Nour Rachkidi, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management
Nour has over 20 years of local and international experience in the hospitality and tourism sector with critical understanding of the market growth and needs. He is a professional academic with strong teaching experience and skills in the hospitality management and tourism fields. Throughout his teaching career, he also has conducted several market research serving the private and government authorities with professional advice. Nour has led and developed the creation of new curriculums for higher education institutions and granted them approvals. He continues to occupy high profile roles in leading academic institutions. He has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Balamand, a postgraduate degree in International Hospitality and Hotel Management from the University of Western Sydney in Australia, as well as a Doctorate of Philosophy in Tourism and Hospitality Marketing from Rennes-1 University in France. Aside from his academic career, Nour also runs his own management consultancy specializing in providing professional advice to the hospitality and tourism organizations requiring support with their management of their business.
Qualifications
- UNIVERSITY OF RENNES-1 – RENNES, FRANCE 2012-2016 PhD in Business, Subject: Marketing for Tourism
- UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY – SYDNEY, NSW 2006 – 2007 Master of International Hospitality & Hotel Management
- BALAMAND UNIVERSITY – LEBANON 2003 -2005 Bachelor of Business Administration
- BALAMAND HIGH SCHOOL – LEBANON 2003 Baccalaureate in Economics and Sociology
Professional Experience
Sagesse University, Achrafieh, Beirut – Sept 2023 – Present
Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management
With the academic certification of Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne.
- Provide strategic leadership and vision for the Faculty of Hospitality.
- Oversee academic program development and accreditation processes.
- Manage faculty recruitment, evaluation, and professional development.
- Collaborate with industry partners to create experiential learning opportunities for students.
- Increase research activities and secure grants to support faculty research projects.
- Enhance student engagement and success through innovative academic initiatives
- Oversee the operations activities in kitchens and service labs, including managing 20 hotel rooms classified as 5*, 4* and 3*, as well as 3 restaurants and 3 laboratories.
NRC for Hospitality and Tourism Consulting, Beirut, Lebanon – 2011- Present
Owner & General Manager
-The responsibilities included
- Creating and developing business concepts
- Working on feasibility studies for new projects
- Consulting, advising, and designing programs to enhance the organization performance
- Defining the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives
- Assessing the organizations’ current condition and enlarging the company’s guest base
- Restructuring the organizational charts
- Creating new standards/policies and reporting systems
- Implementing management functions
- Implementing new business models
University of Balamand, Koura, North Lebanon – Jan 2021- August 2023
Director of Tourism and Hospitality Management School
– The responsibilities included
- Developing new academic program
- Interviewing and recruiting Part/Full time instructors
- Signing affiliations and partnerships with international institutions
- Setting Faculty Budgets
- Supervising the research development in the faculty
- Implementing international standards in the operations section of the faculty
- Creating new standards and policies in the school
University of Sagesse affiliated with Lausanne, Ashrafieh, Lebanon- 2016- 2020
Head of the Master Program and Lecturer
– The responsibilities included
- Developing the academic program
- Preparing academic conferences and seminars
- Interviewing and recruiting instructors
- Updating courses syllabi
- Approving subjects’ material and exams
- Allocating subjects to Lecturers
- Supervising final thesis
- Leading the juries for thesis defense
– MS Lecturer in the following Subject:
- Marketing Strategies in Hospitality Industry
- Franchising in Hospitality Industry
- Restaurant Entrepreneurship
- Pricing strategies for Hospitality Industry
- Advanced Yield Management
- Research Methodology
University of Sagesse affiliated with Lausanne, Ashrafieh, Lebanon – 2014-2020
– Instructor – BA Lecturer in the following subjects:
- Introduction to Hospitality
- Hotel Simulation (HOTS software)
- Cost Control for Food and Beverage Industry
- Managerial Accounting in Hospitality Industry
Al-Kafaat University, Ein Saadeh, Lebanon – 2009 – 2016
Chairperson of Hospitality Department
– The responsibilities included
- Establishing graduate and postgraduate degree programs, approved by the government
- Expediting students’ projects
- Interviewing and hiring new lecturers
- Working on course offerings and allocating them on instructors
- Approving syllabi and exams
- Lecturing the following subjects:
- Marketing for Hospitality
- Accounting for Hospitality
- Marketing Management
University Saint Esprit de Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon – 2012- 2014
– Lecturer of the following subjects:
- Principles of Marketing
- Facilities and Property Development Management
- Food and Beverage Cost Control
- Simulation (HOTS software)
- Rooms Division
Quiznos Sub, Wings Pizza N Things – Lebanon – 2007 – 2009
Operations Manager
– The responsibilities included
- Selecting franchisors and negotiating contracts
- Working on restaurants layout and the kitchen design
- Purchasing and procuring equipment and furniture
- Interviewing kitchen hand and waitress employees
- Dealing with suppliers and setting offers
Pacific International, NSW – Australia 2006 – 2007
Sales representative & Event Coordinator
-The responsibilities included Contacting clients and maintaining strong relationships, Booking reservations and organising events and educational conferences, maintaining clients’ database and providing weekly sales report to senior management.
Asmar for Auditing & Control of Tallies Est, Beirut – Lebanon – 2004 – 2005
Business Accounting
– The responsibilities included maintaining general auditing and accounting for mid-sized organizations and analysing and discussing reports with management to verify records.
Teaching interests
- Hotel Management
- Restaurant Management
- Tourism
Research interests
- Impacts of Touristic destination on overall tourist experience
- Role of cost control on restaurants sustainability
- Influence of personnel on guests’ satisfactions
Publications
- Petr. C, Al Rachkidi. N.H, (2018), “Le rôle de l’aéroport international sur l’expérience de la destination touristique pour les primo-visiteurs : un effet d’amorçage positif sur les évaluations du pays”, Management & Avenir 1(99), p. 115-142.
Conference Presentations:
- Rachkidi, N.H, Caudan, P (2023), Impact of Access Conditions to Visit a Country. Conference Theme: “Understanding Tourism Destination Resilience” organized by: TTRA European Conference Place: Dijon, France. Date: April 20.
- Rachkidi, N.H (2014). Impact of Cost Control Process on the Restaurant Profit Margin. Conference Theme: “Sustainable Food and Beverage Industry” organized by: FDBA (Food and Drink Business Association) Place: Brimingham, UK. Date: October 23.
- Rachkidi, N. H. (2017). “Factors Affecting ROI in Hospitality Industry”. Conference Theme: Financing for Developing. Organized by SDIMID. Place Dubai AUE. Date: October 5 and 6.
- Rachkidi, N.H. (2017). Role of airports in marketing touristic destination. Conference Theme: “Les autres tourismes : émergence de modèles alternatifs et défis pour le management” Organized by AFMAT (l’Association Francophone de Management du Tourisme). Place: La Rochelle, France. Date: May 4 and 5
- Rachkidi, N.H. (2018). New Tourist Destinations Explored By Social Media. Conference Theme: “Social Media in Hospitality Industry” organized by EHL. Place Lausanne, Switzerland. Date 5 and 6 July.
Grants and Projects
- $45,000 from GIZ for the project of trees planting in Tripoli with catering lunch boxes with Dr. Rodrigue Balaa