Caroline Burns

Assistant Professor

School: Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr. Caroline Burns is Lecturer in Social Sciences. She is currently teaching in Sociology.

Research interests:

Caroline's work is about redressing social inequalities at a local and global level. She is a member of the Power and Intersecting Inequalities Research Cluster. She is currently working on several projects with the Islamic University of Gaza to enahnce career opportunities for women. She is passionate about creating equitable educational environments and practices, with students and staff as partners in learning, and where diversity is valued. Her research interests include internationalisation at home, intercultural competence, widening participation and decolonising the curriculum and narrative inquiry.

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Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
‘Blocks’ and threads’: Chinese students’ constructions of ‘culture’ in their reflections on ‘critical incidents’ experienced during a short-term study abroad programme in the UK, Carnaffan, J., Burns, C. 2 Jan 2026, In: Language and Intercultural Communication
Decolonising the Sciences: Enhancing the Experience of Staff and Students from Racially Minoritised Ethnic Groups Using LEGO® Serious Play®, Ajibade, B., Hayman, R., Burns, C., Navarro-Reguero, C., Milian, J. 26 Feb 2026, In: Equity in Education & Society
Female engineering academics in the Global South and North: An exploration of language of instruction, using Story Circles and Focus Groups, Al-Mqadma, A., Guariento, B., Burns, C., Khoumikham, R., Elaydi, H. 22 Jun 2025, 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education
Reflections on 'losing' an institutional partnership, Guariento, B., Burns, C. 14 Mar 2024
Values and behaviours of an effective community of practice: a case for staff/student collaboration for internationalisation, Pearce, A., Powell, L., Burns, C., Zupan, N. 21 Jan 2016, Proceedings of the 2016 International Conference on Social Collaboration and Shared Values in Business, Gwangju, Korea, Chonnam National University
Values and Behaviours of an Effective Community of Practice: A Case for Staff/Student Social Collaboration for Internationalisation, Pearce, A., Powell, L., Burns, C., Zupan, N. 22 Jan 2016, The 2016 International Conference on Social Collaboration and Shared Values in Business
How is feedback used? - The international student response to a Formative Feedback Intervention, Burns, C., Foo, M. Nov 2013, In: International Journal of Management Education
Evaluating a formative feedback intervention for international students, Burns, C., Foo, M. 28 Mar 2012, In: Journal of Practitioner Research in Higher Education
Using Formative Feedback to develop international students’ academic skills, Foo, M., Burns, C. 29 Mar 2012, North East Universities (3 Rivers Consortium) 5th Regional Learning and Teaching Conference
Formative Feedback First – does it really work for International Students?, Foo, M., Burns, C. 12 Apr 2011, North East Universities (3 Rivers Consortium) 2011 Regional Learning and Teaching Conference

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Organising a conference, workshop, ...: BSA Annual Conference 2005 2025
Other: CUSP (Culture for Sustainable Peace) network award, 2021. Development of Intercultural Competencies for women engineers: a Story Circles approach. Amount: £10,000 2021
Other: British Council EME (English Medium Education) and Gender Research Grant, 2021. An EME-focussed investigation into barriers facing female engineers. Amount: £100,000 2021
Other: BALEAP Collaborative Practice Funding, 2019. Getting to know me, getting to know you: Developing materials to enhance intercultural conversations based on a non-essentialist model of culture. £1,000. 2019
Invited talk: Title: Internationalisation and widening participation narratives: synergies and pedagogical implications 2019
Oral presentation: Critical reflections on teaching intercultural communication (competence) on a three week course for Chinese students 2019
Oral presentation: Internationalisation and widening participation narratives: synergies and pedagogical implications 2019
Oral presentation: Internationalisation and widening participation narratives: synergies and pedagogical implications 2019