Prof. Dr. Vikneswaran Nair shares his research expertise and experiences through a three- to four- time lecture series per term to Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management who are taking research writing classes. He also gives his valuable insights by giving comments and suggestions to all faculty researchers.
“[On separate occasions], Prof. Nair has spoken on updates in research writing with regards to the use of AI; data analysis and implications of research results; writing highly publishable research; and research collaboration or partnership,” said HRM Department Chair Jan Racky Masa.
“I have always been drawn to the Philippines, having visited the country numerous times. Each visit has deepened my appreciation for the remarkable hospitality of the Filipino people,” said Prof. Nair.
He added that this warmth and friendliness extend to the academic environment as well, something he has observed firsthand at FEU.
“During my interactions with FEU students, I was consistently impressed by their excellence, attentiveness, and eagerness to learn. This was particularly evident in my past face-to-face sessions, where, despite large numbers of attendees, the students remained incredibly focused and engaged,” he said.
These experiences played a significant role in his decision to join FEU as an adjunct faculty member.
“I was excited about the opportunity to contribute more substantially to such a vibrant learning community. I am looking forward to conducting more face-to-face sessions soon, where I hope to enrich the educational experiences of FEU students further and also learn from their unique perspectives,” he said.
Prof. Nair is the President of Disted College and Professor of Sustainable Tourism at the Wawasan Open University, Wawasan Education Foundation in Penang, Malaysia. He was previously the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, and Professor in Sustainable Tourism at the University of The Bahamas.
Prior to joining UB in August 2017, he was at Taylor’s University, Malaysia, for 19 years as a full professor of Sustainable Tourism, at the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts; Programme Leader for the Responsible Rural Tourism Network; Research Fellow of the Centre for Research and Innovation in Tourism and the founding Director of the Centre for Research and Development at the university.
A consultant with many national and international projects, Prof. Nair’s exceptional research achievements with more than 350 publications to his credit have earned him many international and national awards.
He completed his first consultancy work in The Bahamas when he led the project in writing the country report for The Bahamas for UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals in 2017, and is currently working on numerous other consultancy projects in The Bahamas with Tourism Development Corporation and the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection.
Prof. Nair’s research specialization is in sustainable and responsible tourism, rural tourism, ecotourism management, environmental management, community-based tourism, and green tourism.