معرفی
Dr. Robert Baird serves as Head of Department at the University of Southampton's Faculty of Humanities, where he has taught since 2008. As Director of Pre-sessional Programmes and a founding member of the Centre for Global Englishes, he focuses on enhancing students' academic literacies and preparedness for English-medium study environments.
His research interests include:
- English as a Lingua Franca
- English Medium Instruction in Higher Education
- Internationalization of Higher Education
- Teacher Development and Education
- Intercultural Communication
- Applied Linguistics and Language Education
Dr. Baird's scholarly work examines the complexities of English as a global language in academic settings, with particular focus on linguistic diversity in educational practices. His research demonstrates consistent concern for inclusivity, fairness, and conceptual rigor in language education. He co-leads the FutureLearn MOOC 'English as a Medium of Instruction for Academics,' which has engaged tens of thousands of educators worldwide in critical discussions about language policies and educational values.
Dr. Baird actively supervises PhD students across multiple areas related to language education and international higher education. His leadership extends to worldwide collaborations in English-Medium Education, emphasizing sustainable networks that facilitate support among educators globally. He convenes the modules 'Intercultural Communication in a Global World' (BA) and 'Principles of Communicative Language Teaching' (MA), encouraging students to critically engage with theoretical concepts as they relate to real-world practice.
