Skip to main content
Manuel Souto-Otero

Professor Manuel Souto-Otero

Professor

School of Social Sciences

Email
Souto-OteroM@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29208 70327
Campuses
Glamorgan Building, Room Room 1.21, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA
Comment
Media commentator
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

My main areas of interest are education policy analysis and evaluation. I have a particular interest in the link between education and work (including, although not restricted to, digitalisation, the future of work and its implications for skills development), social stratification and inequalities, internationalisation in education and internatinonal student mobility and the governance of education systems (including non-formal education). Most of my work focuses on post-compulsory education. I make use of a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in my work.

I am currently Co-Principal Investigator in the project "Digital Disruption and the Future of Work: Reimagining Education, Skills and Employability" -see "Research" tab for further details. I am also a Senior Professorial Fellow at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. I am Head of the Education Research Group at SOCSI (2018-), College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences representative in the University Academic Promotions Committee (2022-present) and the University Researcher Pathways Working Group, which develops university support for research-only staff and early career researchers (2022-present). I was previously Co-Director for Teaching and Learning (Employability and Enhancement) in SOCSI (2019-2022).

I have undertaken a large number of research and consultancy projects on education issues for the European Commission, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), various government departments in the UK and internationally (Belgium, Spain, Estonia), think-tanks and voluntary sector organisations. I am a member of the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Grants Assessment Panel (2022-2024), and have been grant reviewer for various organisations including the European Research Council (ERC), DG Education and Culture, European Commission; DG Research, European Commission; Research Council of Norway; Research Foundation - Flanders. I am Associate Editor of the Journal of Education and Work (2008 onwards), Executive Editor of the British Journal of Sociology of Education (2023 onwards, previously Member of the Editorial Board) and Member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Education Policy (2022 onwards).

I have a DPhil. in Social Policy from the University of Oxford, and held visiting positions at the School of Education of the University of Carlifornia, Berkeley and Juan March Institute for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (Madrid). I am originally from Santiago de Compostela.

Recent awards:

Best Article Award "European Journal of Education Article of the Year 2021" for Souto-Otero, M. (2021) 'Validation of non-formal and informal learning: covert and overt' European Journal of Education, vol.56(3), pp. 365-379.

Best Article Award "2021 Comparative and International Education Society Study Abroad and International Students Special Interest Group" for Van Mol, C., Caarls, K. and Souto-Otero, M., (2021) International student mobility and labour market outcomes: An investigation of the role of level of study, type of mobility, and international prestige hierarchies. Higher Education, 82(6) pp.1145-1171.

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2008

2007

2006

Articles

Book sections

Books

Monographs

Research

My research focuses on the following areas:

(1) internationalisation in higher education and international student mobility,

(2) the link between education and the labour market and the future of work,

(3) education policy and educational inequality,

(4) the social and labour market recognition of non-formal and informal learning,

(5) digital governance in education.

Current projects:

'European Network on international student mobility: Connecting research and practice' Funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action. Period: 2021-2025.

"Building capacities to better integrate non-formal and formal learningg" Funded by the European Commission. Country focus: Estonia. Period: 2021-2023.

"Digital Disruption and the Future of Work: Reimagining Education, Skills and Employability" Funded by the Institute of Adult Learning, Singapore, for the period 2019-2023. Country focus: China, Germany, Finland, India, Singapore, USA, UK and Vietnam.

"Second European Skills and Jobs Survey: The impact of digitalisation and technological change on skills mismatch on EU workers" Funded by CEDEFOP for the period 2020-2022. Country focus: EU countries.

I have recently been part of the following research projects (end date in brackets) -selection-:

  • European Inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission, 2023)
  • Evaluation of the Implementation of the 2018 Council Recommendation on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad (DG Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, 2023)
  • Skills imbalances in the European Union (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission, 2020)
  • Independent Review of Digital Innovation for the Economy and the Future of Work in Wales (Welsh Government, 2019)
  • Building Singapore’s Talent Pipeline: Corporate and International Policy Perspectives (Institute of Adult Learning, Singapore, 2018)
  • Erasmus+ Impact Study (DG Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, European Commission, 2019)
  • A European Inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission, 2018)

Teaching

I teach in the areas of education, labour markets, social policy and research methods -from undergraduate to doctoral level.

Biography

Honours and awards

Best Article Award "European Journal of Education Article of the Year 2021" for Souto-Otero, M. (2021) 'Validation of non-formal and informal learning: covert and overt' European Journal of Education, vol.56(3), pp. 365-379.

Best Article Award "2021 Comparative and International Education Society Study Abroad and International Students Special Interest Group" for Van Mol, C., Caarls, K. and Souto-Otero, M., (2021) International student mobility and labour market outcomes: An investigation of the role of level of study, type of mobility, and international prestige hierarchies. Higher Education, 82(6) pp.1145-1171.

Runner-up for “Educational Review Article of the Year 2013" for Souto-Otero, M. (2013) ‘Neo-liberalism and continuing vocational training governance in the UK: an examination of three theoretical accounts’ Educational Review, vol.65(1), pp.20-35.

Professional memberships

  • Associate Editor: Journal of Education and Work,
  • Executive Editor: British Journal of Sociology of Education,
  • Member of the Advisory Board: Journal of Education Policy,
  • Member of the European Sociological Association,
  • Member of the European Evaluation Society.

Committees and reviewing

Journal Reviewer:

Education:

American Education Research Journal; British Educational Research Journal; Compare; Comparative Education Review; Critical Studies in Education; Educational Review; European Journal of Higher Education; Globalisation, Societies and Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Policy; International Journal of Educational Development; Journal of Curriculum Studies; Journal of Education Policy; Journal of Education and Work; Journal of Research in International Education; Journal of Vocational Education and Training; Journal of Youth Studies; Studies in Higher Education.

Political Science and Public Administration:

Evidence and Policy; Journal of Common Market Studies; Journal of European Social Policy; Public Administration; Regulation and Governance; Representation.

Sociology:

British Journal of Sociology of Education; European Sociological Review; Sociology of Education; Work and Occupations; Youth and Society.

Supervisions

I have substantial experience supervising doctoral (PhD/ EdD) theses. I welcome applications for doctoral supervision from highly energetic candidates in the following areas:
  • Internationalisation in higher education and international student mobility
  • Education and labour markets (including digitalisation, the future of work and skills development
  • Education policy analysis and evaluation
  • European education policy
  • Validation of non-formal and informal learning
  • Digital governance in education

Current doctoral students (students in the list are funded by the Chinese Scholarship Council (1), Economic and Social Research Councill of the UK (2), Government of Oman (3), Government of Saudi Arabia (3) or sefl-funded (1)):

  • Faisal Al Balushi (Topic: The Role Of Student Council Engagement In Shaping Policies In Higher Education).
  • Tassaneeya Robinson (Topic: Digital transformation and the acquisition of digital skills: implications for employability and inclusion)
  • Mater Hadadi (Topic: Ditigialisation and teacher's work in schools).
  • Rebekah Bawler (Topic: Digitalisation and schools' as learning organisations)
  • Claire Bowen (Topic: Graduate employability in the digital economy).
  • Miaomiao Jia (Topic: International students, digitalisation and employability: the case of Chinese students in the UK).

Recently completed doctorates:

  • Dr. Khalifa Al Harmi (Topic: The Impact Of Credentials And Social Capital On Employment Outcomes).
  • Dr. Amnah Albehiji (Topic: PhD Degree Mobility and Career Outcomes).
  • Dr. Issa Al Shabibi (Topic: Entrepreneurship Education And Economic Diversification Strategies).

Current supervision

Khalifa Al Hatmi

Khalifa Al Hatmi

Research student