Assetisation Professors and Supervisors

Daniel NeylandView profile

Professor

University of BristolUnited Kingdom

Daniel Neyland is Professor at the University of Bristol Business School and holds the title of Professor of Digital Futures at the Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI), where he serves as Academic Co-Director. His work focuses on the governance, accountability, and ethical dimensions of technological systems through interdisciplinary Science and Technology Studies (STS) frameworks. Professor Neyland's research employs ethnographic methods to investigate how scientific and technological practices intersect with societal structures. Key focus areas include: Digital futures and societal implications of emerging technologies Ethnomethodology in organizational contexts Accountability mechanisms in data-intensive environments Substantive domains like security, waste management, and algorithmic governance His recent publications demonstrate consistent engagement with real-time accountability challenges and temporal politics in digital systems, reflecting his commitment to understanding how technological infrastructures shape and are shaped by social practices. These works bridge theoretical STS perspectives with practical governance concerns across multiple sectors. As Academic Co-Director of BDFI, Professor Neyland leads interdisciplinary initiatives exploring responsible digital innovation. The institute functions as a collaborative hub for researchers addressing complex challenges in digital ethics, data governance, and technology-society relationships through stakeholder-engaged approaches.

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Sam SellarView profile

Professor

University of South AustraliaAustralia

Sam Sellar is Dean of Research (Education Futures) and Professor of Education Policy at the University of South Australia. His research focuses on education policy, large-scale assessments, and the datafication of education. He co-leads an ESRC project exploring digital platforms in higher education with Janja Komljenovic. Sellar has authored over 70 publications, including the book Algorithms of Education (2022) and The Global Education Race (2017). He serves as Lead Editor of Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education . His work critiques the role of data-driven systems and corporate influence in education governance, emphasizing ethical considerations in EdTech and policy formation. Research interests include international testing regimes (e.g., PISA), the political economy of education data, and the socio-technical implications of AI in schooling. Collaborations span institutions like Lancaster University and the University of Oslo. Sellar advocates for critical analyses of global education policy networks and their impact on equity.

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Callum WardView profile

Lecturer

University of SheffieldUnited Kingdom

Dr. Callum Ward is a Lecturer in Valuation and Governance at the Sheffield University Management School (University of Sheffield), affiliated with the Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) department. His academic journey includes a PhD in Geography from KU Leuven (Belgium) as a Flemish Research Foundation Fellow, focusing on the political economy of land rent and real estate financing. He held research fellowships at York University (Canada), University College London (Bartlett School of Planning), LSE, and Uppsala University, contributing to projects like the ORA-ERC 'What is Governed in Cities' (WHIG). His research interests center on land governance, asset formation, and urban development through a political economy lens. Key themes include financialisation of land, housing market accountability, and evolving governance structures. He employs corporate research methods to analyze debates in urban planning and real estate economics. Recent work examines rent extraction in urban contexts, state-market relations, and the geographies of capital accumulation. His publications address issues like the UK's cladding scandal, sovereign wealth fund impacts on real estate markets, and municipalist land value capture strategies. Dr. Ward currently leads research under CRAFiC (Corporate Research and Financial Crime) at the Management School, exploring how assetisation processes shape contemporary urban governance.

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Janja KomljenovicView profile

Senior Lecturer

University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom

Dr. Janja Komljenovic is a Senior Lecturer in Education Futures at the University of Edinburgh's Moray House School of Education and Sport, affiliated with the Centre for Research in Digital Education and the Institute for Education, Community and Society. She holds a PhD from the University of Bristol (2016) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research critically examines the political economy of higher education digitalisation, focusing on platformisation, datafication, and assetisation processes. She has led major grants including an ESRC-funded project on digital assets in higher education and co-investigated a SSHRC grant on digital data value paradoxes. Key roles include Programme Director for the MSc in Digital Education, Editor of Critical Studies in Education , and Co-Convenor of the Digital University Network (SRHE). She advises international bodies such as the European Quality Assurance Register and evaluates national quality assurance agencies. Her work bridges economic sociology, science and technology studies, and higher education policy analysis. Research outputs highlight themes like EdTech investor strategies, digital rentiership, and governance challenges in data-driven universities. Her recent articles (2025) explore architectures of assetization, datafication limitations, and mapping rentiership in education. She frequently speaks at global forums including UN dialogues, NORRAG summits, and SRHE conferences, addressing topics like academic freedom in digital contexts and EdTech's socio-economic impacts. Professional activities include organizing international panels on digital higher education value, assetization, and AI ethics. She advises on policy projects for UNESCO, ETF, and the European Commission, contributing to debates on equity in digital education and regulatory frameworks for EdTech companies.

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