Dr. Vajihe Baghersad | Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Best Researcher Award
Assistant Professor, National University Skills (NUS)
Profile
Vajihe Baghersad is an Assistant Professor at the National University of Skills (NUS) and an award-winning researcher specializing in entrepreneurial ecosystems, innovation, and data-driven management. With over a decade of experience, she has published 50+ high-impact journal articles, including in Technovation and the European Journal of International Management. She has authored six books and has an h-index of 6. Her research has influenced ASEAN governments in shaping SME policies and led to the development of patent-pending AI tools for entrepreneurial risk prediction. She was honored as the NUS Distinguished Researcher 2023 for advancing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Baghersad has spearheaded industry-academia collaborations with Fortune 500 firms and mentored over 200 startups. She is an expert in structural equation modeling (PLS, AMOS), bibliometric analytics, and fsQCA. Her contributions have significantly shaped modern entrepreneurship research and practical business applications.
🎓 Education
Vajihe Baghersad holds a Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship – Development (2020) from Islamic Azad University, Qazvin Branch, Iran, where she specialized in entrepreneurial ecosystems and innovation. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration – Entrepreneurship (2011) from the University of Tehran, focusing on business strategy and decision-making in startups. She completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science (2000) at Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, gaining an interdisciplinary understanding of sustainability in business. Baghersad further honed her expertise through specialized training as an Industrial Change Agent Trainer at the University of Leipzig, Germany (2018-2019). Her educational background integrates business, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, positioning her as a leader in research and policy advisory roles. Throughout her academic journey, she has consistently applied her knowledge to real-world entrepreneurial challenges, making significant contributions to business education, research, and industry collaborations.
💼 Experience
Baghersad has been an Assistant Professor at the National University of Skills (NUS) since 2021, where she teaches entrepreneurship, research methods, and business management. Previously, she served as Group Manager of Humanities and Basic Sciences at NUS (2014-2017), managing academic programs and research initiatives. Since 2023, she has also been an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Tehran, specializing in opportunity recognition and evaluation. From 2001-2014, she was a Technical and Vocational Instructor at Karaj Technical and Vocational School, focusing on labor law and occupational safety. She also worked as an Industrial Change Agent Trainer at the University of Leipzig, Germany (2018-2019), delivering workshops on industrial transformation. From 2011-2013, she served as Vice President of the Faculty at Technical and Vocational University (TVU), modernizing the entrepreneurship curriculum. Her diverse experience spans academia, vocational training, and international consulting, shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs.
🏆 Awards and Honors
Baghersad has received numerous accolades for her contributions to entrepreneurship research and education. She was named NUS Distinguished Researcher 2023 for her pioneering work in fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). In 2023, she won the Best Paper Award from the European Journal of International Management for her research on entrepreneurial ecosystems. She was also recognized as Top Researcher at Technical and Vocational University, Tehran, Iran, in November 2013. Her research frameworks have been adopted by ASEAN governments, further cementing her influence in policy-making. Her ability to bridge academia and industry has led to collaborations with Fortune 500 companies and the development of patent-pending AI tools for entrepreneurial risk prediction. These honors reflect her dedication to advancing entrepreneurship through innovative research, mentorship, and policy advocacy.
🔬 Research Focus
Baghersad’s research centers on entrepreneurial ecosystems, innovation, and data-driven decision-making. She specializes in applying fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to study the competitiveness of startups and SMEs. Her work explores the intersection of entrepreneurship and technology, leading to the development of AI-driven risk assessment tools. She investigates structural equation modeling (PLS, AMOS) to analyze startup success factors and business scalability. She has contributed to bibliometric analytics, mapping global entrepreneurship trends. Her research has directly influenced ASEAN SME policies and driven Fortune 500 firms to adopt data-driven management strategies. Key publications include Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Competitiveness in Different Regions: A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Approach (European Journal of International Management, 2025) and Exploring the Dynamics of Firm Growth (Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 2024). She actively mentors PhD candidates and collaborates internationally to advance knowledge in entrepreneurial studies.
📌 Conclusion
Dr. Vajihe Baghersad is a strong contender for the Best Researcher Award, given her extensive research contributions, industry impact, and methodological expertise. Strengthening citation metrics and expanding global collaborations would further enhance her research profile.
Publication
The factors of entrepreneurial ecosystem in Iran based on Isenberg’s model (2017) – A. Davari, L. Sefidbari, V. Baghersad | 38 citations
Policy-making based on entrepreneurship ecosystem and development of knowledge-based companies (2021) – V. Baghersad, A. Davari, L. Sefidbari | 18 citations
The Effects of entrepreneurship education on technical and vocational students’ entrepreneurial intention (Case study: technical and vocational University, the College of Girls) (2013) – V. Baghersad, M.R. Zali, S.M. Razavi, S. Saeed Bonadaki | 11 citations
Entrepreneurial ecosystem and competitiveness in selected industries (2020) – V. Baghersad, A. Davari, M. Azizi | 9 citations
Identifying the key success factors of e-learning entrepreneurship in the state-run universities of Tehran (2012) – V. Baghersad, M. Alizadeh, S. Saeedbanadaki | 8 citations
The effect of entrepreneurial education on University of Tehran students’ entrepreneurial intention (2014) – V. Baghersad, M. Ghani | 7 citations
Entrepreneurship education and its impact on entrepreneurial intention (2015) – V. Baghersad | 6 citations
The Development of Entrepreneurial Training: a Necessity in Iran’s Universities (2013) – S.S. Banadaki, H. Karimzadegan, H. Meiboudi, V. Baghersad | 6 citations
Corporate resilience and performance in food industry SMEs during COVID-19 (2021) – A. Davari, V. Baghersad, V. Vafaie | 4 citations
Designing and validating of entrepreneurship policy model (2022) – A. Davari, V. Baghersad, T. Farrokhmanesh | 3 citations
The relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystem dimensions and competitiveness (2019) – V. Baghersad, A. Davari, M. Azizi | 3 citations
Exploring the dynamics of firm growth: the interplay of decision-making logic (2024) – T. Farokhmanesh, A. Davari, V. Baghersad, S.M. Sajadi | 2 citations
Causality, effectiveness, and business performance: A fuzzy approach (2021) – G.H. Hosseininia, A. Davari, V. Baghersad, T. Farrokhmanesh | 2 citations