Professor Radka Newton

Personal Chair

Profile

Professor Radka Newton is an expert in human-centred design, professional learning and educational innovation. Her work focuses on transforming the student experience through design-led, inquiry-driven approaches that connect learning with real-world challenges.

Radka’s scholarship has shaped international practice in design-led education. She is the editor of , a widely used text that supports universities in adopting inclusive, student-centred approaches to curriculum design.

is the most significant and impactful output of her scholarship. Developed through action research with 135+ students, IPR offers a human-centred, participatory approach to curriculum enhancement that positions students and staff as co-investigators. Adopted across multiple universities and used to support school-wide transformation involving 100+ staff and benefitting over 2,000 students, IPR has become a recognised model of evidence-informed, design-led curriculum change. Its influence was acknowledged through a 糖心视频 Education Award and continues to shape curriculum practice nationally.

Her human-centred design expertise also extends into policymaking, where she has led design capability development for policy professionals, and her work has been selected as a case study in the for its contribution to place-based civic innovation.

She is the founder and director of the Centre for Scholarship and Innovation in Management Education (SIME), a 70-member community that has strengthened institutional capability in teaching and learning through peer development, mentoring and evidence-informed practice. SIME has become a catalyst for staff development and a driver of educational quality across the School.

Radka’s place-based regenerative curriculum represents a distinctive contribution to partner-enabled learning. By working with local communities, civic organisations and businesses, she creates learning experiences in which students co-design solutions to real sustainability and regeneration challenges—enhancing student agency while generating tangible impact for regional partners.

Her leadership extends to national and international networks, including work with EFMD and the Chartered Association of Business Schools, where she contributes to quality enhancement and innovation in management education.

Radka is committed to creating learning environments where students and educators can thrive. Her work demonstrates how human-centred design can elevate educational practice, strengthen staff capability and deliver meaningful impact for learners, institutions and communities.


  • 13/02/2024 → 31/07/2024
    Research

  • 01/12/2023 → 01/07/2024
    Research

  • 01/09/2023 → 30/06/2025
    Research

  • 01/09/2023 → 31/03/2025
    Research

  • 01/08/2023 → 31/07/2024
    Research

  • 01/08/2023 → 31/03/2024
    Research

  • 01/11/2022 → 31/07/2023
    Research

  • 01/04/2022 → 31/03/2027
    Research

  • 01/09/2021 → 30/09/2024
    Research

  • 01/08/2021 → 31/07/2023
    Research

  • 18/01/2021 → 31/03/2021
    Research

  • 01/09/2019 → 30/07/2022
    Research

  • 01/05/2018 → 31/03/2021
    Research

  • 01/01/2018 → 31/08/2020
    Research


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Influence on Policy, Practice, Patients & the Public


Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar


Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar


Influence on Policy, Practice, Patients & the Public


Oral presentation


Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar


Participation in conference -Mixed Audience


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Influence on Policy, Practice, Patients & the Public


Invited talk


Publication peer-review


Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar


Membership of board


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar


Oral presentation


Membership of committee


Editorial activity


Invited talk


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Invited talk


Participation in conference -Mixed Audience


Participation in conference -Mixed Audience


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Membership of committee


Participation in conference -Mixed Audience


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Membership of committee


Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar


Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar


Invited talk


Oral presentation


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Oral presentation


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Participation in workshop, seminar, course


Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor


Editorial activity


Invited talk


Publication peer-review


Prize (including medals and awards)

  • Centre for Scholarship and Innovation in Management Education
  • Pentland Centre