Report by Amira Samatar (YCEDE Scholars Board) and Jack Harris (YCEDE Project Assistant)
On Thursday 23rd January, YCEDE and the University of York were delighted to host the Aziz Foundation’s first “Muslim Friendly Universities” Conference. Attended by a sold out crowd of 90 academics and PGRs from across the country, the event was a huge success which included stimulating debates, insightful presentations, and engaging interactive group work. The conference was structured around three presentations from Aziz-funded projects at the University of Bradford, De Montfort University, and Loughborough University.
The conference was opened in the morning by a warm welcome from Professor Kathryn Arnold, YCEDE Project Lead, and Dr Zain Sardar, Aziz Foundation Programme Manager, before introductory speeches from Zenab Sabahat, YCEDE Scholars Board PGR (University of Bradford) and Professor Tracy Lightfoot, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students (University of York).
Zenab shared a powerful reflection on her lived experiences as a Muslim woman researcher and student, highlighting the challenges she faced and the systemic barriers that still exist. Her story underscored the importance of culturally competent practices in universities, such as providing access to prayer spaces, accommodating prayer times, and fostering an environment where religious and cultural identities are respected and valued. Zenab’s testimony served as a call to action for institutions to move beyond token gestures and implement meaningful, structural changes that address the unique needs of Muslim students and staff. Her insights resonated deeply with attendees, setting a reflective and purposeful tone for the rest of the conference.
These introductions were followed by a keynote speech by Professor Paul Wakeling, Dean of York Graduate Research School and YCEDE WS2 Co-Lead. One of the country’s foremost academics in widening participation in postgraduate education, Paul delivered an insightful keynote which emphasised the critical role of data and research in understanding and addressing the experiences of Muslim staff and students in higher education. A key takeaway from his presentation was the need for universities to more explicitly include religion in equality data collection. This specificity is crucial for identifying and addressing systemic inequities. Paul called for a robust research agenda to explore the intersectionality of religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other identity markers, emphasising that a deeper understanding of these overlapping identities is essential for creating inclusive policies and practices for Muslim students and staff.
University of Bradford: Countering Islamophobia on Campus (Izram Choudry and Yunis Alam)
Dr Izram Choudry and Dr Yunis Alam presented their research on countering Islamophobia on university campuses, funded by a matched grant from the University of Bradford and the Aziz Foundation. Their work shed light on the pervasive nature of Islamophobia, which extends beyond higher education but has profound implications for Muslim students and staff within academic institutions.
The speakers emphasised that Islamophobia is not a monolithic experience; it manifests in various forms, from overt discrimination to subtle microaggressions. They shared findings that highlighted the disproportionate burdens faced by Muslim staff, who often navigate dual roles as educators and advocates/representatives for their communities. This emotional and professional labour, they argued, is frequently overlooked and undervalued.
Izram and Yunis also stressed the need for more research in this area, particularly to understand the long-term impacts of Islamophobia on mental health, academic performance, and career progression. They called for universities to take proactive measures to address Islamophobia, including clear reporting mechanisms for incidents, and the creation of safe spaces for dialogue and support.
Their presentation underscored a powerful reminder that countering Islamophobia is not just the responsibility of Muslim individuals or communities but requires collective action from institutions, policymakers, and society at large.
De Montfort University: How do first year undergraduate students experience their Muslimness in HE spaces? (Richard Hall, Lucy Ansley, Lamia Nemouchi and Sumeya Loonat)
Following lunch, we were treated to a presentation from De Montfort University. The team at DMU have conducted an audit of their institution’s British Muslim first-year students and their experience of their Muslim identity, conceptualised as their Muslimness, whilst transitioning into the University.
For this project, DMU were keen to place collaboration and co-creation with their student subjects at the forefront of their research design. As well as a survey of first year undergraduate students, they also conducted one to one interviews with other participants in an attempt to better understand granular lived experiences.
As a key practical learning from the project, colleagues at DMU highlighted the need for universities to be more proactive in collecting and sharing data around faith awarding gaps. In contrast to regular collection and reporting of other awarding gaps such as ethnicity or gender, the DMU research team encountered several structural obstacles in obtaining similar data when it came to faith.
Preliminary findings from the one to one interviews highlighted a few common themes including: pride in faith and religious identity; the importance of community and belonging (safety in locality and diversity); students feeling like representatives and advocates of Islam, determined and sometimes burdened to challenge misconceptions.
The session concluded with a stimulating interactive discussion in which delegates worked in small groups to consider the following questions:
- How would you evaluate your understanding of how Muslim identities impact your institution?
- What barriers exist to the engagement of British Muslim students in co-created research?
- In what ways would you build relevant student engagement?
DMU’s initial findings and their admirable commitment to co-creation highlighted the importance of foregrounding the voices that matter the most, focusing academics’ energy on highlighting positive reflections and gaining constructive feedback instead of creating a deficit model or seeing themselves as saviours.
Loughborough University: Lived Experiences and Improved Futures for Muslim Students and Staff (Rafia Arshad, Ellie Moore and Line Nyhagen)
The final session of the day was led by colleagues at Loughborough University. Consisting mainly of an interactive activity for delegates, Rafia and Ellie facilitated a wonderfully thought-provoking discussion centered on the lived experiences of three of their research participants.
Using three anonymised case studies from the data that Loughborough have collected, colleagues were asked to discuss the stories and consider what they reveal about life in HE as a Muslim and how individuals and institutions can better support Muslim students in creating inclusive environments.
In the following feedback session, delegates highlighted the decision fatigue that comes from constantly having to assess ‘every day’ choices and decisions (such as food choices and scheduling work around prayer) when these decisions are not taken into account or facilitated by institutions. The emotional labour that comes with having to fend for yourself as a minoritised individual within an environment that hasn’t acknowledged that fact can become overwhelming.
Delegates agreed that the struggle to achieve bare minimum provisions at some institutions, such as prayer rooms and halal catering, is indicative of wider systemic issues. Some members of the audience also pointed out that much of the policy and procedure work at universities is developed to target new undergraduates only, and until these changes are designed to encompass all areas of university life and communities their impact will remain limited.
Concluding Remarks, by Zain Sardar, Programme Manager at The Aziz Foundation
It was abundantly clear to me from the MFU conference that there is a real appetite for spaces, to facilitate discussion, on how we can better create inclusive cultures on campus for British Muslim staff and students.
We heard the lived experiences and emotional burdens of early year researchers very powerfully conveyed, and this was well complemented by data and analysis by experts in widening access. The rich blend of insight – from the thought provoking, interactive sessions run by the research project teams – and concrete policy proposals gives the sector much to reflect on when it comes to driving necessary institutional reform.
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.