Yama Abdullahi

Yama Abdullahi MSc, PGCHE, FHEA

Programme Lead

Yama Abdullahi is the Programme Lead for the MSc Business Analytics at the University of Greenwich, where he leads the development and delivery of the programme’s online provision. A strategic academic leader and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), he brings extensive experience in higher education management, curriculum innovation, and digital learning.

Prior to joining the University of Greenwich in March 2026, Yama served as Course Director in Business Management at the London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA), part of the Global University Systems network. In this role, he oversaw the strategic delivery of programmes for a large and diverse student body, led multidisciplinary academic teams, and developed new Undergraduate and Foundation degree programmes. His academic career also includes roles at London South Bank University and service as an External Examiner for BPP University.

Yama’s expertise spans Business Analytics, Data Analytics, Project Management, and Agile methodologies. Before transitioning into academia, he managed multi-million-dollar international development projects for global organisations, including initiatives funded by the World Bank, USAID, Erasmus+, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

His research and scholarly interests focus on Game-Based Learning, Project Studies, and Project Risk Management, with a strong emphasis on pedagogical innovation and the integration of artificial intelligence in business education. He holds an MSc in International Business Management with Project Management (First Class with Distinction) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.

Responsibilities within the university
  • Programme Lead for MSc Business Analytics (Online)
  • Module Leader for Data Analytics for Business Professionals

Awards
  • STAR Award for Teaching Excellence, London South Bank University (LSBU) Business School (2022)
  • Nominated for Best Lecturer, London South Bank University Student Teaching Awards (2023).
  • Dean’s Commendation for Outstanding Contribution, LSBU Business School.

Research / Scholarly interests
  • Game-Based Learning (GBL), AI integration in pedagogy, Project Risk Management, and the quantitative aspects of Agile and Scrum methodologies.
  • Managed TEGA Project (Erasmus+) with a budget of 385,000 Euros.

Recent publications
  • Game-based learning in higher education using analogue games Maratou, V., Ennami, F., Luz, F., Abdullahi, Y., Medeisiene, R.A., Ščiukauskė, I., Chaliampalias, R., Kameas, A.D., Sousa, C. and Rye, S. International Journal of Film and Media Arts, 8(1), 68-84, 2023.
  • An accessible and inclusive future for tabletop games and learning: Paradigms and approaches Sousa, C., Luz, F., Fonseca, M.M., Neves, P., Lopes, P., Maratou, V., Abdullahi, Y., et al. ICERI2022 Proceedings, 8397-8406, 2022.
  • TRAINING THE EDUCATORS TO FACILITATE THE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT OF ABSTRACT SYLLABUS BY THE USE OF SERIOUS GAMES (TEGA) Rye, S., Abdullahi, Y., Enammi, F., Sousa, C., Luz, F. and Maratou, V. 2021.
  • The Challenges and Opportunities of Analogue Game-Based Learning Medeisiene, R.A., Sciukauske, I., Karasa, D., Maratou, V., Chaliampalias, R. and Abdullahi, Y. London South Bank University, 2021.