Shirin Jarrar

Shirin Jarrar, BBA (Hons), MBA, is an Associate Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship. She teaches Finance, Accounting and Entrepreneurship on the MBA programme and other programmes at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University.  

Since 2007, Shirin has been a dedicated academic member of staff, contributing significantly to the School through various leadership roles. She has served on panels for numerous business competitions, offering valuable feedback on business ideas, plans, and pitches. Additionally, she has provided academic mentoring to students participating in prestigious global competitions.

Before transitioning to academia, Shirin had a successful career in the business world. She worked for several years as a Commercial Manager in the Middle East for internationally renowned brands like BMW AG, Land Rover, Samsung home appliances, and various European industrial machinery manufacturers.

In 2023/24, Shirin had successfully completed her term as the Global Director of MBA Programmes, Senior Director of Studies for the MBA Programme, and the MBA Programme Director in Dubai for Edinburgh Business School, Heriot‐Watt University.

In her global role, Shirin oversaw the MBA programmes across all modes of study and locations, including all Heriot-Watt University campuses. She ensured the programmes’ academic excellence and operational efficiency by implementing rigorous standards and best practices. Shirin led numerous internal and external reviews, most notably the QAA Academic Review for the MBA programmes in 2023, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and maintaining high-quality standards for the programmes.

In Dubai, Shirin and her team established the Edinburgh Business School’s MBA programme at Dubai Campus in 2007. She has been instrumental in overseeing the academic and operational delivery of the programme, managing both the part-time MBA since its inception in 2007 and the full-time MBA programme since 2011, until the conclusion of her term in 2023/24. Her leadership has been pivotal in establishing and shaping the success and reputation of the MBA programmes at Dubai Campus. 

Shirin has developed a focused research interest in women entrepreneurs within the Gulf region, with particular emphasis on the United Arab Emirates. Her research explores the diversity of entrepreneurial experiences among Emirati women by employing theoretical frameworks such as Bourdieu's Forms of Capital and Institutional Theory.

Her studies aim to provide nuanced insights into the varied experiences of Emirati women entrepreneurs, extend existing knowdge into new contexts, and generate evidence to inform policymakers and stakeholders in the UAE and broader Gulf region on matters related to women's entreprenership and gender-related initiatives and agendas.