Sam Hamer currently works as a Junior Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Amsterdam. He works as Junior Lecturer for the Sociology department and as a Researcher for the RISERS project, where he focuses on the Higher Education in Transition (Hoger Onderwijs in Transitie – HOT) initiative. As a co-creative member of the HOT initiative, Sam researches the potential for such initiatives to change higher education. Sam’s research interests lie in the sociology of education, critical pedagogy and Marxism. How does our education system relate to society’s structures and what role do those involved play in reproducing or challenging these structures? Sam has a Social Sciences Research Master’s degree (University of Amsterdam) where his thesis explored how ‘critical’ educators can open and close spaces for critical reflection in their classrooms. The Master’s thesis is called: The Red University: A Critical Examination of Higher Education’s Role in Social Transformation.