Imperial College appoints Prof. David Lefevre, Study Group Senior Advisor and innovator in digital education, as Professor of Practice
Imperial College appoints Prof. David Lefevre, Study Group Senior Advisor and innovator in digital education, as Professor of Practice
- Professor David Lefevre of the Imperial College Management School and a Senior Advisor to Study Group has been awarded a Professor of Practice in recognition of his globally-leading research in digital education and its commercial application.
- Professor Lefevre founded the EdTech Lab at Imperial College and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the British Council.
- Professor Lefevre also founded Epigeum and is Chairman of insendi, an online education platform company now part of Study Group.
David Lefevre, founder of the EdTech Lab at Imperial College and cofounder of commercial companies focused on the application of digital innovation to education, has been recognised through the award of a Professorship of Practice at Imperial College - the position is awarded to individuals judged to demonstrate outstanding expertise as an international leader in their field, including through “innovative practice which has greatly enhanced or changed the nature of learning and teaching” and “a track record of innovation and leadership which contributes to education and enterprise.”
In addition to his academic research, Professor Lefevre has founded a number of successful commercial companies including epigeum, now a successful part of Oxford University Press, and insendi, an online education platform company, which was acquired by Study Group in early 2020. Insendi works with leading universities across the world on the delivery of high-quality management and medical education, working with top global institutions including Imperial, Oxford, ETH Zurich and Johns Hopkins in the USA.
Professor Lefevre has also provided important advice to the higher education sector throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, publishing articles on transitioning to online education in the Times Higher Education and by the Higher Education Policy Institute.
Welcoming the news, CEO of Study Group Emma Lancaster commented,
“We are delighted that Study Group is able to benefit from the research insights and experience of Professor Lefevre, a leading authority in onIine education and the way digital technologies will continue to enhance international and higher education in the years to come. We know that staying at the cutting edge on these issues while providing an outstanding student experience is of great importance to our university partners and students, so it is wonderful to know his work will keep us abreast not only of current approaches but of the potential application of AI and machine learning to support teaching, revision and assessment at any stage of the education process where is can assist students in their success.”
As a Professor of Practice, David Lefevre will also be part of Imperial X—a cross-disciplinary way for academia and industry to collaborate deeply, using machine learning to tackle our greatest challenges and leading advances in AI and its applications. Imperial X is based at Imperial’s I Hub (Translation and Innovation Hub) which contains firms, labs and incubation facilities on Imperial’s new White City Campus.
Responding to the news of his promotion, Professor Lefevre said,
“The pandemic has transformed the landscape for those of us working in digital education. The value and role of online education has been demonstrated in dramatic fashion. However, technological innovation continues at pace. While the innovation cycle relating to the online delivery of education matures, we are now witnessing the origins of a new, and likely equally disruptive, cycle relating to data and AI. I am grateful that Imperial College has opened doors for me and created this new role to act as the vehicle for such investigations.”
Professor Lefevre is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the British Council and he will join the U.K. Board of Study Group in September.