Vanaja Menon Vadakepat specializes in branding, international marketing, and digital marketing. Vadakepat has a master’s degree in Rural Marketing (Kerala Agricultural University), Ph.D. in Marketing Management (University of Calicut), a Diploma in HRD (Erasmus University), and Postgraduate Diploma in Education (University of Sussex). She is trained in Adult and Continuing Education at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Vadakepat started her career as Assistant Professor with the Kerala Agricultural University, India, in 1994. Prior to joining New York Tech, Vadakepat taught at the Haramaya University, Ethiopia (UN project), and Strathclyde Business School, Abu Dhabi.
Her research interests lie in the area of consumer behaviour related to the U.A.E. markets. She is a recipient of the Nuffic Foundation fellowship. In 2017, Vadakepat was honoured with the GCC & Africa Leadership Excellence Award for the Best Professor in Marketing. She joined NYIT-Abu Dhabi in 2009 and served as the Director of Professional Enrichment until 2013. Presently, she is the Department Assessment Director for the School of Management in Abu Dhabi.
Recent Projects/Research
- Abu Dhabi consumers’ perception on fitness industries
- Culture and Digital Marketing in the UAE
Selected Publications
- Vadakepat, V. 2015. Diaspora affluence in rural markets: Consumers’ shift from traditional to global products. Journal of Commerce and Management, 25 (4), pp. 641 – 653.
- Vadakepat, V. 2013. Rural retailing: Challenges to traditional crafts. Journal of Global Marketing, 26 (5), pp. 273-283.
- Vadakepat, V. 2013. Multicultural consumer behaviour in Abu Dhabi markets. Journal of Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issue, 6 (1),pp. 42-54.
- Vadakepat (2017), Is holistic approach in social media Ads appealing to youth volunteering? Oxford Conference, July 31 – August 2, 2017, St. John College, University of Oxford
- Vadakepat (2017), “Academic culture of teaching and learning through social media in Abu Dhabi- A case study”, Oxford Education Research Symposium, - Mar 20-21, 2017, Huge college, University of Oxford.
Honors and Awards
- GCC and Africa Leadership Excellence Award – Best Professor in Marketing (2017)
Courses Taught at New York Tech
- MRKT 102 Introduction to Marketing
- MRKT 405 International Marketing
- MRKT 610 Branding
- MRKT 745 Internet Marketing
- MGMT 335 International Business
- MGMT 735 Multinational Business Management