Professor Oscar Odena is a leading academic in music education and social inclusion at the University of Glasgow, holding dual appointments in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies Administration and the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy. He joined Glasgow in 2013 after roles at institutions including the University of Hertfordshire (Reader), University of Brighton (Senior Lecturer), and Queen’s University Belfast (Postdoc). His research focuses on leveraging music and creativity for social inclusion, particularly in post-conflict regions like Northern Ireland and Colombia. Notable grants include funding from the UK ESRC and AHRC. He leads The Arts of Inclusion (TAI) network, promoting global social arts initiatives. Educations: PhD in Education (UCL), postdoc at Queen’s University Belfast, extensive international collaborations. Research: Explores music’s role in social cohesion, qualitative methodologies, and arts-based policy. Key themes include cross-community education, refugee integration, and post-conflict reconstruction. His 2023 book Music and Social Inclusion synthesizes global case studies. Recent work includes studies on China’s music education reforms and Malawi’s school performance reviews. He serves on editorial boards of five leading journals and reviews grants for the UK AHRC and Irish Research Council. Grants & Impact: Over £2M secured from international funders; TAI network’s research has influenced UK and Scottish policy. His 2025 study in China demonstrates Orff-based methods’ inclusionary potential. He directs postgraduate research in Glasgow’s School of Education and advises doctoral candidates globally. Active in international development via Atlantic Philanthropies and British Council projects.








