The Coventry Muslim History Project – Towards a West Midlands Vernacular of Islam and Muslim Life
Eligibility: UK/International (including EU) graduates with the required entry requirements
Duration: Full-Time – Four years
Application deadline: 13 January 2025
Interview date: Will be confirmed to shortlisted candidates
Start date: September 2025
For further details contact: Professor Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor
Introduction
According to Dr Abdullah Shehu, Chair of the Coventry Muslim Forum:
"History is about benefiting the future. Recognising the contributions of diverse Muslims to Coventry is key to understanding the full history of this city. Without recognition of historical contributions, people are forced into stereotypical or siloed thinking. Coventry is diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural. Through this project, I hope that young people across the city and particularly those from minoritised backgrounds recognise what their great-great grandparents have done for the city."
Project details
This exciting project will seek to record histories of Islam in Coventry emphasising the development of its institutions (for example, mosques, madrassas or educational institutions, negotiating faith provision with the NHS). Drawing on Ammerman’s ideas of lived religion (2021), this doctoral project will also explore every day lived experiences of religion such as those driven by ethnic or cultural diversity within Coventry’s Muslim communities for example in food choices and provision, dress and clothing, gender relations, social and cultural events, educational attainment and professional/work related networks. Methods used will include archival (recordings, images and other resources), oral history and geographical methods including mapping of population changes and a survey of the physical built environment to explore architectural transformation and changes in how existing architecture is used by new communities.
Place: Potential applicants will work closely with the supervisory team to set a context for this history and to lead this doctoral project. They will be supported fully by the supervisory team who have lived experience, intellectual insights and excellent networks that will help the candidate to trace the history that this project aims to uncover. This is an important work that could potentially uncover the history of a marginalised community, while also developing a model that may be used with other communities and in other local areas.
Funding
Tuition fees and bursary
Benefits
The successful candidate will receive comprehensive research training including technical, personal and professional skills. All researchers at Coventry University (from PhD to Professor) are part of the Doctoral and Researcher College, which provides support with high-quality training and career development activities.
Entry requirements
- A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average.
PLUS
- The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within 3.5 years.
- A minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS academic overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component).
How to apply
To find out more about the project, please contact: Professor Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor.
All applications require full supporting documentation, a covering letter, plus a 2000-word supporting statement showing how the applicant’s expertise and interests are relevant to the project.
Apply to Coventry University
