Dr Ahmed Hassanien
| Biography | Dr Ahmed Hassanien is an experienced academic and influential educational leader, currently serving as College Lead for the Business School at Edinburgh Napier University, with over 30 years of international teaching and research experience. He is internationally recognised for his contributions to hospitality, tourism, and events education, particularly in curriculum development, widening participation, and student transition support. Ahmed co-authored the textbook Hospitality Business Development (Routledge), now in its third edition and translated into Spanish, with over 4,000 global sales. His pedagogical research, including work on student group learning and inclusive curriculum, has received over 1,100 citations and continues to shape best practice in higher education. His leadership in the Direct Entrant Transition Programme (DETP), a sector-recognised model of onboarding for college entrants, has enhanced student belonging and progression while informing institutional strategies. He serves as Associate Editor of the International Journal of Customer Relationship Marketing and Management and on the editorial board of The International Journal of Human Capital and Information Technology Professionals. He regularly acts as external examiner for doctoral theses across the UK and Gulf institutions and has successfully supervised many doctoral students to completion. A recipient of multiple teaching excellence awards, including Best Teacher of the Year (ENSA), Ahmed is recognised for his student-centred, inclusive pedagogy and impactful programme innovation. His external engagement spans industry partnerships, professional training delivery, and international collaborations with institutions and networks across the globe. |
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| Research Interests | International Business Development, Event Venue Management, Facilities Management, Branding, Positioning, Renovation, Innovation. |
| Teaching and Learning | Dr Ahmed Hassanien is an experienced academic and influential educational leader, currently serving as Lecturer and College Lead for the Business School at Edinburgh Napier University. With over 30 years of international teaching experience, he has held academic posts in the UK, as well as globally, and has led programme development and curriculum innovation across multiple institutions. As Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Hospitality Management suite and, more recently, for collaborative degree programmes in International Hospitality Management and International Tourism and Airline Management with City of Glasgow College, he has been a driving force for inclusive, industry-aligned learning. His redesign of the hospitality programme contributed to its No. 1 ranking in Scotland (Guardian League Tables, 2017), and he developed the ‘Hospitality with Festivals & Events’ pathway in response to the demand for integrated, applied learning experiences. He co-led one of the Business School’s first flipped classroom modules, embedding active learning and interdisciplinary teaching into core provision. Ahmed is the lead of the Direct Entrant Transition Programme (DETP), a multi-stage onboarding framework supporting Year 2/3 college entrants through initiatives such as Countdown to Zero, Week Zero, and summer community platforms. The DETP has significantly improved retention, confidence, and engagement amongst non-traditional learners and has been adopted as a model of best practice by other ENU Schools. He has supervised nine doctoral students to completion (five as Director of Studies), served as Independent Panel Chair for seven ENU doctoral examinations, and examined PhD/DBA theses at institutions across the UK and Gulf. He also co-developed and delivered doctoral training sessions for ENU’s DBA and PhD programmes, with a focus on research design, literature reviews, and conceptual frameworks. He mentors early-career and part-time colleagues delivering collaborative ENU programmes, providing guidance on curriculum alignment, assessment strategies, and inclusive practice. He also contributes to School and institutional governance through active participation in programme boards, quality panels, and enhancement groups. Ahmed has led major collaborations with partner colleges to deliver ENU degrees in Scotland, including new externally delivered programmes in hospitality, tourism, and accounting. He maintains strong industry ties, having led training for the Italian Hotel Association and coordinated live student projects with well-known brands including Gleneagles, Balmoral Hotel, and the Royal Bank of Scotland. |
| PhD Supervision Availability | Yes |
| PhD Topics | I welcome applications from prospective PhD and DBA students in the areas of tourism, hospitality and tourism innovation, facilities management and business development. |