Our Mission
SMART exists to make high-quality, research-informed higher education accessible to working professionals, returning learners, and communities whose access to traditional university education may be constrained by geography, cost, or circumstance. We believe that rigorous scholarship and practical professional relevance are not in tension — at SMART, they are inseparable.
We are committed to delivering programmes that meet the highest academic and professional standards, led by educators with genuine expertise and active scholarly profiles. Our qualifications are designed to be recognised and valued by employers, professional bodies, and higher education institutions alike.
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." — W.B. Yeats
Leadership & Founding Story
SMART was founded by Masum Murtaza, a higher education professional with over fifteen years of experience spanning UK and international universities. Masum holds a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), Membership of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI), and the Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE) designation.
In his primary role, Masum serves as Lecturer and Module Leader in Business at Fairfield School of Business, delivering across partner universities including Ravensbourne University London, Bath Spa University, and Birmingham Newman University. He is an active researcher registered on ORCID (0000-0001-9851-4277), Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu.
SMART was established to make this expertise available directly to learners — without institutional barriers, administrative overhead, or geographic constraints. It is a genuinely independent academic institution with its own programmes, assessments, and certified outcomes.
- FHEA — Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE)Recognised for sustained commitment to teaching excellence in UK higher education.
- PGCHE — Postgraduate Certificate in Higher EducationFormal qualification in HE pedagogy, learning design, and assessment practice.
- MCMI — Member of the Chartered Management InstituteProfessional membership recognising expertise in management and leadership.
- CMBE — Certified Management & Business EducatorInternational designation recognising excellence in business and management education.
- Lecturer & Module Leader — Fairfield School of BusinessDelivering business modules across three UK partner universities.
- Head of Department & Assistant Professor — Bangladesh (Prior)Academic leadership and teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level in South Asian HE.
- President — Sheffield Muslim SocietyCommunity leadership with British-Bangladeshi communities across South Yorkshire.
- Founder & Director — SMARTEstablishment of a UK-registered HEI delivering accredited programmes online.
Our Values
Everything at SMART is guided by six core commitments shaping how we design programmes, support learners, and engage with the wider community.
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Academic Rigour
Every programme is grounded in peer-reviewed scholarship and evidence-based practice.
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Professional Relevance
Curricula mapped to professional competences recognised by employers and accrediting bodies.
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Accessibility
Higher education available to everyone with the motivation to succeed, regardless of geography.
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Ethical Leadership
Ethical reasoning and social responsibility integrated across all programmes.
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Research Culture
Our director maintains an active research profile — learners engage with current scholarship.
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Continuous Improvement
Programmes regularly updated to reflect current scholarship, industry practice, and learner feedback.
Research & Scholarship
SMART is a research-engaged institution. Research interests span emotional intelligence and organisational commitment, employee performance in the UK service sector, pedagogy and higher education teaching, consumer behaviour and digital marketing, and Islamic organisational ethics. Current research employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with validated instruments including the WLEIS, Meyer and Allen's OCQ, and Koopmans' IWPQ.
Outputs are publicly accessible via ORCID 0000-0001-9851-4277, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu.
Partnerships & Affiliations
SMART operates within a network of UK higher education institutions and professional bodies.
Fairfield School of Business
Primary delivery partner — SMART's director teaches across FSB programmes at Ravensbourne, Bath Spa, and Birmingham Newman.
Advance HE
SMART's director holds FHEA status — the UK's leading professional recognition for HE teaching excellence.
Chartered Management Institute
MCMI membership and CMBE designation inform the professional standards in all SMART business programmes.
Ravensbourne University London
Partner university through FSB — connecting SMART to creative and business education in London.
Bath Spa University
Partner university through FSB — linking SMART to arts, business, and education provision in the south-west.
Birmingham Newman University
Partner university through FSB — extending SMART's reach into the West Midlands.
