Over ten years of CCCG-Westminster partnership: a Business Lecturer for a decade of DEN, and what comes next
Prabhakar Tailor, Business Lecturer, Capital City College Group (formerly City and Islington College), London, United Kingdom
Part of the Inside Westminster anniversary series marking ten years of the Democratic Education Network.
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About you
Prabhakar Tailor, Business Lecturer at Capital City College Group (formerly City and Islington College), London. I teach business and work closely with students, colleagues, employers and university partners to help learners connect their education with the wider world.
How did you first come into contact with DEN?
I first came into contact with DEN through my long-standing work with Farhang Morady at City and Islington College, now part of Capital City College Group. I have worked with Farhang for over 10 years, and I was impressed early on by how he developed relationships with students through discussion, debate and genuine intellectual exchange.
DEN brought together the values that mattered to us: giving students a voice, building confidence, and creating a meaningful bridge between further and higher education.
Which DEN activities have you supported or taken part in?
For the past eight years, I have helped take a delegation of students from Capital City College Group to the University of Westminster. These visits have included seminars, discussions, debates and lectures on topics that matter to young people.
I have also supported students in preparing for presentations, and in participating confidently in cross-institutional conversations with undergraduates, lecturers, and international students.
Was there a moment at DEN that has stayed with you?
What has stayed with me most is seeing a sixteen-year-old student stand up and present in front of undergraduates and lecturers at the University of Westminster. That moment captures what DEN can do. Students arrive perhaps unsure of themselves, but they leave knowing that their ideas are worth hearing, and that they belong in academic spaces.
What aspects of DEN have had the biggest impact on you?
The biggest impact has been watching DEN grow over the past ten years into a community that values democratic participation, discussion, and international perspectives. That growth is a tribute to Farhang’s commitment to his students, and to strengthening the relationship between further and higher education. DEN creates a space where students are not simply spectators. They are active contributors to debate.
How has DEN helped you develop personally and professionally?
DEN has improved my networking skills, and strengthened my confidence in working across institutions. It has introduced me to international students and colleagues who bring different perspectives, experiences and ambitions to education. It has also reinforced the value of creating opportunities for students to speak, debate and develop their confidence beyond the classroom.
Has DEN supported your career or professional development?
Yes. Although I am a lecturer, DEN has supported my professional development by extending my network across further education, higher education, and international student communities. I have developed skills in facilitating discussion, in preparing students for public participation, and in helping students communicate with different audiences. These experiences have strengthened my teaching, and broadened the opportunities I can offer learners.
What is one thing DEN has given you that you would have struggled to find elsewhere?
DEN has given me access to a genuinely democratic academic community. It is rare to find a space where college students, university students and lecturers can engage on equal terms, listen to one another, and debate issues that matter. It has given our students a clearer sense that higher education is a place where they can contribute, not simply a place they may one day attend.
What advice would you give to students and colleagues thinking of joining?
To students, I would say: do not underestimate the value of your voice. Take the opportunity to ask questions, share your views, and present your ideas, even when the room feels unfamiliar.
To colleagues, I would say: get involved, and encourage students to do the same. The confidence students gain from being trusted with real discussions and real audiences can be transformative.
What would you say to a colleague at another institution?
DEN is a powerful model for connecting further and higher education. It gives students a democratic space to engage with ideas, develop confidence, and meet people from different countries and backgrounds. It is also an excellent professional network for staff who want to make learning more connected, outward-looking and participatory.
Should DEN do anything differently in the next decade?
Over the next decade, DEN should continue to build practical support for staff who organise student participation: clearer planning, shared resources, and regular opportunities to exchange good practice.
It should also keep artificial intelligence at the centre of its discussions. AI will have a massive impact on education: on the way students research, write, create, communicate, and prepare for employment. DEN can help students and staff move beyond fear or hype by creating democratic conversations about how AI can be used responsibly, critically and creatively, while protecting academic integrity, inclusion and human judgement.
Anything else you would like us to know?
I would like to recognise Farhang Morady’s contribution to the community and to education. Over many years, he has shown how discussion and debate can build trust, confidence and ambition among students. His work has helped create a lasting connection between City and Islington College, now Capital City College Group, and the University of Westminster. The growth of DEN is evidence of his commitment to students, to community engagement, and to making further and higher education work together more closely.
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Photo caption: Prabhakar Tailor, Business Lecturer at Capital City College Group, on fifteen years of working with Farhang Morady and a decade of bringing college students to the DEN International Student Conference.