Helen Joyner-Harris

My professional background is extremely varied and all-encompassing. I served for seven years in the Royal Navy, travelled and worked in Africa, and turned my hand to everything from diving and sailing to tourism and travel enterprises, working as both an employee and a manager. I came to UCB as a mature student to study Adventure Tourism Management, and then secured a graduate teaching assistant role while studying for my Master’s in Tourism Destination Management. I also completed a PGCE in post-compulsory education, and I’m currently a Professional Doctorate in Education Researcher at the University of Wolverhampton. I’m a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), an Affiliate of the Institute of Hospitality, a Project Management Institute event lead, a Toastmaster event lead, and have served as an external academic panel member and examiner for aviation and security programmes.

Here at UCB, I teach across both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in aviation, hospitality, and tourism programmes. I draw on all of my experiences, as a lecturer, student, employee and manager, to make sure my classes are enriched with relevant, real-world experiences. I also prioritise keeping up-to-date with industry trends through regular visits to organisations such as British Airways, Birmingham Airport Fire Station, Farnborough Airshow, and Collins Aerospace.

I’ve had the great privilege of being nominated for UCB’s annual ‘Spotlight on Teaching Award’ many times. My students tell me that they particularly appreciate the level of engagement that I build into my classes. I encourage my students to stay curious, ask as many questions as they can, and never let their curiosity wane. 

One big misconception I want to clear up about our industry is that it’s all about holidays and aeroplanes! Aviation and tourism are dynamic, complex industries with plenty of room for innovation and responsibility.