Dr Zita Stone

Zita is a passionate educator with substantial leadership experience in the management of undergraduate and postgraduate courses portfolio, with direct responsibility for quality assurance and quality enhancement, accreditations, internationalisation decisions and more. Zita has led strategic programme reviews, accreditation processes, programme design and operational planning in her academic appointments in the past 8 years.

Zita has a proven track record of excellence in combining theory and practice, implementing innovative solutions that facilitate staff development, student learning and student experience. Zita is committed to delivering first rate staff and student experience under the EDI agenda.

Zita is also an engaged partner with enterprise and industry accreditation bodies (PSRBs) and she successfully manages projects and maintains strong relationship with the business community.

Zita played a leading role in KBS achieving a triple accredited status (AACSB, EQUIS and MBA). She is also a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and a Senior HEA fellow. Further, she is the member of the Academy of Internal Business (AIB) and European and International Business Academy (EIBA), Aurora Alumna (Women and Leadership programme) and she has External Examiner experience from three UK HE institutions. Zita also has an experience in leading a large team of Directors of Studies, Chief Examiners, and Senior Tutors to deliver on learning and teaching strategy KPIs.

Zita is a scholarly practitioner who applies a research-led approach to education and stakeholder activity. Zita was a Principal Investigator on research studies about the Internationalization activities of Kent SMEs in the post Brexit and post-Covid 19 period. Zita is actively engaging in research in the areas of Strategic Management, International Business Management, Internationalisation of SMEs, internationalisation and institutional environments and also innovative practice in higher education, international business teaching, Higher Education and Strategic Decision-Making. 

Zita applies a research-led approach to teaching and education. Zita is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and she has received small grants and published in pedagogic journals. Zita has implemented several teaching innovations over the years and is committed to reflective practice in teaching. 

Zita has experience in teaching undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA courses, Level 7 apprenticeships via various modes of delivery – face-to-face, online and blended. Zita has taught in the UK, the USA, China, France, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 

Zita has supervised numerous undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA research projects and dissertations. She also has experience in supervising PhD students.

Current PhD Supervisees

• Georgie Kemsley: A Study of the Decision Making Capabilities of SME Managers during periods of Uncertainty

Past PhD Supervisees

• Roger Mongon Fon: China’s FDI into Africa: An institutional perspective 

Zita has fostered relationships with higher education institutions such as Advance HE, public bodies such as Kent Council, various accreditation bodies such as AMBA and AACSB and professional statutory and regulatory bodies such as CMI and CIM in the UK and further afield. In her current role as the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies she regularly engages with several stakeholders external to KBS, and in collaboration with these runs programmes, organises workshops and events for staff, students, and the wider business community.