
Jafar Heydari
Dr. Jafar Heydari holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering (2011) with a specialization in supply chain management. He also earned both MSc (2006) and BSc (2003) degrees in Industrial Engineering, with a strong foundation in mathematical optimization. Prior to joining UCW, he was a researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University and an affiliated researcher with the University of Victoria, where he focused on agricultural supply chain optimization. He also served as an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Tehran for 12 years, teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses.
Expertise and Experience
Dr. Heydari's primary research focus is Operations Management and Supply Chain modeling, utilizing quantitative optimization methods. His work revolves around supply chain coordination, sustainable and green supply chain optimization, operations management, and multi-echelon inventory systems. He develops game-theoretic models to explore how coordinated behavior among supply chain players can lead to common goals, an advanced decision-making phenomenon with applications in manufacturing, production, retail, and wholesale sectors.
He has taught various undergraduate and graduate courses, including Supply Chain Analytics, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Facility Layout and Location, Engineering Economics, Motion and Time Study, Human Factors Engineering, and Project Planning and Control. Over the years, he has successfully supervised or co-supervised more than 50 MSc students and 10 PhD students. His teaching philosophy centers on creating an inclusive, engaging, and student-focused learning environment that empowers students to excel academically and thrive professionally.
In addition to his research and teaching contributions, Dr. Heydari serves the scientific community as an Editorial Board Member, Guest Editor, and reviewer for numerous scientific journals.
Publications and Scholarly Activity
Dr. Heydari has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research, Decision Support Systems, INFORMS Service Science, International Journal of Production Economics, Transportation Research Part E, and Computers and Industrial Engineering. Some of his recent publications include:
- Heydari, J., Bakhshi, A., & Nikoofal, M. E. (2024). Coping with an unreliable supplier: An option contract with a backup supplier. International Transactions in Operational Research, 31(6), 4332-4362.
- Sabbaghnia, A., Heydari, J., Ülkü, M. A., & Zolfaghari, S. (2024). Sustainable supply chain coordination: Extant literature, trends, and future research directions. Annals of Operations Research, 1-54.
- Pahlevani, M., Choi, T. M., Heydari, J., & Xu, X. (2024). Cooperative donation programs in supply chains with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 574-585.
- Tat, R., Heydari, J., & Mlinar, T. (2023). Supply chain coordination: the application of consignment and zero wholesale price contracts under customized cap-and-trade and consumers' environmental awareness. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 51(9/10), 1388-1412.
- Heydari, J., Bineshpour, P., Walther, G., & Ülkü, M. A. (2022). Reconciling conflict of interests in a green retailing channel with green sales effort. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102752.
Awards
Dr. Heydari has been consistently recognized among the world's top 2% of scientists in the subfield of operations research for four consecutive years (2020-2023), according to rankings provided by Elsevier.
In 2019, he was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award by the University of Tehran in recognition of his dedication to teaching.