Dr Soheil Ashrafi is Assistant Professor of Communications and Media at the Naryn campus. Prior to joining UCA, he was Director of Culture and Communications and Chair of Research and Scholarship at Raffles College of Design and Commerce, in Sydney, and Associate Colleges in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka.
In this dual capacity, he has been afforded vast experiences in developing, delivering, and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate courses in theory and history of design, media, visual communications, cultural studies, and research, ethics and methods.
His pedagogical philosophy rests on research-based teaching and he considers the classroom a space for dialogue where a colourful spectrum of voices and ideas find expression through critical thinking, higher-perspective observation, and experimentation.
Dr Ashrafi is also an essayist and occasionally writes for news media such as BBC Persian and Kayhan London about various political, social, and cultural issues.
He founded the Academy of Ideas and Thought, a community-based education platform, through which he organises and delivers public lectures on contemporary issues such as global warming, sustainability, and social justice.
He received his PhD from UNSW Art & Design, University of New South Wales, Australia. His thesis was presented at the 6th Global Conference of Visual Literacies, University of Oxford, UK.
