Mirage Islam is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing here at the University of Salford’s Business School, as well as the School’s Innovation Lead. Mirage is a seasoned senior strategic digital marketer, who has worked with several leading brands in the industry including, Sky, TalkTalk, Channel 4, Microsoft, British Council, and Saatchi & Saatchi North Americas, to name a few.
We recently caught up with Mirage to discuss his successful career to-date, his journey into academia and his favourite things about Salford. This is what he had to say…
How did you get into academia as a career path?
It was a coming together of industry experience, having a sense of purpose and believing it was important to give back. As an industry professional, I used to deliver guest lectures to students – at all levels – at a range of universities.
At one point I was working for a media group and we wanted to diversify the newsroom, so we embarked on a tour of universities in the UK. The aim was to share insights, create opportunities and to identify top talent – the University of Salford (UoS) was on the list. It was only when I started to engage with the staff and students at UoS that I realised there was something quite special, this led me to deliver several more guest lectures as well as mentoring students who wanted a career in the media industry. The frequency of my guest lectures started to increase, and this led me to helping design and deliver programs that were closely aligned with industry requirements. You could say this was the point at which I started to transition to becoming an academic.
If I had to describe myself, I would say I am an academic with extensive industry experience at senior level.
Why did you choose to work at the University of Salford?
This one is easy: the diverse student population along with the hunger and appetite for learning from our students is awe inspiring, which makes teaching an absolute joy for me.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all plain sailing, there are always challenges but, on the whole, the University of Salford is a great place to be. Many of the students I come across are the first in their family to attend university and many have jobs which means they are juggling and managing multiple priorities. I have a lot of respect for my students because they have already fought a hard battle to get to this point and I see my role as helping them get ready for the world of work and beyond. I feel my colleagues and the University of Salford gets this and its values align to my own which makes me happy.
What’s the best thing about being an academic at Salford?
Having the opportunity to inspire and enthuse students, witnessing that moment when an individual’s eyes light up because they truly get what it is I have been trying to convey. Those moments are special.
I also recognise that not everyone has a mum, dad or someone in their network that can get them access to industry professionals, work experience or that foot in the door. Throughout my career I have been creating talent pipelines and now I can leverage my network and connections to create opportunities for not just students, but for the School and University. Some examples of this have been leveraging connections at TalkTalk Group that have resulted in site visits, employability events and guest lectures. Most recently it was getting my connections at LinkedIn to deliver online workshops, while I’ve coordinated for a former colleague at Sky to give careers advice to a student, as well as for a contact at Formula 1 to help a student who wants to pursue a career in motorsports – creating these opportunities can lead to incredible outcomes.
Can you tell us about any of your career highlights to-date?
I have had a privileged career as a Digital Strategist, I have seen and experienced many things, worked with amazing minds here and overseas with involvement in commercial and not-for-profit sectors that have had considerable impact. But right now, as an academic, the most rewarding highlight must be how I have designed and delivered an industry focused first year module – scaffolding students – with third year outputs in mind. The feedback and engagement from students are proving to be hugely beneficial on many levels – this makes me proud.
What’s your current research focused on?
Right now, I’m involved in a funded project focusing on the intersection of AI and cybersecurity with our Centre of Sustainable Innovation here at the Business School. It’s a very exciting project where once again I get to work with a really talented team. I have written for industry focused publishers and international business journals, but my aim now is to write articles focused on the industry aligned modules that I have designed and to get articles published.
And finally, the all-important question, where in Manchester or Salford is best to grab a coffee?
Depends on where you are really but for me it is always accompanied with a pastry or sandwich. My favourite coffee is by far Roasted by Passion Fruit, who are now in Old Trafford. If in Ancoats then Pollen Bakery and in the Northern Quarter it is Gooey, but be prepared to queue for the last two mentioned. In Chorlton, its Junipers and Didsbury there’s a little kiosk called Hikari Koffee on Barlow Moor Road – it’s amazing! On campus it has to the Old Fire Station café, the coffee and service are great and – although I do need to reduce my consumption – the sourdough bread is sublime.