Newcastle University

Naseem Anwar has over 30 years’ experience of working at 5 UK universities on successfully developing and implementing innovative equality and diversity policies and strategy, conducting research, teaching and presenting at national and international conference.

He holds the post of Equality and Diversity Manager at the University of Strathclyde. His role involves strategic policy development and providing support to staff and students in addition to liaising with appropriate external agencies. Naseem has contributed to many innovative and foremost British Higher Education developments including the establishment of European Higher Education’s first Race Equality Unit at the University of Central Lancashire (1986-90); British Higher Education’s first Ethics and Values Audit (1991); course leader of the UK’s only Higher Education Black Access programme (1986) and European Union’s first student study-exchange programme on Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism (1989 – exchange between Preston and Berlin/ Lisbon).

He received major grant of £444k from the European Social fund to conduct research on ‘Muslim Women and Higher Education’ and ‘Muslim Women, Social Exclusion and Self-Employment’.

Sarah-Louise Davies is the Participation and Engagement Officer for Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People.  Sarah-Louise works to create good links and relationships with voluntary and independent children’s and youth sectors and to raise awareness of the UNCRC.  She also works closely with children and young people to ensure that they have a chance to communicate with the Commissioner and to talk about the issues that matter to them.

Philomena de Lima is the Director of  the Centre for Remote and Rural Studies, at the University of Highlands and ethnicity, race and cultured Islands, Scotland. Her research interests focus on social justice, poverty and exclusion/inclusion in the context of the following topics:

• identities (including intersectionality) and belonging
• migration and mobilities
• community - environment relationships

She has undertaken a wide range of research on these topics and has published widely. She is particularly interested in exploring these issues across different life course stages  in rura‌l contexts as well as in undertaking cross cultural comparative studies in both urban and rural settings.‌ 

Ian Fyfe is Deputy Head of Institute for Education Community and Society, Lecturer and Programme Director of the BA (Hons) Community Education degree programme based at Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh. He has a professional background in youth work, community education, learning and development with over 20 years practical experience based in Scotland, USA and Australia. His teaching and research interests include youth work, youth studies, education for citizenship and political participation. Current research projects include an investigation of young people’s experience of authority relationships in educational settings and examination of the impact of contemporary policy on youth work practice.

Naeem Khalid has been working the field of race and equalities for over 15 years. He is a finance graduate with po management. Naeem has been the co-orindator for Frae (Fairness Race Awareness and Equality) Fife for the past eight years leading the project in Fife Council Community services and successfully managing the organisation to become an independent charity and company limited by Gaurantee. He has considerable experience working both at operational and policy level, advising local and statutory organisations with regards to race and equalities. He has led Frae Fife to benchmark operation, process and services with regards to quality by helping it reach EFQM status. He has also encourage Frae Fife to be one of the firts 3rd Party Hate Crime reporting centres in Fife. He is a member of the Cross Party Race Group at the Scottish Parliament and has po‌stgraduate qualifications in technology and management.

Tom Lea is Outreach Projects Manager at the Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World, University of Edinburgh (www.alwaleed.ed.ac.uk). In this role, Tom is responsible for coordinating and delivering the centre’s research-driven outreach programme which aims to promote a better understanding of Islam throughout Scotland and the wider UK. In this capacity he works closely with Scottish schools, the media, local and national government, Police Scotland, the Scottish Judiciary and Scotland’s Muslim communities. Before taking up his current post, Tom worked as Development and Events Coordinator at the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association (www.eifa.org.uk) where he developed close relationships with faith communities across Scotland’s capital.

Catriona MacSween has been working with refugees and people in the asylum process for the past 10 years. She has worked for Aberlour Childcare Trust since 2010 as the Service Manager for the Scottish Guardianship Service which is a partnership project with Scottish Refugee Council. The service provides support to separated children who are seeking asylum or who have been trafficked from outside of the EU.  Catriona played a significant role in the research, design, establishment and development of the Scottish Guardianship Service.  Prior to this she worked with Scottish Refugee Council from 2004 until 2010 where she worked as caseworker and then latterly as the Separated Children's Development Worker.‌‌

Stuart Moir joined the University as a Bicentennial Fellow in August 2012. In addition to teaching, Stuart is studyin for a Doctorate in Education. Since graduating in 1994, Stuart worked as a Community Education Worker with a Local Authority and has experience of working with young people and adults in school and local community settings. Since 2002 Stuart’s work was focused on Youth participation and political participation. Stuart’s research interests are in learning for democracy, critical pedagogy, political literacy and participation with an interest in young people and voting. Stuart is currently editor of the Journal CONCEPT. Stuart’s most recent publication (2013) is a Youth Work reader co edited with Ian Fyfe, titled ‘Standing at the Crossroads: What future for Youth Work’.ur

Helen O'Shea is the International Education Officer at the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland. ‌Along with teaching posts at the University of Edinburgh and the Open University (Scotland), ‌‌she has extensive experience in the internationalisation of higher education at policy level, with experience in focusing on both inward and outward mobility and campus cohesion. She is the current lead researcher and policy staff member on the Scottish Government-funded project Developing Scotland’s Global Citizens. 

Trishna Singh was born in Glasgow and left school at the age of 13 due to cultural barriers. She got married and moved to Edinburgh in 1974, going on to have a family and became involved with Leith Home Start in 1985. She gained a degree in Community Learning and Development in 2007 at the age of 54. She founded Sikh Sanjog in 1989 and in partnership with others has for over twenty years established Sikh Sanjog and developed the capacity of the members and more recently the Social Enterprise Community Cafe.  She is committed to inclusion, developing a range of ways of connecting with people, encouraging them in their learning, using new technology and also creating practical opportunities to help them develop their skills and competency. Trishna’s aim is to continue to break down barriers to learning, reducing the obstacles that get in the way of people receiving a service and improving communication between professions about the needs of the Sikh and other BME women. She has 25 years of experience in the community and voluntary sector, carrying out, funding, training and organisational development roles. Most recently, she has been involved in successfully setting up the first Sikh Women’s Social Enterprise in Scotland (probably the UK). She has a wealth of experience and knowledge in relation to ethnic communities and their needs. Her foremost aim is working to close the inequalities gap, especially in terms of disadvantage and exclusion relating to education, skills and training. She has recently been appointed to the Community Standards Council Scotland and as Sikh Chaplain to Edinburgh University she is keen to continue to build links that can create pathways for women of all communities to participate in civic life.