Maria Hussain – Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Cultural Insight Wednesdays Podcasts

Cultural Insight Wednesdays with Maria Hussain, podcasts on SoundCloud.

Each week, Maria Hussain is in conversation with Leeds University Business School students from a whole host of different countries, backgrounds, and levels of study. These fabulous students share their insights and experiences of what it means to be a student at the University of Leeds. The podcasts are partly designed as a way to develop intercultural competence through co-creation, as this is student-led podcasting.

Some specific titles from the series:

These podcasts obviously should be relevant to students, both international and those based in their home countries, but they also would make a good classroom resource for teaching about intercultural competence, culture shock, and other issues. See KC3: Intercultural Competence, KC87: Culture Shock, as well as other Key Concepts in Intercultural Dialogue published by this Center for further related resources.

Leeds City Museum: Muslims in the North (UK)

Launch of the Muslims in the North Exhibition, Leeds City Museum, Leeds, England, UK, 6 March 2024.

[CID followers are invited to an event organized by Maria Hussain]

“Hello! I would like to personally invite you to an exciting event that I am leading in collaboration with Leeds City Museum, Muslims in the North. This pioneering display is underpinned by my LITE research. This display focuses on the significant contributions of Muslims in the fields of Commerce, Healthcare, Law, and Research in the North. You will be inspired by the impactful stories of notable figures including: Nazir Afzal, OBE (former Chief Crown Prosecutor of NW England); (our very own)Professor Ghazala Mir (Chair in Health Equity and Inclusion); Dr Mumtaz Patel (Consultant Nephrologist, RCP VP Education and Training, Associate Dean PG NHS England) and Mohsin and Zubair Issa, CBE (Joint Owners of Asda and Co-Founders of EG Group). The launch promises to be a celebration of the trailblazing contributions of Muslims in the North.

This dissemination project is in collaboration with Leeds University Cultural Institute and Shames Maskeen, Leeds Trinity University. The event has kindly been sponsored by Leeds University Business School.

Where and when: 6th March, 16.00-18.00; Broderick Hall (first floor), Leeds City Museum, Millenium Square, Leeds, LS2 8BH

A light (halal) buffet will be served with vegetarian and vegan options available. Come and hear the amazing untold stories of our trailblazing Northern Muslims talent!

I really look forward to welcoming you to the event. Please book your free tickets here, and share the link with your networks!”

Best wishes, Maria
Maria Hussain, SFHEA, CMBE, BERA
Lecturer in Management

Maria Hussain Profile

Maria Hussain is a Lecturer in Management at Leeds University Business School, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Certified Business and Management Educator.

Her expertise lies in; inclusive management education, intercultural communication and organisational culture relating to EDI (race- equity) in complex organisations. Maria was recently recognised for her contribution to global intercultural competence in Management education in UPSIGN‘s 2022/23 list of 75 notable British Pakistani academics, trainers and teachers to mark Pakistan’s 75th anniversary of Independence. UPSIGN is a charity that works globally to promote mentoring, support and the education of UK-based British Pakistanis (and Pakistanis) and highlighting their work in education and academia. UPSIGN is also committed to working towards the UN SDG’s and reducing the impact of the climate emergency.

Maria is a co-opted member of the British Academy Management national Council, providing steer on equity and inclusive educational practice within Business Education. She has recently been appointed to the Chartered Association of Business Schools national EDI Committee. In 2022, she was also appointed as a national Race Equality Charter institutional application reviewer at Advance HE. Institutionally, Maria co-chairs the Muslim Staff Network, the first faith-based staff network in the sector. This important work has influenced university-wide EDI policy and ongoing implementation on the intersection of race-religion in addressing outcomes and awarding ‘gaps.’

Furthermore, Maria has recently won a prestigious fellowship at the Leeds Institute of Teaching Excellence. Her research project entitled: Enhancing the value placed on diversity: from the international classroom to the global workplace explores attitudes towards diversity from both student and employer perspectives.

Recent publication:
Hussain, M. (2021). Creating cultural insights: Making inroads into cultural exchange. In A. Manning, & S. Colaiacomo (Eds.), Innovations in internationalisation at home (pp 75-91). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholarly Publishing.

For further information please see Maria’s work profile.

Please connect with her on LinkedIn.

Work for CID:
Maria Hussain participated in the the CID/UNESCO focus groups for the Futures of Education Initiative.