WHEA Annual Report 2025 Final Digital with links v3 - Flipbook - Page 26
Warwick International Higher Education Academy Annual Report 2025
National teaching
fellowships
We extend huge congratulations to WIHEA Alumnae Dr Freeha Azmat and
Dr Jennie Mills for their National Teaching Fellowships in 2025. This award
recognises and celebrates those making an outstanding impact on student
outcomes and the teaching profession in UK higher education.
Dr Freeha Azmat
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR – READER (TEACHING FOCUSED)
Warwick Manufacturing Group
Dr Freeha Azmat, Reader in Engineering Education at WMG,
has been named a National Teaching Fellow for her outstanding
leadership in engineering education, inclusion, and curriculum design.
She has consistently challenged systemic barriers,
rising from a Merit Scholar in Pakistan’s male-dominated
engineering field to a Chancellor’s International
Scholar at the University of Warwick.
With over 15 years’ experience, Dr Azmat pioneered
the integration of authentic learning into engineering
curricula, developing industry-aligned programmes such
as the BSc Digital and Technology Solutions Degree
Apprenticeship and the MSc in Digital and Technology
Solutions Degree Apprenticeship at WMG, of which she
is Course Director. These degree apprenticeships help
train over 250 students every year and are designed in
collaboration with major employers, including Jaguar
Land Rover, Dyson, and Goldman Sachs, to help reduce
the UK’s engineering and technology skills gap.
Dr Azmat’s impact spans curriculum design, policy
influence, and strategic leadership. She has led over
£400K in externally funded projects, embedding workbased learning and digital pedagogies into institutional
frameworks. As a recognised thought leader, she
has shared her expertise through keynotes across
UK universities and contributions to national policy
via Policy Connect.
Internationally, she has directed major capacity-building
projects in Pakistan, South Africa, Colombia, and the
UAE, promoting authentic learning and enhancing
access for under-served communities. Her mentoring
has empowered colleagues across global institutions,
and she has led crossfunctional teams to secure
prestigious accreditations, raise academic standards,
and enhance digital infrastructure.
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As a mentor and EDI advocate, she champions initiatives
such as the Improving Access and Participation to
Engineering Research (IAPER) internship programme
and the Youth Support Programme (YSP), creating vital
pathways for women and underrepresented students in
STEM. Her work has been recognised through awards
including the WMG Star Award, Warwick Enhanced
Contribution Awards, Asian Woman of Achievement
Award, and selection for high-level institutional
leadership programmes.
Dr Azmat said, ‘For me, receiving an
award is not just about recognising
past achievements, it is about affirming
the purpose that drives my work.
It honours the journey, the barriers
I have overcome, and the communities
I strive to uplift. Most importantly,
it motivates me to keep pushing
boundaries so others can rise too.’
