Work History
St Marys University Twickenham, Professor of Critical Pedagogy and Participatory Praxis. (p/t, Starting May 2023) Associate Head of School for Education (Research), (November 2025 onwards), Director of Centre for Educational Research (Oct 2025 onwards), Director of Centre for Research into the Education of Marginalised Children and Young Adults (May 2023- Sept 2025). Responsibilities include: Developing and overseeing the Schools Research Strategy. Other responsibilities include co-chairing the Faculty Research and Ethics Committees, coordinating research centres and REF submission activities, managing research workload allocations, and supporting high-quality PhD supervision, promoting interdisciplinary initiatives, improving research outputs and impact, maintaining compliance with open access requirements, and engaging academics with strategic objectives to foster a structured, collaborative research culture and directing the New Centre for Educational Research.
Birmingham City University, Professor of Critical Pedagogy. Attached to the Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education (CSPACE). Responsibilities include: Leading, nurturing and supporting staff attached to the Centre in producing internationally excellent research outputs for inclusion in the REF process, and obtaining research funding, including from prestige sources.
Freire Institute: Education, Empowerment, Transformation, Lancashire University. Visting Professor of Critical Pedagogy. Responsibilities include: Council Member and academic lead for critical pedagogy, popular education, and transformative learning
Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work. National Director (consultant) (Sept 2021 – Sept 2024).Responsibilities included: Overall strategic approach for promoting an informed understanding of youth and community work globally, and as an academic field, including the continuing professional development of members through conferences, lobbying, research and publications, networking events and sector activity.
Leeds Beckett University. Visiting Professor (Jan 2022- present) Attached to the Centre for Learning and Teaching. Responsibilities included: Developing a research culture around teaching and learning; Contributing to sessions on critical pedagogy, research informed teaching and teaching informed research; Contributing research resources focusing on pedagogy, inclusive practice, decolonizing and research methodology.
Newman University Birmingham Visiting Professor (Feb 2020 – present) Attached to the Romero Freire Institute: Dialogue, Pedagogy and Praxis. Responsibilities included: contributing to the work of the Institute; Supervising doctoral students, undertaking research and teaching youth and community work and criminology modules.
University of Suffolk Professor of Education and Social Mobility. (Feb 2020 – March 2021) Responsibilities included: and building the research profile in relation to the philosophy of learning and teaching, education, widening participation and theory of change. Chair of the Centre for Education
Newman University Birmingham Reader in Critical Pedagogy, (Sept 2008 – February 2020) Responsibilities included: manager of Postgraduate Course in Trade Union Education and Certificate in Community Leadership. Head of Foundation Years (2017-2019), Criminology (2016-2019) and Youth and Community Work (2010-2018).
YMCA George Williams College Senior Lecturer in Informal and Community Education, (Feb 2000 – Sept 2008) (p/t) Responsibilities included: director for foundation studies, accelerated route of the BA in Informal and Community education and Advanced certificate in working with homeless people.
University of Oxford, Kellogg’s College, Joint programme leader. (Sept 2007 – Sept 2009). Responsibilities included: programme leader on the Postgraduate Certificate in the Provision of Health Care to People Experiencing Homelessness.
Open University Associate Lecturer, (Jan 2001 – July 2003 and then Sept 2021- July 2023) (p/t) Responsibilities included: student assignments, supporting students, holding monthly seminars.
TRAC: Training, Research and Consultancy Director. (Sept 1998 – present). Responsibilities included: a consultancy service for over 100 agencies worldwide. Recent clients include Inclusive Insight, Homeless Link, Community Criminology, Birmingham City Council, The Welsh Government and the General Federation of Trade Unions.
Voluntary Action Camden Community Development Worker. (Oct 1996-Sept 1999)
Sefton Youth and Community Service Detached Youth Work Co-ordinator. (Dec 1994-Oct 1996) JNC level III
The Whitechapel Project Community Resettlement Worker (dependencies), (Sept 1992-Dec’1994)
Rydal Youth Centre Youth Worker (P/t), (Aug 1992 -Aug 1994) Running a youth music project for young people.
Liverpool City Council Re-housing Worker. (Dec 1991-Sept 1992) Assessing and re-housing homeless people.
Professor.Dr Mike Seal
Professor, Researcher, Educator, Author, Youth and Community Worker and Freelancer
Where We Are
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Professor.Dr Mike Seal 