Dr David Zhang – Academic Leader | Sustainability Educator | Global Education Innovator

Dr David Zhang is a passionate and accomplished educator who has been part of the academic team at Murdoch Business School since 2005 and currently serves as Academic Chair for Undergraduate Studies. With more than 25 years of transnational experience spanning secondary and higher education, he brings deep expertise in business management, cross-cultural studies, and education innovation.

Throughout his academic career, Dr Zhang has taught a wide range of management and business units at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including Organisational Change and Development, Human Resource Management, International Management, Knowledge Management, International Business, International Business Negotiations, and Comparative Corporate Governance. His commitment to student learning extends to the Transnational Education (TNE) space, where he has supported the academic journey of more than 10,000 students worldwide.

Driven by a belief in the power of education as a catalyst for real-world impact, Dr Zhang has recently focused his academic efforts on sustainability education, international collaboration, and transformative learning. He designs immersive, cross-cultural learning experiences that connect classrooms to communities—from Murdoch’s South Street campus to coastal villages in Indonesia—blending equity, environment awareness, and community empowerment through education.

As the academic lead for the government-funded Eco-Economy Project and Connecting Asia Literacy to Sustainability Literacy initiative, Dr Zhang integrates sustainability and intercultural skills into business education for multidisciplinary students. He employs innovative pedagogies—such as HyFlex, multimedia, and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)—to deliver experiential, project-based, and work-integrated learning. These approaches immerse students in real-world contexts while fostering global competence, enhancing employability, and cultivating social responsibility. By engaging with communities, his initiatives generate meaningful social and economic impact beyond the classroom.

Most recently, he led the development of Murdoch’s new Bachelor of Business Honours program—an ambitious, one-year course combining postgraduate coursework and a research thesis, designed to empower students to address complex sustainability challenges through internationalised, interdisciplinary collaboration and academic rigour.

Dr Zhang’s work has been recognised at institutional, national, and international levels. His achievements include being shortlisted for the QS Reimagine Education Awards; receiving a Special Commendation for Indonesian Studies and Cultural Leadership from the Australia-Indonesia Institute for his innovative sustainable development education programs; and earning Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Enhancing Student Learning and for Living the University’s Principles and Values.

A committed changemaker and bridge-builder, Dr. Zhang is passionate about creating educational environments where students grow, communities thrive, and global partnerships flourish. Whether fostering employability, promoting sustainability, or advancing inclusive education, his goal remains clear: to build futures—not just curricula.