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Dr Ehsan Khavandkar

Dr Ehsan Khavandkar

Lecturer (Assist. Prof.) in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Business, Law and Politics
  • Hull University Business School

Qualifications

  • BSc
  • MSc (University of Southampton)
  • PGCert (Aston University)
  • PhD (Aston University)

Summary

Dr. Ehsan Khavandkar is a Lecturer (Assist. Prof.) in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Business and Marketing at University of Hull Business School (HUBS). He joined the Marketing, Management and Business Strategy Group at Hull University Business School in September 2019, having previously taught at Loughborough University, Aston University, University of Wales (UWTSD) and Essex. Ehsan also acts as an external examiner on postgraduate taught, MBA and research programmes at other HE Institutions. At HUBS, he teaches/leads modules in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, design thinking and business strategy, and supervises dissertations, research and industry projects.

He received his PhD in Economics of Innovation (ABS-funded) from Aston Business School, Aston University, where he also began his teaching career. Ehsan also holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering, and an MSc in Knowledge and Information Systems Management from the University of Southampton.

Ehsan has extensive experience with curriculum design and development, and program evaluation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Since joining academia, he has been involved in designing, leading and delivering various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and award-winning modules in the areas of entrepreneurship and enterprise management, design thinking and innovation management, digital marketing and business strategy at different HE institutions. Most recently, he led the curriculum development and implementation of a new MSc programme in `Digital Marketing and Advertising`, as well as transformation of MSc programme in `Business Management` into a `design-led enterprise development` programme.

Ehsan holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and retains a keen interest in data-driven, game-based and authentic business teaching and learning strategies, and storytelling (video: https://bit.ly/3ypftRD). In 2022, he received the University of Hull`s “Knowledge Exchange Award” for the “Best Students Skills KE Partnership Initiative” ( http://bit.ly/4052KPt). In 2017, he also received the "Aston Teaching Excellence" award for his achievements in teaching and providing outstanding support for the learning experience of students- as voted for by students (recent students' reflections and comments on their learning experiences in his modules: Engaging with Entrepreneurial Organisations: https://bit.ly/MEQEEO2122, Business Environments: https://bit.ly/3FItLyd, Business Ecosystems and Environmental Analysis: https://bit.ly/MEQBEEA2223).

Dr. Khavandkar's research sits at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, economics, ST&I and agglomeration studies. Much of his recent work has focused on “co-creation and co-evolution” in innovation and knowledge ecosystems, as an avenue to engage individuals, firms, institutions and communities in sustainable, intersectoral and collaborative innovation practices in the short and long term, and on policy targeted at localities. His previous research has involved working with a range of private and third sector organisations. Dr. Khavandkar is currently interested in supervising PhD students in the following areas:

- Economics of innovation, systems of innovation, evolutionary processes and ST&I policy;

- Geography of innovation, innovation and knowledge ecosystems, and agglomeration studies;

- Regional and macro-level determinants of entrepreneurship, institutions and network externalities;

- Co-creation models, open innovation, innovation intermediaries [particularly, in/and for micro and small firms];

- Co-evolution mechanisms, collaborative and coopetition-based business models and sustainability [particularly, in/and for micro and small firms];

- Knowledge Diffusion, Intellectual capital management and dynamic capabilities;

Please feel free to contact him (e.khavandkar[@]hull.ac.uk), if you are interested in working on any of the above areas.

Before joining the academia, Dr. Khavandkar worked in industry as an industrial and management consultant for 5 years. He is member of HEA (Fellow), AoM, ECSB, ICSB, TIM, RICC and the Gate2Growth network.

At HUBS, Dr. Khavandkar leads “Postgraduate Programmes in Business and Marketing”, and teaches in the areas of entrepreneurship, design-driven innovation and business strategy. Ehsan has extensive experience with curriculum design and development, and program evaluation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Most recently, he led the curriculum development and implementation of a new “MSc programme in Digital Marketing and Advertising”, as well as transformation of “MSc programme in Business Management” into a design-led enterprise development programme. He retains a keen interest in data-driven, game-based and authentic business teaching and learning strategies, and storytelling; he leads:

2023 – Onwards: Design-driven Business Innovation and Management (PG):

A newly developed design-oriented and Authentic Business Learning module, in which through learning and applying future-focused innovation management principles, human-centred and design-driven innovation processes, methods, and tools, students gain practical insights to inform new or ongoing product/service development and innovation strategies, preparing client organisations to handle new and unforeseen challenges.

2022 – Onwards: Business Ecosystems and Environmental Analysis (UG)

A newly developed Data-driven and Authentic Business Learning module, in which students work on real-world business projects, and conduct Business Ecosystem and Environmental Analysis Studies to craft sustainable business strategies for their clients [students` comments: https://bit.ly/MEQBEEA2223]

2023- Onwards (led the development of) Strategic Planning and Foresight Methods (PG):

A newly developed Authentic Business Learning module, in which students learn to apply foresight methods and techniques to business scenarios to explore potential strategic solutions and their implications, formulating robust and informed inputs for policy, risk, strategy, and innovation processes across public and private sectors.

Previous modules:

2020-22: Business Environments (an environmental analysis project with a special focus on data driven decision making in solving real-world business problems) [students` comments: https://bit.ly/3FItLyd ]

2019-22: Engaging with Entrepreneurial Organisations (an industry project with a special focus on innovation through design thinking) [students` comments: https://bit.ly/MEQEEO2122 ]

2019-20: Strategic Management [students` comments: https://bit.ly/3a6tfgq ]

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Book

Intellectual Capital: Management, Development and Measurement Models

Khavand Kar, J., Khavandkar, E., & Motaghi, A. (2013). Intellectual Capital: Management, Development and Measurement Models. (3rd). Tehran: MSRT Press

Book Chapter

Leading the Diffusion of Intellectual Capital Management Practices in Science Parks

Khavandkar, E., Theodorakopoulos, N., Hart, M., & Preston, J. (2016). Leading the Diffusion of Intellectual Capital Management Practices in Science Parks. In H. Shipton, P. Budhwar, P. Sparrow, & A. Brown (Eds.), Human Resource Management, Innovation and Performance (213-231). London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137465191_14

Presentation / Conference

Intellectual Capital Management Practices, Diffusion Kinetics and Adaptation Mechanisms in Knowledge Ecosystems: The Influencing Shapers of Co-Specialization in SMEs

Khavandkar, E., Theodorakopoulos, N., & Khavand Kar, J. (2016, November). Intellectual Capital Management Practices, Diffusion Kinetics and Adaptation Mechanisms in Knowledge Ecosystems: The Influencing Shapers of Co-Specialization in SMEs. Paper presented at RENT (Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business) XXX, Antwerp, Belgium

Intellectual Capital Management Practices, Proximity and Adoption Mechanisms In Knowledge Ecosystems: SMEs' Perspective

Khavandkar, E., & Khavand Kar, J. (2016, September). Intellectual Capital Management Practices, Proximity and Adoption Mechanisms In Knowledge Ecosystems: SMEs' Perspective. Paper presented at EIASM (European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management) 12th Interdisciplinary Workshop on Intangibles, Intellectual Capital and Extra-financial Information, St Petersburg, Russia

Capacity building for diffusion of intellectual capital management practices in science parks: A systematic review of the evidence

Khavandkar, E., Theodorakopoulos, N., Khavand Kar, J., & Hart, M. (2014, November). Capacity building for diffusion of intellectual capital management practices in science parks: A systematic review of the evidence. Paper presented at RENT XXVIII (Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business). Entrepreneurial Endeavours: A Profusion of Research, Policy and Practitioner Practices, Luxembourg City

Research interests

With an interdisciplinary background incorporating economics, entrepreneurship, industrial engineering, ST&I policy and intellectual capital management, Dr. Khavandkar`s research spans economics of innovation, entrepreneurship, network externalities, knowledge & innovation ecosystem and agglomeration studies. A unifying theme across his work is an interest in “co-creation and co-evolution” as an avenue to engage individuals, firms, institutions and communities in sustainable, intersectoral and collaborative innovation practices in the short and long term. He is currently involved in a research project (United Kingdom Science and Technology Parks Survey - UKSTP Survey) that seeks to better understand the dynamics of co-creation and co-evolution in the UK science and technology parks, and how spatial proximity shapes the onsite firms` cognitive structure and perceptions of organisational, social and technological proximities, and what these mean for innovation and knowledge ecosystem design in Britain. His areas of research include:

- Economics of innovation, systems of innovation, evolutionary processes and ST&I policy;

- Geography of innovation, innovation and knowledge ecosystems, and agglomeration studies;

- Regional and macro-level determinants of entrepreneurship, institutions and network externalities;

- Co-creation models, open innovation, innovation intermediaries [particularly, in/and for micro and small firms];

- Co-evolution mechanisms, collaborative and coopetition-based business models and sustainability [particularly, in/and for micro and small firms];

- Knowledge Diffusion, Intellectual capital management and dynamic capabilities;

Dr. Khavandkar welcomes contacts from prospective Ph.D. students who are interested in working in any of the above areas.

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-Current PhD supervision:

Ms. Ronny Zayed; PhD Thesis Area: Strategic Role of Collaboration with Research Organisations in Fostering Sustainability-oriented Innovation Among Clustered SMEs – in progress –

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Working papers and projects:

- Open Search Strategy and Co-evolution of Dynamic Capabilities in Micro and Small Firms: The Role of Social Proximity

- Co-creation of Intellectual Capital in Science and Technology Parks: Do Open Search and Appropriability Strategies Matter for Co-located Firms?

- Cognitive Proximity, Openness Behaviour and Innovation Performance in Micro and Small Firms: Evidence from the United Kingdom Science and Technology Parks Survey

- Spatial Proximity and Appropriation of Co-opetition and Co-operation based Innovation: Nascent Firms' Response to Environmental Dynamism

Awards and prizes

Knowledge Exchange Award (Best Student Skills Knowledge Exchange Partnership Initiative)

2021 - 2022

The Best Student Skills Knowledge Exchange Partnership Initiative of 2021-22 Project`s vidoe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYi45ac-jBw&ab_channel=EhsanKhavandkar%2CHullUniversityBusinessSchool

University of Hull`s Knowledge Exchange Competition Award

2020 - 2021

Project Title: Development of Food Awareness Digital Platforms – An Educational Model to Engage Students in Knowledge Exchange Projects

Astonishing Academic Award for Excellence in Teaching and Supporting Student Learning

2016 - 2017

Aston Business School, Aston University - as voted for by students

ABS Doctoral Scholarship

2013

Student Book Of The Year Award

2011

for: Khavand Kar, J., Khavandkar, E. and Mottaghi, A. (2009). Intellectual Capital: Management, Development and Measurement Models (2nd ed.), MSRT Press, pp. 442. ISBN: 9789642841646.

External examiner role

PG External Examiner, Teesside University International Business School, Teesside University

2023

PG External Examiner, Teesside University International Business School, Teesside University

PG/MBA External Examiner, Roehampton Business School, University of Roehampton

2021 - 2022

PG/MBA External Examiner, Roehampton Business School, University of Roehampton

PG External Examiner, Chester Business School, University of Chester

2021

PG External Examiner, Chester Business School, University of Chester

PG External Examiner, Coventry University London

2021

PG External Examiner, Coventry University London, Coventry University

Journal peer reviewer

Ad Hoc Reviewer for AoM-TIM, ICSB, EIASM, JCP, BE

2015

Membership/Fellowship of professional body

Fellow of Advance HE (f.k.a. Higher Education Academy)

2015

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