Amelia Harker (SFHEA, EdTA 3)

Lecturer - Senior Fellow - Widening Participation Coordinator - Social Justice Research Officer

Biography

Background

I bring two decades of experience in higher education and organisational management, including programme development, teaching, supervision, & research at leading UK universities. I am interested in initiatives which are morally ambitious and which tackle complex human issues with systems thinking and humanity.

I am an intercultural communication specialist with a background in sociology, psychology and socio-linguistics. I have advanced social and analytical skills and I'm experienced in translating macro-level policies into meaningful micro-level outcomes across public, private, and third sectors.

With experience training professionals in trauma informed practice (TIP), high order thinking (HOT) skills- such as criticality, and critical intercultural communication, I enjoy blending personal and professional development content to create meaningful educational experiences. 

I have advised the Scottish Government, Education Beyond Borders, and the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) on multi-stakeholder responses to complex human challenges and was highly commended for the Community Impact Award by the University of Edinburgh’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. I have led higher education initiatives on internationalisation & forced migration; working to achieve UNHCR and UNSDG goals.

I am currently part of the Edinburgh Leader Programme, further developing authentic, inclusive, and courageous leadership within higher education and beyond.

Prior work involved delivering bespoke corporate training solutions for Scottish and international technology, energy, finance and production industries. 

 

Qualifications

Edinburgh Leader Programme:  Leading Strategically and Influencing for Impact

Senior Fellowship Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) Edinburgh Teaching Award (EdTA Level 3)    

MSc International Higher Education (Scholarship gained & MSc achieved with Distinction) - The University of Edinburgh                        

MA Hons Sociology & Psychology - The University of Aberdeen                                                                                                   

Advanced Spanish - The University of Seville, Spain                                                                                                                    

Interlingua Teaching Certification, Rome                 

HNC Social Science - North East Scotland College                                                                                                      

Postgraduate teaching

Lecturer in EAP, Intercultural Communication and Internationalisation - The University of Edinburgh                                   2024 - Present

Courses & Professional Training Workshops:

  • Qualitative Research Methodology
  • Mindful Interculturality Training for Professionals - Why Self Awareness is Key
  • Psychologically Informed Environments - Inclusive of Trauma Informed Practice
  • Writing Your PhD First Year Report 
  • Critical Intercultural Communication Skills for Post Graduate Students
  • Academic Language and Literacies for New Scots 
  • Creating Transformative Learning Environments with curricular space for Diverse and Embodied Epistemologies 

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Teaching Fellow- The University of Edinburgh                                                                        2020- 2024

Courses:

  • Sanctuary English Language Provision Course Organiser

*This was creative new outreach provision, which received excellent feedback from over 400 students.

  • English for University Study Course Organiser

*This innovative new provision involved collaboration with third sector specialists in digital learning technologies to enhance our course, thereafter opening access to this offer to diverse groups locally and globally.

  • Intercultural Communication Skills (ICS) (SQA Level 7-11) 
  • Post Graduate Preparatory English Programme (PGPEP) - Academic Development and Reflection (ADR) (SQA Level 10) 
  • General English Language Pre-sessional Phase 1 (SQA Level 10)
  • Post Graduate Preparatory English Programme (PGPEP)- Study Skills and Reflection (SSR) (SQA Level 10)
  • Academic Writing for In-Sessional Study (AWIS) (SQA Level 11)
  • Academic Language & Literacies for Postgraduate Professional Law Programmes (ALL-PPLP) (SQA Level 11)
  • Academic Writing for Social and Political Sciences (SPS) (SQA Level 11)

 

English for Academic Purposes Tutor - The University of Edinburgh                                                                          2015-2020

Courses:

  • English Language Teaching for Education Masters (ELTEM) Pre-sessional Phase 2 (SQA Level 10) Course Organiser
  • Academic Listening and Speaking (SQA Level 10) Course Organiser
  • Seminar & Discussion Skills (SDS) (SQA Level 11) Course Organiser
  • General English Language Pre-sessional Phase 1 (SQA Level 10)
  • Academic English for Visiting Students (AEVS 2) (SQA Level 10)
  • Academic Writing for Education (AWE) (SQA Level 11)
  • CMVM Scientific Academic Writing (SAW) (SQA Level 11)
  • Dissertation Writing for Moray House School of Education and Sport (SQA Level 11)
  • PhD Writing the First Year Report (WFYR) (SQA Level 12)

Research summary

Harker, A. & Acem, S. 2026. Emancipatory Participant Action Research and Academic Language and Literacies Development: A Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) Research Incubation Visit. In The Cambridge University Press Elements Series on Forced Migration and Higher Education. Cambridge.

Harker, A., Atka, N., & Dolejsi, K. pending 2026. Building Inclusive Academic Communities:​ A Collaborative Approach to English Language Entrance Testing for At-Risk Applicants.

Harker, A. pending 2026. English Language for Widening Participation: Sanctuary Initiatives for Displaced People in Higher Education.

Harker, A. 2024. Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) and Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) at the University of Edinburgh. RefugEAP Network Blogs. 

Harker, A. Pershina, E. & Rossi, A. 2017. Building a dedicated module for critical thinking. Edinburgh International College, Edinburgh Napier University. https://learningandteachingnavitas.com/building-dedicated-module-critical-thinking/ Harker nee

Nash, A. 2016. Intercultural Learning in Modern Language Education: Expanding Meaning Making Potentials. Language and Intercultural Communication, 17:1, 81- 83, DOI:10.1080/14708477.2016.1201917

Current research interests

- AI Transformations, Learning, and Culture Design. - At Risk Scholar narrative research regarding university scholarships (supporting Education Beyond Boarders). - At Risk Scholar support re Trauma Informed Practice. - Trauma Informed Practice training and institutional support for higher education staff. - Higher Education collaboration with NGOs, Charities &the Private Sector re At Risk Scholars participation. - Embedded Academic Language and Literacies as Widening Participation activity. - Digital Learning Platforms and Open Access: How universities can help (Social Justice).

Past research interests

1. Internationalisation in Higher Education: Facilitating the construction of internationalised universities 2. Decolonisation of the Curriculum: student insights 3. Community Engagement via Participant Action Research 3. Enabling Student Voice via hospitable classroom practices 4. Cultural Transitions, exploration and recommendations 5. Reconstructing stigmatised identities: addicts re-entering society post rehabilitation 6. Criticality in Academic Discourse: student insights 7. Wellbeing for Businesses and Organisations

Knowledge exchange

  1. Given training to the Scottish Government regarding ESOL for Refugee Background People.
  2. Member of RefugEAP network, collating information and best practice in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to share across Higher Ed sector regarding Academic Language and Literacies for At-Risk scholars.
  3. Provided Trauma Informed Practice training to third sector charities working with At-Risk communities. 
  4. Collaborated with third sector (Mosaic) regarding open access materials in line with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium (CLCC) who have been directly consulted on this activity.

Project activity

Themes of projects I have undertaken:

  • Private sector and Higher Education partnerships which enable At-Risk academics and scholars to attend higher education in line with UNHCR and University of Sanctuary goals.
  • Community Access to Higher Education Spaces. 
  • Emergency Responses to Mass Migration: Resettlement Programme Impacts. 
  • Internationalisation in Higher Education: Facilitating the construction of internationalised universities.
  • Decolonising the Curriculum via Academic Language and Literacies. 
  • Community Engagement via Participant Action Research.
  • Enabling Student Voice via hospitable classroom practices.
  • Cultural Transitions, exploration and recommendations.
  • Reconstructing stigmatised identities: addicts re-entering society post rehabilitation.
  • Criticality in Academic Discourse. 
  • Wellbeing for Businesses and Organisations.

Invited speaker

I was invited by the Scottish Government's Refugee Alliance Network to offer insights into ESOL provision for At Risk communities in Scotland and I reviewed elements of the New Scots integration strategy regarding English Language teaching. 

Papers delivered

BALEAP PIM. Nov 2025, hosted by the University of Edinburgh.

  • Theme: Community, Identity & Belonging.
  • Building Inclusive Academic Communities: A Collaborative Approach to Language Testing for Students from Displaced Backgrounds.
  • This 3-part narrative explained how education providers with distinct identities collaborated to meet the needs of people seeking sanctuary. We outlined the issues faced for applicants in regards to testing in fragile environments, the activity that occurred within UoE to find inclusive and scalable solutions that are robust and sustainable. Core themes and these were related to our sector partnerships which enable At-Risk academics and scholars to attend higher education in line with UNHCR and University of Sanctuary goals.

The Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL)/Standing Conference of University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA) June 2023, hosted by the University of Cambridge.

  • Theme: Global Citizenship & Lifelong Learning Conference,
  • At Risk scholar support at UoE ranging from work with the Council for At Risk Academics (CARA), outreach in the community, in-sessional support for matriculated post graduate students, Trauma Informed Pedagogy, achieving the UNHCR goals, the UoE Widening Participation strategy, and fundamentally, Social Justice via English Language Education.

The UoE Learning and Teaching Conference. June 2023, hosted by the University of Edinburgh.

  • Various strands of At-Risk Scholar support at UoE.

The Association of Universities Language Communities (AULC) April 2023, hosted by the University of Edinburgh.

  • Sanctuary English Language initiatives at UoE.

The Universities of Sanctuary Conference Jan 2023, hosted by the University of Edinburgh.

  • Developing English language pathways for refugee background students seeking to access and thrive on university degree programmes.                                           

The Leeds Criticality Symposium. Nov 2019, hosted by the University of Leeds.

  • The Critical Review: concept, context and purpose.

The International Higher Education Teaching and Learning (HETL) Conference. June 2017, hosted by the University of Glasgow.

  • Facilitating the Construction of Internationalised Universities.
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