
Dr Basma Hajir
BA, MA, MPhil, PhD
Current positions
Lecturer
School of Education
Contact
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Research interests
I hold a PhD in Education and International Development from the University of Cambridge and two distinction-level master’s degrees in Education from the University of Cambridge and the University of Birmingham. Grounded in decolonial thinking, my scholarly pursuits span areas in Education in Conflict settings and Emergencies, and education for recovery and social justice. Throughout my engagements in these areas, I have explored, researched and published on a range of cross-cutting themes (education for peacebuilding, research ethics, cognitive justice, decolonial pedagogies, refugee education, virtual reality & moral education, gender-based violence and students’ wellbeing). My doctoral research raises questions about the role of a university in contexts of conflict and its potential contribution to post-conflict recovery. Nominated and voted unanimously by members of staff at the Faculty of Education at Cambridge, I received the 2022 Doctoral Student Excellence Award for my publication record and the impact of my research.
I approach the Education and International Development field both as a scholar and a practitioner. I worked in various roles within schools, academic institutions, and international educational NGOs, where I have provided consultancy services among other capacities. Before joining Bristol, I served as a Lecturer at the University of Bath, a Teaching Assistant at the University of Cambridge, and a Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham.
At Bristol, I teach two undergraduate courses; Education and Social Change, and Researching Education in the City. I also teach a Master's unit on Education, Peace, and Sustainability.
Research Interests:
- Education in conflict-affected settings and emergencies
- Inclusive Equitable Education
- Refugee Education
- Education, social movements, social change
- Education and settler-colonialism (with a particular interest in the Palestinian context)
Publications
Recent publications
27/01/2025A Historic Opportunity: The role of Higher Education in Syria’s Post-Dictatorship
Academia in a time of genocide
Globalisation, Societies and Education
Partnerships with Palestine: an introductory guide to UK-Palestinian higher education collaboration
Partnerships with Palestine: an introductory guide to UK-Palestinian higher education collaboration
From ‘Unchilding’ to ‘Childcide’: Palestinian Childhood under Settler-Colonialism
Protecting and supporting children and women affected by gender-based violence
Journal of Peace Education
Thesis
Higher Education and Peacebuilding in Syria: Youths’ Voices in a Critical Realist De-Colonial Enquiry
Supervisors
Award date
01/01/2023