Appointed 2025

Paul Ashwin is Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University, UK. Paul’s research focuses on the educational role of higher education, how knowledge transforms students’ understanding of themselves and the world, and the role of policies in shaping the education offered by higher education institutions.

His book, ‘Transforming University Education: A Manifesto’ (Bloomsbury 2020), argues for a focus on the educational, rather than economic, purposes of university degrees. He is the lead author on Reflective Teaching in Higher Education (2015, 2020) written by an international team to support the development of research-informed university teaching. Paul is joint Editor-in-Chief of the international journal ‘Higher Education,’ and co-editor of two Bloomsbury book series: ‘Understanding Student Experiences of Higher Education’ and ‘Enhancing Reflective Teaching in Higher Education’.