Dr Omar Khan
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Omar Khan joined TASO in June 2020.
Omar has led TASO’s transition into an independent charity, developing its team and strategy to widen participation in higher education and eliminate equality gaps between students. His research and professional background has focused on equality and social mobility, particularly in education and the labour market, and he regularly speaks on these topics in the UK and globally.
Omar holds several board advisory positions, including chair of the board of trustees of Trust for London, trustee of the Political Studies Association. Omar has previously been a board or advisory group member at the University of East London, the Barrow Cadbury Trust, the Financial Inclusion Commission, the Department for Work and Pensions, the 2021 REF and 2014 REF assessments, and a 2012 Clore Social Leadership Fellow.
Omar joined TASO from race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust, where he had been Director since 2014, growing the organisation and increasing its profile. He completed a doctorate in political science from the University of Oxford in 2008.
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Blog
13 May 2025
Dr Omar Khan, CEO at TASO, discusses how higher education can meaningfully address inequality through better implementation, rigorous evaluation, and stronger public narratives. Reflecting on insights from TASO’s fifth annual conference, he calls for a renewed, evidence-based commitment to social mobility, urging the sector to act on what works, not just what’s said.
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Blog
3 December 2024
Dr Omar Khan, CEO at TASO, reflects on the findings of Social Market Foundation’s report on how to support care-experienced and estranged students to succeed in higher education, and discusses the role TASO could take in ensuring this group receives effective support.
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Blog
13 November 2024
Omar Khan, CEO at TASO, discusses the launch of the Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) and its potential to support enhanced evaluation practices and collaborative learning across the sector.
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Report
This report examines how those with experience of children’s social care access and progress within higher education.
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Report
This report examines student mental health in the UK in 2024, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ students, using survey data collected from thousands of undergraduates.