Our research work foregrounds the possibilities and challenges that attend globalization and internationalization processes and their impact on education around the world at present. This includes how different national and sub-national governments and organisations (e.g., Departments of Education) respond to a range of educational reforms. Our work involves sub-national, national and international collaborations for joint research projects, cross-border funding initiatives. We conduct evidence-based policy research through comparative analysis of global higher education trends, international benchmarking studies, assessment of globalization impacts on institutional practices and global mobility experiences. It also includes developing infrastructure for international research resource sharing.
Our research group brings together leading scholars whose work advances global, comparative, and culturally grounded understandings of education. Professor Robin Shields contributes internationally recognised expertise in globalisation metrics, cross‑national data analytics, and the political economy of education, offering critical insights into how global forces shape institutional behaviour. Associate Professor Ian Hardy’s scholarship examines teachers’ work, reform dynamics, and equity, providing nuanced analyses of how policy agendas are enacted across systems and communities. Associate Professor Obaid Hamid specialises in language policy, mobility, and the sociopolitics of English, foregrounding how linguistic hierarchies and global mobility influence educational access and identity. Dr Hameed’s research focus sits within Leadership, Internationalisation and Inclusive Education, with a particular emphasis on Global Indigenous Education and comparative studies across Southeast Asian contexts including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the UK. Together, our team generates rigorous, comparative insights that strengthen global partnerships and shape the future of education.
Staff
Professor Robin Shields
Professor Robin Shields is Head of the School of Education at the University of Queensland, where he provides strategic leadership for one of Australia’s leading centres of educational research, teacher education, and postgraduate study. He oversees the School’s contributions to pre‑service teacher preparation, doctoral research training, and its highly international master’s programs, with a strong commitment to social justice and the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges. As a global education scholar, Professor Shields’ research examines how globalisation shapes educational systems, with particular expertise in social network analysis and statistical modelling. His work has explored international student mobility, the environmental impacts of higher education, the effects of private schooling in South Asia, and global aid networks. He has held major grants from the ESRC, European Commission, and other international funders, and has served as co‑editor of the Comparative Education Review and on the executive of the British Association for International Education. He has also undertaken consultancy work for NGOs and UNESCO. Educated at UCLA, and previously holding academic roles at the Universities of Bath and Bristol, he is an award‑winning teacher recognised for innovation in technology‑enhanced learning, including gamification and simulation‑based pedagogy.
Associate Professor Ian Hardy
Ian Hardy isLiu Siyu Joyce Associate Professor in the School of Education, The University of Queensland. Dr Hardy researches and teaches in the areas of educational policy and politics, particularly in relation to institutionalized educational settings (schools; universities). He is also increasingly involved in policy studies relating to international and comparative education in schooling, higher education and vocational education. Dr Hardy's teaching at Undergraduate, Masters and PhD levels, and his service to the research, professional and wider community is informed by research into the relationship between education and society, particularly broader policy and political discourses, and educators' responses to the socio-political contexts in which their work is undertaken. Recent research has focused upon the nature of data in schooling settings, including at national (Queensland) and international (England, Singapore, Bangladesh) levels. This work has explored the nature of teacher and other educator and policy officer's engagement with data in both schools and school systems. Current research also involves analysing recent Higher Education policy reforms in Australia and internationally, including as this pertains to international students studying in universities (and also vocational contexts) in Australia and east-Asia.
Associate Professor Obaid Hamid
Dr Hamid teaches and researches TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), with a particular focus on Asian societies. His work examines language‑in‑education policies and classroom practices in these contexts, especially in relation to English, and more recently, Arabic and Chinese. A significant part of his research explores emerging varieties of English and their educational and epistemic implications. He has also investigated global and local English language tests—such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Malaysian University English Test (MUET)—through the lens of world Englishes. Foregrounding the role of English and other languages, Dr Hamid has examined research productivity in the Global South and the broader global inequalities in knowledge production. He teaches postgraduate TESOL courses and supervises PhD scholars, most of whom come from Asian countries.
Dr Suraiya Hameed
Dr Hameed is an interdisciplinary leader, educator, and researcher specializing in Educational Leadership at the University of Queensland. With a distinguished 30-year career, she has dedicated her expertise to curriculum and policy development, with a particular focus on internationalization and global education. Born and raised in Singapore, Dr. Hameed's Indigenous Malay heritage has profoundly shaped her perspective on educational leadership and fueled her passion for incorporating diverse cultural frameworks into leadership practices. Her deep connection to her roots informs her approach to creating inclusive educational environments that honor and integrate various cultural traditions and knowledge systems. As the Director of the Master of Educational Studies programme, Dr. Hameed has transformed the curriculum to enhance its global perspective, recognizing the opportunity to better align educational offerings with the evolving needs of UQ's diverse student body and the demands of our increasingly interconnected world. Her research concentrates on Educational Leadership, Global Policy and Education, and Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Culture. Dr. Hameed's innovative research projects aim to achieve breakthroughs in developing leaders equipped to support 21st-century schools. She currently leads multiple international research initiatives designed to improve educational outcomes and generate valuable networking opportunities with international educators and school leaders.
HDR Students
Liu Siyu Joyce
Laura Rueda
UQ Staff Affiliates
Emeritus Professor Bob Lingard
Emeritus Professor at School of Education
Dr Yifei Liang Scott
Visnovska Sessional Staff School of Education & Peer mentoring programme
International Affiliates
Dr Jack Tsao
Associate Director & Senior Lecturer, The University of Hong Kong
Dr Yu Chih Li
Associate Professor at National University of Tainan
Dr Kun Dai
Assistant Professor; Chinese University of Hong Kong
Global Mobility Projects and Research (NCP Global Leaders Programme, 2022–2026)
The Global Leaders Programme advances intercultural competence through immersive mobility experiences in Singapore. Led by Dr Suraiya Hameed with A/P Marnee Shay, Dr Kate McLay, and Professor Robin Shields, the program has secured $226,160 in National Colombo Grant funding and supports more than 30 students. Through school immersions, museum‑based inquiry, and language learning, participants examine how global mobility shapes teacher identity, ethical leadership, and cross‑cultural engagement. Current research focuses on teacher identity formation in transnational contexts, with publications underway analysing students’ reflective narratives, intercultural growth, and the transformative potential of structured global immersion.
UQ Global Strategy & Partnerships Seed Funding – UQ–NIE/NTU & School Partnership
sharing in co-deisgn with partner school in
Singapore-Waterway Primary School
This partnership strengthens international collaboration between UQ, NIE/NTU, and Singapore schools through a multidimensional project on STEM education, leadership, student wellbeing, and languages/cultural awareness. Led by Dr Suraiya Hameed with A/P Liz Edwards, Dr Kate McLay, A/P Marnee Shay, Professor Robin Shields, and Emeritus Professor Bob Lingard, the initiative has produced impactful outputs across research, professional learning, and school‑based innovation. The collaboration aligns institutional priorities and has generated sustained engagement over three years. Building on this momentum, the team is now pursuing complementary Singapore‑based funding schemes, expanding opportunities for comparative research, leadership development, and cross‑system knowledge exchange.
Globalising Education Across East and Southeast Asia: Comparative Studies of International Baccalaureate Schooling in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore
Since 2020, Dr Suraiya Hameed has served as a Chief Investigator on two major studies led by A/P Yu‑Chih Li (National University of Tainan) with Dr Jack Tsao (University of Hong Kong), funded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Science & Technology. The first project, Globalizing Education and the Development of the International Baccalaureate (2020–2021), examined how IB schools in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore interpret global education agendas. The second, Teachers’ Mobility in the Globalizing World (2022–2024), investigated professional mobility and curriculum enactment across IB systems. The team has published and presented their findings at international platforms, including ECER, advancing comparative understanding of global education across East and Southeast Asia. The team is now extending the work into curriculum development and expanding the comparative study to Australia, strengthening long‑term regional collaboration in global education research.
Heritage Dialogues: Museum–Education Partnerships for Indigenous Cultural Learning
sector and UQ School of Education NCP cohort.
Heritage Dialogues is an international collaboration between UQ, Singapore Art Museum, National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, and QGOMA. The project develops innovative approaches to teaching and learning about Indigenous cultures by integrating museum expertise, community knowledge, and educational research. It centres Indigenous voices, adapts UN Indigenous Declarations for museum settings, and strengthens cross‑border partnerships in cultural preservation. Activities include community consultation, joint exhibitions, digital resource development, and comparative analysis of preservation practices in Singapore and Australia. The project lays the groundwork for future ARC Linkage and international cultural‑heritage funding applications.
Sustainability X Education Dr. Hameed Visits Department of Education, NUTN
Chen Huiping expressed her gratitude to
Dr Hameed for her lecture.
On November 4 2024, National University of Tainan welcomed Dr. Suraiya Abdul Hameed from the University of Queensland for a lecture titled "Sustainability X Education: Experiences from Southeast Asian societies." Dr. Hameed's presentation showcased her insights and extensive experience in educational leadership, emphasizing the necessity of cross-cultural understanding and communication in sustainable education. Her perspectives not only offer practical guidance for educators but also provide valuable directions for establishing more sustainable educational systems. In her lecture, Dr. Hameed examined how the Southeast Asian education systems can maintain local cultural integrity while achieving sustainable development in tfacing globalization challenges in the post-pandemic era.
Yu Chih Li who had brought about this
exchange opportunity.
Canvasing Chinese Language Education- Collaboration with SJI International
Dr Suraiya Hameed led a collaborative project with Dr Danielle Heinrich at SJI International, a partner school in Singapore titled Canvasing Chinese Language Education in 2023-2024, which examined students’ engagement with Chinese language learning and identified effective pedagogical strategies for classroom practice. Drawing on mixed‑method insights, the team delivered a series of professional workshops to support teachers in strengthening instructional approaches and enhancing student motivation. The project also produced a scholarly contribution through a book chapter on “Researching Affect Multilingually: Body Mapping as a Method,” advancing methodological innovation in multilingual research. This collaboration has continued with SJI International through ongoing professional development and research initiatives, demonstrating Dr Hameed’s commitment to sustained international partnerships that translate research into meaningful educational improvement while building long‑term institutional relationships.
Decolonising Sustainable Practices for Global Environmental Futures: Co-creating Inclusive and Intercultural Curricula with International Students across Disciplines- UK & Australia
Dr Suraiya Hameed & Professor Angela Christidis from Exeter University is currently working on an an initiative that establishes a research and curriculum development collaboration between the University of Queensland and the University of Exeter, building on existing co-creation curriculum innovation currently being developed at Exeter (2025/26) and extending this through a comparative UK–Australia framework for decolonised, intercultural sustainability education. The collaboration brings together complementary expertise in sustainability education, intercultural curriculum design and student partnership approaches, enabling a robust comparative perspective across the UK and Australian higher education contexts. Grounded in Indigenous engagement and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), it addresses a systemic gap: universities pursue sustainability as an operational and strategic goal, yet the curricula students encounter across law, medicine, business, engineering, arts and science still reflect predominantly Northern, Eurocentric frameworks. The ecological knowledge, cultural relationships with land and environment, and sustainability traditions carried by international students remain untapped. This project repositions those students — across all faculties — not as recipients of sustainability curricula, but as co-designers of a scalable intercultural sustainability curriculum framework with potential for whole-institution adoption.
ARC-DP (2021-2025) ‘Beyond global discourses of data’:
There is considerable attention to particular kinds of data – especially numeric and standardised test data – in schools and schooling systems. However, much of the ‘headline-grabbing’ data do not capture the nature of the learning that actually occurs in schools. Furthermore, the media’s portrayal of data in schools is often incomplete and sometimes sensationalised. These ‘headline indicators’ only touch the surface about how data are understood and engaged by students, teachers, schools, and their communities.
This project aims to understand how teachers and other educators in schools and school systems engage with a broader conception of data for enhanced learning, on a truly global scale, in schools serving diverse communities. The project highlights the myriad ways students, teachers, school leaders, system personnel and other educators in different national settings – England, Australia, Singapore and Bangladesh – work with data. The project re-conceptualises how data are understood globally, through sharing detailed stories about school-based and system uses of data. Co-created stories involving students, teachers, school leaders and system personnel illustrate diverse, ethical and innovative ways to foster student learning. These accounts show how students and educators engage with data to inform student learning, teachers’ practice in classrooms, administrators’ actions in schools and policy-makers’ work at system levels.
For more information, refer to our website: https://beyondglobaldata.com/
The Geopolitics of International Student Mobility
at The University of Hong Kong.
Research is also being undertaken into current policy settings in Higher Education in Australia and beyond. This includes analysis of key policies and policy artefacts to reveal how a more ‘domestic-first’ agenda has become more prominent in the Australian HE policy context. Research is also being undertaken into global-local dynamics of Higher Education policy and politics in other national policy settings to reveal broader global homologies which seek to residualise the international student experience, as well as the variability that attend these processes more broadly.
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Get in touch to learn more about our research.
Dr. Suraiya Abdul Hameed