Bakhtawar Khosa

Assigned Curriculum: Research on Inclusion, Well-being and Sustainability in Education

Brief personal and professional presentation and research interests:
I am a PhD researcher whose work looks at the intersection of intercultural education, equity, and institutional practice. My doctoral project investigates how barriers and supports are produced within Italian doctoral programmes for international PhD candidates, focusing on supervision, assessment moments (progress reviews and viva), and opportunity structures such as access to projects, roles, and fieldwork. My broader research interests also include intercultural dynamics in schools and family–school relationships, including parent–child experiences and how communication and expectations shape inclusion. Across these contexts, my research asks how “neutral” routines and criteria can differentially shape participation and recognition, and what feasible changes can strengthen belonging while maintaining academic standards.

Abstract PhD project:
My PhD research examines international PhD candidates’ experiences in Italian doctoral programmes, focusing on supervision, assessment routines (progress reviews and viva), and access to opportunities such as projects, roles, and fieldwork. Using a multiple-case, embedded design across the University of Padua and the University of Bologna and three national-origin cases (Pakistan, Iran, Brazil), I investigate how institutional rules and reward systems shape inclusion and progression, and how these dynamics vary across cohorts. My analysis brings together institutional capital and field rules, racialised “merit” logics, and Community Cultural Wealth to keep students’ strengths and strategies central. The project translates findings into actionable levers - practical changes to routine programme practices that can reduce barriers and increase participation.

3 key words identifying the PhD project:

-Institutional field rules
-Opportunity structures
-Equity and inclusion

Supervisor: Alessio Surian