Âéw¶¹´«Ã½

Dr Ahmad Al-Hiari

Job: Lecturer in Leadership and Management

Faculty: Business and Law

School/department: Leicester Castle Business School

Address: Hugh Aston 5.90 Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: +44 (0) 116 366 4686

E: ahmad.al-hiari2@dmu.ac.uk

W:

Social Media:

 

Personal profile

Ahmad is a Lecturer in Leadership and Management at Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, and a , University of Sussex. Ahmad Co-chairs Âéw¶¹´«Ã½'s Staff Assembly since September 2022, where he works collaboratively with staff representatives and university leadership in developing cross-departmental cooperation. Ahmad is also the founder of the , which aims to bridge the gap between Âéw¶¹´«Ã½’s research, policy practice, and real-world impact to achieve Âéw¶¹´«Ã½'s civic mission, facilitate societal benefits, and serve local communities. 

Ahmad started his career as a strategic planner in 2017 where he worked for the Greater Amman Municipality in Jordan. In 2019, Ahmad worked as a research assistant for the Local Governance Research Centre (LGRC) during his PhD studies at the Faculty of Business and Law, and later undertook another researcher role at BAL in 2021. In 2022, Ahmad taught in Business and Management at Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, and later that year, he joined the University of Sussex to teach on their professional MA program in Corruption and Governance. Ahmad currently teaches Leadership, Ethics and HRM at the School of Leadership, Management and Marketing (LMM). Ahmad is also a Member of the International Sub-Committee at The Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), and has extensive experience in interviewing senior policymakers and government executives. In May of 2023, . 

Throughout his work, Ahmad has conducted policy research across issues like decentralization, corruption, collaborative governance, and government stewardship. Specializing in Governance Reform and Policy Transfer, much of his research and Policy Engagement work has focused on investigating Policy Failure, and developing government capacity to respond to administrative challenges. Set against the background of the complex socio-political challenges that shape institutional change, Ahmad is particularly interested in investigating the effectiveness of western governance models when tested in informal and socially-influenced political systems such as in the Middle-East.

 

Research group affiliations

Institute for Responsible Business and Social Justice (Associate Member)

Centre for Local and Urban Studies (CLAUS)

Publications and outputs

Articles

 [ABS Level 2* Journal] 

 

Encyclopedia Entries

Research interests/expertise

Areas of teaching

  • Leadership
  • Corruption
  • Ethics
  • Human Resource Management

Qualifications

  • 2011 – 2017, BSc Architecture (2:1), German-Jordanian University
  • 2017 – 2018, MA Housing, Development & Urban Management, with merit, Leeds Beckett University
  • 2018 – 2022, PhD Public Sector Governance, Âéw¶¹´«Ã½: “Jordanian Public Administration in Context: Reform Inertia, Wasta and Political Stewardship”, PhD by concurrent publication
  • 2023 – 2024, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE), University of Sussex

Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ taught

  • [Apprenticeship] Contemporary Business Issues (CORX3548)
  • Research Dissertation in Human Resource Management (BMHR5005)
  • Business Ethics, Sustainability & Social Responsibility (BHRM2006)
  • Learning and Organisational Development (BHRM2002)
  • Business Strategy in Action (BHRM3005)
  • Dissertation (LBPG5017)
  • Consultancy Project (ENTE5003)
  • Organisational Development and Consulting (HRMG3206)
  • Learning and Development (HRMG3207)
  • Globalisation and International HRM (HRMG3203)
  • HRM in the Workplace (HRMG2201)
  • Business Research Project (MARK5030)
  • Contemporary Business Issues (CORP3543)
  • Global Operations & Supply Chain Management (CORP2551)

Membership of external committees

Member of the International Sub-Committee,  (UPEN)

Member of the Midlands Team, (SEBP)

Membership of professional associations and societies

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)

Fellow of The Institute of Leadership (FIoL)

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIHCM)

Professional licences and certificates

Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE)

Projects


The Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ Policy Unit, is an academic-led initiative that serves as the university's dedicated policy engagement and intelligence network. Building on Âéw¶¹´«Ã½'s role as the UN SDG 11 Hub Chair, the policy unit extends our commitment to sustainable communities by mobilizing research expertise to address complex international policy challenges. In so doing, the unit adopts a unique rapid-response philosophy that sets it apart from traditional policy engagement models. As a dynamic and agile network, the unit is designed to quickly mobilize expertise from across the university to address urgent policy challenges as they emerge. The “responsive” element of this network aims to place Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ at the forefront of emerging fast-moving issues (such as the Post-War Recovery & Reconstruction of Ukraine) to gradually position Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ as a trusted partner to policymakers seeking actionable expertise in real-time. Institutionally, what defines the unit is its structure as a collaborative network that brings together researchers from across Âéw¶¹´«Ã½'s Research & Innovation Institutes (RIIs) to build inter-disciplinary connections and knowledge-sharing around key international policy challenges, and enable Âéw¶¹´«Ã½’s research community to leverage its collective intelligence to inform policy and drive meaningful change. In so doing, the Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ Policy Unit serves as the key interface between Âéw¶¹´«Ã½'s research community and the international policy arena. We are an outward-facing, entrepreneurial body dedicated to facilitating inter-university policy knowledge networks and building capacity for researchers and policy practitioners. 

 

Conference attendance

14 November 2024, "Empowering Through Policy-Led Impact". Presented at the Research Impact Festival. Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, Leicester. (organizer)

07 June 2024, "Academic Integrity, AI Detection and Assessment Design". Presented at the Academic Integrity Conference. Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, Leicester. (keynote speaker)

17 May 2022, "Evaluating Prospects for Large-Scale Governance Reforms Within Informal Socio-Political Contexts: A Case Study of The Decentralization Reforms in Jordan". Paper presented at the Local Governance Research Centre (LGRC) International Academic Seminar. Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, Leicester. (invited speaker)

23 February 2024, "Introduction to Parliamentary Select Committees". Training Workshop. Government Exchange t/a International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS), London. (Certificate of Participation). 

Current research students

Omar Alnajjar, “Civil service reform in Jordan.” [1st Supervisor] 

 

Externally funded research grants information

  - Knowledge Exchange Policy Fellowship. £7’500 grant from the Policy Support Fund (PSF), Research England to support the development of Anti-Corruption policy in Jordan. April 2023  - June 2023. (PI)

"Through funding by Research England, and under the auspices of the Centre for the Study of Corruption (CSC) at the University of Sussex, Ahmad convened a conference in Amman, Jordan to address emerging challenges in Anti-Corruption policy in the Middle-east and beyond. The project aims to inform a growing debate in academia and international anti-corruption frameworks on informal practices and their association with corruption. As such, this project aims to open a novel research direction focused on mitigating the negative impacts of of informal practices on governance reform efforts.

The conference was attended by the British Ambassador to Jordan, Ms. Bridget Brind OBE, the Minister of Public Works, the President of the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the former President of the University of Jordan, and a number of members of the Jordanian Senate and former Ministers. The conference was also attended by representatives of the Prime Ministry of Jordan, the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, the Jordanian Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Capital Governorate Council, and the Income and Sales Tax Department. On the American side, the conference was attended by The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI).

This conference is part of a comprehensive project which aims to address gaps in international anti-corruption policy, and will set the groundwork for a future policy paper which will be presented to the Prime Ministry at a later date."

Internally funded research project information

Policy Engagement Symposium  - QR Funded Project - UKRI Policy Fund[£4’000]. February 2024. (PI)

A comprehensive 1-day event that started with a training suite composed of tailored policy engagement training delivered by a and members of the leadership team for the . The training was designed for Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ research teams working on studies promising impact within different areas of research and stretching across different regions in the UK. This training program was followed by a meeting with Leicester's Deputy City Mayor to explore promising areas for policy impact, and set long-term objectives that speak to pressing issues in Leicester. As part of a broader initiative to network and synthesize between our policy experts at Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, we plan to promote this event as a pilot initiative for a future Policy Engagement Unit at Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ that mobilizes our policy researchers and equips them with the necessary skills needed to generate policy impact, and further contribute to the facilitation of meaningful change in their field of expertise. 

 

Building a Sustainable Infrastructure for Police-Academia Knowledge Exchange, Innovation and Enterprise in the Midlands  - Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF)[£2’000]. December 2024. (PI)

Knowledge Exchange funding to create a sustainable model of police-academia partnerships. In collaboration with the Society of Evidence-Based Policing, Leicestershire Police, and the East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC)

 

Strategic Research Mapping to Accelerate Policy Impact Initiatives  - Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF)[£4’000]. March 2024. (PI)

Enterprise funding to create an “expertise mapping” platform that will consolidate Âéw¶¹´«Ã½'s dispersed research strengths, expertise and achievements across all disciplines, specifically those relevant to informing policymaking.

Professional esteem indicators

Journal Reviewer: 


Book Reviews: 
(Leadership Subject Area)

Postgraduate supervisions

Ahmad is open to postgraduate supervision in any of the aforementioned research interest areas. Specifically, projects that address Government Reforms in the Middle East, Informality & Corruption, Leading Change in Public Institutions, and studies that use Elite Interviewing. 

Internal Positions of Responsibility & Committee Memberships

 

Chair (Academic), Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ Staff Assembly  [Sep 2022 to Present]

  • Reviewing and appraising university green papers and white papers.
  • Building strategic collaboration between university leadership and broader staff.

Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ Future Pedagogies Reference Group Member [Oct 2024 to Present]

 

Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (ASAT) Staff Representative [Jun 2023 to Present]

 

Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ SDG Fellow, Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ UNAI SDG 11 Hub [Nov 2024 to Present]

PGT Students Supervised

[10 Student]. MSc Dissertations. Individual Business Consultancy Projects. 1st supervisor. Completed October 2022.

[5 Student]. MSc Business Management Dissertations. 1st supervisor. Completed June 2022. 

[5 Student]. MSc Consultancy Project Reports. 1st supervisor. Completed September 2023. 

[13 Student]. MSc International Business and Human Resource Management. 1st supervisor. Completed October 2023.

[10 Student]. MSc International Business. 1st supervisor. Completed September 2024.

Academic Expertise

As part of his research work, Ahmad has built extensive experience in planning, negotiating, conducting, and analyzing Elite Interviews with Senior Government Executives at Ministerial levels and above. Moreover, he has effectively engaged with key policy stakeholders and civil society leaders throughout his fieldwork and consultancies in Jordan and broader Middle-East.

PhD Thesis

Title: Jordanian Public Administration in Context: Reform Inertia, Wasta and Political Stewardship

Supervisors: Dr Jonathan Rose & 

Examiners:  & Professor Jonathan Davies

Research Areas: Public Administration and Public Policy

Specialized Area: Public Sector Governance

Methods: Elite interviewing and narrative-based policy analysis

ahmad-alhiari