Nighet Riaz

Dr Nighet Riaz is an early careers researcher and associate lecturer in the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). Returning to education as a mature student, and becoming an activist, Nighet has become more critical of how women and in particular young people are framed by policy and media. Her research explores how young people and communities can become ‘othered’ fuelled by moral panics to tackle the perceived disaffection of young people and communities who have been identified as ‘at risk’ of social exclusion. Nighet teaches on various graduate and post-graduate modules on the topic of equality and inclusion. Her interest in race, identity and belonging has led to Nighet becoming an active member of British Educational Research Association, where she now co-convenes on the Special Interest Group on Race, Ethnicity and Education.

Nighet is a training and development partner in the Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE), a member of the education subgroup of the ‘Tackling Islamophobia’ cross party group at Holyrood, as well as the Equality Officer at her local SNP branch, East Pollokshields, and a board member of a national feminist organisation.