Ahmad is a Lecturer in Leadership at Leicester Castle Business School and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex. He is the Founder and Lead of the DMU Policy Unit, a cross-disciplinary government engagement hub that has led initiatives around post-war recovery, evidence-based policing, and collaborative innovation.

Ahmad is also Director of the Solution Oriented Policing Group (SOPG), an international consultancy and research network that hosts world-leading scholars and senior law enforcement figures in Policing, Public Security, and Community Safety, to advance policing transformation through applied research, commercial training, and doctoral education. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at The East Midlands Police-Academic Collaboration (EMPAC).

He is a member of the International Sub-Committee at The Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) and has extensive experience in conducting elite interviews with senior policymakers at ministerial levels and above. His policy engagement work has included collaborations with The United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO), The UK Science and Technology Network (STN), The UK Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), The UK Government Office for Science (GOS), and The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

His research focuses on Public Management, Policy Transfer, Anti-corruption Policy, Governance Reform, and Collaborative Leadership, with particular emphasis on investigating policy failure and developing government capacity to respond to administrative challenges. Set against the background of the complex socio-political challenges that shape institutional change in the Middle-East, he is particularly interested in investigating the effectiveness of western governance models when transferred to developing countries.

Institute for Responsible Business and Social Justice 

Articles

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2026). “How Far Can Participatory Governance Models Travel? Evidence from Jordan’s Decentralization Reforms.” International Public Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2026.2696852. [ABS Level 3* Journal] 

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2024). Corruption or Culture? Evaluating Elite Definitions of “Wasta” in Jordan. Public Integrity, 26(3), 273–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2022.2154954 [ABS Level 2* Journal] 

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2026). Exploring The Politics of Large Infrastructure Projects: A Case Study of Collaborative Governance Failure in the Amman Bus Rapid Transit. Arab Studies Quarterly. 2026. Vol. 48(1):48-76. DOI: 10.13169/arabstudquar.48.1.0004

Encyclopedia Entries

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2023): Guanxi. In Barrington, R.; David-Barrett, E.; Phillips, R. D. and Garrod, G. (Eds.). Dictionary of Corruption. Agenda Publishing, p. 156. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.7823689.12. 

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2023): Jeitinho. In Barrington, R.; David-Barrett, E.Phillips, R. D. and Garrod, G. (Eds.). Dictionary of Corruption. Agenda Publishing, p. 183. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.7823689.14.

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2023): Trading in Influence. In Barrington, R.; David-Barrett, E.; Phillips, R. D. and Garrod, G. (Eds.). Dictionary of Corruption. Agenda Publishing, p. 322. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.7823689.24.

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2023): Wasta. In Barrington, R.; David-Barrett, E.; Phillips, R. D. and Garrod, G. (Eds.). Dictionary of Corruption. Agenda Publishing, p. 335. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.7823689.26.

Forthcoming Publications

Al-Hiari, A. A. & Coxhead, J. (2027). Reforming Government Policy to Tackle Organised Crime Businesses. In Policing and Organized Crime: Global Perspectives and Policy Implications. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. [Accepted]

Al-Hiari, A. A. (n.d.). Elite Interviewing. In The Academic Encyclopedia of Political Science Research Methods. Edited by Cees van der Eijk and Jonathan Rose. [Accepted]

Reports

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2026) ACCELERATING UKRAINE'S RECOVERY: A Formal Response from De Montfort University's Research Community to the Royal Society Conference on Ukraine's Recovery, May 15 - 16, 2023. Leicester: De Montfort University. https://hdl.handle.net/2086/26022 

Blogs

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2026, February 27). “The thin line between social capital and corruption: Why international frameworks fall short on Wasta.” U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre. https://www.u4.no/blog/why-international-corruption-frameworks-fall-short-on-the-custom-of-wasta

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2025, July 24). “Building dedicated infrastructure at De Montfort University.” In: Building capacity, delivering impact: The use of the Policy Support Fund in universities. The Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN). https://upen.ac.uk/resources/building-capacity-delivering-impact-the-use-of-the-policy-support-fund-in-universities/

Al-Hiari, A. A. (2024, April 24). “Pioneering Policy Engagement at De Montfort University.” The Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN). https://upen.ac.uk/resources/pioneering-policy-engagement-at-de-montfort-university/

• Public Management
• Policy Transfer
• Governance Reform
• Anti-Corruption Policy
• Organised Crime Business 
• Middle East Studies
• Public Sector Leadership
• Collaborative Governance
• Elite Interviewing

• Leadership
• Business/Strategic Management
• Anti-Corruption
• Ethics & Sustainability
• Human Resource Management
• Research Methods

• 2011 – 2017, BSc Architecture (2:1), German-Jordanian University
• 2017 – 2018, MA Housing, Development & Urban Management, with merit, Leeds Beckett University
• 2018 – 2022, PhD Public Sector Governance, De Montfort University: “Jordanian Public Administration in Context: Reform Inertia, Wasta and Political Stewardship”, PhD by concurrent publication
• 2023 – 2024, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE), University of Sussex

• [Apprenticeship] Contemporary Business Issues (CORX3548)
• Dissertation (LBPG5017) –70+ MSc Students Supervised to-date
• Research Dissertation  - MBA (BMIB5007)
• Research Dissertation in Human Resource Management (BMHR5005)
• Critical Management and Organisation Studies (BMIB5004)
• Leadership and Business Sustainability (BMBA5001)
• Business Strategy in Action (BHRM3005)
• Business Ethics, Sustainability & Social Responsibility (BHRM2006)
• Learning and Organizational Development (BHRM2002)
• Managing Employment Relations in a Legal Context (BMHR5002)
• Human Resource and People Management (BABM1004)
• Consultancy Project (ENTE5003)
• Organizational Development and Consulting (HRMG3206)
• Learning and Development (HRMG3207)
• Globalization and International HRM (HRMG3203)
• HRM in the Workplace (HRMG2201)
• Business Research Project (MARK5030)
• Contemporary Business Issues (CORP3543)
• Global Operations & Supply Chain Management (CORP2551)

University of Sussex, Brighton

• Integrity, Anti-Corruption and Ethics: Policies, Practices, Politics (718M9)
• Corruption in Business and International Development (936M9)
• Corruption in International Business (D5CG09)
• People Power and Anti-Corruption (D5CG05)
• Defining Corruption (D2CG02)
• Political Change: Politics and International Business (L2001)

EMPAC Senior Fellowship. 17 Oct, 2025. The East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC). 
https://empac.org.uk/senior-research-fellow-dr-ahmad-al-hiari/

Member of the International Sub-Committee, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Member of the Midlands Team, Society of Evidence-Based Policing (SEBP)

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Fellow of The Institute of Leadership (FIoL)

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)

Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIHCM)

Accredited Leadership Mentor  - The Institute of Leadership (IoL)

Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE)  - Chartered Association of Business Schools

Certificate, "Introduction to Parliamentary Select Committees". International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS), London, February 2024

These are a list of initiatives that I have found and led:

The DMU Policy Unit
The DMU Policy Unit, is an academic-led initiative that serves as the university's dedicated policy engagement and intelligence network. Building on DMU's role as the UN SDG 11 Hub Chair, the policy unit extends our commitment to sustainable communities by mobilizing research expertise to address complex international policy challenges. In so doing, the unit adopts a unique rapid-response philosophy that sets it apart from traditional policy engagement models. As a dynamic and agile network, the unit is designed to quickly mobilize expertise from across the university to address urgent policy challenges as they emerge. The “responsive” element of this network aims to place DMU at the forefront of emerging fast-moving issues (such as the Post-War Recovery & Reconstruction of Ukraine) to gradually position DMU as a trusted partner to policymakers seeking actionable expertise in real-time. Institutionally, what defines the unit is its structure as a collaborative network that brings together researchers from across DMU's Research & Innovation Institutes (RIIs) to build inter-disciplinary connections and knowledge-sharing around key international policy challenges, and enable DMU’s research community to leverage its collective intelligence to inform policy and drive meaningful change. In so doing, the DMU Policy Unit serves as the key interface between De Montfort University's research community and the international policy arena. We are an outward-facing, entrepreneurial body dedicated to facilitating inter-university policy knowledge networks and building capacity for researchers and policy practitioners. 

Solution Oriented Policing Group (SOPG)

The Solution Oriented Policing Group at De Montfort University is an international research, consultancy, and professional development network that aims to reshape how law enforcement agencies, communities, and governments collaborate in responding to crime and enhancing community safety. Housed within Leicester Castle Business School (LCBS), a globally Highly Commended business school, our work is underpinned by the premise that Policing is a collaborative endeavour grounded in principles of Sustainable Development. Our network is comprised of over 50 world leading scholars, senior law enforcement officials, and pracademics across five continents.  We champion a framework called ‘Solution-Oriented Practice’ which draws on W. Edwards Deming’s quality management philosophy, where, rather than analysing problems after they have occurred, we begin with the stakeholders’ collaborative vision of safety and reverse-engineer the conditions needed to achieve it. We also advance The Organised Crime Business (OCB) paradigm, which relocates the study of criminal enterprise from criminology into business and management, applying supply chain analysis, competitive strategy, financial modelling, and organisational behaviour to expose the structural vulnerabilities of criminal business models and disrupt them.

 

16 September 2026, "DMU Policy Unit Launch Event". De Montfort University, Leicester. New policy unit aims to link DMU research to social impact

24 June 2025, "SEBP Midlands Regional Conference: Innovation, Rapid Assessment, Response, and Legitimacy". Hosted in collaboration with the Society of Evidence-Based Policing (SEBP). De Montfort University, Leicester. (Co-organizer). 
DMU conference on the future of policing outlines university's commitment to public sector partnerships

20 May 2025, "Launch of the Science, Technology and Innovation Pillar of the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership". Hosted by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The British Academy, London. (Presenter) 
DMU humanitarian mine research recognised by UK Science Minister

19 May 2025, "East Midlands Police - Academic Collaboration Sandpit". Hosted in collaboration with the East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC). De Montfort University, Leicester. (organizer)
Transforming police and academic collaboration through critical dialogue

14 November 2024, "Empowering Through Policy-Led Impact". Presented at the Research Impact Festival. De Montfort University, Leicester. (organizer)

07 June 2024, "Academic Integrity, AI Detection and Assessment Design". Presented at the Academic Integrity Conference. De Montfort University, Leicester. (keynote speaker)

6 February 2024, "DMU Policy Engagement Symposium". Policy Engagement Event at DMU with the Deputy City Mayor of Leicester. De Montfort University, Leicester. (organizer)
DMU academics meet with deputy mayor to see how collaboration can help address pressing issues in Leicester

3 May 2023, "Improving international anti-corruption measures by addressing informal practices in Middle-Eastern public administrations". An International Conference between the British and Jordanian Governments. Amman, Jordan. ~ 30 Government officials, including MPs, Senators, Ministers, and University Presidents. 

17 May 2022, "Evaluating Prospects for Large-Scale Governance Reforms Within Informal Socio-Political Contexts: A Case Study of The Decentralization Reforms in Jordan". Paper presented at the Local Governance Research Centre (LGRC) International Academic Seminar. De Montfort University, Leicester. (invited speaker)

 

Solution Oriented Policing Group (SOPG)

Director

Solution Oriented Policing Group

• DSupt (Ret) Shane Roberts, “Clear- Hold- Build: Developing A NewPartnership Approach to Tackle Serious and Organised Crime within Communities.”(PhD by Extended Professional Practice) [1st Supervisor] 
• Nijah Paul-Henry, “Combatting social injustice through co-creating saferfutures between communities and police in Leicestershire & Rutland.” (Funded through Collaboratory Research Hub) [1st Supervisor] 
• Mohd Said Shyyab, “The Impact of Intellectual Capital on Employees Performance Working in Health Care Centers in Jordan.” [1st Supervisor] 
• Omar Alnajjar, “Civil service reform in Jordan.” [1st Supervisor] 

Combatting social injustice through co-creating safer futures between communities and police in Leicestershire & Rutland  - PhD Scholarship Funding. Value: Up to £120’000. 

Fully funded PhD position through the Collaboratory Research Hub, focused on combatting social injustice by co-creating safer futures between communities and police in Leicestershire & Rutland. Successful candidate will be pioneering a Solution-Oriented Practice approach to Policing. This approach will ask communities to envision "what does good look like?" rather than simply listing problems to fix. Candidate will be engaging with stakeholders across the Police-Community ecosystem to design genuine co-production spaces where communities become active architects of their own safety futures.

 

Improving International Anti-Corruption Measures by Addressing Informal Practices in Middle-Eastern Public Administrations  - Knowledge Exchange Policy Fellowship. £7’500 grant from the Policy Support Fund (PSF), Research England to support the development of Anti-Corruption policy in Jordan. April 2023  - June 2023. (PI)

"Through funding by Research England, and under the auspices of the Centre for the Study of Corruption (CSC) at the University of Sussex, Ahmad convened a conference in Amman, Jordan to address emerging challenges in Anti-Corruption policy in the Middle-east and beyond. The project aims to inform a growing debate in academia and international anti-corruption frameworks on informal practices and their association with corruption. As such, this project aims to open a novel research direction focused on mitigating the negative impacts of of informal practices on governance reform efforts.

The conference was attended by the British Ambassador to Jordan, Ms. Bridget Brind OBE, the Minister of Public Works, the President of the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the former President of the University of Jordan, and a number of members of the Jordanian Senate and former Ministers. The conference was also attended by representatives of the Prime Ministry of Jordan, the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, the Jordanian Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Capital Governorate Council, and the Income and Sales Tax Department. On the American side, the conference was attended by The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI).

This conference is part of a comprehensive project which aims to address gaps in international anti-corruption policy, and will set the groundwork for a future policy paper which will be presented to the Prime Ministry at a later date."

Phase 2: £150,000 (Application made to The British Academy – unsucessful) 

Policy Engagement Symposium  - QR Funded Project - UKRI Policy Support Fund. [£4’000]. February 2024. (PI)

A comprehensive 1-day event that started with a training suite composed of tailored policy engagement training delivered by a former MP and members of the leadership team for the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN). The training was designed for DMU research teams working on studies promising impact within different areas of research and stretching across different regions in the UK. This training program was followed by a meeting with Leicester's Deputy City Mayor to explore promising areas for policy impact, and set long-term objectives that speak to pressing issues in Leicester. As part of a broader initiative to network and synthesize between our policy experts at DMU, we plan to promote this event as a pilot initiative for a future Policy Engagement Unit at DMU that mobilizes our policy researchers and equips them with the necessary skills needed to generate policy impact, and further contribute to the facilitation of meaningful change in their field of expertise. 

 

Building a Sustainable Infrastructure for Police-Academia Knowledge Exchange, Innovation and Enterprise in the Midlands  - Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). [£2’000]. December 2024. (PI)

Knowledge Exchange funding to create a sustainable model of police-academia partnerships. In collaboration with the Society of Evidence-Based Policing, Lincolnshire Police, and the East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC)

 

Strategic Research Mapping to Accelerate Policy Impact Initiatives  - Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). [£4’000]. March 2024. (PI)

Enterprise funding to create an “expertise mapping” platform that will consolidate DMU's dispersed research strengths, expertise and achievements across all disciplines, specifically those relevant to informing policymaking.

Journal Reviewer: 

• International Criminal Justice Review
• African Journal of Economic and Management Studies (AJEMS)
• The International Journal of Social Sustainability in Economic, Social, and Cultural Context
• The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Civic and Political Studies

Book Reviews: 

• Management textbooks  - Routledge (Leadership Subject Area)
  
  

Ahmad is open to postgraduate supervision in any of the aforementioned research interest areas. Specifically, projects that address Government Reforms in the Middle East, Informality & Corruption, Leading Change in Public Institutions, and studies that use Elite Interviewing. 

Chair of the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) for Leicester City  - Leicestershire Police | Jan 2024 - May 2026

 

Policy Advisor - The Race Equality Centre (TREC) | Jun 2019 – Present