Dr Debashish (Deb) Sengupta

Dr Debashish Sengupta

Associate Professor and Course Leader in MSc International Business Management

[email protected]

Summary

Deb is an associate professor and course leader of the MSc IBM course. Deb’s academic work is driven by a commitment to bridging theory and real-world application. His teaching philosophy centres on active blended learning, authentic assessment and industry-embedded education, enabling students to develop analytical rigour, professional confidence and employability skills.

At the University of Portsmouth London he leads curriculum innovation through live industry briefs, simulations and civic-engaged projects, including a flagship collaboration with the London Borough of Waltham Forest on sustainability and decarbonisation feasibility.

His Industry Educator model, which integrates global practitioners into classroom learning, has been included in the university’s teaching & learning framework and has influenced teaching practice across programmes and campuses.

Biography

Dr Debashish (Deb) Sengupta is an Associate Professor and Course Leader for the MSc International Business & Management programme at the University of Portsmouth London Campus. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), an award-winning author, researcher and educator with over 25 years of international experience across the United Kingdom, the Middle East and India. His career is distinguished by academic leadership, teaching innovation, research scholarship and deep engagement with industry and professional practice.

An award-winning author, Deb has written nine books, including the acclaimed Penguin Random House title The Life of Y: Engaging Millennials as Employees and Consumers, winner of the DMA–NTPC Best Business Book Award and featured in the Stanford University Library collection. He is also the author of The Life of Z, a widely recognised book on Generation Z, alongside several other professional and business titles. His forthcoming academic textbook, Human Resource Management: Understanding Traditional Foundations and Modern Innovations, is published by Routledge (UK). He is also an accomplished biographer and co-author of Stumped: Life Behind and Beyond Twenty-Two Yards, published by Penguin Random House and launched at the House of Lords in June 2025.

Deb’s research interests span generational behaviour at work, gender and entrepreneurship, sustainable consumption, the future of work and higher education transformation. His peer-reviewed scholarship has been published in reputed international journals. Recently, one of his case studies has been accepted for publication by Harvard Business Publishing under Harvard Quick Cases. He also contributes to sector publications on higher education strategy, employability and pedagogy, writing on curriculum reform, skills development and educational transformation. He has received multiple research honours, including the Best Research Project Award (2022–23) presented by the Education Minister of Bahrain. He holds dual PhD degrees and a Harvard University teaching certification.

He has previously held senior academic leadership positions, including Associate Professor and HR Area Coordinator at the Royal University for Women in Bahrain, as well as Associate Professor, Area Chair, and Director at Alliance University in India. In these roles, he led accreditation and quality assurance initiatives, including AACSB curriculum and assurance-of-learning standards, programme transformation and curriculum mapping. Beyond academia, Deb has designed and delivered executive education, leadership development, and professional training programmes for organisations across the UK, the Gulf region, and India, and serves as an international speaker, mentor, and advisor to start-ups and leadership teams navigating generational and organisational change.

Deb’s work reflects a sustained commitment to educational innovation, research-informed practice and meaningful partnerships between universities, industry and society.

Qualifications:

  • 2022                Case Center, U.K.: Successful Case Teaching: In Class and Online
  • 2021                Harvard University, Derek BOK Center: Higher Education Teaching Certificate
  • 2021                Harvard University: GSE2x: Leaders of Learning
  • 2012-15           USN(ASIC, U.K. Accredited) Ph.D. in Management
  • 2003- 06          M.J.P. R. University: Ph.D. in Commerce
  • 1997–2000      Pondicherry University: MMM (Masters)
  • 1993-97          G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, India: B.Sc. Ag. & A.H. (with honors)

Research interests

  • Working at the Intersection of social psychology (human behaviour), generational research and engagement.
  • Exploring Generational Change, Digital Behaviour and the Human Side of a Digital World

 

Publications

Sengupta D, Mathews M, Bridges L, D’Costa R, Bastian BL. Sustainability Orientation of Generation Z and Its Role in Their Choice of Employer—A Comparative Qualitative Inquiry of India and United States. Administrative Sciences. 2024; 14(10):249. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14100249

Mehrotra, A.A., Sengupta, D., M. El Khoury, C. and Arkadan, F. (2024), "Sustainable consumption behavior among Bahraini young female consumers", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-09-2023-0519

Sengupta, D., Mathews, M., & D’Costa, R. (2025). Strategic Dimensions of Millennial Expatriate Adjustment in the GCC Region. In Y. Sidani (Ed.), Routledge Handbook on Business and Management in the Middle East (pp. 203–217). Routledge, Oxon, UK.
 

Upcoming Publication

Sengupta, D., M. El Khoury, C., Titus, R., Valera, S. (in press). Young Women’s Perceptions of Successful Entrepreneurship: Evidence from the Kingdom of Bahrain. International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets. DOI: 10.1504/IJBEM.2025.10059244.

Upcoming Books

Kirmani, S., Sengupta, D., & Pathak, D. (2024). Stumped: Life Behind and Beyond 22 Yards. New Delhi: Penguin Random House.

Sengupta, D. (2024). The Life of Y: Engaging Millennials as Employees and Consumers. New Delhi: Penguin Random House.

Sengupta, D. (2025). The Life of Z: Engaging digital pre-teen and adoloscent generation. New Delhi:  Penguin Random House.

 

Teaching responsibilities

  • Human Resource Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Managing People in Organisations
  • Research Methods