Selim Bakir

Dr. Selim Bakir is currently an Assistant Professor of Hospitality Management, having joined the High Point University faculty in 2026. He teaches courses in hospitality human resources management, financial management, and strategic marketing and analytics. Drawing upon his international professional experience, Dr. Bakir incorporates experiential learning, industry-based projects, real-world scenarios, and emerging technologies into his courses to prepare students for the evolving demands of the global hospitality industry.

Originally from Antioch, Türkiye, Dr. Bakir has more than 15 years of professional experience across the hospitality, tourism, travel, and airline industries. His career has taken him across Türkiye, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the United States. He has also worked as a licensed multilingual professional tour guide and foreign-language instructor. Speaking multiple languages and having worked with individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, Dr. Bakir brings a distinctly international and multicultural perspective to his teaching. His industry experiences inspired him to pursue an academic career that would allow him to combine his passion for hospitality with his commitment to educating future professionals.

Dr. Bakir’s academic journey at Auburn University’s Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management was shaped by discovery, collaboration, and a growing commitment to scholarship. While earning his PhD in Hospitality Management, he served as a Presidential Research Fellow, published scholarly articles in leading hospitality and tourism journals, presented his research at numerous academic conferences, and taught multiple undergraduate courses. However, he views these accomplishments not simply as individual milestones, but as the result of exceptional mentorship and meaningful collaborations with scholars across institutions. These experiences helped shape him as a researcher and educator and strengthened his commitment to extending the same mentorship, encouragement, and collaborative spirit to his own students and colleagues. He also holds a Master of Science in Hospitality Management, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in business. His professional qualifications include certification as a Certified Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) Authorized Instructor, IATA and Galileo credentials in airline operations and travel systems, another degree from Mersin University, and qualifications in tourism and language education.

Before moving to the United States to pursue his graduate education, Dr. Bakir lived in magnificent Istanbul, where he completed his MBA and worked as a professional tour guide after earning an additional degree in tour guiding from Cappadocia University. He was also affiliated with Boğaziçi University, whose historical roots extend to Robert College, the first American institution of higher education established outside the United States.

Dr. Bakir’s research connects his extensive industry experience with contemporary challenges facing hospitality organizations and their employees. His primary research examines the integration of artificial intelligence into the hospitality workplace, with particular attention to employee well-being, workplace anxiety, job insecurity, performance, career development, and human–AI collaboration. Through quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method research, he seeks to develop practical, human-centered solutions that help hospitality organizations adopt emerging technologies responsibly while supporting their employees. His research also addresses hospitality workforce development, human resource management, and socially important issues affecting the industry.

In educating the next generation of hospitality leaders at High Point University, Dr. Bakir draws inspiration from every chapter of his professional journey. His experience spans serving guests behind a hotel bar at age 18, supervising night-shift operations at one of Türkiye’s largest resort hotels in the beautiful city of Antalya at age 23, and serving as the sales and front-office manager for a newly opened independent hotel. He has also mentored students during laboratory rotations at a Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant and guided their experiential learning at a Five-Diamond hotel. In addition, he spent a decade leading thousands of international visitors through museums, historic landmarks, and destinations across Türkiye and beyond. He regards his years as a professional tour guide as a particular privilege—one that allowed him to meet people from around the world, learn from their diverse cultures and perspectives, and create meaningful connections each day. His professional journey has also included serving in a marketing role at one of the world’s largest tourism trade shows and exhibitions, working with Marriott in the United States and TUI-affiliated hotels, and contributing his time and expertise to nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations.

These experiences have given Dr. Bakir a deep appreciation for the diverse career pathways available within the hospitality and tourism industries. He is committed to guiding and encouraging students as they discover their professional interests, connect classroom knowledge with industry practice, and develop the confidence needed to succeed in a global, technology-driven, and ever-evolving field. Above all, he hopes to inspire in his students the same passion for hospitality, travel, cultural connection, service, and lifelong learning that has shaped his own professional journey.

Dr. Bakir lives in Greensboro with his wife and two daughters. Outside the classroom and his research, he enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, cooking, exploring new cuisines and flavors, and discovering local coffee shops.