Aziz inclusion award 2025 shortlist announced

After much deliberation, The Aziz Foundation is delighted to reveal the shortlist for this year’s Aziz Inclusion Award, recognising the universities that have gone above and beyond to create truly inclusive environments for British Muslim students.

Earlier this year, 13 longlisted university partners were nominated by Aziz Scholars, alumni, and institutions themselves. Our panel of judges carefully reviewed the evidence submitted by each nominated university, scoring them against key criteria:

✅ The innovation and impact of their EDI and widening participation initiatives
✅ How they accommodate British Muslim students and enhance their experience on campus
✅ Evidence of understanding British Muslims within wider society

After careful consideration, the shortlisted institutions are:

🏛 De Montfort University
🏛 The Manchester Metropolitan University
🏛 The University of Salford
🏛 The University of Law

Congratulations to these outstanding university partners for their exceptional commitment to inclusion and equity.

This year’s judging panel brought together internal and external expertise:

🔹 Rahima Aziz BEM, Trustee, The Aziz Foundation
🔹 Zain Sardar, Programme Manager, The Aziz Foundation
🔹 Ibrahim Mohammed, Ambassador, The Aziz Foundation
🔹 Nahid Roshanali, Operations & Engagement Officer, Council of European Jamaats
🔹 Ayesha Ahmed, Public Affairs Manager, Bite Back 2030

Rahima Aziz BEM shared:

“The shortlisted universities have demonstrated genuine innovation, thoughtfulness, and impact in bettering the experience of British Muslim students on campus. It’s inspiring to see such meaningful work happening in the sector, and we are proud to recognise their efforts.”

The winner and runner-up will be announced at a special awards ceremony this October, where we will celebrate the incredible work of our university partners in advancing the vision of Muslim Friendly Universities.

Once again, huge congratulations to the shortlisted institutions, and thank you to our external panellists for their invaluable insights.