Global Education

Providing a global education that is truly inclusive means being an active participant, with an equal voice, rights, and chances to succeed in an environment that takes you and your needs seriously.

Our researchers are working to provide the evidence base to support educational achievement and improve the educational experiences for people across the globe, from childhood to adulthood. Recent research investigated good practices in inclusive education during aand beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether or not our research is local, national or international in scale a key component in everything we do is supporting inclusive education. 'Inclusion’ has become one of those ‘buzz words’ that is used with great frequency but not universally defined. This is a problem because some understandings of inclusion are all but meaningless when it comes to important questions such as where children learn, what they learn, who teaches them, and how well they achieve?

Simply being physically present does not mean that you have been included in any meaningful sense. We use research to explore the numerous ways in which different groups worldwide are excluded from equal opportunities and achievements, often through the daily routines of schools and universities.

The Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER)

The Autism Centre for Education and Research  carries out extensive research into educational interventions for those on the autism spectrum. Current research includes work looking at attention skills across four participating countries - UK, Spain, Greece and Israel (and beyond), promoting the school-based provisions of attention in autism. 

Closer to home, we have been shining a light on how in in England, autistic children and young people (CYP) are more likely to be regularly and unlawfully excluded from school for a fixed period than children who do not have special educational needs.  Through Unfiltered Lives we have told the story of three families, who’s experiences demonstrate that by shaping autism education we can support a bright future for autistic children, young people and their families.

Disability Under Siege

Disability Under Siege is a is GCRF AHRC-funded co-created programme which is bringing together a community of researchers, educational practitioners, advocacy organisations and disability led groups in the UK and Middle East.  It will contribute to research efforts by providing intellectual and logistical resources that local practitioners need to transform education provision for children with disabilities in conflict-affected countries. 

The Centre for Research in Race and Education (CRRE)

The Centre for Research in Race and Education has a leading role in the field, both nationally and internationally. CRRE pursues race equality and social justice by working to close gaps in educational achievement and improve the educational experiences and career outcomes of Black and minority ethnic people. A current piece of research is exploring the impact of Covid-19 on students taking A Levels.

The Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR)

The Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching And Research focuses on the social and educational inclusion of people with vision impairment. Our Unfiltered Lives case studies tells the stories of three peoples experiences of living with a vision impairment and what support they needed in the educational system. The Centre is currently researching the post-16 transition experiences of young people with visual impairment.

The Jubilee Centre

Since its launch in 2012, the Jubilee Centre has engaged in conversations on character across all of the major continents globally. Influence and impact ranges from speaking at conferences, teaching at workshops, to working with academic colleagues and meeting with ministers of state.

"At the heart of global education is a commitment to social justice, and an understanding of our interdependence and shared futures.  It is underpinned by raising awareness of global challenges with an inclusive approach to the production of knowledge that also takes account of perspectives from the Global South and marginalized groups, by race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, class and age."

Professor Dina Kiwan

Professor Dina Kiwan

Professor of Comparative Education

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Key Staff

  • Professor Graeme Douglas

    Professor Graeme Douglas is Co-Director of the Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research

  • Dr Nicola Gale

    Dr Nicola Gale is a health sociologist and is co-chair of the University’s Inclusive Education Committee.

  • Professor Kalwant Bhopal

    Kalwant’s research focuses on the achievements and experiences of minority ethnic groups in education.

  • Professor Karen Guldberg

    Professor Karen Guldberg is Director of Autism Centre for Education and Research and Head of the Department of Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs in the School of Education