Dr Ahmed Hussain is the Chief Education Officer with AISL. This position involves leading on educational strategy and operations across the Harrow group of schools in Asia. He is also an Associate Professor in the school of education Durham University, a member of the editorial board with Research Journal: International Education Theory and Practice, a member of the expert panel for Pudong Education Bureau, Shanghai and a Fellow of the Charter College for Teaching, UK.
Professional and research experience
Following an initial career as a post-doctoral research scientist and lecturer at University of Nottingham, Ahmed trained as teacher of science with the school of education, Durham University. Following a number of teaching and leadership positions, Ahmed was appointed as a Lecturer of Education at Durham University. Here he led on training and developing teachers, teaching on Masters and EdD courses as well as undertaking research in the fields of curriculum analysis, assessment and teacher professional development. Ahmed took up a number of senior leadership positions in schools in the UK and Dubai along with working in the education reform project in Abu Dhabi. Here he led projects on senior leader and teacher professional development along with supporting the development and rollout of national standards for school leaders and teachers in the UAE. Ahmed then took up the role of Director of Schools with Wellington College China, playing a key role in establishing Wellington College China as a leading education group regionally and internationally.
Contribution to education in China
Through a number of partnerships with state education in Shanghai, Hangzhou and at national level, the Ahmed has contributed to education reform through:
- Exchange of ideas and experience
- Training and development
- Research projects
Examples of impact include developing the capacity of teachers in Shanghai to implement formative assessment practices. Research in this field has demonstrated that the use of formative assessment practices not only improved student achievement in paper and pencil tests but is also associated with higher levels of motivation and self-efficacy.
Other areas of research activity include:
- Language acquisition within bilingual schools in China
- The impact of assessing levels of student wellbeing and involvement on quality ofteaching and student achievement
- The influence of professional learning approaches on collaborative teacher efficacy (CTE) and distributed leadership
- Comparative analysis of leadership in Chinese, bilingual and international schools
Ahmed has published in a range of fields including:
- Plant physiology
- Science education
- Assessment
- Curriculum analysis
- Bilingual education
- Education reform in China
Ahmed is a passionate educator who was drawn to AISL because of the educational values, ethos and commitment to a truly holistic education. He is married with two boys, and as a family they are truly embracing the rich heritage and culture of Hong Kong SAR and China.
