Contributors

Adil Khan Afridi PhD, a Muslim scholar originally from Pakistan, completed his B.A. and M.A. degrees at Jamia Farooqia and obtained his PhD in Islamic Culture from the University of Karachi. In 2011, he joined the Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia International (IIUM) to teach Islamic Worldview, Islamic Civilization and Ethics. In 2018, he returned to Pakistan to take over his late father’s Islamic Learning Institution. As a researcher, Dr. Adil has published several books, presented many conference papers and delivered many Friday Sermons in Pakistan as well as in Malaysia.

David Pearce obtained a BA (Hons) degree in Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield before obtaining an MSc (with Distinction) in Transport and City Planning from the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. His dissertation at UCL was awarded the R.B. Hounsfield Prize in Town Planning and Civic Engineering for work of outstanding merit in transport planning focusing on the ability of emerging mobility services to have unforeseen impacts on social equity. He currently works as a Principal Transport Planner for a private consultancy in London and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation. His research interests lie in emerging mobility trends, social equity in transport, and transport governance.

George Shankster obtained a BA (Hons) degree in Drama, Applied Theatre and Education from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He currently works as a Digital Project Manager at BBC Studios where he has worked for the last six years, previously in a Digital Producer role. George also served on the organisation's Next Generation Board, as one of 12 individuals across the company chosen to advise and input on key strategic decisions relating to the future direction of the business, on behalf of the younger generations of the workforce. With a keen interest in positive change and transformation, politics, both within the workforce and on a societal scale has always interested him. With regularity, he puts forward topics of debate, to challenge the perceptions of others and further expand his own thinking based on the expertise of experienced counterparts.

Isabel Morrell graduated from University of Birmingham in July 2018, with a BA (Hons., First Class) in International Relations with Political Science and obtained a Master of Science degree (MS - Distinction) in Global Cooperation and Security at that University in 2019. She is currently a full-time PhD student at the University of Manchester, conducting research on the everyday lives of encamped refugees in Greece. Isabel, who is also employed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, teaches on the Introduction to International Politics course.

Marina Krämer is a native of Osann-Monzel, situated in the Rhineland-Palatinate of Germany. She graduated with a First-Class BA (Hons) degree in Global Business from Coventry University’s RenaSup Center in Paris, France in 2017. Following her passion for Human Resource Management and Sustainability, she interned at a German service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work. Since then, Marina has been working as Human Resources Manager in a world-leading disaster recovery and restoration company. Committed to foster intercultural awareness and exchange, Marina is currently pursuing certification for teaching German as a foreign and second language.

Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak PhD obtained a B.A. (Hons) degree in Islamic Education from Universitas Ar-Raniry, Aceh, Indonesia. He returned to Malaysia to complete a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and a PhD in Education at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Dr Abbas is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fundamental & Inter-Disciplinary Studies, KIRKHS, at IIUM, where he teaches courses in Islamic Worldview, Knowledge & Civilization in Islam, Ethics & Fiqh for Everyday Life, and Creative Thinking & Problem Solving, Psychology, and Parenting & Family Management. Dr Abbas maintains an active research profile. He has published the book, Iqbal’s Theory of Personality: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud and a number of journal and newspaper articles locally and internationally in the areas of psychology, spirituality, globalization and Iqbaliyat.

Nick Papé PhD is the Principal of London Churchill College. He obtained his PhD from the University of Bedfordshire and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Institution (FHEA). Dr Papé has served as an academic at the University of Cambridge and Leicester University. As an experienced author of journal articles, he frequently co-authors articles and also acts as a mentor to less-experienced authors.

Nik Ahmad Hisham Ismail PhD acquired a B.A. degree in Economics and Geography from California State University, Fresno, an M.Sc. in Education from the University of Southern California and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of London. He currently works as full-time Professor at the Faculty of Education, IIUM, where he holds several key positions at faculty and university levels. Teaching activities focus primarily on psychology-related subjects: in particular, Personality Development, Educational Psychology and Mental Health. Besides teaching, Dr Nik actively participates in research work and has published several books and journal articles.

Peter Bathmaker graduated with honours in chemistry from Birmingham University and holds a PGCE Certificate from Exeter University. He is a retired Fellow of the CIPD and was previously listed on the Register of psychometricians of the British Psychological Society. Peter has served as a business professional, particularly in human resource related roles, within a wide range of domestic and international companies, including the British Railways Board, Royal Dutch Shell, Dixson’s Stores Group, House of Fraser, plc. and the Pentland Group. He has worked overseas in the Netherlands, Australia, the USA, Germany, Thailand, Syria and Gabon. As an independent consultant, Peter has provided advice on compensation and remuneration matters to Price Water House Coopers and public institutions in the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250. He is well acquainted with governance matters, having previously served as a school governor, then a college governor, and, ultimately, chair of a governance board. Peter currently serves as a Non-Executive Director in London Churchill College and Chairs the College’s Risk and Remuneration Committee.