Our Team

Project Investigators

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Professor Dina Kiwan

Principal Investigator, University of Birmingham

Dina Kiwan is Professor of Comparative Education at the University of Birmingham and Principal Investigator for Disability Under Siege. Her research focuses on citizenship and inclusion, and is interdisciplinary and comparative in scope. Her interests centre around sociological and politico-philosophical examinations of inclusive citizenship through the lens of education policy, naturalisation policy and migration policy, in particular in the context of pluralist/multicultural societies, and also societies in conflict.

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Professor Anthony Downey

Co-Investigator, Birmingham City University

Anthony Downey is Professor of Visual Culture in the Middle East and North Africa at the Birmingham School of Art. Anthony is affiliated with several research projects exploring the politics of global contemporary art practices, digital media and image production, knowledge production and visual culture, and how cultural practices relate to migration and human rights across the Global South.

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Professor Rita Giacaman

Co-Investigator, University of Birzeit

Rita Giacaman is Professor of Public Health at the Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, West Bank, in occupied Palestinian territory. The founder of the Institute, Rita’s current work focuses on the development of measures to assess psycho-social health which are relevant and appropriate for context, and ways in which interventions could generate active and positive resilience and resistance to ongoing war-like conditions, especially among youth.

Dr Nazmi Al-Masri

Co-Investigator, Islamic University of Gaza

Nazmi Al-Masri is Associate Professor of TEFL & Curriculum Development at the Islamic University of Gaza. Nazmi’s primary research interests are technologies in teaching and learning foreign languages, intercultural studies and multilingualism in context of emergencies, teacher training of foreign languages in English and Arabic, disability and inclusive education studies in the context of crises, and English language curriculum studies.

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Professor Maha Shuayb

Co-Investigator, Centre for Lebanese Studies

Maha Shuayb has been the Director of the Centre for Lebanese Studies since 2012 and also teaches part-time at the Lebanese American University. Her research focuses on the sociology and politics of education, particularly equity and equality in education and the implications of the politicisation of education, particularly on marginalised groups. Over the past five years, Maha has been occupied with the education response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. She has headed a number of research studies looking at access and quality of education for refugees.

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Dr Itab Shuayb

Co-Investigator, Centre for Lebanese Studies

Itab Shuayb is professor of inclusive design at the department of architecture and design at the American University of Beirut. Itab is an inclusive design specialist, access consultant and activist. She has led a number of architecture projects and awareness campaigns in Lebanon focusing on improving accessibility and promoting inclusive environments for diverse users. Her vision is to promote inclusive design to be mainstream reflected in the built environment and service used by children, family, adults, elderly and people with disabilities.

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Dr Sarah Benson

Co-Investigator, University of Birmingham, Dubai Campus

Sarah Benson is an Associate Professor in inclusion and disabilities in the Department of Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs. She is the programme lead for the Inclusion and Special Education Needs PGCert and Masters’ in the UK and Dubai. Dr. Benson has published articles and book chapters on inclusive policy in the Middle East. She has also spent time writing and researching inclusive science curriculum for primary grade students. Her current research interests lay in the Middle East and Gulf where she is inspired to see the rapid growth opportunities for more inclusive communities.

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Professor Ruth Gilligan

Co-Investigator, University of Birmingham

Ruth Gilligan is a senior lecturer in Creative Writing, School of English, Drama, and Creative Studies, University of Birmingham. Ruth is a bestselling author and journalist and has published five novels to date. Her research interests include transcultural fiction and contemporary Irish fiction, with a particular emphasis on structure and form. She is also an ambassador for the global storytelling charity Narrative 4.

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Dr Kate Woodcock

Co-Investigator, University of Birmingham

Kate Woodcock’s research interests can be summarised as aiming to investigate and explain human behaviour by considering multiple potential influences at different levels of explanation. For example, people’s genes, their brain structure, their brain functioning, cognitive, physiological and emotional functioning can all affect people’s behaviour both individually and in an interactive way.


Advisory Board Members

Ibrahim Abdullah

President of the Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities (AOPD)

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Ola Abu Al Ghaib

Manager of the Technical Secretariat of the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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Hadeel Abu Soufeh

Disability Activist and Consultant, Jordan

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Leila Atshan

Consultant, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – West Bank

Matthew Broome

Chair in Psychiatry and Youth Mental Health, and Director of the Institute for Mental Health at the University of Birmingham

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Angharad Beckett

Associate Professor of Political Sociology. Co-Director, Centre for Disability Studies, Leeds University

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Abir Hamdar

Professor and Deputy Director of Research (Impact), School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University

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Naim Kabaja

Director, Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children – Gaza

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Julia McGeown

Education Technical Advisor, Humanity & Inclusion at Global Partnerships for Education

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Jasbir Puar

Professor and Graduate Director, Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers University


Network Partners

University of Birmingham

The project is led by the University of Birmingham in the UK, a world top 100 university founded in 1900 as the first civic University in England. For over 100 years, innovative academic research at the University has influenced society and impacted people’s lives.

Centre for Lebanese Studies, Beirut

The Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) is an independent academic institution established in 1984 to undertake impartial and balanced research and contribute to Lebanon’s development.

Birzeit University, West Bank

Founded in 1972, Birzeit University is a leading educational institution and an intellectual hub that attracts top students and faculty, offering a wide range of academic programmes and professional development opportunities.

The Islamic University of Gaza

The Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) is an independent academic institution supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education. IUG provides its students with an academic environment that adheres to Islamic principles as well as Palestinian traditions and customs.

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Birmingham City University

With around 24,000 students from 80 countries, Birmingham City University is a large and diverse place to study. The University has an enviable reputation for providing quality, student-focused education in a professional and friendly environment.

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Action on Armed Violence

Action on Armed Violence is a charity which seeks to reduce the impact of armed violence through monitoring and research of the causes and consequences of weapon-based violence. They have a specific focus on the impact of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas and have been running a global monitor of explosive violence since October 2010. 

Al Ma’Mal Foundation for Contemporary Art

Al-Ma’mal is a non-profit organisation founded to promote, instigate, disseminate and create art. Founded in 1997, Al-Ma’mal serves as an advocate for contemporary art and a catalyst for the realization of art projects in Jerusalem.

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A M Qattan Foundation

The A M Qattan Foundation (AMQF) is an independent, not-for-profit developmental organisation working in the fields of culture and education, with a particular focus on children, teachers and young artists.

EDRAAK

Edraak is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform, that is an initiative of the Queen Rania Foundation (QRF). QRF is determined to ensure that the Arab world is at the forefront of educational innovation.

Tammey For Youth Development

The A M Qattan Foundation (AMQF) is an independent, not-for-profit developmental organisation working in the fields of culture and education, with a particular focus on children, teachers and young artists.