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Edge Hotel School has appointed Dr Weizheng Zhang as its first ever researcher after it launched as a centre for hospitality and tourism research.
Dr Zhang completed his PhD at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey and is an expert in hospitality entrepreneurship, risk and uncertainty, and migration.
In April 2022 he published a paper which looked at uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact on small-and medium-sized bed-and-breakfast enterprises in Zhangjiajie in China.
The school offers higher education degrees in hospitality and will now diversify into research projects that will aid the learning of future generations of hoteliers and hospitality professionals.
Andrew Boer, head of Edge Hotel School at the University of Essex, said: “Over its first decade, Edge Hotel School has developed a reputation for excellent industry-engaged education. At the start of its second decade the School is commencing its next challenge – excellence in research.
“Having Weizheng join us is an important and exciting first step on this journey. Over the next months we will be appointing a significant number of colleagues to join him and the team so that, before the end of our next decade, the School will have an international reputation for excellence in both research and teaching.”
Dr Zhang added: “Edge Hotel School is excellent in education and ambitious for research. As a research-based educator, I am looking forward to contributing to the research and education plan of the School and making an impact on the tourism and hospitality industry.”
