Sealey Associates
Associates
Higher Education Innovation and Collaboration
We are a network of trusted higher education and innovation practitioners who offer specialist experience supporting innovation and collaboration.
Higher education policy knowledge
Sector-specific experience and networks
Online workshop support and facilitation
Proposal and business case writing skills
Research knowledge exchange capabilities
Higher education programme development expertise
DR ZIBAH A. NWAKO
Associate
Zibah’s career spans 30 years of experience in both academia and industry. She worked at the British Council and the London Borough of Croydon before starting her own business, TOP Kids, co-
ordinating nurseries and out-of-school clubs. Subsequently, she established AFFIRM Consulting,
Training and Coaching, a women’s professional and personal development organisation. She is a
freelance trainer and consultant, as well as a postdoctoral researcher exploring the welfare and
wellbeing of female students in African universities and colleges.
Qualifications and positions:
Senior Research Associate, School of Education, University of Bristol
Licensed trainer, Springboard Women’s Development Programme and Sprint Development
Programme
PhD and MEd Educational Leadership, Policy and Development (University of Bristol); BA Foreign
Languages (University of Benin)
Certificated Life Coach
Diploma in Childcare and Playwork
Trustee for the Professor Festus Nwako Foundation
Key skills
Bridging gaps between research theory and praxis
Managing interdisciplinary projects to ensure sustainability, knowledge exchange and public
engagement
Research fieldwork using participatory methodologies and creative methods
Training and consultancy on African women's development, life skills and youth entrepreneurship
Sealey Associates projects
Knowledge Exchange and Decolonisation in Public and Community Arts, Culture and Heritage Sectors
EMILY JESPER-MIR
Associate
Emily is a public and policy engagement expert, specialising in engagement strategy, community coproduction and training. She is former Partnerships Director at Sense about Science, where she developed the researcher-led public engagement programme, and led the quality and peer review programme for a UK-wide network of early career researchers.
Emily has a background in scientific publishing, including as managing editor of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, where
she developed expertise in research culture including evidence standards and peer review. Emily has
designed and delivered specialist coaching and training for early and mid-career researchers in
public, patient, policy and media engagement; including for Exeter University, University of Central
Lancashire and the ESRC postdoctoral fellowship.
Qualifications and positions:
Associate, Sense About Science
BSc Biological Science (UMIST)
Advisory Board of Campbell UK & Ireland
Science Committee member, British Nutrition Foundation
Key skills
Public engagement
Media engagement
Scholarly publishing, evidence standards and peer review
Coaching
Training
Facilitation
Sealey Associates projects
ESRC Professional Development Programme
UCLan Policy engagement mentoring
UPEN: Investing in policy engagement capacity
REBECCA ASHER
Associate
Rebecca is a policy and public engagement expert, specialising in engagement strategy, delivery and
training. She has collaborated with researchers from numerous institutions on public and policy
engagement projects spanning science, social science and the humanities, as well as providing
tailored training and coaching. She is the former Deputy Director of Sense about Science, a charity
that champions evidence in public discussion and policy making. She has a background in news and
current affairs, at the BBC and ITV, and began her career at Westminster. Rebecca has written two
books on social policy for Penguin Random House: Shattered and Man Up.
Qualifications and positions:
Associate, Sense About Science
Learning Associate, Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE)
Trustee, Coram Family and Childcare
Key skills
Policy engagement
Public engagement
Coaching
Training
Strategy development
Facilitation
Sealey Associates projects
ESRC Professional Development Programme
UCLan Policy engagement mentoring
UPEN: Investing in policy engagement capacity
Get in touch
- [email protected]
- 07772 083 161
- 253 Gray’s Inn Road London WC1X 8QT