BA Philosophy, Social and Political Science, University of Cambridge; PhD in Applied Linguistics, Institute of Education, University College London.

I began my academic career in linguistics, fascinated by how language shapes the way we think. Over time, my research and teaching broadened into higher education, where I focus on fostering creative and critical thinking.

My work remains grounded in linguistics through stylistics (the study of literary style) and digital linguistics (using software to analyse a text or text collections). I design modules that encourage playful experimentation—for example, creating short film-poems with mobile phones or using text-analysis tools to reveal hidden patterns in stories. These activities spark fresh interpretive possibilities, further amplified when Generative AI is used ethically and responsibly to deepen students’ imaginative engagement with literature.

Philosophy has shaped my outlook since my undergraduate days. More recently, I have engaged with the ideas of Gilles Deleuze, along with ‘digital humanism’, ‘posthumanism’, and ‘transhumanism’. I draw on these perspectives to expand my approach to education and technology, especially the role of AI in extending our capacity to think.

My teaching and research continually enrich one another. Informed by education, digital linguistics, literature, philosophy, and AI, I help students approach technologies from inventive angles—cultivating curiosity, cross-disciplinary connections, and the flexible imagination needed to navigate a fast-changing world.

Teaching

My educational research informs the following modules I teach at King's College London:

• Film, Poetry, Style (Year 2)
• Working Creatively with Digital Texts (Year 2)
• Critical Posthumanism, Digital Data (Year 3)

Further information

View Kieran's profile on the Pure research portal and academia.edu.