ECU researchers named national field leaders in The Australian’s 2025 Research Magazine

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ECU researchers named national field leaders in The Australian’s 2025 Research Magazine

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

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ECU School of Business and Law (SBL) academics have been recognised among Australia’s top research experts, with three scholars named national field leaders in The Australian’s 2025 Research Magazine.

The results highlight ECU’s growing research strength across business, technology, and cross-disciplinary impact.

Australia’s field leaders

Three SBL academics were acknowledged as national leaders in their fields:

Professor Mostafa Rasoolimanesh – Tourism & Hospitality

Named Field Leader for Tourism and Hospitality, Professor Rasoolimanesh is internationally recognised for his work in sustainable tourism policy, community engagement, and tourism development. His research continues to shape conversation and policy in one of Australia’s fastest-growing industries.

Associate Professor Laurie Hughes – Engineering & Computer Science

Associate Professor Hughes, from SBL’s Business Systems and Operations team, was recognised as Field Leader in Engineering and Computer Science. His work spans information systems, digital transformation, cybersecurity behaviour, and the way people and organisations interact with technology.

Professor Jianxin (Kevin) Li – Databases & Information Systems

Professor Li was named Field Leader in Databases and Information Systems, following a series of major achievements, including:

Most Influential Paper of the Last Decade (Information Systems Journal, 2025)
Recognition as one of Australia’s Top 250 Researchers (2026)
Committee Member, Australian Council of Professors and Heads of Information Systems (2024–2025)

His work continues to influence the design of secure, intelligent, and efficient information systems.

ECU Leads the Way in Educational Administration

ECU was also recognised as the lead research institution in Educational Administration within the Business, Economics and Management discipline, highlighting our long-standing commitment to research that supports effective leadership and governance across the education sector.

A Global Business Leader

In this year’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), SBL continued to perform strongly, with standout global results in:

Hospitality & Tourism Management – ranked 40th globally
Business Administration – ranked 101–150
Management – ranked 201–300

These results underscore the depth and impact of SBL’s research capability.

Celebrating Excellence

Executive Dean Professor Maryam Omari congratulated all featured academics for their leadership and contribution to ECU’s research culture.

“Being named national field leaders is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the strength, innovation and global relevance of our research community at SBL,” she said.

SBL continues to build an environment where research shapes industry, informs policy, and drives meaningful social and economic impact in Australia and around the world.

School of Business and Law