I am Dr Georgios (George) Dafoulas, a Professor of Information Systems and Business Computing in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Middlesex University. I have led more than twenty externally funded projects and participated in many more as a co-investigator. I have been successful in attracting funding at national and international level and managing projects as a principal investigator, project manager and work package coordinator. I have worked with a wide range of funding bodies including EU programmes (frameworks, Erasmus+, Capacity Building in Higher Education, Tempus, Socrates, Minerva), British Council, JISC, US’s NSF, AUNP, ERDF, EPSRC, ESRC, and the DTI. My published works include six books and learning guides, as well as more than 150 research papers in refereed journals and peer-reviewed international conferences, mainly in the fields of information systems, computer-supported cooperative work, e-learning, educational technologies and human issues in software engineering. I am well known for my expertise in applications of digital technology in education and business, while my work on innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship pioneered knowledge transfer initiatives in more than twenty countries. My collaborations with industry span across several sectors, with various activities over the years including partners such as BT and IBM. I am regularly invited to deliver key note speeches and participate in expert panels and plenaries. I frequently serve as a member of editorial boards and journal reviewing committees, as well as a member of organising and programme committees for international conferences.
I am also the Director of Programmes in the Computer Science Department, responsible for the Business Information Systems directorate and the quality of its programmes. I am also the programme leader for the BSc Business Information Systems programme. I am a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, demonstrating active commitment to and championing of all dimensions of the UK Professional Standards Framework. I am also a member of the British Computer Society (BCS), the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Council of Professors and Heads of Computing in UK Universities (CPHC). I am an active member of several committees in the Faculty of Science and Technology including the Academic Planning and Quality Committee, the Learning and Teaching Committee and the Validations and Review Working Group. At University level I am a member of the Innovation and Learning Group. In the past I served as the Curriculum Leader in Pedagogy for the Middlesex University Global Campus, responsible for the delivery of higher education programmes in eight countries across three continents. I also served as a member for the University’s e-Learning Strategy Group.
My involvement in teaching can be described as a calling for inducing in others a love for learning. I lead modules in Foundations of Informatics, Management Information Systems and Strategic Information Systems & Enterprise Project Management. My research-informed teaching uses the latest education technologies for enhancing student learning experience and received international recognition for the pioneering use of digital technology (e.g. Augmented Reality and Internet of Things) and blended learning pedagogies. As a result I was awarded a Middlesex University Teaching Fellowship in 2008, followed by a Senior Teaching Fellowship in 2015 for my leadership in the field of education. I have been nominated for a number of the University’s student-led awards every year since their launch. I was also nominated by the institution for a National Teaching Fellowship for my innovative use of digital technology in education.
My contribution to Middlesex University can be summed up in what I perceive to be a form of ART, including Administration, Research and Teaching duties. Of course I share the sentiment of quite a few of fellow academics around the world that this can be easily turn into a RAT-race if it is not supported by solid foundations and a carefully planned strategy. The main tabs of this website correspond to my role under:
I arrived in the UK on Saturday, September 19, 1994 under a rarely sunny Mancunian sky, anxious but keen to begin my studies at UMIST. I stayed in Manchester for ten years, during which I combined studying (three degrees in Computation and one in Education), working (started as a BT research associate, became a member of the Centre of Expertise in e-Commerce and ended up as an academic member of the Department of Computation) and partying (it would be better for my professional standing to avoid disclosing much information about that part of life here…). The merger of UMIST with Vitoria found me at professional and personal cross-roads. A wise choice brought me to Middlesex University which I call home since February 3, 2004. As my colleagues up north suggested, crossing the Watford Gap was indeed a critical part of my life in the UK. I have enjoyed every single day of my professional journey so far and had my ups and downs in trying to adapt to the British weather. I am fully aligned to the five British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.
Prior to my life in the UK I was blessed to arrive in this world in the land chosen by the Gods (stereotypical specimen of Greek pride alert). Apart from a really strong Greek accent and the tendency to talk excessively in a difficult to follow fast pace, my Greek heritage came in the form of certain values including passion, integrity, loyalty, hospitality, and empathy. As a Macedonian, born in Thessaloniki I was brought up with an admiration for the leadership skills of Alexander the Great and Aristotle’s works on logic and disputation. Moving to Athens at a young age helped me to appreciate amongst others, the Socratic method regarding a teacher as an ignorant inquirer, Pericles’s role in the Athenian democracy and Themistocles’s ability for strategic planning. I spent most of my childhood summers in the North-Western city of Ioannina, where I had the chance to experience Greece’s journey from medieval times to enlightenment. I try to visit frequently a place that I hold dear to my heart; Byzantium’s capital city Constantinople. As I was brought up as a Greek Orthodox Christian based on the principle of living so as to serve one's neighbour and especially the ‘least of them’ as well as oneself.
I am eternally in debt to my parents for equipping me with the means to face life’s obstacles and stand firm by my values. My father was always a model of strength and confidence, while my mother was my mentor and guide, as well as my first teacher. My grandmother was my nursery teacher and together with my mother provided me with strong academic foundations. I am lucky to have a supportive wife that challenges me daily to become better. I am blessed to have the best daughter in the world (this is purely objective and non-negotiable). I am also thankful to my mentors through the years – you know who you are and how much you have contributed what I have achieved. Last but not least I must acknowledge that every step in the way I have been supported by peers and associates of what is currently known as the MCIS family, a group of people who share the same interests in work and study.
I frequently describe myself as being a ‘professional student’. Representing the fourth generation in the family with a calling for education, I rarely miss an opportunity to learn more. A keen supporter of life-long learning and continuous professional development I have so far completed my studies towards:
BSc (Hons) in Computation UMIST / 1997 Final year report: Development of a Mapping and Code-Generation Tool for ERT-SQL Group project dissertation: Design Specification and Implementation of a Reservation and Management Information System for Lakeland Airways
MPhil (Hons) in Computation UMIST / 1999 Thesis: Dynamic Role Allocation in Software Engineering (sponsored by the DiCE Project, BT-funded Distributed Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering)
PhD (Hons) in Computation UMIST / 2004 Thesis: An Investigation into the Allocation of Electronic Contracts to Dynamically Formed Global Software Engineering Teams (sponsored by BT Technology Directorate, BT Laboratories)
PGCert Academic Practice UMIST / 2004 Portfolio: Academic Practice in the Department of Computation
MBA (Executive) – merit Middlesex University / 2009 Dissertation: Business Strategies for Managing and Training Global Human Resources (supported by IBM case study)
MA Higher Education – merit Middlesex University / 2017 Dissertation: Investigating issues relating to the development of Monitoring Frameworks for Educational Transformation through Knowledge Transfer and Student Mobility
I was also awarded the following in recognition of my advanced work in educational technologies and leadership in enhancing student learning experiences:
Teaching Fellowship Middlesex University / 2008 Portfolio: Technology Enhanced Curriculum Development & Delivery
Senior teaching Fellowship Middlesex University / 2015 Portfolio: Computer Science Department case studies
My professional journey consists of the following posts:
These days achieving a work-life balance means that I tend to have less ‘me’ time to focus on my main interests that include playing the mandolin, reading literature while listening to ambient music, and the occasional DIY project. I try to get some free time to entertain friends and family with home-made food and a taste of a drink from my latest travels.
I am dedicated supporter of Panathinaikos, attending games of all sports. I have travelled around Europe and beyond to watch them play and have been an active club member. My involvement in the Athletic Club has given me the opportunity to support in various ways, including the organisation of the Table Tennis academies.
I miss my regular running schedule that peaked in 2014-15 when I managed to complete 43 runs (mostly 5K and 10K due to my torn ACL) in less than 12 months, including a 100Km race from London to Brighton that helped me to achieve more than £1850 in donations towards MNDA. My runs helped to collect donations for more than 20 charities over the years.
I love travelling and so far I have visited more than 40 countries worldwide. During my travels I had the opportunity to provide free trainings and support for local institutions and I always try to help young people in their educational endeavours.