Ali is involved in the delivery of the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and BSc in Professional Policing. He is also currently working with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland as Associate Inspector, providing expertise and assistance on HMICS' thematic inspection of Police Scotland's approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Ali's research interests include policing, police reform, police governance, the role of experts in public and policing policy and diversity within policing. Ali completed his PhD at the University of Edinburgh, his thesis focused on the role of the Scottish Police Authority in managing and delivering police governance in Scotland. Ali developed a novel interdisciplinary conceptual and analytical framework to examine the relationship between democracy and epistocracy in police governance. His research findings report “Steering from the centre: the Scottish Police Authority and police governance in Scotland” published by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research highlighted concerns around political interference within Scottish policing and received significant coverage in the national press including The Herald, Financial Times, and The Economist. The report also formed the basis of questions in the Scottish Parliament. 

Ali welcomes enquiries from prospective postgraduate students who wish to undertake a PhD in an area related to his research interests. 

Policing, Police Governance, Criminology, Political Philosophy, Epistocracy, Qualitative Research Methods