Ned McGowan teaches composition and artistic research with a strong focus on technique, experiment, and intercultural practices. Since 2015 he has been a composition teacher at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht, Utrecht Conservatory, working with students in individual lessons, classes, and forums. Since 2021 he has served as Chair of the BMus and MMus Artistic Research curriculum and taught Artistic Research Skills, alongside roles as chair of exams and as coordinator and teacher of Advanced Rhythm and Pulse, a position he has held since 2010. He also served as coordinator of the HKU exchange program with Showa University of Music (Japan) from 2015 to 2017, and earlier coordinated the exchange program with Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology (India).
Beyond HKU, he coached and advised master students in artistic research at Codarts (Creative Performer domain, 2019 to 2024) and Fontys Tilburg (Composition and Creative Performer domains, 2020 to 2023), and regularly serves as chair of exams. He is the founder and director of the International Rhythm Course (Utrecht Summer School, since 2019), offering on-site, online, and blended workshops, and he was the main composition coach for the Gaudeamus composer course creating new work for BC Manjunath and the New European Ensemble (2021 to 2022). Earlier teaching posts include HKU Music & Technology (2011 to 2015), the Conservatory of Amsterdam (2000 to 2005), and Amsterdam University of the Arts (2002 to 2007), and his broader educational work is informed by long-term artistic leadership, including co-founding the Karnatic Lab Foundation and directing the Huygens-Fokker Foundation, the Dutch centre for microtonal music.