The Doctoral School and the Faculty of Business and Law host the first joint Doctoral Forum
The Doctoral School and the Faculty of Business and Law host the first joint Doctoral Forum
26
Jan
26/01/2026
The Forum featured introduction to the main research lines in Business Administration and Governmental Studies, and presentations by ESI-USJ Postdoctoral Fellow, USJ DBA graduate and students.
The Doctoral School and the Faculty of Business and Law of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) organised their first joint USJ Doctoral Forum in Administration on 16 January. The event was open to the general public and it took a hybrid format, allowing participants to join via Zoom.
The Forum commenced with an introduction to the main research lines in Business Administration and Governmental Studies, presented by Professor Jenny Lao Phillips, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law.
Following this, Dr Syed Babar Ali, an ESI-USJ Postdoctoral Fellow, delivered an insightful invited presentation titled “From Adoption to Value Creation: A Comprehensive Framework for Evaluating Educational Technology Platforms in Emerging Markets”. Dr. Ali’s research outlined a multi-level model connecting EdTech adoption to value creation outcomes in higher education within emerging markets, drawing on established theories and introducing crucial customer-centric, institutional, socio-cultural, technological, and pedagogical factors.
The second invited speaker, Dr Manuel Chau, a recent Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) graduate, then presented on “Optimising Short-Term Forecasts of Macau’s Gross Gaming Revenue and GDP Using Dynamic Factor Models with Machine Learning”. Dr. Chau’s project developed a robust short-term forecasting framework for Macau’s economy, evaluating econometric Dynamic Factor Models alongside various machine learning algorithms to enhance accuracy and identify leading indicators.
The forum also featured presentations by DBA students Nicolette Liao, who examined non-gaming initiatives in Macao’s gaming concessions, and Ivo Martins Hi da Silva, who explored the impact of ethical leadership on employee trust in Timor-Leste’s private sector.
