Dr Alex Chelegeer

Profile

Prior to my current role as a Student Development Coach, I was a Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy, delievering teaching across all levels for a wide range of modules. In my new role within the Academic Success Strand of the Student Success Centre, I am excited to take a more proactive approach to supporting students in the Faculty of Social Sciences. I would identify students most in need of academic and holistic support --- yet less likely to seek it --- and provide them with sustained, 1on1 coaching sessions to enhance their confidence, self-efficacy, and empowerment.

With the aim of ensuring opporunities for students to speak openly about their experiences, goals, and challenges, I am not currently involved in teaching or assessment. Instead, I focus on building rapport coaching relationships with individual students to help them recognize their strengths and capabilities while co-creating clear action plans for academic and personal growth. Over the course of up to seven sessions (an initial scoping meeting and following-up ones) per year, I monitor their progress against their development plans, discuss the outcomes of specific practices, and assist in connecting them with various other services, techniques, and resources across the University. I am committed to offering long-term guidance and fostering students' success and sense of belonging throughout their academic journey. Additionally, I run pop-up Student Success Stand to reach student where they are, welcoming enquiries and friendly catch-ups. 

Research interests

I have developed research interests in both pedagogy and the sociology of ethnicity. 

Regarding the sociology of ethnicity, I completed a PhD program on Mongolian cohorts in China. My thesis examines the conflicts and tensions between China’s nation-building efforts to promote a universal Chineseness and its simultaneous initiatives to manage and celebrate internal diversity. Drawing on Rogers Brubaker’s theoretical framework, I conducted two rounds of fieldwork over three years and developed a bottom-up perspective to analyze when, where, and how ethnic identity shapes and/or reshapes participants’ daily activities. Based on such research experience, I am exploring new projects that maintain an ethnographic focus, examining the daily interactions within and across specific communities, navigating social dynamics and inequalities with their individuals’ mobility, media use, education, gatherings and etc. 

While for pedagogical research, I am active in assessing my teaching efforts, coaching sessions, and collaboration with EAPs and/or other colleagues. Committed to student success and the promotion of educational outcomes for ongoing generations, I aim to explore various strategies and techniques to cultivate an inclusive learning environment and to enhance students' learning outcomes.

Qualifications

• FHEA
• PhD Sociology, University of Leeds
• MA Media and Culture Studies, Peking University