Education Studies News and Events

We are proud to share that Abdullah recently delivered a keynote paper at the biennial international conference of the Global Association of Western Muslim School Directors, held in the Netherlands from 18–20 April.

Abdullah’s keynote paper, “Rethinking the Civic Ethos of Faith-Embedded School Leadership in an Increasingly Polarized, Uncertain Post-Secular Western World”, was warmly received by over 100 delegates from diverse educational contexts within the Western Muslim diaspora.

In recognition of his contribution, Abdullah was elected to lead and coordinate the post-conference research agenda developed by the delegates, helping to shape future scholarship in this important field.

We’re thrilled to share that Professor Olympia Palikara, has been awarded the Excellent Supervision Award for Social Sciences at the Warwick Research Celebration 2025.

Professor Palikara’s mentorship blends professional excellence with unwavering personal support. She has guided her students to co-author peer-reviewed publications, present at international conferences and influence policy and practice. Her dedication to growth, resilience and integrity has profoundly shaped her students' academic journeys. Her impact extends beyond academia, inspiring her students to thrive both professionally and personally.

Congratulations, Professor Palikara!

We’re excited to share a newly published, peer-reviewed article co-authored by Dr Katie Crompton.

This study explores the child’s perspective on the school-based mindfulness programme Paws b. Journal of Child and Family Studies. Crompton, K., Fasulo, A., Kaklamanou, D., & Somogyi, E. (2025). Advance online publication. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-025-03047-6

A new open-access journal paper has recently been published by Professor, Olympia Palikara:

Palikara, O., Bonneville-Roussy, A., & Allen, K. A. (2025). Individual and Contextual Factors Determining School Belonging of Adolescents in the UK: Evidence from PISA. School Mental Health, 1-16. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12310-024-09725-y

Following a successful bid earlier this academic year, the British Council has granted a second award to colleagues from across SELCS to work with V.N. Karazin Kharkiv University. The £10k funding will be used to support the establishment of a Masters level programme for teachers in Ukraine, and focuses specifically on diversifying education, teaching during war and embracing change in Education. Dr Andy Hind and Prof Gwen van der Velden, who were the Principle Investigators on this award, have also accepted Visiting Professor roles with the same university, to support the project.