Emeritus Professor
Emeritus Professor Prem Ramburuth
BA, DipEd (S. Africa), MEd (Sydney), EdD (UNSW), Licentiate (RAM, London), Grad Dip TESOL (S. Australia), GAICD
Business School
School of Management and Governance
Professor Prem Ramburuth
Prem Ramburuth is Emeritus Professor at UNSW. She was Professor in International Business, School of Management and Governance, UNSW Sydney. She has held several leadership positions at UNSW including Immediate Past President of the Academic Board, Associate Dean Education, Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs, Head of School of Management, Foundation Director of the Business School Academic Development Centre, Deputy Director of the UNSW Learning Centre, and Director of Overseas English Language Programs at the UNSW Institute of Languages. She researches and teaches in Cross-Cultural and Diversity Management in Business and Higher Education and is a member of several editorial boards including the Journal for Multicultural Education, International Journal of Emerging Markets and Chinese Management Studies. Her current research interests focus on International Business and Cross-Cultural Management, Emerging Economies, China’s Global Growth in Africa, Gender Equity and the Empowerment of Women in the Workplace, and Higher Education in Africa.
Professor Ramburuth is the Academic Lead for Africa at the UNSW Institute for Global Development. In this role, she oversees transformative development programs in capacity building and training for academic staff, PhD training, and the establishment of formal Higher Education qualifications for academic staff in Uganda. She is a UNSW PLuS Alliance Fellow and the Academic Lead for PLuS Alliance Africa and is engaged in the establishment of PhD institutes in Africa. She is former Chair of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) Academic Board, is on the Panel of Experts for the Australian Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA), and was a Higher Education Program Assessor for the Fiji National Higher Education Commission. She is Visiting Professor at Gulu University (Uganda), and has been Visiting Professor at VNU Hanoi Business School (Vietnam), University of Colorado (Denver), and University Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malaysia). She is the recipient of four national and international teaching excellence awards, and the Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Award in the UNSW Business School (2019).
E-mail
Location
Room 513, Level 5
School of Management & Governance
UNSW Business School
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- 2020-2021: Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN) ($10,000): "Women Early Career Researchers in Food Systems in Africa"
- 2019-2020: Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN) ($10,000): "Integrating Urban Green Infrastructure and Food Security for Economic Development in Africa" (with A. Thornton)
- 2019: FABLE Research Collaboration Awards, UWA ($15,000): "Creating Smarter Cities in East Africa" (with R. Vokes et al.)
- 2018-2019: PLuS Alliance Fellow ($10,000): "Building Research and Education Capacity in Africa"
- 2018-2019: Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN) ($10,000): "Empowerment in the Workplace: Women in Africa"
- 2018: Institute for Global Development ($52,000): "Creating Global Research and Development Networks for Africa"
- 2017-2018: Institute for Global Development ($96,000): "Transformative Academic Development in Africa"
- 2012: UNSW Contestable Funding Scheme ($20,000): "Collaboration with Sun Yat-Sen University" (with P. Sheldon & Y. Wang)
- 2010: UNSW Social Inclusion Equity Grant ($50,000): "Development of a Business Education Enabling Program"
- 2010: UNSW Faculty IT Investment Plan ($47,000): "Developing an On-Line Management System for Criterion Based Assessment and AOL"
- 2009: UNSW SoM Grant ($10,000): "Student Psychological Contract in Business Higher Degree Research Education" (with J. Cogin & S. Restubog)
- 2008 -2010: Learning and Teaching Performance Funds ($913, 675): "Enhancing Learning and Teaching in the Business School" ($267,352 per year)
- 2008 -2010: Learning and Teaching Performance Funds ($166,078): "Enhancing the Quality of Indigenous Education in the Business School"
- 2006-2008: Carrick Institute Learning and Teaching Research Grant ($167,000): "Embedding the Development of Intercultural Competence in Business Education" (with Universities of Sydney, QUT & South Australia)
- 2006-2007: UNSW Cross Faculty Research Grant (FRG) ($24,000): "Comparative Learning Approaches, Motivational Factors, and Career Expectations of Students in Higher Education" (with M. Tani)
- 2006: AusAID International Seminar Support Scheme Grant ($8,500): "Management Education in Developing Countries (Sub-Sahara Africa)"
- 2003: UNSW First Year Teaching Grant ($15,000): "Innovations in Information Literacy in the ‘First Year Experience’"
- 2002: UNSW First Year Teaching Grant ($15,000) : "Developing Critical Thinking, Communication and Intercultural Skills in International Business"
- 1998: UNSW Teaching Research Grant ($80,000): "Internationalisation and Implications for Learning, Language and Cultural Diversity in the FCE"
- 1997: UNSW Teaching Development Grant ($50,000): "Internationalisation of Australian HE: Implications for the FCE"
- UNSW Business Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Award (2019)
- Nominated for UNSW President’s Award for Values in Action: Engaging in Transformative Development in Africa with Prof. R. Richmond, A/P A. Bartlett, A/P J. Cox (2018)
- Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Citation Awarded for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning’ (National Award 2009)
- Outstanding Reviewer Award (Academy of Management Learning and Teaching) (2005)
- Inaugural Pearson ANZAM Management Educator of the Year Award (2003)
- National Finalist Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) (2003)
- UNSW Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2002)
My research activities span across the areas of Management in International Business, and Management in the Internationalization of Higher Education, and, more recently, in Emerging Economies. The intersection of these dimensions to my research has enabled me to contribute to the literature on managing across cultures in International Business; managing across cultures in emerging economies including in countries across Africa, Asia and other regions; and managing issues of equity, diversity and inclusion in Business. It has served to highlight the importance understanding cultural differences, not only in business, but also in education, to address diversity of thought and actions, variation in culture, and approaches to learning and teaching. The combined research streams have informed my strategic initiatives in focusing on education, training, and capacity building as drivers of economic development in emerging economies. Essentially, my research seeks to translate into practical application in order to have impact in 'real world' contexts. It seeks sustainable solutions to management in International Business and Management in Emerging Economies, and incorporates the UN Sustainability Goals across the 17 strategic targets that aim to transform the world.
I have made significant contributions in the Business School at UNSW, nationally and internationally.
Leadership in Business School and UNSW:
- Discipline Lead International Business (2017-2020)
- Member of UNSW Council and Committees (2011-2016)
- President of the Academic Board and Committees (2011-2016)
- Associate Dean Education (2007-2011)
- Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs (2007-2009)
- Head, School of Management (2006-2007)
- Associate Head, School of Management (2005)
- Associate Head, Former School of International Business (2004)
- Inaugural Director, Business School Education Development Unit (1997-2000)
- Mentor to senior and junior academic staff and students
Leadership International:
- Academic Lead Africa, UNSW Institute for Global Development (IGD) (2016-ongoing): Overseeing the Transformative Academic Development Programs in Uganda and delivered the "Beginning to Teach" (Early Career Academics); "Foundations of Learning and Teaching" (Mid-Career Academics); "Leadership in Teaching" (Senior Academics); introducing the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in University Learning and Teaching
- Academic Lead Africa, PLuS Alliance and PLuS Alliance Fellow (2019-ongoing): Research and establishment of PhD Institutes in Engineering in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria
- Visiting Professor, Gulu University, Northern Uganda (2016-ongoing)
- Visiting Co-Chair, Gulu University Learning & Teaching Committee, Uganda (2016-ongoing)
- Visiting Professor, Vietnam National University (2010)
- Visiting Scholar, University of Colorado, Denver (2009)
Leadership in the Profession:
- AAUN (Australia Africa Universities Network): UNSW Representative and Executive Member (2016-ongoing)
- NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art): Chair, Academic Board; Member, NIDA Board of Directors; Member, NIDA Governance, Nominations & Remunerations Comm (2012-2019)
- TEQSA (Tertiary Education Qualifications & Standards Agency): Expert Panel Member (2014-ongoing)
- Lincoln Higher Education Australia: Member, Academic Board (2020-ongoing)
- PACIBER (Pacific Asian Consortium for International Business Education & Research): UNSW IB Representative (2004-2020)
Editorial Boards and Reviewer (current):
- Chinese Management Studies
- International Journal of Emerging Markets
- Journal of Multicultural Education
- Reviewer for over 10 high-ranking IB and HE journals
Professional Memberships (current)
- Graduate of the Australian Institute for Company Directors (GAICD)
- Academy of International Business South East Asia Region (AIBSEAR)
- Australia New Zealand International Business Academy (ANZIBA)
- African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)
- Cross Cultural Research Network (Auckland University of Technology)
- Multi-national Teaching Fellows (MNTF) and Institutional Teaching Award (ITA)
- University Fellows International Research Consortium, University of Oklahoma, US
Membership of Gender Equity Networks and Engagement:
- UNSW Business School Senior Academic Women’s Group
- UNSW Academic Women in Leadership (AWIL) Program
- UNSW Professional Women in Leadership (PWIL) Program
- UNSW Senior Women in Leadership Program
- UNSW Women in Research Network (WIRN)
- UNSW Representative, Asia Pacific Women in Leadership Network (APWIL)
- Women in the Academy of International Business (WAIB) IB Network
- Women on Boards Australia
- Women in Research and Gender Equity Group, Uganda
My Teaching
My teaching interests in the various dimensions of International Business focuses on training students in Cross-Cultural Management, to prepare them for participating in the complexities of the rapidly changing global business environment -as leaders, employers, employees and members of civil society. It highlights the importance of individual, group, socio-cultural and organizational values that influence engagement in International Business and global business environments. It has involved course design, curriculum development, course coordination and teaching delivery in the former School of Management and current School of Management and Governance, and includes:
- Managing Across Cultures
- Managing Business Communication
- Intercultural Business Communication
- Geopolitical Risk Management
- Fundamentals of Management
- Business Communication, Ethics and Practice
- Research Seminars in IB
I also taught externally, in concurrent courses at other universities, including:
- Cross Cultural Management (Hanoi Business School, Vietnam National University, MBA Program)
- Cross Cultural Management (Sydney Business School, University of Sydney)
- Cross Cultural Management (University of Hawaii, MBA Program (on-line))
- Cross Cultural Management (University of Colorado at Denver, MBA Program (on-line))