1. Arif Anwar
6 Hoskin Avenue Toronto, ON M5S1H8
Phone: (416) 357 9450 E-Mail: arif.anwar@utoronto.ca
Education
Ph.D. Sept. 2008 – Ongoing: Curriculum, teaching and learning at OISE at the University of Toronto –
PHD Dissertation: Exploring mobile phone usage in alternatively literate populations in Bangladesh
M.A. Jan. 2007 – Sept. 2008: Curriculum, teaching and learning at OISE at University of Toronto – MA
Thesis: Towards a role framework for mobile devices in educational contexts
M.A. Jan. 2001 – Jan. 2002: Information systems technology at George Washington University, CGPA:
3.8
B.A. Jan. 1997 – Aug. 2000: Psychology at George Washington University, CGPA: 3.3
Research Experience
o Ontario Education Research Exchange: Plain research writing project 05 – 2011 to present
o Youth 4 Health initiative: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University 07 – 2010 to 04 -2011
of Toronto. Devised a Twitter based navigational component for youth
health navigators working with Newcomer populations in Toronto
o Public School Teachers Working with Muslim Students: Opportunities and 09 – 2007 to 06 - 2010
Challenges. SHHRC funded project on teacher perspectives on education
of Muslim students in Canada, conducted in-depth and on-site interviews
with teachers, transcribed and analyzed interview data, observed
classrooms and developed a website for updating team members and
sharing data
o Developing avenues of cooperation and collaboration on the issues of 09 – 2008 to 05 - 2009
International Comparative Education, Peace Education and Democratic
Citizenship Education between OISE and the University of Birmingham.
Updating and maintaining the CIDEC website, videoing seminars and
workshops, conducting visits for international scholars, writing a
literature review on Citizenship Education
o Global Climate Exchange Forum: Creating an online forum for discussion 09 – 2008 to 06 - 2009
of Climate Change Issues between students in China, Sweden and Canada.
Designed website design using Drupal, developed climate change issues,
coordinated international participation in an online environment,
designed a multi-lingual website
o Designed and developed the Edtech Wiki, an online resource for 01 – 2007 to 05 - 2007
cataloguing educational technologies
Skills
• Unmatched writing skills: Currently serving as Writing Don (instructor) at the Trinity College Writing Centre
• Qualitative research skills: NVIVO, interviewing, meta-ethnography, secondary analysis, literature review,
synthesizing large data sets
• Instrument design, mixed-methods research design, study design
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• Network skills, website development: CMS, blogging software, webhosting solutions, Wordpress and Drupal
based website development
Publications
o Anwar, Kazi Arif. Towards a role framework for mobile devices in education. Sept. 2009
Paper presented at the IEEE Toronto International Conference – Science IEEE Explore
and Technology for Humanity, Sept. 26 – 27, 2009, Toronto.
o Anwar, Kazi Arif and Islam, Nazmul. BRAC in Afghanistan: Building TBP 2011
South-South partnerships in teacher training. PROSPECTS UNESCO
o Niyozov, Sarfaroz Anwar, Kazi Arif and Khan, Ranya. Public School TBP 2011
Teachers Working with Muslim Students: Opportunities and Challenges.
SSHRC funded project.
Conference and other presentations
o Supporting new Canadians through mobile communication networks: How Canadian Society for the Study of
Twitter can promote informal learning and social Education (CSSE) Conference,
May 31st, 2011
o Building south-south partnerships in teacher training: BRAC in Afghanistan Comparative and International
Education Society (CIES)
Conference
May 3rd, 2011
o Role of Granovetter’s social ties theory in knowledge network formation in new OISE Dean’s Graduate Student
Canadians Conference
March 4 – 5, 2011, Toronto, ON
o Using web 2.0 technologies in the classroom: an introduction Pre-field experience program
Academic and cultural support
centre, OISE
October 16, 2010, Toronto, ON
o Origins of social media: Facebook, Twitter and others, where they came from State University of Bangladesh
and where they are going Guest Lecture
January 5th, 2011, Dhaka,
Bangladesh
o Towards a role framework for mobile devices in educational contexts Comparative and International
Education Society conference
March 1 – 5 2010, Chicago, IL
o Towards a role framework for mobile devices in education IEEE Toronto International
Conference – Science and
Technology for Humanity
Sept. 26 – 27, 2009, Toronto, ON
o Mlearning: Taking the show on the road OISE – University of Toronto
special event
March 12, 2009, Toronto, ON
o Public School Teachers Working with Muslim Students: Opportunities and World Council of Comparative
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Challenges (co-presented with first author, Sarfaroz Niyozov) Education Societies 2010
June 14 – 19, 2010, Istanbul,
Turkey
Work experience
Writing Don (Writing instructor), Trinity College, University of 09 – 2010 – Present
Toronto
Offering writing instruction and critical feedback on essays to undergraduate
students at Trinity college, assisting with various student life related
activities, mentoring undergraduate students
Manager: Management Information Systems Unit, Communications 01 – 2004 to 01 – 2006
Unit, Monitoring Unit, Illustration and Design Unit, BRAC Education
Program, BRAC Bangladesh
o Management Information Systems Unit: Managed information flow
from 46,000 schools, 565 area offices, and 44 regional offices to Head Office.
Responsible for modernizing information technology infrastructure in
regional offices and development of new database (migrating from MS
Access to SQL Server in Head Office, providing computers to 44 regional
offices and training 44 computer operators). Modernizing BEP head office
Local Area Network with an integrated solution combining network
security, domain and Internet access for 75 users. Designed database
update scheme from field to head office and reporting internal data.
o Communications Unit: Communicated with BRAC donors (CIDA,
DFID, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Royal Netherlands Embassy, NOVIB,
and UNICEF). Responsible for production of concept papers, proposals,
semi-annual progress reports, annual progress reports and Logical
Framework Analyses. Finalized and produced a proposal with a total
budget of US$ 26 million that was approved by donors. Representing
BRAC at annual Donor Consortium meetings for updates on BRAC’s 5
year, US$ 150 million education programmed (46,000 Primary and Pre-
primary schools around Bangladesh). Development of BEP website
o Monitoring Unit: Supervised 44 monitors around Bangladesh covering
more than 1,000 schools a month. Set indicators and scheduled
monitoring. Developed appropriate monitoring schemes for pre-primary
schools, primary schools, union libraries (Gonokendros), Parent’s
Meetings, Teacher Refreshers, Adolescent Reading Centres (Kishori
Kendros), Community Schools, Formal Schools, Indigenous Schools and
Children with Disabilities.
o Illustration and Design Unit: Lead group of artists (both computer and
hand drawing specialists) in creating original artwork for BRAC
Textbooks across five subjects and other publications.
Data Tech, Washington DC, USA 11 – 2002 to 10 – 2003
Cisco Migration Engineer
o Cisco Migration Engineer for Selective Recruiting, sub-contracted for Data
Tech, Washington DC. Performed migration of Legacy commercial
networks to Cisco routers and switches
Neopost Online, Warrenton, VA, USA 10 – 2000 to 6 – 2001
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Network Operations Technician
o Monitored web and database servers, server backup, network
administration, working with Cisco 2500 and 2600 routers, and Cisco 1900
switches. VPN Management. Installed hardware and software,
troubleshooting, performed cabling. Tested and documented software,
escalated problems. Assisting senior network engineers
References
Provided upon request
