The Aziz Foundation and the University of Manchester Host Muslim Friendly Universities II conference

On 11th May, The Aziz Foundation and The University of Manchester co-hosted the Muslim Friendly Universities (MFU) II conference in Manchester.

The second MFU conference to be held, it invited participants - including EDI practitioners, researchers, community voices and students - to look beyond what we research, and reflect critically on on how we do it, who is involved, and whose voices are heard.

The conference, entitled 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔, covered themes relating to researcher positionality and reflexivity, working with and against institutional leadership, and risk and precarity in investigating Islamophobia.

The programme included:

• Opening remarks by 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 Nalin Thakkar (𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫), reasserting the University's commitment to impactful EDI, and the need to acknowledge and defend the progress made in the field
• Keynote Address by Dr Sadia H. (𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫), focusing on moving beyond consultation toward genuinely participatory and community-centred research
• Cross-projects panel session chaired by Dr Maisha Islam (𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐧), which facilitated discussion on how to avoid extractive research and the best way to secure support from senior management, articulating the value of research with Muslim communities

Joe A Dobson, Director of the Aziz foundation, remarked:

"𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞"

The day was full of insight, necessary provocations and compelling discussions. We would like to express our appreciation to the speakers, participants, and everyone that supported us in organising this conference. You, collectively, made it a truly inspiring event.