For our Inspirational Women Shaping The Future Of Business Education series we speak to Dr Anastasia Kynighou, MBA director and Academic Coordinator for Global Online Programmes and Associate Professor in Human Resource Management at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School

• Name: Dr. Anastasia Kynighou 
• Job title: MBA director and Academic Coordinator for Global Online Programmes, Associate Professor in Human Resource Management  
• Institution: Manchester Metropolitan University Business School 

Dr Anastasia Kynighou is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Human Resource Management at the Department of People and Performance at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School in the UK, where she is currently the MBA director and the Academic Coordinator for the Global Online Programmes. She is a Chartered Member of the CIPD, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an EFMD Accredited Online Facilitator. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Business Administration from Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS). 

Dr Kynighou has taught students at all levels and enjoys teaching HRM and International HRM, OB and Leadership subjects. She has previously taught in China and Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, UAE and Poland. She has also run training workshops for private firms and has delivered a series of workshops and consulting for Cypriot firms, sponsored by the Cypriot HRD Authority.  

She is also the co-author on one of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)’s seminal textbooks, ‘HRM at Work: The Definitive Guide’. 

Why do you work in education?  

On my very first day of school, I decided I would become a teacher when I grew up. Then, as a teenager I did a one-week-placement at a primary school as part of a national scheme to help students decide which career to choose. Walking into that classroom for the first time was the most natural and magical thing to me and I can say that’s when my identity as an educator started forming.  

What cemented my desire to work in higher education though, was my first year at university, which I often call the single most transformative experience of my life. The new knowledge I acquired and the critical perspective through which I started seeing the world profusely affected and shaped what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  

I strongly believe academics and universities have a responsibility to not only theoretically educate people and enhance their employability, but also to create responsible citizens who will make better decisions for themselves, their communities and their nations.  

This is my personal goal as an academic.  

What’s the most rewarding part of your role? 

As an academic and an educator, the most rewarding aspect is that moment in class when a light bulb goes off in a student’s head and they get inspired by a theory or it resonates with them. Keeping the light in my students’ eyes ablaze and nurturing their desire for life-long learning and curiosity is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role as an academic. When I meet a student after years and they tell me how much my classes shaped their thinking, that makes everything worthwhile.   

“I’ve learnt that challenges never stop, and I’m not faced by them so much anymore; I just quickly switch to problem-solving mode rather than focusing too much on the problem itself.”

– Dr. Anastasia Kynighou 

In my MBA Director role, the most rewarding experience was the launch of our new Manchester Met MBA. Watching the programme grow from a mere idea to welcoming the first cohort in the space of a year has been remarkable and for me it was amazing to work with so many wonderful colleagues across the University, both academics and from professional services. The fact that we are now getting amazing positive feedback about the programme re-assures me that we are delivering on our promise to deliver an outstanding learning experience to them. 

Please tell us about a challenge you’ve overcome to get to where you are today. What did you learn? 

A significant challenge for me was my return to work after I had my son in 2020. He was born during the pandemic, and I had the amazing opportunity to not be in work when we went in lockdown and the entire sector had to transform overnight.  

Before I went on maternity leave, I was the only EFMD Certified Online Facilitator in my University, having attended the first EFMD Online Teaching Academy in 2019 in Milan. I was quite the expert in online teaching. I returned to work after more than a year and had severe sleep deprivation and high levels of stress. I was struggling to balance my new identity as a professional working mother and achieve a good work-life balance.  

But outside my existential crisis, the work itself had significantly changed since I went on maternity leave. Upon my return I had to learn new practices and processes, new modes of delivery, even new people – and I was no longer the expert in online teaching, as the technology and the field had rapidly developed in my year of absence. 

However, I was lucky enough to work with some very supportive colleagues and mentors who allowed me to bring my authentic self at work, trusted me and gave me further opportunities for development and career progression. They were patient and understanding if I made a mistake or wasn’t super-efficient because I hadn’t slept in months.  In fact, I came to the realisation that if I could bring a baby in the world in lockdown, without proper medical support or any opportunities for socialisation, then I could pretty much do anything!      

So, I’ve learnt that challenges never stop, and I’m not faced by them so much anymore; I just quickly switch to problem-solving mode rather than focusing too much on the problem itself. 

Have you ever had a role model? If yes, who? And how have they impacted your career or outlook?  

Yes! My PhD supervisor, the late Prof Mick Marchington was an outstanding role model for me and had a massive influence on my career.  

He was such a prolific scholar and researcher in the field of human resource management and employment studies. When he first taught me as a 22-year-old postgraduate student in Manchester, he got me to fall in love with human resource management as a discipline. He mentored me, more than supervised me, and allowed me to find my own voice and be the best teacher and leader I could be.  

He was always very generous with his time, knowledge and experience with his students and he always knew the right thing to say to motivate you. As a PhD student and early career researcher, he gave me opportunities and trusted me, which boosted my self-confidence.  

All those interactions with him, at work and outside work, shaped who I am and what I do today.  

What advice would you give to others to succeed in their careers?  

Love what you do and stay true to your own values and purpose. Always bring your authentic self to work because that will make people trust and respect you. Invest in yourself and take up any opportunity for development, whether formal or informal. Finally, work collaboratively with people and, like I’ve started telling my students recently, treat people with kindness, because that will go a long way.  

I often say my career trajectory was quite accidental. It started with a role I wholeheartly did not want to do but since I was the subject-matter expert, and due to its complexity, nobody else wanted to do it.  

What I wasn’t aware at the time was that the role would bring out my leadership abilities, my dedication to high-quality teaching and outstanding learning experience and determination to achieve my goals. That role then led to another opportunity, and that opportunity allowed me to work more closely on our MBA which then led to my MBA Director role.  

So, if sometimes you are dealt a bad hand of cards, just seize the opportunity and make the best of it. You never know what doors it will open.   

Interested in this series? Keep reading…