Dr. Zain Ul Abideen SMS - BNU

Dr. Zain-ul-Abideen is an academic leader, digital transformation expert, and executive education specialist with over 17 years of experience spanning higher education, global consulting, and professional training. He currently serves as Director of Faculty & Professional Development at the School of Management Sciences, Beaconhouse National University (BNU), where he leads faculty capacity building, case-method teaching excellence, curriculum transformation, and accreditation readiness.

A dual International Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Zain earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication (New Media Technologies & Digital Communication) from Florida State University, USA, and an MBA in Marketing from the Lahore School of Economics. His academic foundation blends digital communication, marketing strategy, innovation, and organizational learning.

Dr. Zain’s career uniquely bridges academia, industry, and government. He has trained more than 10,000 executives from over 600 organizations across banking, FMCG, telecom, healthcare, manufacturing, oil & gas, government, and international institutions. As a Subject-Matter Expert with PwC Academy, Dubai, he designs and delivers leadership, digital transformation, innovation, fintech, and financial literacy programs for C-level executives and government officials across the MENA region.

Previously, he served for a decade at the Suleman Dawood School of Business, LUMS, where he was recognized with the Teaching Excellence Award and became one of the highest-rated marketing faculty members. He also led a fivefold growth in executive education operations as Director & Head of Executive Education and founded the International Asian MBA Program based in Dubai.

His research spans digital marketing strategy, influencer marketing, social media analytics, misinformation, and health communication, with publications in leading international journals including Computers in Human Behavior, Science Communication, Internet Research, and the Harvard Business School Case Repository. He has presented his work at major global forums including ICA, AMA, CDC, AEJMC, IAMCR, and NACRA conferences.

At BNU, Dr. Zain brings a vision of integrating academic rigor with industry relevance, fostering experiential learning, faculty excellence, and global engagement.

• Ph.D. in Communication (New Media Technologies & Digital Communication), Florida State University, USA — International Fulbright Doctoral Fellow
• M.A. in Media Communication, Florida State University, USA — International Fulbright Scholar
• MBA in Marketing, Lahore School of Economics, Pakistan

• Director of Faculty & Professional Development, School of Management Sciences, Beaconhouse National University (Dec 2024–Present)
• Subject-Matter Expert, PwC Academy, Dubai (Nov 2022–Present)
• Faculty Digital Marketing, Newcastle Business School (AACSB), Northumbria University, UK (Apr 2024–Dec 2024)
• Assistant Professor, Digital Marketing & Communication, Suleman Dawood School of Business, LUMS (Jan 2014–Jun 2024)
• Director & Head of Executive Education, Rausing Executive Development Center, LUMS (Oct 2019–Oct 2022)
• Program Director, International Asian MBA Program (Dubai), LUMS (Jun 2022–Sep 2023)
• Faculty & Curriculum Designer, National Incubation Centers (Lahore & Quetta) (2019–2023)
• Instructor of Record & Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida State University (2009–2013)
• Adjunct Faculty, Systems Thinking in Management, LUMS (2009)

• Teaching Excellence Award — LUMS (2016)
• Top Case Award — AMRC (2015)
• Top Paper Award — DC Conference (2013)
• Dissertation Research Grant — FSU
• Faculty Initiative Fund — LUMS (2014, 2018)
• Fulbright Scholarships (Masters & PhD)

• PepsiCo
• Unilever
• PwC
• USAID
• British Council
• HBL
• Shell
• Nestle
• P&G
• Toyota Indus
• Standard Chartered
• Total Parco
• Government of UAE
• Government of Pakistan
• Telenor
• Zong
• Etisalat
• Universal Service Fund
• 600+ organizations across sectors

• Universal Service Fund
• Beaconhouse National University
• Ajmal Pharmaceuticals
• PepsiCo Pakistan & Thailand
• Uber
• Pakistan Railways
• USAID
• British Council
• Punjab Health Consortium
• Lahore General Hospital
• Office of Chief Minister Punjab
• Adsells
• Rang Rasiya
• DYOT.pk
• MAUJAN.pk

• Digital Marketing
• Integrated Marketing Communication
• Systems Thinking in Management
• Digital Customer Journey, Data & CRM
• Diffusion of Innovations
• Public Relations Media Techniques
• Multimedia & New Media Technologies

Refereed Articles

• Bhimani, A., Zainulabdin, K., Ali, K., Muqtadir, S.A., & Hausken, K. (2024). Social Media Virality: Reaching the Tipping Point. Journal of International Business Research and Marketing, 8(3), 27-41.
• Ali, K., Li, C., Zain-ul-abdin, K., & Muqtadir, S. A. (2022). The effects of emotions, individual attitudes towards vaccination, and social endorsements on perceived fake news credibility and sharing motivations. Computers in Human Behavior, 134, 107307. (ABDC A)
• Ali, K., Li, C., Zain-ul-abdin, K., & Zaffar, M. A. (2021). Fake news on Facebook: examining the impact of heuristic cues on perceived credibility and sharing intention. Internet Research, 32(1), 379-397. (ABDC A)
• Ali, K., & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2021). Post-truth propaganda: heuristic processing of political fake news on Facebook during the 2016 US presidential election. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 49(1), 109-128. (ABDC B)
• Ali, K., Zain-ul-abdin, K., Li, C., Johns, L., Ali, A. A., & Carcioppolo, N. (2019). Viruses Going Viral: Impact of Fear-Arousing Sensationalist Social Media Messages on User Engagement. Science Communication, 41(3), 314-338. (ABDC A)
• Zainulabdin, K., Ali, K. I., & Khan, S. (2017). Using Facebook for sexual health social marketing in conservative Asian countries: A systematic examination. Journal of Health Communication, 22(2), 111-123. (SSCI, Scimago Q1)
• Zainulabdin, K., & Ali, K. (2015). Bi-directional consumer preferences of the Asian American Consumer. International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology.
• Beger, M., & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2015). Breaking the Silence: Acceptability and impact of Girl Talk, an educational health Intervention for young Pakistani females. Cases in Public Health Communication & Marketing (CPHCM).
• Zain ul Abdin, K., Ashraf, R., & Zahid, A. (2016). Union Railways: Selling Advertising Rights on Trains and Stations. Asian Journal of Management Cases, 13(2), 125-147, doi: 10.1177/0972820116656932. (SSCI)

Refereed Proceedings

• Zainulabdin, K., Ali, K., & Khan, S. (2015). The eye of the beholder: Perceptions of explicitness in sexual health advertisements in Pakistan - An empirical study. The DC Conference on Health Communication 2015.
• Zain ul Abdin, K., & Vahe, M. (2011). Effectiveness of observational learning as an alternate to traditional instruction in the online medium. World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2011.
• Zainulabdin, K., & Vahe, M. (2011). Effectiveness of observational learning as an alternate to traditional instruction in the online medium. In T. Bastiaens & M. Ebner (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2011, Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
• Adams, J., Ngampornchai, A., & Zainulabdin, K. (2010). The acceptability of online degrees in teacher training and hiring. In D. Gibson & B. Dodge (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2010, Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

Cases, Chapters & Harvard Publications

• Zainulabdin, K., & Ali, K. (2022). Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC): Android Attendance. LUMS Case Repository. Case Research Centre, Lahore University of Management Sciences.
• Zainulabdin, K. (2018). Family planning in Pakistan: Gender considerations and role of matriarchs. LUMS Case Repository. Case Research Centre, Lahore University of Management Sciences.
• Zainulabdin, K. (2018). DYOT.pk. Harvard Business Publishing Case Repository. (Taught at NYU and University of North Virginia)
• Zainulabdin, K., Khan, S., & Ali, K. (2015). Maujan.pk. CRC Number 04-2365-2015-1. Case Research Centre, Lahore University of Management Sciences.
• Ashraf, A., Zaid, A., & Zainulabdin, K. (2015). Pakistan Railways: Selling Advertising Rights on Trains and Stations (A). LUMS Case Repository. Case Research Centre, Lahore University of Management Sciences.
• Zainulabdin, K., Vahe, M., & Türel, Y. (2012). Social media as a learning tool in medical education: A situation analysis. In V. Dennen (Ed.), Virtual Professional Development and Informal Learning via Social Network. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Presentations of Refereed Papers

• Ali, K., Zainulabdin, K., Asadullah, M., & Khan, T. (2023). Communicating CSR on Social Media: A Systematic Literature Review. American Marketing Association (AMA) Summer Conference 2023, San Francisco, USA.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Ali, K. (2022). Turning Tides: The Rise of Female Social Media Influencers and the End of Gender Congruency in Influencer Marketing. 72nd Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA), Paris, France.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Ali, K. (2022). Audience-Peer Effects on Contraceptive TV Advertisement Viewings in a Conservative Culture. 72nd Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA), Paris, France.
• Ali, K. & Zainulabdin, K. (2018). Driving online engagement on Facebook: The case of sexual health organizations in conservative Asian countries. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Midwinter (AEJMC) 2018 Conference, Norman, USA.
• Ali, K. & Zainulabdin, K. (2018). The new propaganda machine: A textual analysis of fake news on Facebook during the 2016 presidential election. 68th Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA), Prague, Czech Republic.
• Ali, K. & Zainulabdin, K. (2018). Gender disparities in doctor recommendation of the HPV vaccination: Findings from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey. CDC National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media, Atlanta, USA.
• Ali, K. & Zainulabdin, K. (2017). Efficacy information on Facebook during the 2016 Zika virus outbreak. CDC National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media, Atlanta, USA.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Ali, K. (2017). Banned!: Sexual advertisements in Pakistan. CDC National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media, Atlanta, USA.
• Beger, M. & Zainulabdin, K. (2015). Measuring eHealth Literacy in the Era of Social Media. The DC Conference on Health Communication 2015, Washington, USA.
• Zainulabdin, K., Ali, K., & Khan, S. (2015). The eye of the beholder: Perceptions of explicitness in sexual health advertisements in Pakistan - An empirical study. The DC Conference on Health Communication, Washington, D.C., USA.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Ali, K. (2015). Bi-directional consumer preferences of the Asian American Consumer. International Conference on Applied Business and Economics (ICABE), Los Angeles, USA.
• Zainulabdin, K., Ali, K., & Khan, S. (2015). Maujan.pk: Nothing ventured, Nothing Gained. NACRA 2015 Annual Meeting, Orlando, USA, 8-10 Oct.
• Zainulabdin, K., Ali, K., & Khan, S. (2015). Lahore Waste Management Company: Android Attendance. NACRA 2015 Annual Meeting, Orlando, USA, 8-10 Oct.
• Zainulabdin, K., Khan, S., & Javed, N. (2015). Sunuba Spa & Rejuvenation Center: The Catch 22. Best Case Award. 4th Asian Management Research and Case Conference (AMRC), Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
• Zainulabdin, K. (2014). The effect of Facebook social marketing campaigns on attitudinal norms towards women's health in Pakistan. International Communication Association, Washington, USA.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Beger, M. (2014). Social Media Marketing in Family Planning in Religiously Conservative Countries - A Missed Opportunity or Future Potential? International Interdisciplinary Business-Economics Advancement Conference, Istanbul, Turkey.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Vahe, M. (2014). The effect of Facebook social marketing campaigns on attitudinal norms towards women's health in Pakistan. 12th International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Beger, M. & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2013). Breaking the silence: News media coverage of sexual health in Pakistan. International Communication Association, London, UK.
• Vahe, M. & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2013). Let's talk about sex!: Acceptance of sexual health communication in Pakistani school curricula. The 63rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), London, UK.
• Vahe, M. & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2013). Acceptability and impact of GirlTalk, an online health information source for young Pakistani females. The DC Conference on Health Communication, Washington, D.C., USA.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Vahe, M. (2013). The Age of Motion. International Journal of Arts & Sciences (IJAS) Conference, Las Vegas, USA.
• Vahe, M. & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2012). Factors that influence the acceptance of sexual health classes among young Pakistani females. CDC National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
• Vahe, M. & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2012). A call for health: The Current status of use of mobile phones for healthcare interventions in developing countries. The Annual Conference of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), Health Communication Section, Dublin, Ireland.
• Adams, J., Ngampornchai, A., & Zain-ul-abdin, K. (2011). The acceptability of teaching certificates in hiring situations: A comparison of certificates earned online, partly online and in residential programs. International Communication Association, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
• Zain ul Abdin, K. & Vahe, M. (2011). Effectiveness of observational learning as an alternate to traditional instruction in the online medium. World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2011, Chesapeake, USA.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Vahe, M. (2011). Using news media to document the misuse of media regulation: The case of the PEMRA ordinance in Pakistan. The Annual Conference of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), Istanbul, Turkey.
• Zainulabdin, K. & Adams, J. (2010). The acceptability of online teacher certification programs in hiring situations. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
• Adams, J., Ngampornchai, A., & Zainulabdin, K. (2009). Moodle in Action: Production processes and lessons learned. ED-MEDIA 2009 - World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications. Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

• European Marketing Association
• American Marketing Association
• International Communication Association (ICA)
• National Communication Association (NCA)
• AACE
• IAMCR

• Email Address: zain.ulabideen@bnu.edu.pk