Greetings,

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My graduation celebration from formal education took place when I was thirty-seven years old. In one way or another, you are reading the words of someone who chose — and stayed with — classrooms, whiteboards, professors, books, papers (many of them), notebooks, sketchbooks, and blue pens for much of her life.

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My learning journey took me across different places and seasons of life: from the United Kingdom, where I studied at the University of Leeds in England, to the United States at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the University of California, and to South Africa. Altogether, nearly sixteen years of learning and teaching around the world.

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Yet Riyadh — beginning with Al Yamamah — remains the story of where things first began, and where, somehow, my golden nest continues to live. After completing my PhD in Management and Organizations — with a focus on Organizational Behaviour and Innovation — I returned home in October 2024. Since then, I have still been discovering a new Riyadh: beloved Riyadh, Najd, Thumamah, and the open desert landscapes that somehow feel like the beginning of sunrise.

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Alongside teaching in different places and working with startups, I worked on two research projects that remain very close to my heart. In many ways, they continue to shape how I think about people and organizations.

The first explored the psychological adaptation and resilience of Saudi female students within the American higher education system — a journey into organizational culture, behaviour, education, and learning environments to better understand how people adapt to unfamiliar systems, and how cultures and institutions shape our experiences and ability to grow.

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The second focused on innovation ecosystems in universities and their relationship with startups — exploring how innovation happens, how place and culture matter, and how environments are built to allow ideas to grow and turn into meaningful impact.

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Perhaps this is why I continue to be deeply interested in questions of people, change, learning, and organizations — and in how we can build environments that are more thoughtful, more adaptive, and more capable of growth.

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Interestingly, I left education through one door, only to return to it through another — as a university professor.

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I believe education is one of the greatest gifts we are given to adapt, renew, and continue becoming. We learn what helps us live today, and what prepares us for tomorrow. We build on what came before us and, in turn, contribute to what comes after.

 

To me, education is also a conversation — with generations, with civilizations, with those who lived thousands of years before us, and perhaps with those who will one day come after us and read about who we were.

 

Beyond classrooms, whiteboards, papers, and heavy bags, I value having a real relationship with society. I care deeply about staying connected with different parts of the community — from nonprofit organizations to the public and private sectors.

 

The closer I am to society and the market, the better professor I become. And the closer I am to workplaces and real organizational challenges, the better I understand the problems of today — and perhaps even the questions of tomorrow. Standing close to both worlds allows for deeper understanding, thoughtful analysis, better teaching, experimentation, and hopefully, meaningful contribution and impact.

 

And beyond classrooms, meetings, and work — who is Ehssan?

 

A difficult question.

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I find it hard to define myself outside of my work identity, but I am someone who loves reading — especially novels, art, psychology, and books that move beyond visible behaviour and surface-level explanations; books that invite us into the deeper layers of what it means to be human.

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I feel safe around books. I love leaving them around me everywhere, almost as if they quietly witness my life — small pieces of my soul resting in different corners.

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Lately, I have been especially drawn to questions around what medicine cannot always heal, yet art somehow can — the idea of healing through creativity, hope, and commitment to making something meaningful. I am fascinated by the possibility that human beings are sometimes stronger than circumstances, and that within us may exist tools more powerful than we initially realize.

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Outside classrooms, meetings, and homes full of books, I also love nature. In nearly every city I have lived in, there has been a favourite café, a favourite walking path, and perhaps small rooms left in the hearts of people I met — and who met me in return.

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Do I write?

Why not?

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A notebook is a dear companion — steady, loyal, never truly lost in the noise of life. Yes, I have a very stable relationship with my many notebooks.

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The work I offer here — this small window I open for collaboration — comes from a place of care, generosity, and a sincere desire to build meaningful bridges of dialogue, connection, and thoughtful work.

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For this reason, I choose my partners in the journey with care. The kind of work I do asks for alignment, openness, reflection, and a willingness to engage deeply with ideas, growth, and meaningful effort.

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I invite you to take your time exploring this space, reading my background, and scheduling an introductory conversation so we may explore whether there is alignment and a meaningful opportunity to work together.

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Warm regards,

With sincere wishes for your success, wellbeing, and flourishing,

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Dr. Ehssan Aljohani