He has a PhD in Education Policy from the University of Edinburgh, an MEd in Leadership and Policy from Monash University, and a Masters in Sociology from the University of Karachi. Dr Ali is a recipient of various academic awards including the Commonwealth Youth Leadership Award (2003), Australian Development Award (2003), Edinburgh Research Award (2006) and South Asian Visiting Scholar Oxford University (2011). Dr Ali has taught at Hamdard, Karachi and Aga Khan Universities as well as at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests include globalisation and education policy, educational governance, education reforms, and the privatisation of education and the teacher labour market.