Having studied photography, Abid began his early career as a content producer and later transitioned into a project manager role in marketing. However, his true passion led him to a career in Higher Education. He initially worked as a Photography and Digital Imaging Technician at several Higher Education Institutions.
While at the University of the Arts London, Abid played a pivotal role in supporting the colleges with the introduction of unified technical jobs, recognising and affirming the crucial role that technical staff play in Art & Design education. He introduced these changes firstly at the London College of Fashion and then the London College of Communication.
This experience paved the way for a decade-long tenure at the Royal College of Art, where Abid developed and led technical services. He managed a team of over 120 specialist technical experts supporting learning, teaching, research, knowledge exchange, and innovation. Abid was also a key member of the core team driving the estates strategy, contributing to the development of the Dyson, Woo, White City, and finally the new Battersea buildings. He ensured that the technical areas were world-leading, meeting the high aspirations of both staff and students.
Following this, Abid took on a new role at Nottingham Trent University, leading all operational, technical, and administrative services within the Nottingham School of Art & Design. He facilitated a major transformation of the technical areas and helped deliver the new state-of-the-art DaDA building.
Currently, Abid serves as the Head of Technical at the College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries at the University of Westminster.
Abid has been extensively involved in supporting the technical community across the sector. He is a specialist advisor representing Creative Education in the National Technical Development Centre. He founded ETHO, a European network supporting technical staff in Creative Higher Education across Europe. ETHO is now a platform of ELIA, with Abid serving as the chair and coordinator of activities of ETHO. Additionally, he established the UK Technical Alliance for CHEAD, which responds to the needs of the UK technical community through annual events and regional groups.
Abid said he is excited and proud to serve and advance the technical community through the work of CHEAD. As a board of trustees member, he is excited and committed to raising the profile and voice of technical staff to ensure collective success.
