Mehdi Sedigh Zadeh, PhD / Associate Professor
I was born in Iran and moved to Sweden in my early twenties, where I began my academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Stockholm University. Later, I pursued a second Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Pedagogy at Uppsala University, where I also earned my PhD in 2004.
From 1990 to 1996, I was a Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara, affiliated with the Education Abroad Program. I later held a Visiting Scholar position at The Ohio State University (2002–2003), working within the School of Educational Policy and Leadership and the Quantitative Research, Evaluation and Measurement unit.
Between 1997 and 2013, I worked at the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (Högskoleverket), where I served as a Scientific Advisor on evaluation matters and was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board. Over the years, I have held teaching and research positions at various universities in Sweden and the United States. For more than three decades, I have been actively engaged in teaching, with a particular focus on evaluation in recent years.
Professional Profile
Multidisciplinary scholar and evaluation expert with over 30 years of academic experience in teaching, research, and curriculum development. My work focuses on evaluation theory and practice, higher education quality assurance, and evidence-based policy. I have conducted extensive research on evaluation and published widely in the field, as reflected in my comprehensive list of publications. Currently, I am finalizing a practical handbook on evaluation, now under revision.
Throughout my career, I have worked, taught, and conducted research in international academic settings across Sweden, the United States, and Iran. My scholarly contributions span national and international evaluation projects related to academic performance, pedagogical innovation, and institutional reforms. Fluent in Swedish, Persian, and English, I possess strong competence in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and am committed to bridging theory and practice in evaluation and educational development.
Academic Education (Academic Background)
| 1994 | PhD in Pedagogy | Uppsala University |
| 1987 | Master in Pedagogy | Uppsala University |
| 1981 | Bachelor in Pedagogy | Stockholm’s University |
| 1979 | Bachelor in Computer Science | Stockholm’s University |
Academic and Professional Appointments
- Senior Evaluator, Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (UKÄ)
- Project Leader, International Benchmarking Projects
- Member, National Council for Quality Assurance
- Lecturer and Consultant in Evaluation Studies
Academic Position
| 2010 – | Associate Professor | Mälardalens University, Department of Education |
| 2011 – 2013 | Scientific Advisor | The Swedish Higher Education Authority |
| 2011 -2013 | Member of the Swedish Higher Education Authority´s Scientific Advisory Board | The Swedish Higher Education Authority |
| 2006 – 2007 | Researcher | Mälardalens University, Department of Education |
| 2002-2003 | Visiting Scholar at School of Educational Policy and Leadership, Quantitative Research, Evaluation and Measurement in Education | Ohio State University, USA |
| 1997- 2009 | Project leader – Evaluator | Swedish National Agency for Higher Education |
| 1992 -1996 | Postdoctoral and visiting scholar at Education Abroad program | Santa Barbara University, USA, Department of Education |
| 2006 – 2006 | Researcher | Mälardalens University |
| 2007 – 2007 | Project Leader and Advisor | ” Azin Khodro”, Iran |
| 1996 – 2006 | University Lecture in Pedagogy | Mälardalens University |
| 1988 – 1996 | Project leader | Uppsala University |
| 1987 – 1992 | PhD Student | Uppsala University |