-          your name,

-          you might want to add a picture,

-          where you are from,

-          what you where doing before you started the MA Educational  Leadership

-          Something you are proud of personally or professionally

-          what you are interested to learn from this unit

-          What you want us to help you as you become a researcher in Educational Leadership

My name:

I am Karen - formal title is Dr Karen Healey

I am the course unit director for Contemporary Issues in Educational Leadership.

My experience

Before working at the University of Manchester, I worked in schools as a teacher, senior leader and headteacher in England and Wales. I have also worked with school leaders providing support and training.

My research is concerned with how governance configures leadership roles, practices and relationships. I am interested in how these effect democracy in education and achieving a socially just society.

Something I am proud of:

I am proud of the relationships I have personally and professionally and feel vey privileged to have met so many amazing people from many places.

What I am interested to learn in this unit?

To keep thinking and exploring how context matters to the issues we are discussing

What I want help with:

Engage with us, give us examples, ask us questions - lets think together.

My name is Miramgul, and I am from Kazakhstan.

I am currently a third-year PGR at the MIE. I will be a Teaching Assistant for this unit.

Before starting PhD, I worked as an English teacher in Kazakhstan for more than 16 years. For the past 10 years, I also served as an International Baccalaureate (IB) coordinator.

My research at MIE builds on this experience, I am critically examining how teachers in IB schools in Kazakhstan construct their professional identities.

On a personal level, I am proud to be a lifelong learner. This mindset has guided me through my teaching career, my family life, and now my PhD journey.

I first joined this unit as an auditor in my first year, then as a TA in my second year, and I am delighted to be returning again to this unit. Each year, I enjoy learning alongside students about leaders, leading, and leadership, and how these ideas are applied in different educational contexts.

I look forward to working with you all this year.

My name is Claire – it’s lovely to meet you, and I’m really looking forward to working with you and learning alongside you in this unit.

🌍 Where I’m from
I live in a small village in Lancashire, a region close to Greater Manchester. I am definitely not a city person - I like being surrounded by nature, trees and hills!

📚 My background and experience
Before joining the University of Manchester, I worked in secondary schools in England as a teacher and middle leader. My specialist subject is French, and I have also taught English as a Foreign Language to students in France and Nepal.

My research focuses on place and how it shapes educational experiences for children and young people. I’m especially interested in how schools and communities can work together to make education more meaningful for young people whose lives are shaped by poverty and other challenges.

✨ Something I’m proud of personally
My three wonderful children — Esmé, Béatrice, and Sébastien — who make sure there’s never a dull moment at home!

🏆 Something I’m proud of professionally

I had the privilege of serving as Programme Director for the MA in Educational Leadership for the last three years and have now passed this role on to Dr Jo Doherty. It was an honour to support so many students and learn about their incredible work.

🤝 What I’d like from you

I’m excited to learn about your educational backgrounds and experiences, and how these will shape the kinds of leaders you will become in the future. The most important thing I’d ask from you is your active participation, discussion, and engagement in all our sessions.

My name is Ruirui Dai, and I am from China. You can just call me Rui. I am a new student of postgraduate program in MA Educational Leadership.

My experience

Before pursuing my postgraduate studies, I majored in Tourism Management at Ningbo University in China. This is a Sino-French Cooperation Major，so I can also speak French. My internship experience during my undergraduate years ignited my passion for the field of education, so I applied for educational leadership as my graduate study direction. This is my first time in UK and also Manchester, but I’ve already fallen in love with this vibrant and inclusive city. 🤩🤩🤩

Something I am proud of:

I can describe myself as a resilient person. And I love to study new languages, I’ve already learnt French and currently I am studying Spanish. Besides, I am a music lover, especially pop music and classical music. I also enjoy reading, watching documentaries and series during my spare time.

What I am interested to learn from this unit:

To have a deepen understanding of contemporary issues in education leadership of different countries and regions, as well as to engage with them.

-          I'm from China

-          I was major in English and German literature at phase of undergraduate before I started the MA Educational  Leadership here in Manchester.

-          what I'm really interested to learn from this unit is the connection between social issues and educational leadership. I'm excited to do such research.

-          What you want us to help you as you become a researcher in Educational Leadership: I would like to learn some methodology to do academic research and political strategy analysis.

My name is Monica.

I came from China. It’s great honour for me to join in this session. And I’m really looking forwards to know all of you.

My  background and Experience：

Before joining the University of Manchester, I studied at Brunel University of London for my undergraduate degree. My supervisor used to studied at UOM and lots of other university, and when I told her that my dream uni is UOM, she suggested me to apply since my grade is pretty good. So, that’s why I’m here.

Something I’m proud of personally or professionally:

I would say there’s a lot.  I do speak three languages - Chinese, English and Korean.  I do play different instrument -Piano and Chinese GuZheng. And  I do cook and baking really well.

Something I would love to learn from this unit:

I would love to learn more comparison on educational system and issues in different countries or contexts. For example, Gender, Identities and social status.

I'm from China.

I studied Law at Zhejiang University, and after graduation I took a gap year to travel and spent some time living in Edinburgh before starting the MA Educational Leadership programme here in Manchester.

Something I am proud of is being a go-getter who is always passionate about life and open to new experiences.

What I am really interested to learn from this unit is how educational leadership can be applied in practice, as well as developing a deeper understanding of the differences in leadership approaches across countries.

What I would like support with as I become a researcher in Contemporary Issues in Educational Leadership is developing my skills in critical analysis and research methodology, so that I can conduct meaningful comparative studies on educational leadership across different national contexts.

• My name is Te Xu_, ( you can call me Susie), I'm from Beijing, China. I'm really looking forward to studying together with all of you.

  
  

• My background and Experience：Before starting the MA Educational Leadership, I had over ten years of experience working at an international school as a teacher and coordinator. During this time, I was responsible for managing various educational programs and supporting students and colleagues.

  
  

• Something I am proud of：I'm proud of being responsible and having strong action ability in my work.

  
  

• What I am interested to learn from this unit：I'm interested in learning how to solve contemporary educational issues from this unit. I hope you can help me understand contemporary educational issues more deeply, find ways to solve them, and apply these methods to real teaching as I become a researcher in Educational Leadership.

- My name is Jingmeng Li, you can call me Joyce.

- I am from China.

- I majored in Materials engineering during my undergraduate phase before I started the major in Educational Leadership in Manchester. This is really a significant shift in my field of study, but it's because of some of my past practice and passion; that's why I choose to study this major in Manchester.

- One of the things I'm proud of is being able to study my favorite major at the University of Manchester. Additionally, I always have a curiosity for new things, and having an optimistic and energetic attitude towards life， which is something I am proud of.

- What I am interested to learn from this unit: I am interested in the reasons for these issues in the field of educational leadership, as well as the problems that exist in different countries and among different races.

- what I want you to help me as I become a researcher in Educational Leadership: I would like to learn some academic research methodology and learn more effective solutions about some contemporary issues in the field of educational leadership.

Something I Am Proud Of-

I am proud of my teaching experience in India and the UAE. Beyond academic instruction, I am particularly proud of fostering critical thinking, language proficiency, and confidence among my students.

What I Am Interested to Learn from This Unit-

I am particularly interested in understanding how contemporary issues—such as equity, globalization, technological change, and policy reforms—shape educational leadership in diverse contexts.

I hope to critically engage with these topics to develop leadership practices that are both innovative and contextually responsive.

What I Want Support With as a Researcher-

I would value support in developing the skills required for rigorous academic inquiry. Specifically, I seek guidance in formulating research questions, conducting critical literature reviews, and applying theoretical frameworks effectively.

My name is Chenxu Zhao(Angela).

I’m from Guangzhou, China. Before my MA Educational Leadership, I experienced my undergraduate years. I majored in English, and also learned some French.

I am proud of my positive attitude, my ability to feel smooth emotions and see beautiful scenes, and my lovely friends and family.

I am interested in how educational leadership interacts with different cultural, social and political contexts. Through the course, I can get more further insights into this topic.

I hope to hear more about your educational experience, feel more enthusiasm for educational leadership, and have practical opportunities to better develop myself.

Where I’m from: China.

What I was doing before the MA Educational Leadership: Before beginning my studies at the University of Manchester, I studied Language at university in Qingdao, China. Education is a relatively new field for me, and there might be some gaps between my previous studies and this program. However, I’ve always been interested in education.

Something I’m proud of: I think I’m a very plan-oriented person. I enjoy breaking down tasks and making them happen step by step.

What I’m interested to learn from this unit: I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the existing issues in Educational Leadership today. Specifically, I want to build a more comprehensive, global view.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone and learning together!

A few words about me

I’m Jo. I’m the Programme Director for the MA Educational Leadership Programme (some of you will have met me during Welcome Week). I live in West Yorkshire with my family - I have 3 lovely children, Ruby, Edith and Solomon and a dog called Nelly, who is cute but can be quite a handful!

My experience

I’m really excited about getting to know you all some more and working and learning with you on this fantastic unit!

Before I came to Manchester I worked in other universities in England and have over 20 years’ experience of teaching and researching Education and have held various leadership roles.

My research

My research interests are wide ranging and I am particularly interested in how parents experience school governance and the barriers they encounter in becoming a governor (I’m also a parent governor myself). Another area of interest is in school leader retention- considering why school leaders stay in, or leave, the profession.

What I want from the unit

To learn from your experiences and the knowledge you bring from your different contexts. I’d also appreciate your active participation and engagement in classes. I felt that this is a crucial element of learning.

- My name is Xinyu Cai, and you can also call me Sally.

- I am from China.

- Before starting the MA Educational Leadership, I studied Economics in Shanghai for the past four years.

- I am proud of my adventurous spirit and optimistic mindset, and I like to learn different languages by myself, I am currently learning Korean.

- I am interested in further learning study and practice of leadership, and I want to learn more about educational research and critical thinking.

Hello everyone!My name is Xue Yijia, and my English name is Charlotte.

where you are from, what you where doing before you started the MA Educational Leadership:

I graduated from City University of Macau with a Bachelor’s degree in Portugueses,

Something you are proud of personally or professionally:

I love traveling and photography, so I'm proud to have visited many countries on my own. I'm also a well-organized and hardworking person and I like to do everything with a positive attitude. I also enjoy meeting new people.

what you are interested to learn from this unit

Interpretation and application of Educational Leadership in different countries and contexts

Before starting the MA Educational Leadership study, I majored in Chinese Education as an undergraduate and gained several teaching internship experiences.

Something I am proud of is that I can always discover the happy and beautiful things in daily life, record them through painting, writing or photography, and always maintain a positive mindset to face life.

During my internship, I experienced and understood the actual problems existing in the current education. So I really want to acquire solutions and ideas through the study of this course.

🙋‍♂️I am Bruce, from Manchester, and I have worked in higher education in the legal sector in England for the last 20 years. I am taking a one year sabbatical to complete the Educational Leadership MA. ✅ I am proud of how the degree apprenticeship programmes I have worked on have widened access to the legal profession and supported social mobility.

💡I am interested in what HE will look like in ten years time and how current policies around skills and lifelong learning will drive change. I hope to learn more about education policy globally and look forward to hearing lots of international perspectives.

I am Ellie, I am from England and I am a second year PGR student.

I completed in my Masters in Education Leadership four years ago at University of Manchester, and I liked it that much I have returned to complete a PhD!

I will be attending the Contemporary Issues in Education Leadership lectures and seminars to help me write my thesis! I look forward to meeting and learning from all of you!

Keep safe and well

Ellie

I’m from Manchester and I currently have a BA in music performance!

I teach music at a university and one- one lessons of all ages.

I am interested in learning more about education and how I can improve my courses both online and in person!