About

Curiosity, experience, and a connected perspective.

I’m Dr. Bilal Mirza—an educator, researcher, and entrepreneur working across entrepreneurship, AI, innovation, and development. Here is the education, experience, and curiosity behind my work.

About

A researcher’s curiosity. An entrepreneur’s perspective.

Royal Holloway, University of London · London, United Kingdom · September 2026

I am Professor of Entrepreneurship at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Mexico City campus. My work connects entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, and development.

Across academic appointments in Mexico and Pakistan, I have combined teaching and research with department leadership, graduate supervision, and research commercialization. My education brings together business administration, technology management, and innovation studies.

I also founded Startup Academy in 🇵🇰 Pakistan and Germinox in the 🇬🇧 United Kingdom. Building organizations adds a practical perspective to my research, teaching, and advisory conversations.

University profile ↗

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Curiosity doesn’t stop at work.

I’m a great fan of history and culture. I love meeting people, discovering food, traveling, and reading books—different ways to keep learning and see the world from fresh perspectives.

EDUCATION

Different disciplines. A connected perspective.

2012

PhD in Innovation Studies and Development

Maastricht University / UNU-MERIT

🇳🇱 The Netherlands

Doctoral research on energy poverty and rural energy markets. UNU-MERIT doctoral researcher, 2006–2010, supported by a United Nations University fellowship.

2004

Master’s in Management of Technology

École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

🇨🇭 Switzerland

Connecting technology with business, entrepreneurship, and innovation management.

2003

Exchange studies · Global Strategic Management

Copenhagen Business School

🇩🇰 Denmark

Exchange-student experience in Copenhagen, with study in Global Strategic Management and an international business perspective.

2001

Master of Business Administration

University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

A foundation in management, strategy, and organizational decision-making.

Selected professional development

AI & entrepreneurship education (2025), in collaboration with Babson College, 🇺🇸 USA, and Tecnológico de Monterrey, 🇲🇽 Mexico.
Innovation policy design and evaluation at UNU-MERIT (2005); STI policy and management training at ISTIC under UNESCO, Malaysia (2015).
Training in R, data preparation, and marketing analytics (2022), with earlier study of strategic alliances at EPFL (2003).

Experience

From the classroom to the ecosystem.

2024–present
🇲🇽 Mexico

Professor of Entrepreneurship

Tecnológico de Monterrey · Mexico City Campus

Teaching, research, and case development in entrepreneurship and innovation.

2022–2024
🇵🇰 Pakistan

Professor of Practice & Head of Department

Pak-Austria Fachhochschule

School of Business and Professional Development; academic leadership and practice-oriented education.

2018–2022
🇵🇰 Pakistan

Associate Professor & Head of Department

Iqra University, Islamabad

Business Administration; department leadership, teaching, research, and graduate supervision.

2015–2018
🇵🇰 Pakistan

Head of Entrepreneurship & Innovation

University of Central Punjab

Also Director of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC), 2016–2018.

2013–2015
🇵🇰 Pakistan

Assistant Professor · Centre for Policy Studies

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology

Research and teaching at the intersection of policy, innovation, and development.

2011–2012
🇵🇰 Pakistan

Research Associate (Senior Lecturer)

Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute

Research and teaching in technology and development.

2006–2010
🇳🇱 The Netherlands

PhD Researcher

United Nations University–MERIT

Doctoral research on rural energy access and energy poverty.

2004–2006
🇵🇰 Pakistan

Lecturer · Technology Management

International Islamic University, Islamabad

Teaching technology management and related business subjects.

Founder and CEO: Startup Academy, 🇵🇰 Pakistan (2019–present), and Germinox Ltd., 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (2022–present). My academic service includes doctoral and master’s supervision, external examination, and journal reviewing.

TEACHING & LEARNING

Learning by building what’s next.

CURRENT COURSES · 🇲🇽 MEXICO

Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Innovation
Business Innovation Project
Innovation with Market Focus

My teaching connects entrepreneurship and innovation with practical experimentation, including AI-assisted app development and student testing. Published teaching cases include Jüsto’s growth dilemma (SAGE, 2025) and Sustainology’s balance of profit and purpose (Emerald, 2025).

Bilal Mirza presenting research — Presenting research

YOUR NEXT CHAPTER

Your next step starts with a conversation.

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