Leadership
Dr. Ivan Lobanov
Rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics
Ph.D. in Law
Dr. Lobanov, Rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, holds a PhD in Law and a background in management. He has held various leadership roles spanning government, educational institutions, and the private sector. He has received multiple awards for his notable contributions, including the Order of Friendship in 2015 and the Order of Honor in 2019. Dr. Lobanov is an active participant in several public organizations and committees, including the Education Coordination Council of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and "Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.”
Dr. Svetlana Malkarova
Director of Plekhanov University in Dubai
Vice Rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics
Ph.D. in Sociology
Dr. Malkarova graduated from the North Ossetian State University with a degree in English Language and Literature, then went on to earn a Ph.D. in Sociology.
Her career has been closely connected with Public Relations and large international, cross-cultural projects, alongside leadership roles at a number of Russian universities.
Dr. Malkarova is the author of 26 publications, including one methodological manual for teachers "School of Tolerance" (2004) and author of 18 works published in the Higher Attestation Commission (VAK) journals.
Directorate
Dr. Hasan Abu Ezza
Deputy Director for Administrative and Scientific Affairs
PhD in Accounting and Finance Information Systems
Dr. Hasan Abu Ezza holds 14 years of professional and academic experience, with ACCA, CMA, and UAE Tax Consultant certifications. He speaks Russian, English, and Arabic, and holds a PhD in Accounting and Finance Information Systems as well as a Postgraduate Diploma from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
Dr. Abu Ezza’s professional background blends financial management, taxation, and education, with experience as an accountant and professor across Russia and the UAE. His key professional interests lie in financial management and taxation.
Marya Zarudnaya
Deputy Director of Academic Affairs
Lecturer at Plekhanov University in Dubai
Ms. Zarudnaya is a highly qualified teacher and educational professional with over 30 years of experience at universities in Russia and abroad. Her professional activities cover a wide range of tasks in higher education, spanning teaching and academic management.
She holds international certifications from Edexcel and the British Council. At Plekhanov University in Dubai, she teaches courses in business communication and foreign language studies.
Dr. Shaker Ainous
Director of Finance and Accounting Department
PhD in Accounting
Dr. Shaker Ainous is an accounting professional with 13 years of experience in finance and academia. He is an alumnus of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, where he earned his BSc, MSc, and PhD in Accounting. He specializes in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), financial analysis, and accounting theory, and actively publishes his researches in leading peer-reviewed. He has held notable positions, including Finance Department Supervisor in the Dubai market, and has also served as a Lecturer of Accounting at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics in Moscow.
Program Directors
Dr. Nikolay Perpelkin
Program Director of Bachelor of Science in Marketing
PhD in Economics
Dr. Nikolay Perpelkin is the Director of the Bachelor of Science in Marketing at Plekhanov University in Dubai and an Associate Professor teaching bachelor’s and master’s students in the field of Marketing. Dr. Perpelkin is an alumnus of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, and teaches at the Moscow campus alongside his position at Plekhanov University in Dubai. In addition to his academic work, he is managing partner of the event-marketing firm YES and serves on the editorial board of the journal Youth Economics. His academic interests include event marketing, luxury brand management, and brand evaluation methods.
Dr. Ali Abou Abbas
Program Director of Bachelor of Science in Marketing
Associate professor
PhD in Business Administration
Dr. Ali Abou Abbas is a businessman, business consultant, and professor specializing in marketing strategy and consulting. With over 20 years of academic and business experience across Canada and the Middle East, Dr. Abou Abbas has advised on marketing strategies, project leadership and business transformation and has authored a business strategy book titled “Strategic Planning for Small and Medium Enterprises: A Road Map for Success”. Dr. Abou Abbas currently teaches both graduate and undergraduate students at Plekhanov University in Dubai.
 Dr. Yojna BansalProgram Director of Bachelor of Science in Finance Dr. Yojna Bansal is a chartered accountant and finance professor with over a decade of academic experience across the UAE and India and a teaching certification from Harvard. Dr. Bansal holds multiple master’s degrees and is an avid, award-winning researcher focused on finance and technological applications in finance. Her expertise includes financial management, corporate accounting, and higher education pedagogy, all of which she applies in her work teaching both graduate and undergraduate students at Plekhanov University in Dubai. |
 Dr. Yulia FinogenovaProgram Director of Master of Science in Corporate Finance Dr. Yulia Finogenova is the program director of the Master of Science in Corporate Finance at Plekhanov University in Dubai, and is also an associate professor at the university teaching bachelor’s and master’s students finance and risk management. She is an alumna of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Moscow campus, where she also teaches. She has co-authored several international publications, including work on corporate pension schemes and housing cost dynamics. Her academic focus is on financial risk management, corporate finance, and pension systems, with teaching and research combining theory and application. |
 Dr. Nasiha OsmanovicProgram Director of Master of Science in Corporate Finance Dr. Nasiha Osmanovic is an undergraduate and graduate finance associate professor at Plekhanov University in Dubai. She is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) and the American Economic Association (AEA), and has over 15 years of experience in academia and industry across the Middle East and Europe. her research interests surround topics like finance, economics, and islamic banking, on which she has written and published a book. |
Dr. Tatyana Afanasyeva
Program Director of Master of Science in Digital Business
Program Director of Master of Education in AI in Education
PhD in Technical Sciences
Dr. Tatyana Afanasyeva is the program director of the Master of Science in Digital Business, with a PhD in Technical Sciences and nearly five decades of teaching and research experience. Alongside her role at Plekhanov University in Dubai, she, also serves as a lead research fellow at the Directorate for Science and Innovation at the Moscow campus. Throughout her career, Dr. Afanasyeva has contributed to the development of a number of informatics programs, with expertise in systems theory and logic as applied to computer science.
Dr. Ahmed Hamed
Program Director of Master of Science in Digital Business
Associate professor
PhD in Computer Science
Dr. Ahmed Hamed has a decade of experience in teaching and researching IT, big data analysis, and AI algorithm development. His professional work includes the design of AI applications and the development of data analysis algorithms, including his work designing an autonomous robot for urban waste management. Dr. Hamed is an avid, award-winning researcher whose research explores AI, fintech, and algorithm development. Dr. Hamed currently teaches both graduate and undergraduate students at Plekhanov University in Dubai.