Dr. Mariza Tsakalerou is a Greek scholar and higher education leader whose academic formation in Greece and professional career across Europe, China, and Central Asia position her at the crossroads of multicultural educational ecosystems. She is an Associate Professor at the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences and Director of Engineering Management Programs at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan, where she has built and led interdisciplinary graduate programs for over a decade.
Her research focuses on human-AI collaboration, innovation capability, and digital transformation in emerging and transitional economies, with particular attention to how global frameworks are adapted to local institutional contexts. Dr. Tsakalerou has led interdisciplinary graduate programs, fostered strong university- industry partnerships, and supervised more than 100 postgraduate theses addressing real- world challenges across energy, infrastructure, and digital sectors. Her work reflects a strong commitment to connecting global challenges with local impact, advancing inclusive, resilient, and future-ready higher education systems through collaborations. She currently leads a funded national research program on human-AI collaboration and creative problem-solving, alongside ongoing work on SME innovation capability in Central Asia
She has published widely in leading journals, collaborated with global institutions including the OECD, UNDP, and the Asia-Europe Foundation, fostered strong university-industry partnerships, and supervised more than 100 postgraduate theses addressing real-world challenges across the energy, infrastructure, and digital sectors. Her leadership reflects a commitment to inclusive, resilient, and future-ready higher education systems that connect global challenges with local impac
