Dr Aneeza Pervez

Dr Aneeza Pervez is a social and developmental psychologist whose research examines children’s prosociality, belonging, and peer relationships, with particular attention to how social power and structural inequalities shape everyday school life. She uses qualitative, mixed-methods, and participatory approaches to explore how children understand and practise kindness, fairness, and courage across diverse contexts.

From October 2025 to 2028, Aneeza will hold the Betty Behrens Research Fellowship at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge. Her fellowship focuses on social power and belonging in childhood, advancing practical ways for schools to address peer exclusion and cultivate prosocial classroom cultures. This work extends prior school-based collaborations and co-designed activities that centre children’s voices and everyday relational practices.

Her publications appear in peer-reviewed journals and her work engages directly with policy, practice, and public scholarship. She has collaborated with educators, NGOs, and international partners to co-create resources for schools and higher education, and her Collaborative Research Manifesto has been recognised as impactful, practice-facing scholarship.

Aneeza completed her PhD in Psychology at the UCL Institute of Education as a Centenary Scholar, alongside a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE, Distinction) at the University of Nottingham. She also holds an MPhil and BSc (Hons) in Psychology from Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan.

She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and co-founder of the Scouting and Guiding Initiative (SAGI – Nottingham), a research group examining the role of youth organisations in prosocial and moral development. Across her work, she links rigorous scholarship with practice to support just, inclusive, and supportive educational environments.