Alison Brady

Dr Alison Brady is an Associate Professor in Philosophy of Education at the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education. Her work bridges French existentialist traditions—particularly Jean-Paul Sartre—with contemporary educational practices, focusing on post-critical research methods, digital humanities, and the intersection of literature and pedagogy. She has published extensively on topics like teacher accountability, mental health in education, and the role of slowness in humanities research.

• PhD in Philosophy of Education (UCL, 2020)
• MA in Philosophy and MSc in Educational Studies (KU Leuven, 2011-2013)
• BEd in Education (Dublin City University, 2010)

Her research explores existentialist accounts of teaching, emphasizing concepts like freedom, bad faith, and parrhesia. Recent projects include a British Academy-funded study on mental health initiatives in schools and an international grant on utopian studies in educational theory. She integrates ecological and phenomenological approaches to analyze technology's impact on scholarly practices, particularly in the age of generative AI.

Brady's academic leadership roles include Chairing the Phenomenology and Existentialism SIG at the Philosophy of Education Society (North America) and serving on the PESGB Executive Committee. She co-edits the Research Perspectives on Philosophy of Education book series (Brill) and contributes to global exchange programs like 'International Frontiers' at Kyoto University.

• Teaching: Leads modules like 'Philosophical Reflections on Education with Film' and 'Feminist Approaches to Knowledge and Pedagogy' at UCL. Supervises MA and PhD students on topics including literature and self-formation, critical thinking revaluation, and assessment experimentation.
• Grants & Awards: PESGB Large Grant (2023), British Academy Grant (2020), PESGB Development Grant (2023), and the International Network of Philosophers of Education Junior Scholar award (2017).