Dr. Natasha Doowa is not only a seasoned lecturer with over a decade of experience in business and hospitality education but also a passionate advocate for continuous learning and personal growth. With her deep roots in the hospitality industry—having grown up in a family dedicated to the field—Dr. Natasha brings a wealth of real-world insight to her classroom.
She possesses both an MBA and a PhD in Educational Leadership, an ideal match for a business school such as AIHM that’s focused on offering the most innovative education for the leaders of tomorrow. Her teaching style, which blends hands-on learning, interactive activities and an always-lively atmosphere, aims to equip students with the twenty-first-century skills they need to thrive in the ever-evolving business world—whether within the hospitality industry or beyond.
Natasha Doowa, Ph.D – Lecturer in Hospitality Management
At AIHM, Dr. Natasha teaches in the BBA degree programme in Global Hospitality Management as well as Executive Education courses in Business English, Event Management, and CV & Interview Skills for those seeking to embark on their careers or progress to new levels of career success. She helps current degree students, recent graduates and experienced professionals to sharpen their communication and management capabilities.
Whether she’s guiding a student through the complexities of public speaking or offering insider tips on event planning, her focus is always on delivering practical, real-world skills that can make a tangible difference in her students’ careers.
Learn more about her expertise and what students can expect to gain from her courses. Get to know Dr. Natasha in the Q&A below.
Q&A with Dr. Natasha Doowa
What inspired you to pursue a career in hospitality and education, and what keeps you motivated to teach?
My family has been involved in the hospitality industry for a very long time. Growing up and watching them build their business, trying to cope up with challenges and at the same time providing quality service was a very interesting and enlightening journey. I learnt so much and was very inspired by their hard work. Having benefited from their efforts and insights made me want to share some of the lessons I learnt in my journey as well.
How do you ensure your curriculum remains relevant with real-world industry challenges and solutions?
I think education requires a balance of theory and the practical. I want to make sure my lessons and the learning experiences I design contain a balance of the two. To a large extent, achieving this is reliant on your mindset and the objectives you keep in mind during instructional design. As I’m planning lessons and teaching, I always think about empowering students with knowledge and skills that will be applicable to the real-world industry.
What essential skills or attributes do you believe are crucial for students to succeed in the hospitality sector today?
The first four attributes that come to mind are: being open-minded, versatile, service-minded and agile.
You’ll notice that all these attributes involve a high degree of adaptability. You’ve got to be adaptable in both your mindset and actions. Success in hospitality involves a human touch and being able to adapt your business activities and your interaction style to different types of guests, varying scenarios and the challenges of an always-changing world.
Looking into the future, how do you see the field of hospitality management evolving, and how does education play a role in this transformation?
I think with the enhancement of technology, especially AI, a lot of tasks will be either replaced by or supported by AI. For the hospitality management field, you must develop the skills and competencies for agile management and communications. In order to develop the capacity to adapt quickly and also to update your skillset as the industry evolves, it’s essential to invest in continuing education—for your teams and for yourself.
Could you give us four terms you would use to describe your teaching style?
- Hands-on
- Activity-based
- Interactive
- A lively classroom
Like all of the instructors at AIHM, I’m very much focused on an active-learning approach.
What inspires you both professionally and personally?
Life-long learners inspire me. People who are always out of their comfort zone and trying to develop themselves are my kind of people.
Why do you teach?
Teaching has been my passion for the last decade. Especially when I can go out of my way and simplify a complex concept to my student, I gain so much satisfaction.
If you could share any piece of wisdom with your students, what would it be?
Learning never ends. You will be learning until you die—so do not be afraid to not know something or to make mistakes.
If you’re never facing the unknown or making mistakes, then you’re not progressing. To learn and grow, you need to step out of your comfort zone. Learn to embrace the excitement of the unknown.
AIHM Hospitality Management Faculty in Focus
The Meet the Instructor series on the AIHM Higher blog introduces you to the educators inspiring the business leaders of tomorrow. Follow AIHM on Facebook to catch upcoming posts highlighting our hospitality management faculty, IELTS prep course faculty and the experts leading our continuing education courses for working professionals who want to upskill and upgrade their careers.
