Spotlight on... Qing Gu

What is your role and what does it involve?

I’m Director of the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership (CEL) and Professor of Leadership in Education. As Director of CEL, I am responsible for developing a clear vision for the Centre and its programmes and activities, securing external funding via enterprise, philanthropic funding, and/or research funding, and leading a clearly defined, innovative research agenda. Acting as an ambassador for the Institute of Education and UCL, my role involves leading engagement with potential research users and partners, and contributing at the highest level to national and international public debates on improving education and learning.

How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?

Almost six years. I joined UCL in October 2018 following a 14-year academic career at the University of Nottingham where I was a Research Fellow through to Professor.

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

Over the last four years, our teams in CEL have established an impressive track record of attracting, designing and delivering large-scale professional learning programmes in the UK and internationally. As the only university-based national provider for the UK government funded Early Career Framework (ECF) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) programmes, we have worked with almost 4,000 schools in England to provide research-informed and practice-enriched professional development programmes for more than 30,000 teachers and school leaders. The quality of our programmes is rated by Ofsted as ‘outstanding.’ Words can’t really describe how proud I am of the achievements of our great teams who care deeply about the difference that we make to the learning and lives of teachers and their students! 

I am also immensely proud of the 1,900+ 6-9 year-old primary school children in our recently completed UKRI-funded research on Enabling Schools. These children are from the most vulnerable rural settings in South Africa, but the 306 books they have written and produced in Setswana have been approved by the national Department for Basic Education to be included as home language reading books for the instruction of Foundation Phase children in ALL schools with Setswana learners in South Africa. I have learned so much about the meaning of education and life through this project.   

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list

I am currently leading a longitudinal research investigation into the impact of ECF and NPQ programmes on the work engagement, wellbeing and retention of teachers and school leaders in England. It is great fun and exciting to work with two highly capable postdoc researchers, Dr Sofia Eleftheriadou and Dr Xin Shao, our Honorary Professor Kenneith Leithwood, and a team of committed CEL colleagues on this project. We are now in a position to produce much-needed rigorous evidence to lead research and policy debate about teacher retention in England. This is at the top of my to-do list! 

What is your favourite album, film and novel?

Favourite album is Celine Dion My Heart Will Go On.
Favourite film is A Beautiful Mind.
Favourite novel is Pride and Prejudice. 

What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?

I am terrible at jokes… No hope, really.

Who would be your dream dinner guests?

The rural school children in our South African project who called me ‘Mama China’!

What advice would you give your younger self?

Believe in yourself and work smarter!

What would it surprise people to know about you?

I love Disney films and Donald Duck!

What is your favourite place?  

Brighton. It was the first ‘foreign’ place that I had ever visited. I completed my Master’s degree there and met my husband. Life has been very different for me professionally and personally since then.