Dr. Lotfi Belkhir
Dr. Lotfi Belkhir
Chief Academic Officer and Academic Dean
BIO
Dr. Lotfi Belkhir is a distinguished academic leader, entrepreneur, and innovator whose career spans more
than three decades across academia and industry. Widely recognized for his work in eco-innovation, digital
transformation, and sustainable entrepreneurship, he brings a rare blend of scholarly excellence and real-
world leadership to higher education.
He currently serves as Chief Academic Officer and Academic Dean at Barzan University College (BUC),
Qatar’s first Australian-affiliated university college. In this role, he provides strategic leadership for the
institution’s academic portfolio, research agenda, and innovation ecosystem, guiding program development,
faculty excellence, and institutional growth in alignment with global standards.
Prior to joining BUC, Dr. Belkhir served as Associate Director for Entrepreneurial Transformation at
Qatar University, where he led major initiatives to strengthen innovation capacity, nurture startup
ecosystems, and advance entrepreneurship-driven education. Earlier in his career, he was Associate
Professor and Chair of Eco-Entrepreneurship at McMaster University in Canada, where he contributed
significantly to the advancement of sustainability-focused research and entrepreneurial thinking.
A true pracademic—bridging rigorous scholarship with practical impact—Dr. Belkhir has also built an
impressive track record in technology entrepreneurship. He is the founder and former CEO of Kirtas
Technologies, which he scaled into a global technology company and established as the world’s first
manufacturer of automatic book scanners.
Throughout his career, Dr. Belkhir has remained committed to building institutions, ecosystems, and ventures
that sit at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and societal impact. At BUC, he continues to
champion transformative education models that empower future leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers
across Qatar, the Gulf, and the wider MENA region.
Academic Qualifications
- Master’s in Management of Technology, Walden University, 2001
- PhD in Condensed Matter Physics, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1993
- M.A in Laser Physics & Quantum Chaos, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1989
- B.S in Theoretical Physics, University of Algiers, 1986
Research Interests
- Connections between Innovation & Sustainability
- Innovation-based Entrepreneurship
- Practical frameworks for managing sustainability
- Use of Infrared Imaging for the healthcare diagnostics sector
Teaching Area
- Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Sustainability
- Total Sustainability Management
Selected Publications
- Belkhir, L., & Elmeligi, A. (2018). Assessing ICT global emissions footprint: Trends to 2040 & recommendations. Journal of Cleaner Production, 177, 448-463.
- Belkhir, L., & Elmeligi, A. (2019). Carbon footprint of the global pharmaceutical industry and relative impact of its major players. Journal of Cleaner Production, 214, 185-194.
- Belkhir, L., Fleisig, R., & Potter, D. K. (2018). Effective Learning of Innovation by Engineering Students in a Multi-Disciplinary Context. International Journal of Engineering Education, 34(4), 1223-1235.
- Belkhir, L., Bernard, S., & Abdelgadir, S. (2017). Does GRI reporting impact environmental sustainability? A cross-industry analysis of CO2 emissions performance between GRI-reporting and non-reporting companies. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 28(2), 138-155.
- Jackson, J., & Belkhir, L. (2017). Assigning firm-level GHGE reductions based on national goals-Mathematical model & empirical evidence. Journal of Cleaner Production, 170, 76-84.
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