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Tom Baum

Professor of Work, Employment and Organisation, University of Strathclyde
I am interested in the socio-cultural context of work in the service sector, with a particular focus on tourism in less developed countries. This interest has evolved from over 35 years of experience in the strategic planning and development of vocational and professional education and training, as a research director within the public sector, as an educator in universities and as consultant to the private sector and to public sector through internationally funded projects across five continents. I have worked with major international agencies including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), The World Bank, UNICEF, UNWTO and the European Union in supporting projects in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Currently, I am working on major funded research projects that address the place of tourism at the interface between the ocean and coastal communities in the Global South, giving voice to marginalised communities relating to their role in tourism development in Kenya and addressing social exclusion as a consequence of the changing nature of work in European cities.

At Strathclyde University, I am currently Professor and Head of Department in the Department of Work, Employment and Organisation. I have published extensively on themes relating to people and work in the context of services and tourism and am regularly invited to address international conferences worldwide. I have also supervised over 35 successful PhD students working in this and related areas of HRD in tourism and hospitality and have been an examiner for over 100 candidates. I hold visiting appointments with universities in Australia and South Africa.

Born in Aberdeen, I hold academic degrees from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Nottingham Trent University and Strathclyde University, where I have completed two doctorates in the area of tourism employment.

Behind the wellness industry’s scented oils and soothing music are often underpaid, exploited workers

May 30, 2025 12:11 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Wellness tourism is booming. Think yoga retreats in Bali, digital detox weekends in a rainforest, or a break on a luxury island to find yourself. Its no longer just about taking selfies at the beach or in front of...

Economy

South Korea Inflation Hits Five-Month Low as CPI Reaches Central Bank Target

South Korean consumer inflation eased to a five-month low in January, reaching the Bank of Koreas official target and reinforcing signs that price pressures in the country are gradually stabilizing. According to data...

S&P 500 Rises as AI Stocks and Small Caps Rally on Strong Earnings Outlook

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Monday, led by gains in artificial intelligence-related stocks and a strong rally in small-cap companies, as investor confidence improved on solid earnings expectations and encouraging...

Japan Finance Minister Defends PM Takaichi’s Remarks on Weak Yen Benefits

Japans Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Tuesday defended Prime Minister Sanae Takaichis recent comments emphasizing the potential benefits of a weaker yen, saying the remarks were grounded in standard economic theory...

U.S. Stock Futures Rise as Investors Eye Big Tech Earnings and AI Momentum

U.S. stock futures edged higher on Monday night, extending Wall Streets strong start to February as optimism around technology and semiconductor stocks continued to drive market sentiment. Investors are now bracing for a...

Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh U.S.-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength Caps Gains

Oil prices edged slightly higher on Tuesday as investors balanced easing geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran against pressure from a stronger U.S. dollar. The cautious tone in global energy markets...

Politics

Trump Spoke With FBI Agents After Georgia Election Office Search, Report Says

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke directly with FBI agents one day after they searched an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, according to a report published by the New York Times on Monday. The report cited three...

Trump Calls for “Nationalizing” Voting, Drawing Backlash Over Election Authority

President Donald Trump sparked controversy after saying Republicans should nationalize and take over voting in at least 15 unspecified locations, repeating his long-standing and false claims that U.S. elections are plagued...

Trump Announces U.S.–India Trade Deal Cutting Tariffs, Boosting Markets and Energy Ties

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a major U.S.India trade deal on Monday that significantly reduces U.S. tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from a previous combined rate of 50%. The agreement, revealed after a phone call...

Venezuela and U.S. Move Toward Renewed Diplomatic Relations

Venezuela and the United States have taken another step toward restoring diplomatic relations after years of tension, following a high-level meeting in Caracas between interim President Delcy Rodríguez and U.S....

Russian Missile and Drone Attacks Hit Kyiv and Other Ukrainian Cities, Causing Widespread Damage

Russian forces launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine early Tuesday, striking the capital Kyiv and several other major regions, according to Ukrainian officials. The assault caused damage to residential...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Google Cloud and Liberty Global Forge Strategic AI Partnership to Transform European Telecom Services

Google Cloud, one of Alphabets fastest-growing divisions, has entered into a five-year strategic partnership with Liberty Global aimed at accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies across...

Palantir Stock Jumps After Strong Q4 Earnings Beat and Upbeat 2026 Revenue Forecast

Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: PLTR) delivered a strong fourth-quarter earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on both revenue and profit while issuing a significantly stronger-than-expected outlook for 2026....

Sam Altman Reaffirms OpenAI’s Long-Term Commitment to NVIDIA Amid Chip Report

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly reaffirmed the artificial intelligence companys strong relationship with NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), pushing back against recent reports suggesting dissatisfaction with the...

SoftBank and Intel Partner to Develop Next-Generation Memory Chips for AI Data Centers

SoftBank Corp (TYO:9434) has announced a strategic collaboration between its subsidiary Saimemory and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) to develop a new class of advanced memory chip technology aimed at powering the next...

Oracle Plans $45–$50 Billion Funding Push in 2026 to Expand Cloud and AI Infrastructure

Oracle has announced plans to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion in 2026 as it accelerates the expansion of its cloud infrastructure to meet surging demand from major technology and artificial intelligence clients....