Why a Business School Dean Argues Higher Ed Leaders Need a Research Doctorate

The Case for Moving From Experience to Evidence in Higher Education

Shahnaz Hamid, dean of the London School of Business and Finance, has used a commentary in The PIE News to argue that senior higher education leaders can no longer rely on accumulated experience alone. She points to a series of disruptions: UK visa application withdrawals that can outpace refusals, Australia's cap on international student commencements, a less welcoming environment in the United States for some students, and growing interest in studying closer to home. On top of this, she says, artificial intelligence is forcing institutions to make consequential decisions without an established roadmap.

Her proposed response is not another short executive course but a Doctor of Business Administration. Hamid describes the DBA as a practitioner doctorate aimed at experienced leaders rather than early-career managers. Where an MBA is typically taken earlier in a career and a PhD often begins with a gap in academic knowledge, a DBA starts with a real organisational challenge that has practical consequences for strategy, budgets, student outcomes or institutional resilience.

One of the central claims is that the value of a DBA can arrive before graduation. Because candidates usually investigate challenges inside their own organisations, Hamid says their findings often influence strategic decisions while the research is still underway. She also acknowledges that the doctorate is not for everyone and argues that flexible online delivery has made it more compatible with demanding leadership roles.

What the DBA Argument Reveals About a Sector Under Pressure

The policy pressures behind the pitch

The argument is tied to a specific moment in international education. The UK, Australia and the US have each tightened or complicated the environment for international student recruitment, while AI adds another layer of uncertainty. In that context, the appeal of a structured research degree is that it promises a method for testing assumptions rather than relying on the "strongest opinion in the room".

What is actually being sold

The piece is not a neutral analysis. Hamid is dean of the institution offering the DBA and holds the same qualification, so the commentary functions partly as an enrolment case for LSBF. The distinction she draws between a DBA and a PhD is useful, but readers should treat the claims about early impact and organisational benefit as marketing claims unless backed by independent completion and outcome data.

Where the idea has traction

For vice-chancellors, deans and international office directors facing visa volatility and budget pressure, the underlying point is plausible: many strategic questions receive less rigorous investigation than their importance demands. A practice doctorate can, in principle, provide a framework for evidence-led change. But the essay does not quantify how often DBA research actually alters institutional decisions or improves outcomes.