Dr Behrouz Arabi PhD, MSc, BSc

Business School
Research Fellow

Contact details

Dr Behrouz Arabi is a Research Fellow at Birmingham Business School specialising in business analytics, sustainability, and frontier-based decision modelling. His work applies quantitative methods to real-world challenges in food systems, energy, and circular economy policy.

Biography

Dr. Behrouz Arabi is an academic and researcher with over 24 years of experience spanning both academia and industry, including significant contributions to the public and private sectors. Currently serving as a Research Fellow at the School for Business and Society at the University of Birmingham, Dr. Arabi is deeply involved in the H3 Project. His research portfolio includes the publication of nine journal papers and a teaching background with six years at the university level. Dr. Arabi is recognised for his expertise in sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly within the energy and food sectors, leveraging performance management and measurement tools such as Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM).
Dr. Arabi's academic journey began with a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics with a focus on Operations Research. He earned his Ph.D. in Performance Management -Energy management from the University of Malaya, Malaysia, where he received the Best PhD Student Excellence Award. His doctoral thesis, which produced five ISI publications, focused on modelling eco-efficiency changes in heterogeneous firms, particularly in power plants. This academic foundation set the stage for Behrouz’s innovative research and leadership in performance measurement and sustainability.
Before joining the University of Birmingham, Behrouz held significant research and advisory roles. At Heriot-Watt University, he was a Research Associate at the Edinburgh Business School, contributing to projects such as the Sustainable Food Cold Chain (SCC) and Zero Emission Cold Chain (ZECC). His work has been instrumental in developing and applying advanced models like the DEA-TOPSIS hybrid model for sustainable refrigeration technology. Dr. Arabi also played a pivotal role in organising workshops and conferences, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange on sustainability and circular economy topics.
Berhrouz's career includes impactful advisory positions in Iran’s Ministry of Electricity and Water and the Iran Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organisation (SATBA). His work in these roles involved developing regulatory frameworks, benchmarking models, and market analysis tools that have significantly influenced Iran’s energy sector. With a rich history of academic and professional accomplishments, including numerous awards and a strong presence in scientific communities, Dr. Behrouz Arabi continues to advance the fields of performance management, sustainability, and big data analytics.

Teaching

Dr. Behrouz Arabi brings over six years of teaching experience to his academic role, having instructed a wide range of courses in operations research, sustainable supply chain management, operations and supply chain managemtn, research methods, system analysis, design, numerical analysis, and mathematics for management for both post-graduate and under-graduate students. His teaching philosophy centres around fostering a deep understanding of complex concepts through practical application and student engagement. Behrouz's dedication to his students is evident in his approach to creating an interactive learning environment that encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. He has been recognized for his effectiveness in the classroom, evidenced by being voted Best Instructor of the Year by his students, highlighting his ability to connect with and inspire those he teaches.

Throughout his teaching career, Dr. Arabi has consistently demonstrated a commitment to educational excellence and innovation. He integrates his extensive research background into his teaching, providing students with current and relevant insights into sustainability, performance management, and decision-making tools. His courses are designed to not only impart knowledge but also to prepare students for real-world challenges by equipping them with the skills and methodologies necessary for success in their future careers.

Teaching

Postgraduate Teaching

Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management (PG), University of York
Research Methods for Business (PG), University of York

Undergraduate Teaching

Supply Chain Management (UG), University of York

Additional Teaching Experience

Business Analytics (PG), University of Malaya
Operations Research, Numerical Analysis, and Computer Programming (UG), Shahid Sattari Aeronautical University and Islamic Azad University

Research

Dr. Behrouz Arabi's research interests primarily lie at the intersection of sustainability, performance management, and decision-making tools, particularly within the food and agri-food sectors. He is deeply committed to exploring how innovative methodologies such as multiple criteria decision making (MCDM), data envelopment analysis (DEA), and other performance measurement frameworks can drive sustainable practices in the agri-food industry. His work aims to develop models that not only enhance efficiency but also align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on creating sustainable food systems that are resilient and environmentally friendly.
In recent years, Behrouz's research has extensively covered sustainable food cold chain systems, where he has developed and applied advanced hybrid models such as DEA-TOPSIS for evaluating refrigeration technologies. This work is crucial for maintaining food quality and reducing waste, which are significant challenges in the agri-food sector. By optimising the cold chain logistics, he aims to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and promote the adoption of greener refrigeration solutions. His involvement in projects like the Circular Chem, Sustainable Food Cold Chain (SCC) and Zero Emission Cold Chain (ZECC) has allowed him to collaborate with industry stakeholders and provide actionable insights for policy and investment in sustainable technologies.
Additionally, Dr. Arabi is keenly interested in the application of data analytics and computer vision within the agri-food sector. These technologies offer tremendous potential for enhancing agricultural productivity and efficiency. By leveraging data-driven approaches, he aims to develop predictive models that can assist in resource management, crop yield optimisation, and overall farm management. His work in this area seeks to integrate technological advancements with traditional agricultural practices to create more sustainable and profitable food production systems.
Behrouz's research also focuses on the broader implications of sustainability in energy and environmental management. This includes developing eco-efficiency models for various industries, with a significant emphasis on power plants and renewable energy systems. By utilising performance management tools, he strives to create frameworks that help organisations achieve their sustainability goals while maintaining high levels of operational efficiency. His overarching goal is to contribute to the global transition towards more sustainable and resilient industrial practices, particularly within the agri-food and energy sectors.

Dr. Arabi's academic journey began with a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics with a focus on Operations Research. He earned his Ph.D. in Performance Management -Energy management from the University of Malaya, Malaysia, where he received the Best PhD Student Excellence Award. His doctoral thesis, which produced five ISI publications, focused on modelling eco-efficiency changes in heterogeneous firms, particularly in power plants. This academic foundation set the stage for Behrouz’s innovative research and leadership in performance measurement and sustainability.
Before joining the University of York, Behrouz held significant research and advisory roles. At Heriot-Watt University, he was a Research Associate at the Edinburgh Business School, contributing to projects such as the Sustainable Food Cold Chain (SCC) and Zero Emission Cold Chain (ZECC). His work has been instrumental in developing and applying advanced models like the DEA-TOPSIS hybrid model for sustainable refrigeration technology. Dr. Arabi also played a pivotal role in organising workshops and conferences, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange on sustainability and circular economy topics.
Berhrouz's career includes impactful advisory positions in Iran’s Ministry of Electricity and Water and the Iran Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organisation (SATBA). His work in these roles involved developing regulatory frameworks, benchmarking models, and market analysis tools that have significantly influenced Iran’s energy sector. With a rich history of academic and professional accomplishments, including numerous awards and a strong presence in scientific communities, Dr. Behrouz Arabi continues to advance the fields of performance management, sustainability, and big data analytics.

Publications

Highlight publications

Arabi, B & Choudhary, S 2025, Undesirable Factors in Sustainability Improvement Using DEA: Potential of Business Partnerships. in GR Amin & M Ibn Boamah (eds), Decision Making Optimization Models for Business Partnerships. 1 edn, Chapman and Hall/CRC, New York, pp. 187-213. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003345206-8

Recent publications

Book

Emrouznejad, A, Banker, R, Munisamy, S & Arabi, B 2014, Recent Developments in Data Envelopment Analysis and its Applications: 12th International Conference of DEA.

Article

Arabi, B, Toloo, M, Farnoudkia, H & Xu, B 2025, 'Introducing Stochastic Data Envelopment Analysis Models for Evaluating Circular Economy Performance in European Countries: Pathways towards Sustainability', OR Spectrum.

Sousa, R, Camanho, AS, Silva, MC, da Silveira, GJC & Arabi, B 2024, 'Best practices, performance advantage and trade-offs: new insights from frontier analysis', Journal of Productivity Analysis, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 91-110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11123-023-00714-y

Arabi, B, Toloo, M, Yang, Z, Zhang, P & Xu, B 2024, 'Sustainable refrigeration technology selection: An innovative DEA-TOPSIS hybrid model', Environmental Science and Policy, vol. 158, 103780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103780

Arabi, B, Munisamy, S, Emrouznejad, A, Toloo, M & Ghazizadeh, MS 2016, 'Eco-efficiency considering the issue of heterogeneity among power plants', Energy, vol. 111, pp. 722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.05.004

Arabi, B, Munisamy, S, Emrouznejad, A & Khoshroo, A 2016, 'Eco-efficiency measurement and material balance principle: an application in power plants Malmquist Luenberger Index', Annals of Operations Research, vol. 225, pp. 221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-015-1970-x

Arabi, B, Munisamy, S & Emrouznejad, A 2015, 'A new slacks-based measure of Malmquist-Luenberger index in the presence of undesirable outputs', Omega (United Kingdom), vol. 51, pp. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2014.08.006

Munisamy, S & Arabi, B 2015, 'Eco-efficiency change in power plants: Using a slacks-based measure for the meta-frontier Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index', Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 105, pp. 218-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.12.081

Arabi, B, Munisamy, S, Emrouznejad, A & Shadman, F 2014, 'Power industry restructuring and eco-efficiency changes: A new slacks-based model in Malmquist-Luenberger Index measurement', Energy Policy, vol. 68, pp. 132-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.01.016

Khoshroo, A, Mulwa, R, Emrouznejad, A & Arabi, B 2013, 'A non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis approach for improving energy efficiency of grape production', Energy, vol. 63, pp. 189-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2013.09.021

Ramli, NA, Munisamy, S & Arabi, B 2013, 'Scale directional distance function and its application to the measurement of eco-efficiency in the manufacturing sector', Annals of Operations Research, vol. 211, no. 1, pp. 381-398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-013-1441-1

Commissioned report

Arabi, B, Choudhary, S & Toloo, M 2025, Rebalancing Agri-Food Sustainability in the UK and EU: From Insight to Policy Coherence: Workshop Report: A Participatory Roadmap for Policymakers, Industry, Farmers, and Academia. <https://h3.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Policy_Report_H3_CCT1-6-1.pdf>

Arabi, B & Xu, B 2024, Investment in Zero Emission Cold Chain (ZECC): Workshop Report (Market Review). Heriot Watt University. <https://pure.hw.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/107854692/Investment_in_Zero_Emission_Cold_Chain_ZECC_2023.pdf>

Doctoral Thesis

Arabi, B 2013, 'Modeling eco-efficiency changes of heterogeneous firms with an application in power plants'.

Paper

Arabi, B, Toloo, M & Choudhary, S 2025, 'Navigating the Green Frontier: A Comparative Analysis of Agri-Food Sustainability between the UK and Europe', Paper presented at EURO 2025, Leeds, United Kingdom, 22/06/25 - 25/06/25.

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