Dr. Dhekra Ben Amara | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award
Associate professor, Qingdao Hengxing University of Science and Technology, China
Dr. Dhekra Ben Amara is an agricultural economist and sustainability researcher specializing in environmental science, eco-innovation, climate change and circular economy, with a strong focus on sustainable development and green growth. She earned her Engineering degree in Agricultural and Agri-Food Economics and Management from the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia in 2010, followed by an M.Sc. in Economy of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Environment in 2013 and completed her Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics and Management at Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China, in 2021. Her professional experience includes serving as Administrative Officer in the Internship and International Cooperation Department at ESPRIT: Private High School of Engineering and Technologies in Tunisia (2021–2022), where she promoted student engagement and international partnerships, followed by her postdoctoral fellowship at Henan University, China (2022–2025), where she focused on eco-innovation, carbon emissions, foreign investment and Africa-China cooperation in green growth and food security. In 2025, she was appointed Associate Professor at the School of Industry and City, Qingdao Hengxing University of Science and Technology, China. Her research interests center on sustainability, eco-innovation, climate change, circular economy, food security and resource and environmental management and she has actively contributed to international projects such as the China–Tunisia biomass valorization initiative promoting bio-circular green economies. Skilled in research tools such as IBM SPSS, SPSS AMOS, SmartPLS3, STATA, GeoDA and ArcMap, she demonstrates strong technical and analytical expertise. She has authored 12 Scopus-indexed publications with 245 citations and an h-index of 8, with articles published in leading journals including Journal of Cleaner Production and Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Her achievements have been recognized with the NEFU Outstanding Graduate Award (2021), a Second Prize at the NEFU International Students’ Academic Forum and an Excellence Award in the “My Story in NEFU” contest. With her international academic background, growing research impact and leadership in eco-innovation, Dr. Dhekra Ben Amara is well-positioned to advance environmental sustainability research and contribute to global solutions addressing climate change and sustainable development.
Featured Publications
1. Ben Amara, D., & Chen, H. (2020). A mediation-moderation model of environmental and eco-innovation orientation for sustainable business growth. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(14), 16916–16928.
2. Ben Amara, D., & Chen, H. (2022). Driving factors for eco-innovation orientation: Meeting sustainable growth in Tunisian agribusiness. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 18(2), 713–732.
3. Ben Amara, D., & Qiao, J. (2023). From economic growth to inclusive green growth: How do carbon emissions, eco-innovation and international collaboration develop economic growth and tackle climate change? Journal of Cleaner Production, 425, 138986.
4. Ben Amara, D., & Chen, H. (2020). Investigating the effect of multidimensional network capability and eco-innovation orientation for sustainable performance. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 22(6), 1297–1309.
5. Ben Amara, D., & Chen, H. (2021). The impact of participative decision-making on eco-innovation capability: The mediating role of motivational eco-innovation factors. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(5), 6966–6986.