Educaton
PhD Comparative and International Education, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University
MSc Anthropology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
BA Psychology, Political, University of the Punjab
Bio
Adeela Arshad-Ayaz is an Associate Professor at the Department of Education at Concordia University in Montreal. She has taught for universities in Pakistan (Humdard University), Canada (McGill University, Bishops University, University of Regina and Concordia University),and the United Kingdom (external program the University of London, London School of Economics (LSE).
In the overall context of neoliberal globalization, her research examines the intersections of political economy,cultural pluralism, sustainability, citizenship, technology, hate speech/counter-extremism, and social justice in conjunction with the advancements in interactive technologies. Central to her research is the question of how ‘humans and machines’ interact in topographies of global regimes of power, politics, and economics and how the resultant relationships produce or hinder prospects for collective action leading to reflexive global existence. Her teaching and research are geared towards addressing the power imbalances in society and achieving social justice.
Predicated on the belief that education(and research) must continue to be critical as well as reflective of the collective social conscience, her research philosophy sees education as a commitment to social justice. Education has a major role to play in protecting safety nets (where they are in place) and building new ones (where there are none). The critical foci that cohere this wide range of her interests center on the ever-changing nature of social and educational realities in the wake of rapid changes in the economic, political, social, and technological milieu of the world and the communities living in it. She believes these changes directly impact how educational realities are shaped and also on how education can address these new realities. In the area of comparative and international education, her research demonstrates the importance of context in providing an understanding of NOT what works in education BUT what works under what context.
Prior to taking the position, Dr. Arshad-Ayaz worked as a socio-cultural anthropologist, in the field of International Development on diverse projects in both developing and developed societies. She has also worked closely with various First Nations groups in Canada. Her published work explores education policies related to the introduction of educational technology in Pakistan,Kenya, and other developing countries. She has also published on the impact of globalization on educational policy and the impact of social media on youth’s civic engagement and issues related to diversity in culturally pluralist societies. Her research on diversity-related topics and radicalization and counter-extremism pedagogy has also been featured in leading newspapers,including Le Devoir. Her ongoing research includes several (FQRSC, SSHRC, and Security Canada) funded projects on the use of technology for educational purposes, social media for civic engagement and participation, social media and cultural pluralism, and the dark side of social media: hate speech in online environments.
Dr. Arshad-Ayaz is the co-founder of the International Symposium Teaching about Extremism, Terror, and Trauma (https://www.tett.ca/). She is a Fellow of Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability (LCDS) and Simone de Beauvoir Institute (SdBI) and the also the founding member of the Education Innovation Lab at The Global Centre for Pluralism.
Professional experience
Associate Professor
Department of Education, Concordia University, Montreal. Since August 2017
Graduate Program Director, Educational Studies & Adult Education,Department of Education, Concordia University, Montreal, 2019 to present.
Assistant Professor
Department of Education, Concordia University, Montreal. Since August 2009
Faculty of Education. University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada June 2008-August 2009
Adjunct Faculty
Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Faculty of Education McGill University. 2008
School of Education, Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, 2007.
Visiting Faculty in Sociology
Faculty of Education, Humdard University, Islamabad, Pakistan. 2005
(University of London, B.Sc. Management Course) at University College of Islamabad. 1996-1999.
(University of London, Management & Economics) at Alta Vista College, Islamabad. 1998-1999.
Lecturer
Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Faculty of Education McGill University. 2003, 2004.
Visiting Faculty in Organization Theory
(University of London, B.Sc. Management) at University College of Islamabad. 1996-1999.