Written by Line Nyhagen, Professor of Sociology, and Doctoral Researchers, Rafia Arshad and Ellie Moore.

Muslims are a distinctive minority at Loughborough University (LU) 

In 2024, The Aziz Foundation, via its Muslim Friendly Universities Programme, issued a call for university-specific research on the experiences of British Muslims in higher education. At LU we had a knowledge gap when it came to understanding the lived experiences of Muslims on our two campuses. On responding to the call we were awarded funding by The Aziz Foundation with match-funding from LU, to gain evidence-based understanding of the experiences of Muslim students, doctoral researchers and staff, including barriers to participation, belonging and inclusion, existing faith-based provision and any unmet needs. The resulting research report is available here. Ongoing discussions are addressing several of the report’s recommendation, eg, in relation to LU’s halal food provision, the availability of prayer facilities, and university communication. A specific outcome is that LU has become a partner university in The Aziz Foundation’s Scholarship programme which awards Masters’ degree scholarships to British Muslim students. 

Previous research suggests that ‘Muslims emerge as a distinctive minority’ in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) (Guest et al., 2020), as most Muslim students identify as religious and live an actively religious life expressed via collective and individual prayers, fasting, and dietary practises. Moreover, Universities UK recognises that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred are widespread ‘and perhaps even normalised’ in the UK, including in HEIs, and encourages universities to tackle incidents of hate on the grounds of religion and belief (UUK 2021, pp. 2-3). The findings of our own study show that Muslims are also a distinctive minority at LU, with specific needs and challenges. 

Our experience of the research from our own position 

In her work as a sociologist of religion, gender and citizenship, and as a scholarly activist, Line seeks to understand social inequalities and promote social justice in ways that recognises people’s different identities and social locations. Her work also aims to identify structural barriers to equity, inclusion and belonging, as theorised by Black feminist thinkers such as U.S. sociologist Patricia Hill Collins.  As a White, middle-class migrant woman who identifies as Humanist, Line acknowledges her own privileged position in academia and uses allyship to advocate for minoritised groups. These perspectives motivated her to engage in The Aziz Foundation’s call for research in ways that promoted a collaboration between Muslims and non-Muslims, and that sought to recognise, support and promote the voices and lived experiences of Muslims themselves. A key aspect of this collaboration was the Five Pillars: Lived Experiences, New Futures exhibition in Martin Hall (March-April 2025), which celebrated Muslim identities and Islamic culture at LU and regionally.  

In her work, incorporating a socio-spatial lens, Ellie seeks to explore the intersection between society and space, focusing on how social, spatial, political and cultural structures shape social inequalities, power and culture. Primarily a sociologist, Ellie draws on theories from human geography and urban planning, informing her work on how sobriety impacts student experiences of belonging and academic citizenship within UK HEIs. Her work seeks to identify how normative social practices create barriers to belonging and inclusion. As a White, British-born citizen and trained sociologist, Ellie recognises that the disciplines in which she is trained have significant histories (continuing into the present) as tools of colonisation. She also acknowledges her positionality, the structures that afford her privilege in conducting her research and accessing resources. Her motivation for joining this project stemmed from a deepening awareness of the social injustices embedded in HE, and a commitment to contributing to work that sits at the intersection of inequality and inclusion, informed by hearing first-hand accounts from participants that reveal how systemic inequalities shape lived experience. 

In her doctoral research, Rafia Arshad explores the experiences of diasporas and the ways their cultural traditions shape everyday life in societies different from their countries of origin. Her work focuses on how belonging, identity, and cultural continuity are negotiated across transnational contexts. Living for the first time in a non-Muslim country, she has personally reflected on questions of inclusion and representation. These reflections, along with the shared experiences of other Muslim students, inspired her to join this project to help improve Muslim students’ experiences and highlight the challenges they face in higher education.  

Our personal biggest takeaways or learning points 

Our research shows how intersections between religion, ethnicity, ‘race’ and gender play out in the everyday lived experiences of Muslims in higher education. Examples include how Muslim women may experience microaggressions if they are wearing a headscarf (hijab) and how Muslim men may be stereotyped as potential terrorists because they have a beard. These examples demonstrate what British Black sociologist and feminist Heidi Safia Mirza (2024) calls ‘embodied intersectionality’, where one’s bodily identity and practise is subjected to stereotyping, prejudice and structural violence from the majority society.   

Our findings show how, for Muslim students and staff, perceptions of inclusion and belonging were often conditional and layered, shaped both by dominant socio-cultural norms and individual effort. Although most participants described LU as a welcoming and supportive university, our research suggests a surface-level of inclusion, rather than a deeper, sustained acceptance of inclusion at institutional and individual levels. Examples included being a ‘quiet and good Muslim’ as both expected and required to be met with ‘tolerance’ by the majority group. These insights align with what Islam, Lowe and Jones (2019, 94) coin as ‘satisfied settling’, defined as ‘a mechanism in which (Muslim) students have justified (unconsciously) not having access to a richer and more fulfilled university experience in relation to religious needs’. 

Another key insight from our study is the contrast between Muslim students’ positive sense of inclusion on campus and the challenges they face beyond it, particularly in town or part-time work settings, where subtle racism and Islamophobia persist. This observation resonates with Zainuddin’s (2022) study, which found that Muslim students often experience greater barriers in social contexts than in academic life. These insights highlight how universities must extend their inclusion efforts beyond campus to address the wider realities shaping students’ everyday lives. 

Moreover, the Martin Hall exhibition and our September 2025 report launch event were deeply inspiring, as such initiatives can create awareness and challenge misconceptions about Muslim students by offering open and inclusive spaces for dialogue. However, recruiting Muslim participants for the study was a challenge, demonstrating the need to build trust and provide safe spaces where students can speak openly. 

To access further resources and support services, please visit the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion website.