Professor Catherine Bovill (NTF, PFHEA, FSEDA, PhD, MEd, MSc, BSc Nursing (hons))

Head of Academic Development, and Professor of Student Engagement in Higher Education

  • Academic Development
  • Academic Quality and Standards
  • Registry Services

Contact details

Address

Street

Old College
South Bridge

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9YL

Biography

Background

Catherine Bovill is Head of Academic Development and Personal Chair of Student Engagement in Higher Education. With a background in health promotion and a PhD in International Development, she has been an Academic Developer for over 20 years, supporting the enhancement of teaching and the development of teachers in higher education. Cathy is considered a world leader in co-created curriculum, student partnership in learning and teaching, and student engagement, and has published over 60 articles and books on co-creation and partnership, and given over 100 invited keynote presentations and masterclasses internationally. Cathy is a National Teaching Fellow, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association,  External Examiner at the University of Hong Kong, invited member of the UK Teaching Excellence Awards Advisory Panel, invited member of the Review Board for Higher Education, and an invited member of the Editorial Board for the Center for Engaged Learning Open Access Book Series, Elon University.

She has held a range of key roles and received awards for her work including: Fulbright Scholar (2019-2020), Visiting Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway (2020-2026), Visiting Fellow (Knowledge Exchange) at the University of Winchester (2017-2022); External Reviewer, Napier University, External Examiner Newcastle University, External Examiner St Andrews University, Editorial Board for Teaching in Higher Education (2015-2024), Associate Editor (Europe) for International Journal for Academic Development (2013-2016), International Advisory Group member for the International Journal for Students as Partners (2016-2018), 

Qualifications

PhD (International Development) - Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

MEd Academic Practice (with distinction) - University of Glasgow

MSc International Social Development and Health (with distinction) - Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

BSc Nursing (hons) - University of Edinburgh

Responsibilities & affiliations

Head of Academic Development

Senate Education Committee member

Learning and Teaching Strategy Implementation group member

Bristol Case Action Planning group member

External Quality Review Oversight group member

Assessment and Feedback Strategy group member

Student Lifecycle Management Group member

Learning and Teaching and Student Experience IT Portfolios group member

Postgraduate teaching

Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP) - programme for University of Edinburgh staff who teach/support learning

Course Organiser - Course 1 Becoming an Engaging Teacher 

 

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

I supervise PhD students who are researching topics involving co-created curriculum and student-staff partnership in learning and teaching. I also have an interest in projects focused on academic development. I am a qualitative researcher and particularly welcome projects involving participatory methodologies, case study methodology, action research, evaluation approaches - but am open to other methodological approaches. 

I have acted as internal and external examiner for a range of PhDs and EdD theses in the UK and internationally.

Past PhD students supervised

Gerald Decelles II 2026 University of Oslo, Norway

Sam Lucie Dvorakova 2021 University of Edinburgh

Gill Aitken 2021 University of Edinburgh

Tanya Lubicz Nawrocka 2020 University of Edinburgh

Jeroen Bron 2018 Humanist University of Utrecht, Netherlands

Alison Cairns 2018 University of Glasgow

Sally Kuenssberg 2016 University of Glasgow

Abdullah Al Omir 2016 University of Glasgow

Cherie Woolmer 2016 University of Glasgow

Natalie Watters 2015 University of Glasgow

Ted Scanlon 2014 University of Glasgow

Research summary

Co-creation of curriculum in higher education

Student-staff partnership in all areas of learning and teaching

Student engagement

Relational pedagogy, belonging, mattering, and community

Strategic approaches to academic development

Current research interests

My research interests focus on meaningful collaboration between staff and students to design learning, teaching, assessment and curricula. Underpinning this is the key role of building relationships and trust in the classroom (whether physical, virtual or hybrid), and enhancing students' sense that they matter within our universities. I am predominantly a qualitative researcher, with a particular interest in participatory, case study and evaluation methodologies. I am also interested in the approaches Academic Development Centres /University Learning and Teaching Centres adopt to strategically enhance teaching across institutions.

Past research interests

International Development; Internationalisation of higher education; participatory approaches in health and international development.

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