Independent (Farah Al Taji)

Dr Farah Al Taji is a lecturer in entrepreneurship and strategy at Brunel University London, UK. A dedicated researcher and educator in the field of social entrepreneurship. Farah's research interests span several critical areas, including social entrepreneurship, hybrid organisations, and refugee entrepreneurship. She is also committed to exploring the intersectionality of gender, refugees, and (social) entrepreneurship, and how these factors influence sustainable development. Farah is currently the principal investigator of the project titled "Doing Good, Growing Strong: Catalysing Economic and Social Impact in Jordan through Sustainable Social Enterprises," funded by the British Academy. This project, which is hosted by Brunel University London and in collaboration with the German Jordanian University, merges academic and research expertise with practical implementation, aiming to build a robust social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan. Farah completed her doctoral studies in management with a focus on hybrid organisations and social enterprises at Politecnico di Milano in Italy in 2019, spending one year as a visiting PhD student at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. This academic journey laid the foundation for her subsequent research endeavours and equipped her with valuable mixed-methods research skills. Following her doctoral studies, she transitioned into a role as a postdoctoral researcher on a project involving the University of Birmingham and Al-Balqa Applied University in Jordan. This role enabled impactful interdisciplinary research on gender paradoxes and refugee entrepreneurship, bridging the fields of entrepreneurship, refugee, and gender studies. Throughout her career, Farah has had the opportunity to teach specialist and executive courses in social innovation and social entrepreneurship in Jordan, the UAE, Italy, and the UK. In addition to her academic career, Farah is a social entrepreneur, having established multiple social initiatives, including the most recent WeConnect initiative with the Arab Innovation Network.