Dr Kourova is a Teaching Associate in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Dr Kourova joined the university in 2021 and prior to this (2019- 2021) she worked as a Module Tutor and Teaching Assistant (PT) at the Glasgow Caledonian University in Social Sciences department. Here she gained Associate Fellowship in Higher Education Academy in 2020. In 2020 Dr Kourova also earned her title of Dr Phil for her dissertation thesis: “Biopolitics and the Transformative Powers of Life: The Case of Roma People in Glasgow.” This autoethnographic research used critical social theory to explore Roma community engagement and development, a field where Dr Kourova has had 15 years prior experience on various posts.

Dr Kourova joined the university as a mature worker with professional experience in staff and project management as well as experience in large, medium and small grants fundraising, experience that stems from her pre-academic employment experience. Her academic interests include biopolitics, migration, community empowerment and participation, social inclusion and justice, inclusive teaching, informal learning and widening of access to HE, and mentoring.

In her current post, Dr Kourova has succesfully undertaken module lead responsibilities for various modules within the Educaitona and Social Services BaHons course (Personal and Professional Development; Understanding How People Behave; Context, Policy and Joint Work; Dissertation). Dr Kourova has also successfully supervised students for udnergraduate dissertation. 

Co-Chair of the SWSP GEDI (Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Committee

Co-Lead of the SWSP Children, Young People and Families Research Cluster