Professor Mike Osborne is Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning at the University of Glasgow and is Co-Investigator of SHLC with a remit for co-ordinating capacity strengthening. He is also the Director of Research in the School of Education, Director of the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning and Co-director of the PASCAL Observatory on Place Management, Social Capital and Lifelong Learning.

Capacity-strengthening within SHLC embraces the enhancement of research capacity at organisational and individual level across all partners in the global south and north. It is will include the development of early career researchers through a variety of support mechanisms including staff exchanges, intensive training workshops, international seminars and individual mentoring, as well as the creation of long-term sustainable international networks.

Professor Osborne’s main interests in research are: urban big data, universities’ engagement with communities, widening participation to higher education, teaching and learning in higher education, the VET/HE interface and the development of learning cities and regions. He has a longstanding record of work in developing economies especially in sub-Saharan Africa. He is a Co-I and Associate Director within the ESRC funded Urban Big Data Centre within which he has co-ordinated projects on education, place and disadvantage and on learning city metrics. He is also PI of the British Academy GCRF funded Strengthening Urban Engagement of Universities in Africa and Asia project.