Aziz Foundation and YCEDE Jointly Host Muslim Friendly Universities Conference

On 23rd January, The Aziz Foundation and the Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education (YCEDE) hosted the world's first Muslim Friendly Universities (MFU) conference at the University of York! 🏛️

This landmark event brought together EDI practitioners, policy experts, and researchers from diverse disciplines to address the challenges faced by Muslim students and staff in higher education. 🎓

The Foundation’s match-funded MFU research projects led interactive sessions, sharing key findings from their audits of Muslim experiences on campus and facilitating engaging discussions.

🎤 Key highlights from the conference:

💡 Professor Paul Wakeling, Dean of the York Graduate Research School, delivered a thought-provoking keynote address.
💬 YCEDE scholar Zainab Sabahat shared her inspiring journey as a female Muslim doctoral student.

🔬 Attendees also heard from leading MFU research projects, including:

📍 Dr Izram Chaudry & Dr Yunis Alam (University of Bradford) – Countering Islamophobia on Campus
📍 Professor Richard Hall 🇵🇸, Dr Lucy Ansely, Dr Lamia Nemouchi & Sumeya Loonat (De Montfort University) – How British Muslim first-year students experience their Muslimness in HE spaces
📍 Professor Line Nyghagen, Ellie Moore & Rafia Arshad (Loughborough University) – Lived experiences and improved futures for Muslim students and staff

🔊 Dr Zain Sardar, Programme Manager at the Aziz Foundation, emphasised the conference’s significance:

“A key and resonant message that came out of the conference is the need to work beyond the rhetoric and the sometimes performative nature of EDI. We must all commit to the hard work of systemic change, breaking through the institutional paralysis, and hold senior leaders accountable for their actions.”

🌍 Professor Kathryn Arnold , Project Lead at YCEDE, reinforced this message:

"Universities in Yorkshire are working together to build more welcoming and inclusive environments for British Muslims. Our goal is to create an academic space where all staff and students feel truly valued."

🚀 The first Muslim Friendly Universities Conference marks a major step toward fostering equity in higher education. Let’s continue working towards a future where every student and staff member can thrive!