School of Business and Law

Thursday, 10 October 2024

Ten respected researchers from ECU School of Business and Law have been honoured in the recently released 2024 Stanford/Elsevier global Top 2% Scientist lists. This a prestigious recognition of their outstanding contributions across their respective fields, placing them among the world’s top scientific minds.

This list is compiled based on rigorous evaluation of career-long citation impact. The inclusion of our ECU researchers highlights the significant global impact of the university’s, and the School of Business and Law’s, research efforts.

The ECU School of Business and Law researchers recognised in the list include:

• Professor Gabriel Eweje: A leading expert in corporate social responsibility and sustainability, Professor Eweje has contributed significantly to research on ethical behaviour in business and sustainability in both emerging and developed economies.
• Professor Songshan (Sam) Huang: Known for his contributions to tourism marketing and consumer behaviour, Professor Huang has elevated ECU’s tourism research group to global recognition.
• Associate Professor Laurie Hughes: Specialising in business innovation and digital transformation, Dr. Hughes' research focuses on how organisations can leverage new technologies to enhance productivity and achieve sustainable growth.
• Professor Denise Jackson: With a focus on employability and career development learning, Professor Jackson’s research has improved access and inclusion in higher education, supporting graduate success.
• Dr. Reza Kiani Mavi: Specialising in operations management, Dr. Mavi’s research has influenced supply chain management and decision-making processes in industries across the globe.
• Associate Professor Sangkyun (Sean) Kim: The Deputy Head of SBL Centre for Tourism Research, Associate Professor Kim's research focuses on the close relationships between tourism and popular culture and he's an internationally recognised scholar in the field of film tourism and its broader impacts and implications.
• Professor S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh: As Vice-Chancellor Professorial Research Fellow and Professor of Sustainable Tourism, Professor Rasoolimanesh's research interest areas include sustainable tourism, heritage tourism, community development, and urban sustainability.
• Professor Sanjit K. Roy: Recognised for his research in customer experience and relationship marketing, Professor Roy has made notable contributions to understanding how businesses can foster customer loyalty and satisfaction.
• Dr. Xuequn (Alex) Wang: A senior lecturer in management, Dr. Wang’s research has explored leadership, workplace well-being, and the effects of digital technologies in organisational settings.
• Dr. Jun Wen: a lecturer in Tourism and Service Marketing, Dr. Wen has published research articles in top-tier international journals in marketing, tourism and hospitality, and public health.

Our researchers were delighted to be recognised in the global Top 2% list. Here’s what some of them had to say:

• Professor Gabriel Eweje: "Being recognised among the top 2% of researchers in my field is both an honour and a humbling acknowledgment of my work. My research aims to address grand societal challenges, and I’m grateful for the support I’ve received from my co-authors and institutions like ECU."
• Professor Songshan (Sam) Huang: “I am deeply honoured to be recognised among the top 2% of scientists in my field. For me, it is equally important to embrace a more responsible role as a researcher within society—one that extends beyond traditional research metrics. This includes nurturing and training the next generation of researchers, mentoring junior colleagues, and conducting research that addresses pressing social and industry challenges”
• Professor Denise Jackson: "Being in the Top 2% of Scientists is a great honour. It is really important to me that my research helps to inform inclusive, quality practice in higher education. I also hope that it assists early career academics in designing their own research on topics and challenges related to employability and graduate employment. I am incredibly grateful to ECU, my co-authors, and the study participants who made this research possible”

The Executive Dean of the School of Business and Law, Professor Maryam Omari, also celebrated the recognition, stating, “This acknowledgment is a testament to the world-class research being conducted within our School. We are committed to producing impactful research that shapes industries, improves communities, and addresses critical societal issues. We are proud of the work our researchers do, and we look forward to continuing to advance research, drive innovation, and make a lasting impact in the years to come.”

This recognition underscores ECU’s growing prominence on the global research stage and reinforces our commitment to impactful and innovative research that benefits society.