Dr Balkaran is the Executive Dean (Acting) in the Faculty of Management Sciences at the Durban University of Technology. He has 25 years’ experience in the field of the Management Sciences 10 years of which came from the public and private sectors. His experience extends to Local and Provincial Government levels as well as Business Management in the private sector. He attained his Masters degree (Cum Laude) at the University of Durban Westville with specific emphasis in Provincial and Local Government. He served in the capacity of Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Head of Department, Deputy Dean and now Executive Dean (Acting) within the Faculty of Management Sciences of the Durban University of Technology. He has been an academic for the past 15 years and has a particular flair and passion for the Hospitality & Tourism sectors as well as Policies Studies, Education and the Social Sciences. He serves at various forums within the Tourism, Business and Education sectors and is currently the National Chair of the Tourism Educators South Africa. He has published in local and international journals and has presented at several conferences internationally. His current work revolves around community based tourism and the enhancement of community engagement with universities and broader society. He has a firm belief that work integrated learning is the most effective tool in enhancing the quality of Teaching and Learning within Higher Education. He has completed his doctorate which involves research within the Tourism and Hospitality sector in KwaZulu-Natal and continues to research new ideas on enhancing this terrain.