Sara Belghiti Honored by the AMS Review – The Sheth Foundation DoCCa 2026, an international recognition of excellence in doctoral research!

Her research project, titled “Care or Control? Conceptualizing Smart Service System Paternalism Beyond the Technological Prism,” was selected as one of the best international doctoral proposals in marketing and management following a prestigious, large-scale competition. 

This distinction recognizes the scientific excellence and conceptual originality of the research conducted under the supervision of Professor Wafa Hammedi (University of Namur) and Professor Thomas Leclercq (IÉSEG School of Management). 

Specializing in services marketing, Sara Belghiti focuses on smart service systems, smart technologies, and the transformations they bring about in the relationships between individuals, organizations, and institutions. 

Her work explores, in particular, the relational, ethical, and societal dimensions of smart technologies. Her article on “smart service relationships” was recently published in the Journal of Service Management, a leading international academic journal in the field. 

A graduate of ESCP Business School, Sara Belghiti has also presented her research at major international academic conferences such as the American Marketing Association (AMA), SERVSIG, QUIS, and Frontiers. 

Organized jointly by the AMS Review and the Sheth Foundation, the DoCCA competition aims to identify the most promising conceptual work by doctoral students in marketing and management from around the world. 

Beyond academic recognition, the competition offers a prize funded by the Sheth Foundation and invites the winners to present their work at the annual conference of the Academy of Marketing Science (AMS), thereby providing exceptional international visibility within the global academic community. 

The top candidates receive personalized support from leading experts in the field, as well as mentors from the AMS Review, to facilitate the publication of their work. 

Through this distinction, Sara Belghiti contributes to the University of Namur’s international reputation in the fields of marketing and management research.