Blogs

Walking into the classroom with hope There are days when we walk into the classroom carrying more than slides and lesson plans. We carry hope. The quiet hope that something will shift, that a spark will catch, that learning will still take root. That hope is held carefully, knowing how easily it can be disturbed. Lately, the wind has been strong. The gap students arrive with Students arrive in the UK having invested enormous sums of money, with families waiting at home and fu

I recently received confirmation of success for my Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) with Advance HE. The message arrived quietly, yet it prompted a moment of reflection in a year filled with transition across the sector. It allowed me to look back on a journey shaped across countries, disciplines and communities, and on the principles that have guided my work. Beginnings in Pakistan: Teaching and Organisational Development My path began in Pakistan, teaching at Preston University an

The Quiet Shift in Student Choices I felt this shift more sharply on my last flight than in any policy report or academic paper. I had settled into my seat, tired but grateful for the familiar hum of the cabin, when a young, chatty girl sat beside me. She had just completed high school and was excited about the future. I asked her the kind of question I always ask young people, a habit formed from years of teaching: “Which university will you be joining?”  I mentioned in pass

A Quiet Shift in Power Some transformations arrive like storms, shaking everything in their path. Others slip in quietly, almost unnoticed, until one day you realise something has changed inside you. AI feels like that kind of change — gentle, unexpected, yet profoundly shifting. For years I carried strength alone, especially after my father passed. He had been my loudest supporter, the one who believed in my direction even when I didn’t. When he left, the world felt heavier,

Artificial Intelligence has entered every corner of our learning and working lives — from classrooms to boardrooms, from curriculum design to leadership development. The question is no longer whether  we should use AI, but how  we can use it wisely, creatively, and humanely. In classrooms, boardrooms, and mentoring spaces across the UK and beyond, I’ve seen how technology can unlock creativity, deepen critical thinking, and strengthen confidence when used with integrity and c