Fellows and visiting research fellows

FCSU Fellows contribute to the work of the Unit through their own research and activism including curating seminars, roundtable discussions, collaborative projects and policy briefings.

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Francesca Cadeddu

Francesca Cadeddu is Assistant Professor in Contemporary History at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia since 2020 and affiliated researcher of FSCIRE, Fondazione per le scienze religiose (Bologna/Palermo) since 2011. She works on religious pluralism and literacy in Italy and Europe. Her most recent topics of interest focus on the history of education in Italy between the late 19th and early 20th century. She currently serves as Executive Director of the European research Infrastructure on Religious studies RESILIENCE and Member of the Executive Committee of the European Academy of Religion.  

Beth Crisp

Beth Crisp is Professor of Social Work and the Deputy Head of the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University in Australia. A distinguished researcher and educator, she is internationally one of the most influential scholars in the field of social work. Beth’s work seeks to give voice to people on the margins whose experiences too often go unrecognised, such as her innovative work at the interface between religion, spirituality and social work practice. In particular, she is interested in how faith-based responses can address social exclusion for people who find themselves on the margins of the church or wider society.

 

John Graham

John Graham, Ph.D. RSW, is Professor of Social Work at the University of British Columbia and former Director of the School. Prior to coming to UBC, he was Director of the School of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University, and before that at The University of Calgary for 17 years where he held a 10-year research chair as Murray Fraser Professor. 

Annette Leis-Peters

Annette Leis-Peters is Professor of the Sociology of Religion and Diaconal Studies at VID Specialized University in Norway. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and her doctorate at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. At VID, she is coordinator for the PhD programme in Diakonia, Values and Professional Practice. 

Kishan Manocha

Kishan Manocha is the Head of the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw. From 2015-2020, he was ODIHR’s Senior Adviser on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Kishan has extensive experience in freedom of religion or belief and related human rights issues, including hate speech and hate crime, in Europe, North America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Central and South Asia as an advocate, researcher, trainer and consultant to a number of international and non-governmental organisations.  

Sukhy Nijjar

Bio coming soon.

Jennifer Patterson

Jennifer Patterson is Associate Professor of sustainable discourses and practices in the Faculty of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Greenwich and a Sustainability Champion.

Mahmooda Qureshi

Mahmooda Qureshi has been involved in many initiatives in the city and some beyond to enhance our relationship with people of all faiths and backgrounds. She participated in setting up a local Birmingham More in Common Group with the Jo Cox Foundation and is a member of the Management Committee for Birmingham Council of Faiths. She is also a member of the Faith Strategic Partnership Group with the WMCA and is a Trustee of The Islamic Society of Britain.

Tim Stacey

Tim Stacey is a Research Fellow at the Urban Futures Studio, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, in the Netherlands.

 

Visiting scholars and researchers

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Dr Simon Ruffell

Simon is a visiting Research and Knowledge Exchange Fellow at STaCS and the Faiths & Civil Society Unit.

Dr Simon Ruffell is trained across three modalities: Western medicine (medical doctor specialising in psychiatry), research psychology (with a PhD in ayahuasca and mental health), and traditional plant medicine (student of curanderismo).

 

Hassan Vawda

Hassan Vawda is a Doctoral Researcher at STaCS and Tate.  

His research focuses on religion and secularism within British art museums – with a specific focus on Islam and the experiences of Muslims in art museum. He looks at how religion and secularism are present in all aspects of British art museums, from audiences to art history and curatorial approaches.