Ms. Sumaiya Akhter is a dedicated English language educator and ELT professional currently serving as a Lecturer in English at East Delta University, where she teaches English Language and Linguistics modules. She was awarded the prestigious Hornby Scholarship in 2023–24 and completed her M.Ed in TESOL at the University of Exeter, UK. with a focus on English Language Teaching, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, EAP, and ESP.

She has diverse teaching experience, having worked as a language trainer in multiple institutes in Bangladesh and as a teacher support professional in secondary and higher secondary education in the UK. This cross-cultural experience has enriched her classroom practices and informed her approach to inclusive language education. In addition to her academic role, she serves remotely as Vice-President in the Department of Strategic Planning at She Leaps International (GOSHEN), a Nigerian non-profit organisation that empowers women and children through English education and entrepreneurship initiatives.

Her recent scholarly engagement includes presenting at IATEFL 2024 Brighton, where she co-presented on “Teacher Development in the Global South Context: Constraints and Affordances,” reflecting her commitment to teacher development and equitable education. Her current advocacy work centers on representing third-culture kids (TCKs) in the Bangladeshi EFL context, aiming to improve their learning experience and classroom integration. Her goal is to collaborate with educators to promote inclusive and context-sensitive language teaching practices.