Savanid (Nui) Vatanasakdakul

Professor Savanid (Nui) Vatanasakdakul is a passionate and award-winning educator who has spent nearly two decades advancing experiential, student-centered, and inclusive teaching in Information Systems (IS). Her teaching philosophy is rooted in fostering critical thinking, lifelong learning, and real-world readiness—empowering students to lead in the digital age. Her teaching interests span Digital Innovation, Strategy and Transformation; Technology Startups and Entrepreneurship; E-Business and Design Thinking; Digital Risk Management; and Research Methods and Supervision in these domains.

A hallmark of her teaching approach is the integration of real-world applications and entrepreneurial challenges into the curriculum. She emphasizes problem-based learning that encourages students to confront authentic digital challenges. In her E-Business and Design Thinking course, students design, launch, and scale real businesses on social commerce platforms. Many of these student ventures—developed in Qatar—have evolved into operational startups and gained national recognition, including features on Qatar National TV, highlighting her commitment to glocalized entrepreneurship education.

Professor Vatanasakdakul is also a strong proponent of industry integration and collaboration. Her courses incorporate practitioner insights and real-world, client-based assessments. For example, in her Digital Risk Management course, students engage directly with professionals and organizations to conduct IT audits, gaining first-hand experience in corporate environments.

She has demonstrated cross-disciplinary leadership, most notably in launching the Tech Entrepreneurship minor at CMU-Q. The program bridges the fields of IS, Business, and Computer Science and stands as a model of interdisciplinary curriculum innovation in higher education.  In her Tech Startup Launchpad course, Professor Vatanasakdakul pioneered the integration of a Demo Day accelerator format into the undergraduate curriculum. Students pitch their startups to a real-life community of investors and incubators, such as Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), Qatar Development Bank (QDB), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and private-sector leaders. The course has produced startups that have secured post-graduation incubation and funding, attracting the attention of Stars of Science, a pan-Arab innovation reality TV program. She was featured as an expert on the show, extending her teaching influence to a regional audience across the Arab world.

Her dedication to inclusive teaching earned her the CMU Provost’s Inclusive Teaching Fellowship in 2022. Her initiative focused on empowering female students in Qatar to overcome gender and cultural barriers in entrepreneurship. Several of their ventures have become celebrated success stories, serving as role models for digital entrepreneurship in traditionally conservative contexts.

At Macquarie University in Australia, she co-founded the Business Information Systems major and contributed to establishing a Master’s in Cybersecurity. She has also served as an advisory board member, shaping IS program development across Asia and Australia, including in private colleges and leading universities.

Her teaching has consistently earned top evaluations in multiple countries. Students consistently praise her for her real-world relevance, mentorship, and academic rigor. She received the Meritorious Teaching Award from CMU-Q in 2020 and the Learning and Teaching Award from Macquarie University in 2010. Her legacy is defined by innovation, inclusion, and a deep commitment to developing the next generation of IS leaders.