Dr Dina Mehmedbegovic-Smith

Dr Dina Mehmedbegovic-Smith is an Associate Professor of Education and Applied Linguistics at University College London (UCL), Institute of Education, UK. She teaches across a range of master’s and doctoral programmes. Since May 2020, Dina has been the Director of Healthy Linguistic Diet Ltd, a consultancy and research agency founded on the principles of her innovative concept: Healthy Linguistic Diet (HLD).

International Work

A registered European Union Commission expert, Dina contributed in the period 2016–2018 to the peer review of language education across the EU. Her concept of Healthy Linguistic Diet is endorsed in two key EU Commission reports:

Rethinking Language Education and Linguistic Diversity in Schools
Migrants in European Schools – Learning and Maintaining Languages

Additionally, HLD approach was incorporated into an EU-wide online course for educators, reaching 1,600 teachers. This work inspired the development of a regional language strategy in Italy, funded by the Italian National Institute for Research and Innovation in Education (INDIRE). Dina served as an expert advisor for the project, supporting teachers and school leaders throughout its planning and implementation (2019–2021).

Global Engagement and Leadership

Since 2016, Dina has worked as a consultant and visiting professor for numerous international schools and universities across Brazil, China, Croatia, Dubai, Indonesia, Italy, Manila, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, the USA, and the UK. Her work in Dubai has been particularly impactful, leading to the establishment and launch of the GEMS Centre for Excellence for Arabic Language and Culture in 2024. Recognized as the originator of the centre, Dina has been appointed Chair of the Advisory Board co-leading with GEMS leadership its further development. Dina also serves as a school governor for GEMS Al Khaleej International School in Dubai, where she advises on bilingual and multilingual education strategies.

Research and Advocacy

Dina’s overarching mission is to shape education policy and practice so that no child feels the need to hide their home language and no family experiences alienation caused by the loss of their heritage language. She has promoted this vision through her academic, professional and voluntary efforts, including:

Founding and supporting the first Bosnian community school in England for ten years.
Delivering workshops for teachers of community schools across England, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and Australia.
Engaging bilingual parents in diverse contexts and countries through regular sessions
Conducting focus groups with children and young people to inform her research and raise awareness amongst stakeholders in education of the cognitive benefits of bilingualism.
Delivering presentations and contributing to the discussions of policymakers and politicians at the House of Lords, in the UK Parliament.

Original Concepts

Dina has so far developed three original concepts based on her research which contribute to the Social Justice agenda in language education and further development of typology of bilingualism:

Healthy Linguistic Diet
Imported Bilingualism
Academic Monolingualism

Publications which outline these concepts can be found on this link.

Consultancy and Professional Development

Dina has provided consultancy services to international schools, focusing on developing and delivering professional development programmes focused on bilingual education. These programmes are developed for teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders in schools across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.

Through her extensive academic and professional work, Dina champions sustainability of linguistic diversity and equity for multilingual learner, ensuring education systems worldwide embrace and utilise multilingualism for the benefit of individuals and communities.

Other Appointments and Affiliations

Chair, Advisory Board of the GEMS Centre for Excellence for Arabic Language and
Culture, Dubai (2024–present)
Governor/Advisor, GEMS Al Khaleej International School, Dubai (2021–present)
Peer Reviewer, EU Funding (2017–2019)
Expert, Advisory Board for Aga Khan Bilingual Academies (2018–2021)
Expert, Advisory Board for the Council for International Schools (2018–2021)
External Examiner, London School of Economics (2013–2016, 2024–present)
Mentor, UCL Fulbright Commission for Distinguished Teacher (2019)

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Unauthorised use, misrepresentation, or commercial exploitation of this content may result in financial penalties, legal action, and reputational consequences within academic and business communities. For permissions, collaboration requests, or licencing enquiries, please contact dina@healthylinguisticdiet.com.