MIE academic recognised in International Top 50 Voices in Higher Education 2026 list

12 Feb 2026

Dr Miri Firth has been named in Vevox’s Top 50 Voices to Follow in Higher Education 2026, an international list recognising sector-leading influence. She was also included in the Top 100 Influencial People list, highlighting her global impact in employability and flexible assessment.

Dr Miri Firth, Senior Lecturer in Education at the Manchester Institute of Education (MIE) in SEED, has been recognised internationally as one of the Top 50 Voices to Follow in Higher Education for 2026 by Vevox. The list celebrates educators, researchers and leaders whose work is shaping the future of higher education globally. Miri’s inclusion reflects her national and international leadership in employability education and flexible assessment. As Academic Lead for Assessment in the University’s Flexible Learning Programme, she has driven institutional reform through the development of Manchester’s Assessment Toolkit, now supporting thousands of staff and students across the University.

Nationally, she led the QAA-funded Optionality in Assessment project, collaborating with the University of York, UCL and Imperial College London to explore student choice in assessment design. The outputs from this work have been adopted by multiple universities and have contributed to sector-wide conversations around inclusion, flexibility and future-focused learning.

Dr Firth also chairs the GFI (formerly AGCAS) Creative Industries Task Group, supporting careers professionals and academics across the UK in enhancing employability pathways for creative graduates.

In addition to this recognition, she was named in the Top 100 Influencial People list for 2026, highlighting the reach and impact of her scholarship and public engagement.

Commenting on these awards, Miri said: “I’m proud to see work on employability and inclusive assessment gaining international traction. This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of colleagues across MIE and the wider University who are committed to innovation in teaching and learning.”

This achievement reinforces MIE’s national and international standing in educational leadership, assessment innovation and graduate employability.