Meet our People: Paul Whitelaw

Paul, a VU veteran, shares his 'original staff photo'

Paul Whitelaw is a Senior Lecturer, School of International Business at Victoria University and the Centre for Tourism and Services Research, where he lectures in quantitative and computer based hospitality management systems on under graduate and post graduate programs. Prior to this appointment, Paul was Foundation Executive Director of VU's Centre for Hospitality and Tourism Research.  Before joining academe in 1991, Paul enjoyed nearly 15 years experience in various line and executive positions in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.  As well, he spent his childhood actively exposed to his family’s hotel, restaurant and motel business interests.

Currently, Paul is on sabbatical, and is working on three major funded projects:

• investigating best practice processes and systems in developing “academic integrity” in first year students,
• leading a project team that is working with major tourism industry stakeholders and conservation agencies to investigate the feasibility of various funding mechanisms for tourism businesses, especially indigenous tourism businesses, in protected areas, and 
• investigating the attitudes and values of s86 committees of management volunteers on crown land.

In 2001 Paul received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence at Victoria University.  In 2002 he co-chair the University’s Attrition and Transition Taskforce.  In 2005 he received a $25,000 grant from the Victorian State Government to develop a suite of on-line learning resources for recently arrived Asian graduate business students and in 2006 he chaired the review of the University’s Graduate Capabilities Policy.  More recently, in 2009 he received an $80,000 grant from the Australian Government to develop a suite of academic resources to help international students, especially those from China, deal with the challenges of studying in university in Australia.  He was a member of the project team that recently finished a major review of hospitality and tourism education in Australia for the OLT.  Paul is also a senior member of an international syndicate that is undertaking a project for the UNWTO to assist emerging tourism destinations in the developing world to decarbonise their tourism industry.

His PhD studied the factors that drive career progression and success in the hospitality industry.