Amir Salimi Babmiri

Research

Research Interests

My research focuses on socially sustainable supply chains, with a particular emphasis on modern slavery, complex global systems, operations research (OR), and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). I am interested in how consumer behaviour interacts with supply chain structures, and how data-driven methods can support more ethical and socially responsible decision-making.

Current Research

Understanding and Modelling Consumer Behaviour and Its Impact on Anti-Slavery Supply Chain Decisions

My PhD project examines how consumer awareness, attitudes, and purchasing behaviour influence corporate decisions to adopt anti-slavery practices in the global food and drink sector. This work bridges the downstream (consumer markets) and upstream (global suppliers) of supply chains—an area where empirical and modelling work is still limited.

I adopt a mixed-methods approach, integrating:

• Systematic literature review
  My first study examined how OR/MS models have been used in socially sustainable supply chain research, identifying gaps in modelling labour exploitation, forced labour, and worker welfare.

• Qualitative insights from industry
  I conducted interviews with managers in major UK food and drink retail chains to understand organisational perspectives, decision-making pressures, and structural constraints around anti-slavery practices.

• Consumer-focused qualitative research
  Through in-depth interviews with UK consumers, I explore awareness of modern slavery, ethical consumption habits, the attitude–behaviour gap, and the role of structural barriers in shaping decision-making.

These insights will inform the development of operations research models and machine-learning forecasting tools capable of explaining and predicting consumer behaviour and its potential influence on supply chain anti-slavery strategies.

Research Themes

• Socially sustainable supply chains

• Modern slavery and labour exploitation

• Consumer behaviour and ethical consumption

• Complex systems and multi-stakeholder dynamics

• Operations research (OR) and management science (MS)

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning

• Mixed-methods research

Why This Matters

Forced labour remains embedded in global supply chains, especially in high-risk food and drink commodities such as cocoa, fish, and rice. Understanding how consumer behaviour interacts with systemic and structural forces is essential for designing interventions—such as labelling, information provision, and retailer-driven initiatives—that lead to meaningful change.

My work aims to generate actionable insights for policymakers, retailers, NGOs, and supply chain actors while contributing to academic knowledge on ethical consumption and socially sustainable logistics.

Collaborations and Partnerships

• Unseen UK – supporting datasets and real-world industry insight

• Collaborations with major UK food and drink retailers

• Engagement with interdisciplinary research groups and supply chain scholars

Teaching

Teaching Interests and Experience

I am committed to teaching and supporting students in the areas of operations management, socially sustainable supply chains, and systems thinking, drawing on both academic research and professional experience. As a Graduate Tutor, I aim to create an engaging and inclusive learning environment that helps students connect theoretical concepts with real-world challenges.

Teaching Roles

Graduate Tutor – Cardiff University

At Cardiff Business School, I have supported teaching and student learning in the Socially Sustainable Supply Chains module. My responsibilities include facilitating discussions, delivering tutorials, and guiding students through key concepts in supply chain social sustainability.

Teaching Assistant – Iran University of Science and Technology

I have delivered tutorials for the System Dynamics module, helping students understand system thinking principles, causal loop diagrams, feedback structure, and dynamic behaviour of complex systems.

High School Mathematics Teacher

Before joining academia, I taught mathematics at the high school level. This experience helped me develop instructional skills, adaptability, and the ability to communicate ideas clearly and accessibly.

Teaching Development and Training

I am committed to continuous professional development in my teaching practice. I am currently:

• Undertaking the Associate Fellowship Programme (AFHEA) to strengthen pedagogical foundations and reflective practice.

• Participating in PGR Tutor Workshops at Cardiff Business School, focusing on inclusive teaching, assessment literacy, and supporting diverse learner needs.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching approach is grounded in clarity, interaction, and critical thinking. I aim to help students develop both conceptual understanding and practical problem-solving skills, especially in areas related to socially sustainable decision-making in supply chains and complex systems.

Biography

Education

2024-2027  PhD, Logistics and Operations Management, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK

2023-2024  MSc, Social Science Research Methods, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK

2014-2017  MSc, Socio-economic Systems Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran

2009-2014  BSc, Industrial Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran

Honours and awards

I am a recipient of the ESRC Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) Studentship

Professional memberships

Website blog writer of Modern Slavery and Social Sustainability (MSSS) research group

Training lead of Data Lab for Social Good (DL4SG) research group

Academic positions

Graduate tutor in Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK

Teaching assistant in Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran