PhDs Awarded to Three Faculty Members at Middlesex University Dubai
- Monday, 17 February 2025
Three members of faculty at Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai have successfully completed their PhD studies, Dr Christopher Jensen, Dr Matthew Brown, and Dr Engie Bashir, each of whom make significant contributions in their respective fields.
Dr Christopher, Lecturer in Business Management, earned his PhD in Management and Virtue Ethics with a thesis titled ‘Fostering Virtue Among Autorickshaw Drivers in Sri Lanka: A Case Study of an Urban Sharing Institution.’
His research explores the ethical implications of algorithmic management in emerging markets. Specifically, it examines how digital platforms shape the behaviour of autorickshaw drivers in Sri Lanka.
His work merges institutional theory with virtue ethics frameworks, offering valuable insights on how managers and organisations can foster ethical decision-making and cultivate virtuous behaviours in the workforce.
Dr Matthew, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, completed his PhD with groundbreaking research on the ‘Co-creation and User Value in the Smart City Digital Sharing Economy: Perspectives of Expatriates in Dubai, UAE.’
Dr Matthew’s research has been particularly timely given Dubai's commitment to the Smart Government initiative. His mixed-method study investigates how expatriates in the UAE perceive and create value from the various digital services provided by the Dubai government.
Despite balancing a full-time teaching role and leading the CIM Study Centre, Dr Matthew completed his dissertation in just four years. His work provides both practical insights for city managers and valuable conceptual material for academic study, contributing to the growth of expatriate talent and the development of smart cities.
Dr Engie completed her innovative PhD in Computer Science with a thesis titled ‘Re-engineering the Development of Personas through a User-Centred Human-Machine Teaming Approach.’
Dr Engie's research, conducted under the Faculty PhD Research Support Initiative, introduces a new method for persona creation that integrates human-machine teaming.
The Persona Process Model (PPM) and its proof-of-concept, the Persona Toolkit (PT), developed through her work, offer practical solutions to enhance the efficiency, trustworthiness, and reusability of persona creation.
Dr Engie completed her PhD while continuing her full-time role as a Senior Lecturer and UG Course Programme Co-ordinator in the Computer Engineering & Informatics department, co-chairing the Middlesex Innovation Hub (MIH), and leading the development of the Alumni portal.
The Doctors all demonstrated exceptional dedication and passion for their fields, a testament to the thriving academic community at MDX Dubai, their hard work and commitment to advancing knowledge in their respective disciplines, are sure to leave a lasting impact on students, academia and industry alike.
