Our people

Dr Farah Ahmed

Dr Ahmed leads Cambridge Dialogues: Renewing K-12 Education in Islamic contexts which has a long-term partnership with the Centre of Islamic Thought and Education (CITE) at UniSA. During her tenure as honorary senior lecturer she will be acting as Co PI with Dr Nadeem Memon on the joint Cambridge Dialogues/CITE project evaluating use of a toolkit for educational renewal in Islamic contexts. She will also be co-organising colloquia and workshops in partnership with CITE for example the workshop planned for December 2025: Nurturing Aesthetic Sensibilities in Islamic Educational Contexts. Dr Ahmed has extensive expertise in Islamic educational thought and its translation into contemporary schooling. Her work on the tradition of educational dialogue in Islamic heritage has been well received in the academic field of educational dialogue and in a range of educational settings that educate young Muslims. She will mentor UniSA faculty, for example Mr Dylan Chown and offer informal and formal support to early career researchers.

Full CV for Dr Farah Ahmed

Dr Samir Mahmoud

Dr. Mahmoud complements CITE’s profile with a focus on classical Islamic Studies and traditional curriculum in Muslim societies. His global network and teaching at notable Muslim higher education institutions such as Cambridge Muslim College and Usul Academy add to CITE’s profile in global Islamic Education circles. He has also served as a keynote speaker at CITE’s annual conference in 2024 and published chapters in CITE co-edited books. We anticipate as an adjunct, further cross-institutional collaborations will emerge with Dr. Mahmoud.

Full CV for Dr Samir Mahmoud

Dr Nadia Selim

Dr Nadia Selim is an Associate Lecturer in the Discipline of Arabic Language and Cultures at the University of Sydney. Her primary research explores Arabic language learning and teaching. She focuses on understanding Arabic learners’ motivation, experiences, and engagement. She examines the Islamic schooling sector and explores the history of Arabic language education between the 8th and 13th centuries CE (the Islamic Golden Age). Nadia’s academic contributions are reflected in both publications and presentations at national and international conferences. Her two most recent publications are “Reimagining Arabic in Islamic Schools” (Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education) and “Arabic on the Silk Roads: Contact, Exchanges, and Civilization” (UNESCO).

Dr Ayda Succarie

Dr Ayda Succarie is an academic and researcher with expertise in governance, strategy, organisational behaviour, professional identity, and Islamic education systems. She holds a PhD, which examined the relationship between professional identity and governance in Australian Islamic schools. Her scholarship continues to explore how identity-based frameworks can inform faith-based governance, teacher well-being, Islamic education, professional learning, student retention, and community engagement. Dr Succarie has published several chapters in edited volumes produced by CITE. She contributes annually to the Annual Australian Islamic Schooling Conference stream and her work bridges policy, practice, and research, offering researchers and education practitioners insights into developing frameworks focused on governance practices, holistic professionalism and management education.

Full CV for Dr Ayda Succarie

Dr Jan Ali

Dr Jan Ali is a sociologist of religion specialising in Islam, with expertise in the intersections of Islamic thought, modernity, and social transformation. His research examines how Muslims live and live out their Islamic tradition in modern societies. Through his work, he bring an interdisciplinary approach that bridges sociology, political theory, and Islamic studies, producing scholarship that is both academically rigorous and socially relevant.

Full CV for Dr Jan Ali

Dr Salah Kutieleh

Dr Salah Kutieleh gained his PhD in Education 1996, following the successful completion of a thesis entitled: Foreign language Learners’ perception of textual relationships in the process of reading. The flinders University of South Australia
Master of Education, 1985, The Flinders University of South Australia
Diploma of Education majoring in TESOL, 1980. The University of Damascus, Syria
BA in English Language and Literature, 1980. 

Full CV for Dr Salah Kutieleh