Leon Tikly is UNESCO Chair in Inclusive, Good Quality Education and Global Chair in Education at the University of Bristol. He also co-directs the Centre for International and Comparative Education (CIRE) in the School of Education.

A key focus of his work is education in low income countries and in particular counries of sub-Saharan Africa. He was PI on a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Network Plus entitled Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures (TESF). This included partners in Rwanda, South Africa, India and Somalia/Somaliland as well as in the UK and the Netherlands. The purpose of the Network Plus is to mobilise capacity to undertake Southern-led research into the role of education systems in supporting sustainable livelihoods, sustainable cities and communities and climate action. He has also recently directed projects on language supportive textbooks and pedagogy in Rwanda and has previously led a DfID funded Research Programme Consortium (RPC) on Implementing Education Quality in Low Income Countries (EdQual).  

Biographical details correct as of 23.06.25