Ahmad Akkad

Dr Ahmad Akkad joined the Department of Education as a Postdoctoral Researcher in 2023. He is currently an Honorary Research Fellow and serves as a College Advisor at Blackfriars Hall. He is also co-leading the Global Observatory on Academic Freedom at King’s College London (KCL), and a Co-Convenor of the Diary Method Community and the Higher Education Research Group at KCL.
Ahmad holds a PhD in Education from the University of Warwick. His doctoral research employed a longitudinal qualitative design to explore the lived experiences of displaced Syrian academics, theorising their contributions to higher education reconstruction and the recovery–development nexus in conflict-affected contexts. His research spans international higher education, academic mobility and displacement, education in conflict and emergencies, doctoral education, diaspora, and qualitative methodologies—particularly diary methods.

Ahmad has taught on the MA in Global Education and International Development at the University of Warwick, lectured at universities in Syria, and collaborated with international organisations—including the Association of Commonwealth Universities and UN-affiliated NGOs—to advance refugee education in Europe and conflict-affected regions. He has also delivered research training at the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), the Qualitative Methods Hub at Oxford, and the Qualitative Research Forum at the University of Warwick.

Ahmad received the Outstanding Contribution to the Research Environment Award at the University of Warwick in 2024, and in 2023, he was awarded a Non-Stipendiary Fellowship in Humanities and Social Sciences at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford.

Publications

• Akkad, A. (2026). “International student mobility and transnational social relations: How returnees contribute to higher education transformation through the ‘multiplier effect’”, Journal of Studies in International Education
• Akkad, A., & Hanley, N. (2026). ”International academic mobility and the temporality of contribution: a morphogenetic analysis of returnee scholars’ engagement in higher education”. Studies in Higher Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2026.2695258
• Akkad, A. (2025). “FIT higher education (for) reconstruction: Contributions of displaced Syrian academics for, in, and through higher education in conflict-affected Syria”, Globalisation, Societies, and Education, 24(1), 323–339, DOI: 10.1080/14767724.2025.2557451
• Akkad, (2025). “Displaced academics’ mobility and translocational positionalities: ‘Academic poverty’, ‘academic death’, and ‘academic re-existence’’, Higher Education. 91, 741–758, DOI: 10.1007/s10734-025-01440-0
• Akkad, A. (forthcoming 2026). “Beyond welcome: Why academic sanctuary needs institutional infrastructure”, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, USA
• Akkad, A. (2022). “Displaced Syrian academics: Unheard voices in academia”, Forced Migration Review (70), p. 55–58. Available at: https://www.fmreview.org/sites/default/files/FMRdownloads/en/issue70/akkad.pdf
• Akkad, A. & Henderson, E. F. (2021). “Exploring the role of HE teachers as change agents in the reconstruction of post-conflict Syria”, Teaching in Higher Education, 29:1, 126-143, DOI: 1080/13562517.2021.1965571
• Akkad, A. & Abdulkader, A. (2015). “Gender-related differences in ‘hedges’ and ‘intensifiers’ as used by EFL learners at the Higher Institute of Languages, Aleppo University”, Research Journal of Aleppo University, No. 100, pp. 100-115
• Burford, J., Deeb, S., Dangeni, Henderson, E. F., Kier-Byfield, S., & Akkad, A. (2026). Expectations of independence from the outset? The discourse of researcher independence in the pre-application stage of doctoral admissions. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 63(4), 1058–1073. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2026.2617864
• Burford, J., Deeb, S., Dangeni, Henderson, E., Kier-Byfiled, S., and Akkad, A. (2026) “Expectations of independence from the outset? The discourse of researcher independence in the pre-application stage of doctoral admissions”, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 63(4), 1058–1073. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2026.2617864
• Burford, J., Kier-Byfield, S., Dangeni, Henderson, F. E., Akkad, (2024). “Pre-application doctoral communications: A missing dimension in research on doctoral admissions”, Educational Review, DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2024.2306950
• Chankseliani, M., Akkad, A., Hanley, N., Kwak, J., & Wang, Z. (2025). “International study and democratic consciousness: From formation to engagement.” International Journal of Educational Development, 119, 103453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103453
• Chankseliani, M., Akkad, A., Crisostomo, Hanley, N., Kwak, J., M., Melo, G. and Wang, Z., (2025). “International student mobility and poverty reduction: A qualitative study of the mechanisms of systemic change”, World Development, 195, 107116.
• Hanley, N., Tyson, L. S., Wang, Z., Kwak, J., Akkad, A., Vari-Lavoisier, I., & Chankseliani, M. (2025). Impact of international professional mobility programmes: A systematic literature review. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14779714241311007
• Henderson, F. E. & Akkad, (2026). “Introducing the Work-related Diary Design Framework (WDDF): Methodological insights from three diary studies with ‘busy’ academics as research participants”, Qualitative Research
• Henderson, E. F., Akkad, A., Kier-Byfield, S., Burford, J., and Dangeni (2024). “Seeking supervisability: The inclusivity implications of doctoral supervisors’ engagement with prospective applicants prior to formal admissions”, Research Papers in Education, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2024.2349989
• Tozan, O. and Akkad, A. (2026). “Towards a critical approach to diaspora engagement in education development in conflict-affected contexts”, Teaching in Higher Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2026.2620034
• Wang, Z., Hanley, N., Kwak, J., Vari-Lavoisier, I., Al Hussein, M., Tyson, L., Akkad, A., & Chankseliani, M. (2024). “How do international student returnees contribute to the development of their home countries? A systematic mapping and thematic synthesis”, International Journal of Educational Research, 125, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102330

Research Projects Publications

• Akkad, A., Rose, H., Iddrisu, H. D., & Ma, Y. (2025). Gatekeeping or Gateways: Rethinking Academic Inclusion for Displaced and At-Risk Scholars: Final Report. Oxford: Department of Education, University of Oxford.
• Akkad, A., Rose, H., Iddrisu, H. D., and MA, Y. (2025). Building inclusive academic sanctuary for displaced and at-risk scholars: project brief. Oxford: Department of Education, University of Oxford.
• Akkad, A., Rose, H., Iddrisu, H. D., and MA, Y. (2025) Navigating academic sanctuary: Insights from displaced and at-risk scholars: project brief. Oxford: Department of Education, University of Oxford.
• Akkad, A. (Forthcoming 2024). “How to support displaced academics in higher education institutions? A policy brief”. Coventry: Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Centre for International Development, University of Warwick
• Akkad, A., Tyson, L.S., Hanley, N., Wang, Z., and Chankseliani, M. (2023). “A reflective report on an elites interview instrument: Preparation, piloting, and use in practice”. Oxford: Department of Education, University of Oxford
• Burford, J., Henderson, E. F., Akkad, A., Dangeni, Kier-Byfield, S. (2023). “The Role of the supervisor in pre-application doctoral communications: Final project report”. Coventry: Department for Education Studies, University of Warwick. Available at: https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/178943/
• Burford, J., Henderson, E. F., Kier-Byfield, S., Akkad, A., Dangeni, and Mansuy, J.(2023). “The importance of pre-application doctoral communications for applicants: Project briefing”. Coventry: Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick. Available at: https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/179604/
• Burford, J., Henderson, E. F., Kier-Byfield, S., Dangeni, and Akkad, A., (2023). “Pre-application doctoral communications (PADC) projects: Final report”. Coventry: Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick. Available at: https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/178943/
• Burford, J., Henderson, E. F., Akkad, A., Dangeni, and Kier-Byfield, S. (2022). “Pre-admissions doctoral communications: Professional development activity kit for working with PGR supervisors”.Coventry: Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick. Available at: https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/170733/
• Burford, J., Henderson, E. F., Akkad, A., Dangeni, and Kier-Byfield, S.(2022). “The role of the institution in pre-application doctoral communications: Project brief”. Coventry: Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick. Available at: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/169426/
• Burford, J., Henderson, E. F., Akkad, A., Dangeni, and Kier-Byfield, S.(2022). “The role of the supervisor in pre-application doctoral communications: Project brief”. Coventry: Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick. Available at: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/169425/
• Chankseliani, M., Kwak, J., Akkad, A., Melo, G., Crisostomo, M., Hanley, N., & Wang, Z. (2025). “International Mobility and World Development: Estimating the System-Level Impact of ECA and International Exchanges, Final Report. Oxford: Department of Education, University of Oxford
• Chankseliani, M., Wang, Z., Hanley, N., Kwak, J., Vari-Lavoisier, I., Tyson, L. S., & Akkad, A. (2024). How Do International Student Returnees Contribute to Home Country Development? International Higher Education. 120 Anniversary Issue.
• Chankseliani, M., Wang, Z., Hanley, N., Kwak, J., Vari-Lavoisier, I., Tyson, L. S., & Akkad, A. (2024). Returning graduates do give back, but need more support. World University News
• Henderson, E. F., Akkad, A., Zheng, E. (2025). Response to the University of Warwick Review of Research Centres: Report. Unpublished internal report: Doctoral Education and Academia Research Centre (DEAR), University of Warwick