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Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research (CHEER)

Research projects

This research project interrogates and develops the concept and practices of higher education internationalisation in Europe through questions about who is able to participate in and benefit from policy initiatives and strategic interventions, and whether certain social groups are disadvantaged or excluded from the opportunities that mobility offers. 

It is anticipated that HEIM will achieve impact in a number of ways:
- In the short term, it will impact mobility by providing opportunities for new working relations, encouraged by the possibility of learning new skills, competencies and knowledge from colleagues located in a range of disciplines and organisational and national contexts. 
- A medium term impact is the formation of professional networks which will be in a strong position to apply for further research funding and also to continue the production of co-authored publications.
- In the long-term, this research will make higher education more amenable to mobility for academics and students from diverse social groups and regions.

See HEIM's Deliverables and outputs.

This three year project investigated interventions for widening participation in a public and a private university in Ghana and Tanzania. Taking widening participation as a focus, the overall aim of the research was to interrogate what universities are doing in relation to poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals.

See Project impact and outputs

The British Council in Pakistan commissioned this study in response to concerns about the under-representation of women in senior leadership positions in higher education in South Asia. Researchers identified existing knowledge on the situation for women in higher education leadership in six countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 30 interviews were conducted with women and men in the region.

Recommendations were produced, advising what future actions and interventions for change could be implemented in South Asia.

The study discovered an overwhelming absence of any statistical data in the region on women and leadership - with the exception of Sri Lanka. It also found that gender was an absent category of analysis in most of the higher education policy documentation in the region.

An empirical study found that women are not being identified and prepared for leadership. There is also evidence globally that when women do aspire for leadership, they are frequently rejected from the most senior positions.

The study concluded that there is an urgent need to revision leadership to make it more attractive and hospitable to women in South Asia.

See project Impacts