Beyond the Books: AUC School of Business Professors Dive into Digital Marketing
In today’s interconnected world, digital marketing transforms how businesses engage with audiences. As a powerful and cost-effective tool for targeting, customer engagement, and data-driven insight its importance is undeniable.
Adapting to Change
Recognizing the rapid evolution in digital marketing, Ibrahim Hegazy, professor of marketing and head of the marketing unit, Heikal Department of Management, embarked on a personal learning journey by enrolling in the AUC School of Business digital marketing certificate program acquiring valuable insights and practical skills. His initiative inspired other colleagues to enhance their knowledge and integrate it into their teaching.
“If you are going to be great at teaching marketing, you have to know the power of digital marketing. We should be consultants who can stimulate learning to ensure the students’ benefit. Otherwise, you are just going to be a regular professor teaching from books and courses will become obsolete.” Hegazy asserted as he explained his actions, “I took the initiative to take this program to advance my knowledge and pushed my colleagues to do the same – they thankfully bought the idea and continued. Digital is here and will not go back”.
Expanding Digital Marketing Knowledge
Hamed Shamma, professor of marketing, emphasized, “Today you cannot do any kind of marketing without a digital component. You name it, any business - fixed, small, private, public, profit, not-for-profit. It’s essential across the board for companies and individuals alike”.
Ahmed Tolba, professor and chair, Heikal Department of Management, highlighted the program’s value, “There’s a paradigm shift in digital marketing implementation, understanding its depth allows us to apply it in our classes more effectively”.
Program Structure and Experience
The demanding seven-month program had faculty members juggle their newly acquired student status with their regular teaching, research, and service roles. Despite the workload, the professors found it worthwhile, with time well spent expanding their knowledge in the digital marketing world.
“Our discussions were practical while all our assignments and projects were hands-on, making the program incredibly valuable for real-world application” Shamma noted. Tolba added, “The more we apply, the more we grasp the information. The instructors, being practitioners, provided grounded insights”.
On becoming a student again, Hoda El-Kolaly, assistant professor and assistant chair, found it simple, “I became a student in no time. Always debating about the deadlines, I took it to the fullest and I loved it”.
“I presented that morning then went back to university to watch my students present so I played both the student and professor roles on the same day!” laughed Tolba.
Applying New Insights
With fresh insight, the professors are keen to incorporate their new-found knowledge into their teaching.
“The program gave me a much better understanding of online behavior, made me have the right language and be more relevant to the students” shared Shamma.
El-Kolaly added, “Although I don’t teach digital, I wanted to integrate online aspects into my courses. In this program, we examined online consumer behavior and how to create very detailed personas, things I like and would like to integrate into my courses”.
Teaching Digital Marketing at AUC
As the digital world evolves, the School of Business is refining its curriculum to deliver the most effective teaching.
“I think we will have more digital marketing courses in our business program, mandating some of them. More importantly, it’s not about the number of courses, rather ensuring they are well implemented with hands-on knowledge” Tolba asserted.
El-Kolaly, who is working on undergraduate management programs review, explained, “We are undergoing a content mapping project where we are reviewing all the programs with a very open and transformative mindset. We are OK to break it all down and do something completely new to incorporate digital aspects across the programs, because we know this is the future”.
Moving Forward
Maha Mourad, associate dean for undergraduate studies and administration, shared, “Participating in this program has equipped us with the latest digital strategies, essential for preparing our students for future challenges”.
The School of Business is preparing graduates not just for today's careers, but for the future. With a focus on inclusiveness, student-centeredness, and ethical conduct, the School aims to build student confidence in an ever-changing work environment. The future is now.