Zafar Syed serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Sheridan College. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Zafar and his family relocated to Vancouver, Canada, when he was 11 years old. As a first-generation immigrant to Canada, he attended a Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) class for a year to learn English before starting high school. Zafar faced challenges during his early years, which later influenced his research interests in language, identity, and educational practices. With nearly three decades of experience, he has contributed to educational development in Japan, Hawaii, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada.