Asma Benhenda

Asma Benhenda is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO) within UCL's IOE - Faculty of Education and Society. Her research focuses on education and labour economics, particularly addressing teacher shortages and their impact on educational inequalities. She holds a PhD from the Paris School of Economics and has conducted impactful work on teacher retention policies, the consequences of teacher absences, and the intersection of education policy with social justice.

Her research agenda emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to tackle systemic educational disparities, leveraging large-scale administrative data. Notable contributions include analyses of teacher retention strategies, the economic costs of grade repetition, and the effects of school facility expenditures on pupil outcomes. Her work has influenced policy debates in France and the UK, with findings featured in outlets like The Guardian and French administrative courts.

Benhenda teaches introductory economics to undergraduates and actively engages with policy-makers. Her achievements include translating academic findings into actionable policies, such as her study on teacher absences which informed working conditions reforms. She values UCL's vibrant research environment and collaborates internationally on issues like social mobility and educational equity.

Outside academia, she practices kickboxing, emphasizing resilience and focus—qualities she parallels with her research discipline.