on migrant communities in Amsterdam Zuidoost. She is frequently invited to… read more.

Ogul Zengingonul, PhD, has worked for 28 years at the Dokuz Eylul and İstanbul Universities, specialising in Social and Behavioural Psychology in Work Place and Social Life. He was awarded a research post from London Metropolitan University and obtained his PhD degree accordingly. Since 2008, his major and collaborative studies combined with Neuropsychology. He has delivered… read more.

Georg Petritsch, PhD, is a Lecturer at Wittenborg and a Senior Managing Partner at Gartner Consulting in the Healthcare, Public Payers, Regulators and Certficators business in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. He specialises in IT-driven/digital transformations of all kinds. His main expertise is in the areas of IT governance frameworks, IT architecture, IT shared services and… read more.

Mustafa Üc, PhD, received his doctoral degree in Business Administration at the Afyon Kocatepe University, Turkey, in 2009, and prior to that was a Research Fellow at the University of Bremen, Germany, via the Erasmus programme. He worked in the private and public sectors on the accounting staff and as manager and has served as a lecturer of accounting at Epoka University,… read more.

Ahmed Mehta, PhD, holds a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Green Banking Digitisation and another in Green Innovation and Strategic Management. He currently leads Pakistan’s renowned Hailey College of Banking and Finance at the University of the Punjab as its principal. He has been associated with Wittenborg since 2024 as an Associate Professor of Applied Sciences, teaching… read more.

Adam Jones, PhD, is a Principal Lecturer of Strategy and Marketing. In 2021, Adam was awarded his PhD from the School of Applied Social Science at the University of Brighton titled, "How are carbon-light holidays possible? a social practice analysis of no-flight holidays." He has a wealth of commercial knowledge gained from working at a senior strategic level in a FTSE… read more.

Ali Özdemir, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Sciences, holds a PhD in Business Administration from Erciyes University, an MSc in Statistics from Gazi University and a BSc in Business Engineering from ITU. He has worked as an academic in various universities and countries since 1996. Since 2018, he has held the position of Full Professor in the field of Operations and… read more.

Leo Dana, PhD, Senior Lecturer, started at Wittenborg in 2019. Previously, he was an employee of McGill University and Concordia in Montreal, Canada, and deputy director of the IB MBA at Nanyang, Singapore. He is also Professor at Montpellier Business School, France, and a member of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation chair, which is part of LabEx Entrepreneurship -… read more.