Dr Olatunde Durowoju

Olatunde is a Reader in Education Management and the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion within our Faculty of Business and Law.

His expansive research interests include operations and supply chain management, information security and supply chain management interface, and impact assessment and transmission. He has shared his research at conferences, has been published in academic journals and has edited books. Alongside this expertise, Olatunde is passionate about embedding sustainable and inclusive practices in higher education.

Born and raised in Nigeria, he says that the power of education has absolutely been the defining factor in his pursuit of a career in academia.

“I grew up with the notion that education is the greatest asset one can have.”

Staying true to this mantra, Olatunde has studied at undergraduate and postgraduate level. He gained his first degree in food science and technology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, in 2004 and after a few years working in the food industry, gained his master’s in food production management from the University of Nottingham in 2008. Then followed PhD study in management research at the University of East Anglia, signalling his shift towards a career in academia and in the field of operations and supply chain management.

“It wasn't planned; it just evolved as my interest evolved.”

In April 2015, Olatunde joined our business school and started lecturing in quality and operations management.

His role has evolved since joining LJMU nearly a decade ago, including the opportunity to act as programme leader helping to deliver business programmes to thousands of students coming through the doors of Liverpool Business School every academic year.

“I have several special memories from my time working at LJMU to date ranging from students expressing heartfelt appreciation for the effort I put into delivering exceptional learning experiences, to successfully completing collaborative projects with colleagues.”

Olatunde believes LJMU is full of amazing people that are deeply committed to inclusion, including students and colleagues.

His own passion for inclusion drove him to apply for a new role at the university as Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for the Faculty of Business and Law, ensuring that the university is committed to making LJMU a diverse and inclusive place to work and study.

“My role is to ensure that students and staff within the faculty are provided equity of opportunities to achieve whatever outcome they aspire. I work with a terrific set of individuals who make amazing things happen.”

His dedication, commitment and passion hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he’s received many awards and nominations both within his faculty, and university-wide, in recognition of his transformative work.

Most recently he was the recipient of a JMSU Student Experience Award 2023, for his outstanding contribution to decolonising the curriculum.

“This award was a validation of the important work that me and others are doing within the ‘inclusivity’ space. I am grateful that this was included as a category among the award list, because doing so centres this important issue, giving it the recognition that it so deserves.”

Olatunde is currently leading a campaign to develop staff and student agency towards the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for inclusivity within higher education. He has already delivered several keynote addresses to both national and international audiences on this topic. He is the creator of the 'Working Seminars on Achieving Inclusivity using Artificial Intelligence in HE', a melting pot for inclusivity scholars and AI advocates and is the Vice Chair of the Anti-Racism and Learning Technology Special Interest Group within the Association for Learning Technology.

“I have developed a keen understanding of the nuanced requirements for a truly inclusive and equitable practice. I've been actively working towards removing barriers and delivering equity of outcomes and experiences for all student and staff groups.”