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Professor.Dr Mike Seal

Summary

I am a leading academic and activist in youth and community work, critical pedagogy, and social justice with over 35 years of experience spanning practice, research, and leadership. I am currently Professor of Critical Pedagogy and Participatory Praxis at St Mary’s University, Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Associate Head of School for Education (Research). I am also Professor of Critical Pedagogy at Birmingham City University, and a freelancer. I am also a visiting professor and council member of the Freire Institute, dedicated to critical pedagogy, popular education, and transformative learning, and a member of the Strategic Development Committee of the Professional Association for Lecturers in Youth and Community Work. A National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of the HEA, I have authored over 100 articles, books and professional reports, and led over 50 funded research projects worth £5.5 million. My work focuses on marginalised communities, co-production, and inclusive education, and I have provided over 75 pieces of consultancy in over 10 countries, spoken at over 120 conferences and organised over 30 conferences, symposiums and seminar series

Current Roles: I am Professor of Critical Pedagogy and Participatory Praxis at St Marys University, Twickenham Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Associate Head of the School of Education (Research).I am concurrently Professor of Critical Pedagogy at the Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education (CSPACE), Birmingham City University. In addition to my academic roles, I work independently as a freelance researcher and am currently leading a high-profile participatory research project on the UK Government’s 10-Year Drug Strategy, commissioned by Revolving Doors and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. I am also a visiting professor and council member of the Freire Institute, dedicated to critical pedagogy, popular education, and transformative learning and a member of the Strategic Development Committee of the Professional Association for Lecturers in Youth and Community Work.

Previous Roles: I have held visiting professorships at both Newman University and Leeds Beckett University. My previous academic appointments include serving as National Director of the Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work (PALYCW), Professor of Education and Social Mobility at the University of Suffolk, Reader in Critical Pedagogy at Birmingham Newman University, and Senior Lecturer in Informal and Community Education at YMCA George Williams College, London. I have also held academic roles at the Open University and the University of Oxford. Prior to entering academia, my professional practice was across youth work, community development, substance use and homelessness.

Qualifications, I have a Doctorate in Education, an MSc in Educational Research, an MA in Applied Anthropology and Community Work and a BA in Philosophy and Politics

Publications, I have written or am writing: 21 books, 31 book chapters, 18 peer reviewed journal articles, edited two journal special editions, and 35 other publications.

Awards and Accolades: . I am a National Teaching Fellow, a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a qualified youth, and community worker and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts for my work on homelessness. Nominated for 2021 REF panel main panel C and sub panel 20 by National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement and Impact. I was an executive member of Foundation Years Network 2018-2019, a member of national council and executive of National Citizens UK (2018-2020), Chair of Leadership group for Citizens UK Birmingham. (2017-2020) I was was nominated for Times Higher ‘outstanding contribution to the community’ award 2015, won Newman University’Community Action of the year (2014, 2015. 2016, 2017), won Newman University Student Unions most significant community contribution awards in 2017 and 2018, won best Lecturer award, Newman Students union 2018, 2019, was nominated for Best subject award, Newman Student Union 2018, 2019 and won the Newman University Distinguished Teaching Fellowship, 2016.

Research I have led or contributed to over 50 externally funded research projects, serving as Principal Investigator on 35 of these, with a cumulative value exceeding £5 million. These projects have been commissioned by a diverse range of funders, including the British Council, Erasmus+, the European Commission, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), health authorities, charitable organisations, and both local and national governments. My research portfolio spans a wide array of socially impactful themes, including co-productive studies with individuals on probation, within the prison system, and in drug rehabilitation services; investigations into youth violence; Muslim participation in public life; multiple exclusion and entrenched rough sleeping; and the experiences of Global Majority, LGBTQ+ and disabled students in higher education.

Research Leadership I currently serve as Co-Convenor of the Education Unit of Assessment (UoA) at St Mary’s University, and previously held the role of Co-Convenor for the Social Work and Social Policy UoA at Newman University (2015–2020), where I also had institutional responsibility for the development and submission of REF Impact Case Studies. I have acted as an external REF assessor for several institutions and was nominated by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement and Impact for membership of REF 2021 Main Panel C and Sub-panel 20. I am a member of the editorial board for Workability New Internationalist imprint, the editorial board of International Journal of Open Youth Work and Pedagogia: Journal of Critical Pedagogy and Popular Education. I am a member of Homeless Link’s research Network and a Research Associate for Revolving Doors, who work with multiple and complex needs in the criminal justice system, and Inclusive Research CIC. addition, I am the national convenor of the Critical Pedagogy Network, supporting scholarly collaboration and critical discourse in education. I was an panel member for ESRC Homelessness Strand Grant Ward (2008).

Educational Leadership. I have extensive experience in academic programme design and leadership, having developed and managed 14 programmes across educational levels, from Level 3 to doctoral study. I am currently leading the validation of two innovative programmes: the first Professional Doctorate in International and Community Development and Global Youth Work, and a Degree Apprenticeship in Youth Work, both of which aim to bridge academic rigour with professional practice. My doctoral supervision portfolio includes five PhD and five EdD candidates, and I have successfully supervised four doctoral theses to completion. I have served as both internal and external examiner, as well as chair, for numerous doctoral vivas, contributing to the quality assurance and academic integrity of doctoral assessment processes. Beyond formal academic programmes, I have delivered short courses and professional development training to over 100 agencies, supporting capacity-building across the youth, community, and education sectors. I have served as an external examiner for academic programmes at seven higher education institutions, contributing to curriculum development and academic standards across the sector.  

Strategic Leadership I bring over 30 years of strategic leadership experience across higher education and the third sector, with a strong focus on institutional development, research strategy, and inclusive pedagogy. I have led national and international initiatives in trade union and homelessness education, developed accredited programmes, and managed large-scale, multi-partner research projects with budgets up to £600,000. In academic leadership, I have directed research centres, contributed to long-term strategic planning, and held senior roles on Senate, research, ethics, and teaching committees. My work in equality, diversity, and inclusion has driven institutional change, particularly in decolonizing curricula, supporting LGBTQAI+ and disabled students, and widening participation. I possess deep sector knowledge of the REF, TEF, and KEF, and have published widely on civic engagement and community-university partnerships. My leadership is characterized by a collaborative, values-driven approach that bridges academic excellence with social impact.

Professional Standing. As Professor of Youth and Community Education, I have consistently sought to advance critical and socially engaged scholarship. I am the Founder and former Chair of the Romero Freire Institute: Dialogue, Pedagogy and Practice, which promotes emancipatory education and praxis. Within the British Educational Research Association (BERA), I have served as Co-Convener of three Special Interest Groups: Youth Studies and Informal Education (2022–present), Post-Compulsory and Lifelong Learning (2020–2022), and Sexualities and Gender (2014–2016), reflecting my commitment to interdisciplinary and inclusive educational research. I have convened over 35 academic conferences and events, including four seminar series, creating spaces for critical dialogue and collaboration across sectors. I have presented at more than 120 academic and professional conferences, including 50 keynote addresses, both nationally and internationally. These engagements reflect my ongoing commitment to public scholarship and my standing as a recognised voice in the fields of youth work, community education, and critical pedagogy. I was elected a member of the Strategic Development Committee of the Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work (PALYCW) in July 2025.

Evaluations, Consultancy and Knowledge Exchange. I have undertaken over 75 pieces of consultancy including knowledge exchange initiatives and evaluation projects, for a wide range of organisations such as health authorities, national and local governments, NGOs, schools, and international bodies including the European Commission. These projects have spanned multiple countries, including Belgium, Norway, Lithuania, Jamaica, India, Bangladesh, and Australia. I currently serve as a consultant for Inclusive Insight, an organisation specialising in participatory and co-productive research in the care sector, for PeteHarris4Youth, where I provide consultancy in the field of youth work, and as research consultant for the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Revolving Doors, who champion long-term solutions for justice reform that tackle the root causes of repeat, low-level crime through amplifying the voices of those who have experienced the criminal justice system. These roles reflect my ongoing commitment to applied research and practice-based impact across diverse educational and social contexts.

Public and Community Engagement: I am deeply committed to advancing the interface between higher education institutions and their surrounding communities. My recent monograph, Higher Education, Community Connections and Collaborations (2025), offers an innovative exploration of the policy, practice, and pedagogy of community engagement within university settings. In the academic year 2024–2025, I secured funding for and convened three public-facing events designed to explore and strengthen university-community relationships. Additionally, I have submitted two research proposals aimed at further developing this area of scholarship and practice. From 2016 to 2020, I served as the Institutional Lead for Community and Public Engagement at Newman University. Concurrently, I held leadership roles within Birmingham Citizens, serving as Chair of the Leadership Group (2016–2019) and continuing as a member thereafter. I also contributed to the national agenda as a member of the Executive Committee of the Citizens UK Council. My contributions to community engagement have been recognised through several nominations, including the Times Higher Education Award for Community Participation (2016) and the Students’ Union Award for Most Significant Community Contribution (2017/18).

Enterprise: I am a director of two community Interest Companies, the BLESST Centre, a Black Community work organisation, and Community Criminology CIC, a project working inclusively with people to gain new insights into social harm and social justice in Birmingham.

Outside of all of this Mike is a session musician and songwriter