Matthew Charles

Matthew Charles is a Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Critical Theory at the University of Westminster's School of Humanities, where he has taught since 2010. He serves as Senior Tutor for the School of Humanities and is a Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy. His academic journey includes previous positions at Kingston University's Centre for Modern European Philosophy and Middlesex University's Department of Philosophy.

Charles earned his BA and MA in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Warwick and completed his PhD at Middlesex University's Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP). His scholarly trajectory reflects deep engagement with Critical Theory, particularly the work of Walter Benjamin and the Frankfurt School. His research bridges philosophical inquiry with educational practice, focusing on how Benjamin's thought informs contemporary pedagogical theory and resistance to neoliberal tendencies in higher education.

Charles' extensive publication record reveals a consistent exploration of Walter Benjamin across multiple dimensions. His work demonstrates how Benjamin's early writings on youth and education connect to his later materialist historical concepts. A dominant theme across his scholarship is the application of Benjamin's critical theory to contemporary educational challenges, particularly in developing radical approaches to teaching and learning within the current academic landscape. His research shows particular concern with the impact of market-driven reforms on higher education, as evidenced by his influential 2018 article 'Teaching, In Spite of Excellence: Recovering a Practice of Teaching-led Research.'

As an academic leader, Charles has served as Course Leader for the MA in Cultural and Critical Studies at Westminster and as External Examiner for various MA programs at the University of Brighton and University of Nottingham. He has supervised multiple PhD students to completion on topics related to modernist literature and philosophy, and has examined doctoral work at several institutions. He actively participates in the Institute for Modern and Contemporary Culture and Literary Studies research groups at Westminster, maintaining an influential presence in critical theory circles through his website benjaminpedagogy.wordpress.com and ongoing conference participation.