Pere Ayling

Pere Ayling is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Suffolk, specializing in the sociology of education with a focus on race, social class, and inequality. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, they teach across undergraduate and postgraduate programs and supervise PhD students. Their research examines how social class, gender, race, and disability intersect to shape educational and societal privilege/inequality, particularly among Nigerian elites. Notable work includes analyzing how affluent Nigerian families use international schooling to reproduce class advantage and the ethical complexities of studying elites.

Research highlights include publications in Qualitative Research, British Journal of Sociology of Education, and Springer/Bloomsbury books. Recent projects include BT-funded STEM collaboration studies and Suffolk County Council-funded research on educational inclusion. They actively participate in international workshops (e.g., Thailand's multicultural education initiatives) and serve as a BERA Race, Ethnicity & Education SIG convenor.

Awards include the Higher Education Academy Fellowship. Their work bridges Bourdieu's sociological theory with contemporary issues of globalization, colonial legacies, and educational equity.