Professor Continues Teaching Amid Dubai Conflict

Stranded in Dubai, academic adapts to escalating regional tensions

Professor Eva Kipnis, a Marketing academic from the University of Bradford, found herself unexpectedly stranded in Dubai last week as regional tensions escalated into open conflict. Despite missile alerts, cancelled flights, and periods spent sheltering in her hotel’s underground car park, she continued to support her Executive MBA students by moving teaching activities online.

Situation in Dubai during teaching visit

Professor Kipnis had travelled to Dubai to teach Marketing, Branding, and Strategy to senior professionals enrolled in the University’s Executive MBA programme, which has a long-established Dubai Hub. This was her fourth year teaching in the region.

Within 48 hours of her arrival, the situation deteriorated rapidly. As missile alerts were issued across Dubai, she experienced multiple alarms and government warnings on her mobile phone. Due to safety concerns, lifts were not used during alerts, and she descended 20 floors on foot to reach the hotel’s underground shelter.

• She prepared a small emergency kit including snacks, water, and a mat for the stairs.
• Some sheltering periods lasted until 2am.
• Despite the anxiety, she maintained communication with family in the UK, who were also concerned for her safety.

Continuing teaching through disruption

During her in-person teaching session on Saturday, students began receiving notifications from their employers about suspended flights and instructions to return home. The class was paused, and students left the venue.

Professor Kipnis then moved all teaching online, conducting a full day of classes via Microsoft Teams on Sunday despite disrupted sleep and ongoing uncertainty.

She noted the resilience of the students who participated remotely and highlighted the surreal contrast between discussing marketing topics and the surrounding conflict. The phrase “keep calm and carry on” was referenced as a way to foster a sense of normality.

She also expressed appreciation for colleagues at the Dubai Hub and in Bradford who have maintained contact and support during the crisis.

Flight cancellations and extended stay

Professor Kipnis was scheduled to return to the UK on Monday, but her flight was cancelled due to the disruption. Limited flight operations have resumed, but backlogs mean there is no clear date for her departure.

She emphasised the importance of remaining calm and focused in such situations.

Connection to academic research

Professor Kipnis’s recent research explores how brands and marketing function as social support mechanisms during wartime, based on fieldwork in Ukraine. Her work discusses how advertising and local services help maintain identity, unity, and normality amid crises.

She observed parallels between her research findings and her current experience in Dubai, noting that access to everyday services, such as cafes and shops, contributes to people’s sense of routine and resilience during conflict.

University support

A spokesperson for the University of Bradford confirmed that support is being extended to all affected students, including those undertaking doctoral research, during the ongoing situation in Dubai.