The Education-Focused Academic Podcast

Rushana Khusainova and Sally Everett
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The Education-Focused Academic podcast, hosted by Dr Rushana Khusainova and Prof. Sally Everett, shares stories, strategies, and insights to support academics pursuing education-focused careers. From teaching excellence and pedagogical innovation to career development and community building, each episode offers ideas, inspiration, and practical guidance to help you navigate challenges, embrace opportunities, and thrive on the education-focused pathway. Join us on this journey to shape and celebrate education-focused careers.

Episodes

  1. FEB 5

    Episode 5. How pedagogic curiosity turned into AI leadership with Professor Xue Zhou

    In this episode, we are joined by a Professor Xue Zhou - Professor of AI in Business Education and one of the UK’s first Deans of AI to discuss how expertise, focus, and curiosity can shape an education-focused academic career. The conversation traces Professor Zhou’s journey from engineering and digital teaching tools like Top Hat, through widening participation and pedagogic research, to becoming known for AI in education. Along the way, we discuss the realities of limited scholarship time, leadership expectations, and how education-focused academics often have to work harder to make their impact visible. A central part of the episode focuses on very practical uses of generative AI, from reducing admin through meeting summaries, to speeding up systematic literature reviews, and supporting fellowship and promotion applications. AI is framed as a a helpful way of protecting time for teaching, scholarship and leadership. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent the positions of their universities or employers. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, or career advice. Participation by guests is voluntary and by invitation, and their contributions are shared with permission. All book-related content is © the respective publisher and used with permission. This podcast is an independent project and is not an official production of any university.

    23 min

  2. JAN 21

    Episode 4. Strategic uses of generative AI on the education-focused pathway with Dr Marios Kremantzis

    In this episode, we are joined by Marios Kremantzis from the University of Bristol Business School to explore education-focused academic careers through the lens of scale, impact, and generative AI. Marios reflects on his journey from decision science into education-focused leadership, sharing insights on teaching large cohorts, designing fair assessments, supporting international students, and making education work visible and scholarly. The conversation looks at generative AI as a strategic consideration for education-focused academics, how it can support curriculum design, assessment, and academic workflows, while protecting the human-centred core of education. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent the positions of their universities or employers. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, or career advice. Participation by guests is voluntary and by invitation, and their contributions are shared with permission. All book-related content is © the respective publisher and used with permission. This podcast is an independent project and is not an official production of any university.

    22 min

  3. 12/03/2025

    Episode 3. Visibility and personal brand for career development with Dr Rushana Khusainova

    In this episode, Rushana turns from co-host to guest and talks about visibility and personal brand for career development. Together, we explore why many academics feel uneasy about becoming more visible, why personal branding is often misunderstood, and how education-focused colleagues can approach it in an authentic, and useful way. Drawing on her marketing background, Rushana shares how she began thinking intentionally about visibility, the role LinkedIn played in shaping her professional identity, and why sharing your work is less about “self-promotion” and more about contributing, supporting others, and making your expertise findable. We talk through the “Academics Get Visible” framework: from understanding your values and what you want to be known for, to identifying your audience and choosing simple starting points. The conversation is full of practical, realistic tips for building a presence that feels comfortable, sustainable, and genuinely aligned with an education-focused career. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent the positions of their universities or employers. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, or career advice. Participation by guests is voluntary and by invitation, and their contributions are shared with permission. All book-related content is © the respective publisher and used with permission. This podcast is an independent project and is not an official production of any university.

    27 min

  4. 12/03/2025

    Episode 2. Inclusive path to professorship with Prof. Sally Everett

    In this episode, Professor Sally Everett turns from co-host to guest as we talk honestly about an inclusive path to professorship and championing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Sally shares the personal and professional journey that led her into EDI work, from her own lived experiences to reinvigorating women’s networks, responding to disabled students’ allowance cuts, and getting involved with race equity initiatives and advisory boards. Together, we unpack the shift from “equality” to “equity”, the idea of becoming more “JEDI” (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion), and how structural inequalities and awarding gaps show up in higher education. The conversation is grounded in very practical examples, from inclusive documents and case studies to food choices at events, and offers encouraging advice for colleagues who want to be more inclusive but worry about “getting it wrong”. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent the positions of their universities or employers. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, or career advice. Participation by guests is voluntary and by invitation, and their contributions are shared with permission. All book-related content is © the respective publisher and used with permission. This podcast is an independent project and is not an official production of any university.

    31 min

  5. 12/02/2025

    Episode 1. Who is an education-focused academic and why this career path matters.

    Welcome to the first episode of The Education-Focused Academic podcast!Hosts Dr Rushana Khusainova and Professor Sally Everett open the series by exploring what it means to be an education-focused academic and why this career path deserves more visibility in higher education. In this conversation, we discuss: what “education-focused academic” means in practicewhy this role is timely and important across the sectorthe story behind our book How to Become an Education-Focused Professor, out in spring 2026Sally’s and Rushana’s own career journeyswhat this podcast will cover in future episodesWe also introduce upcoming conversations with contributors from the book, H ow to Become an Education-Focused Professor, who will share real experiences and insights from different universities and career stages. Thanks for joining us for Episode 1 — let’s keep the conversation going! Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent the positions of their universities or employers. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, or career advice. Participation by guests is voluntary and by invitation, and their contributions are shared with permission. All book-related content is © the respective publisher and used with permission. This podcast is an independent project and is not an official production of any university.

    21 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

The Education-Focused Academic podcast, hosted by Dr Rushana Khusainova and Prof. Sally Everett, shares stories, strategies, and insights to support academics pursuing education-focused careers. From teaching excellence and pedagogical innovation to career development and community building, each episode offers ideas, inspiration, and practical guidance to help you navigate challenges, embrace opportunities, and thrive on the education-focused pathway. Join us on this journey to shape and celebrate education-focused careers.

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