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Dr John Willott

Principal Lecturer

John is a Principal Lecturer in Politics & International Relations, and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Following a PhD in Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, John gained a Royal Society Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Manchester University. For this, as well as research on tropical forest loss, he managed a research station in northern Borneo. He subsequently worked on the EU-funded MEDALUS programme at Leeds University on climate change, desertification and land use in the Mediterranean region.

After an academic career break, John joined Leeds Beckett University, securing over £6m EU funding to deliver projects on social inclusion and improving access to Higher Education and employment. From these developed new research interests in marginalised groups and conflict, particularly refugees. This led to research and consultancy work funded by the EU, UN, Refugee Council, AHRC/ESRC, BAICE, local government and the HE Academy.

John now combines these research interests on people, environment and development.

Current Teaching

John currently teaches the undergraduate module Environment & World Politics, and the postgraduate modules Security, Conflict & Development and Dissertation, as well as supervising undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation projects.

Research Interests

John has previously worked on international environmental projects, but more recent work has included a UN-funded project to combat violence against women in Uganda, Cambodia and Nepal, and incorporating indigenous language and culture teaching in Colombian primary schools.

Most recent projects have been working collaboratively with organisations such as the Refugee Council and Migration Yorkshire to support the integration, employment and education of refugees, particularly those with higher level skills. This included an EU Asylum Migration & Integration Fund project which led to a best practice guide for professional bodies and dissemination to regional authorities across the UK and professional networks.

0113 81 25748
J.Willott@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Queen Square House, G31, City Campus

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ask Me About

Asylum
Migration
Refugee
Education
Equality and inclusion

Selected Outputs

Willott S; Soricetti F (2019) Challenges in delivering inclusive indigenous education in mainstream schools in Colombia. In: Inclusive Education Systems: futures fallacies and finance, 17 September 2019 - 19 September 2019, Oxford University.

Willott J (2009) Embedding climate change in the curriculum.

Willott J; Stevenson J (2013) Attitudes to Employment of Professionally Qualified Refugees in the United Kingdom. International Migration, 51 (5), pp. 120-132.

https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12038
Clegg S; Stevenson J; Willott J (2010) Staff Conceptions of curricular and extra curricular activities in higher education. Higher Education, 59 (5), pp. 615-626.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9269-y
Stevenson J; Willott J (2007) The aspiration and access to higher education of teenage refugees in the UK. Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education, 37 (5), pp. 671-687.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03057920701582624

Kimura M; Prodgers L; Willott J (2006) Ethnicity, education and employment. London: Continuum,University of East London.
Willott SJ; Stevenson J; Ibbetson C (2006) Higher Education: A Guide for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Yorkshire & Humber. Leeds: Leeds Metropolitan University.

Willott S (2022) Professional bodies and supporting highly-skilled refugees into employment [Online]. Migration Yorkshire.
Hann N; Willott J; Graham Brown N; Roden J; Tremayne D (2021) What is Suitable and Effective ESOL for Refugees? [Online]. Migration Yorkshire.

Available from: https://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/userfiles/file/publications/my-esol-seer-lit-review-jan2020acc.docx
Clegg S; Stevenson J; Willott J (2009) Extending conceptualisations of the diversity and value of extracurricular activities: a cultural capital approach to graduate outcomes [Online]. Higher Education Academy.

Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/ourwork/evidence_informed_practice/ECA_Cultural_Capital