Learning & Teaching Scholars
SICSA’s L&T Scholars programme provides development opportunities for learning and teaching staff in CS across Scotland.
About
Established in 2021 by Dr Matthew Barr (SICSA Education Director 2021-2024) the L&T Scholars programme exists to provide development opportunities for learning and teaching staff across all of Scotland’s schools (or departments) of Computing Science.
The programme comprises a series of meet-ups, mentoring, and networking, designed to develop new scholarship ideas and explore innovative teaching practice. It is aimed primarily at early-to-mid career colleagues on ‘learning and teaching’ or ‘scholarship’ type contracts, for whom development opportunities are, perhaps, less readily available.
While the programme is very much focused on developing the individual participants’ scholarship and teaching practice, the intention is that it will have a positive impact on teaching practice across the discipline in Scotland. By collaborating on scholarship projects and sharing ideas about best practice in learning and teaching, our Scholars can help develop the learning culture and teaching practice in Computing Science schools across the country.
“Participating in the Scholars Programme was a great experience. It helped me connect with fellow academics and provided valuable mentoring that truly enhanced my career. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone starting out.”
– Tiffany Young, Lecturer, Robert Gordon University
2025-26 Programme
Early to mid-career colleagues involved in teaching Computing Science and related subjects at SICSA member institutions were invited to apply for the Learning & Teaching Scholars programme.
The programme is designed to develop and support early-to-mid career CS academics with a focus on education. Successful applicants will take part in a series of online and in-person activities to develop their scholarship, culminating in the presentation of an idea that can be taken forward into a publication. Please see below for an indicative schedule.
The programme will also include an online workshop on Learning & Teaching leadership, delivered by an experienced external partner. In addition, Scholars will be assigned a mentor, with whom they will meet twice over the course of the programme. At the end of the programme, Scholars will be invited to write about their experience for the SICSA Education blog.
If you have any questions about the programme, please contact our Deputy Director of Education, Dr Areti Manataki.
Schedule
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 11 November 2025 | Applications open |
| 1 December 2025 | Applications close |
| 8 December 2025 | Scholars announced |
| 26 January 2026 | Speed networking event for scholars (online) |
| w/c 2 February 2026 | Mentors assigned |
| w/c 23 February 2026 | Scholarship project kick-off (online) project meeting |
| 19 March 2026 | Leadership Workshop (online) |
| w/c 27 April 2026 | Scholarship project meet-up (online) |
| June 2026 | Final poster presentations (in-person) |
| w/c 22 June 2026 | Scholar blog posts published |
Meet our current Scholars
Learning & Teaching Scholar Alumni
Now in its fourth iteration, SICSA’s L&T Scholars programme has supported over thirty academic colleagues at ten of our member institutions, enhancing CS teaching excellence across Scotland.
2024-25
Shahid Mahmood Awan, University of the West of Scotland
Joseph El Gemayel, University of Strathclyde
Marc Kydd, Abertay University
Imene Mitiche, Glasgow Caledonian University
Alistair Morrison, University of Glasgow
Verda Munir, Abertay University
Martins Olaleye, University of the West of Scotland
Xander Purvis, Abertay University
Gule Saman, Heriot-Watt University
2023-24
Jonathan Grizou, University of Glasgow
Muhammad Irfan, University of Strathclyde
Asad Javied, Robert Gordon University
Danai Korre, University of Edinburgh
Laura Larios-Jones, University of Glasgow
Ashley Morton, Edinburgh Napier University
Ezra Schoen, University of Strathclyde
Marianne Wilson, Edinburgh Napier University
2022-23
Cristina Adriana Alexandru, University of Edinburgh
Oana Andrei, University of Glasgow
Mireilla Bikanga Ada, University of Glasgow
Mun See Chang, University of St Andrews
Peter Chapman, Edinburgh Napier University
Aurora Constantin, University of Edinburgh
Charlotte Desvages, University of Edinburgh
Martin Goodfellow, University of Strathclyde
Konstantinos Liaskos, University of Strathclyde
Areti Manataki, University of St Andrews
Chris McCaig, University of Glasgow
Alistair McConnell, Heriot-Watt University
Nur Syibrah Binti Muhamad Naim, University of Strathclyde
Jamie O’Hare, Abertay University
Isla Jean Elizabeth Ross, University of Strathclyde
Tiffany Young, Robert Gordon University