We've won the national award for Muslim student inclusion!

We are so proud to be named the 2026 winner of the Aziz Inclusion Award, recognising our commitment to supporting the British Muslim student experience and creating a welcoming and inclusive university community.

The Aziz Foundation is a UK charity that supports British Muslims through postgraduate scholarships and community grants. The award recognises our work supporting one of the largest and most diverse Muslim student communities in UK higher education, with more than 6,000 Muslim students on our Edgbaston campus. 

Speaking at the award ceremony at the Multifaith Chaplaincy, Professor Adam Tickell, our Vice-Chancellor, said: 

“With one of the largest and most diverse Muslim student communities in UK higher education, we continue to learn from our students, staff and partners to create an environment where students and staff feel a strong sense of belonging and can flourish in every part of their lives.”

The award recognised a range of initiatives designed to support Muslim students including dedicated prayer facilities, halal food, alcohol-free accommodation and a formal Code of Practice for accommodating students’ religious observance.  

We’ve also recently improved our faith-based facilities, including opening a new prayer space next to the Library, refurbishing existing prayer facilities and extending the opening hours of the central Islamic prayer room in University Centre. There are now three dedicated Islamic prayer rooms across campus. 

Our partnership with the Islamic Society (Isoc) was also recognised. Working together, the University and ISoc support a range of events that bring students, staff and the wider community together. These include the annual Community Iftar during Ramadan, which welcomes more than 600 attendees from all backgrounds. 

This award celebrates the work happening across our community to make university a place where everyone can feel welcome, supported and able to succeed. 

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible!