About Dr James Johnson
As the Associate Head of School, I take great pride in leading a dedicated team of academics. With a diverse portfolio encompassing areas such as Tourism, Aviation, Events, Hospitality, Esports, Finance and Accounting, my role focuses on guiding the strategic growth and implementation of our courses, promoting high-quality teaching, advancing impactful research, and ensuring an exceptional student experience.
I also lead Transnational Education for the School of Business, Management, and Tourism, and I'm the Global Partnership Leader for our partners in Singapore and Tashkent. In these roles, I lead international collaborations and ensure the quality and relevance of our educational offerings across multiple global locations.
Teaching and supervision
With 20 years of teaching and research experience at the University, I've taught across the curriculum and am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). I've successfully supervised the completion of seven PhD students and currently oversee the progress of five more.
Interests
I successfully completed my PhD thesis entitled “Backpacker Mobilities: Train Travel in Central and Eastern Europe” in 2013. My PhD is grounded in the new mobilities paradigm, which places meaningful movement at the centre of contemporary social research. The project is methodologically cutting edge as it develops an ethnographic approach to data collection that emphasises mobility.
My current research interests focus on the intersection of tourism, place, planning, and development. Other research interests include event experiences and tourism, embodiment and transportation mobilities.
Research
I successfully completed my PhD thesis entitled “Backpacker Mobilities: Train Travel in Central and Eastern Europe” in 2013. My PhD is grounded in the new mobilities paradigm, which places meaningful movement at the centre of contemporary social research. The project is methodologically cutting edge as it develops an ethnographic approach to data collection that emphasises mobility.
My current research interests focus on the intersection of tourism, place, planning, and development. Other research interests include event experiences and tourism, embodiment and transportation mobilities.
Areas of expertise
- Tourism mobilities
- Transportation and tourism
- Transnational education and tourism pedagogies