Testimonials

London Metropolitan University

“I had the special honour of working with Muna and MA Consultancy on a large-scale transformation project over the course of three years. In 2019, London Met set the ambition of reimagining the organising goal of the University as one of inclusion. As an institution, it had a history of social mobility and existent diversity, but we needed expert support to undertake the journey toward inclusion, anti-racism and anti-oppressive practice. We needed relatable, understanding and expert facilitators who could scale up training across the institution. MA Consultancy were the standout partners through the procurement process – they were unique in genuine reflexive programme design – meeting us where we were, what we specifically asked for, rather than treating us with the brush of sameness as other institutions. Their expertise across EDI plains meant that a single programme became the vehicle to raise the equity literacy of all staff across academic and professional services. The team was completely comfortable handling challenging conversations and extending the hand of encouragement to those who understood and saw privilege for the first time.”

Professor Damien Page Dean of School Carnegie School of Education

“Muna recently worked with us on a project to diversify the applicant pools for our academic posts. From the initial discussion to clarify the scope of the work to the final report stage, Muna was responsive, focused, and creative. With a highly effective skill set, she was able to apply a range of approaches to produce a report that was bespoke to our organisation and contained pragmatic and solution-oriented outcomes. She was a pleasure to work with, and I have no hesitation in recommending her services.”

Caroline Tyson, Headteacher, London Fields School, Hackney

“At London Fields, we had worked hard to ensure that our curriculum was diverse and inclusive, but we were aware that we all needed training and support so that we felt confident to talk about the difficult issues and deep-rooted and embedded stereotypes in society as a staff and to families and children. Dr Abdi's help has been invaluable. The inset provided was pitched perfectly for a primary school and balanced theory and practical next steps. Staff feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Our staff working party has continued to work with Dr Abdi, and this ongoing support has been vital in ensuring that the key messages from training become intrinsic to all we do. We are aware that unconscious bias in school and society as a whole is endemic and pervasive. We know that we must work hard to question ourselves and hold ourselves to account continually. But as a head, I no longer feel overwhelmed but confident that we can change thinking.”

Mr Sam Holdsworth- Deputy Headteacher, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School

“After Muna was recommended to me by colleagues at another secondary school, we already had high expectations for her INSET and Muna's training exceeded them. Her introduction to anti-racism sessions was both informative and inspiring, challenging us to think differently about our practices as educationalists. Her warm delivery allows her to strike the perfect balance of communicating uncomfortable truths with great sensitivity. We hope to build on what we learned at the staff INSET through future workshops with her as we navigate this change process.”

Dr Zainab Khan- Pro Vice Chancellor, London Metropolitan University

“New approaches are needed to make progress in changing thinking around inclusion within Higher Education. Muna’s refreshing philosophy and non-confrontational training techniques mean everyone is included and no one feels threatened. People are much more likely to listen and reflect. Initially, we engaged her in anti-oppressive practice training at London Met University, and everyone was blown away. We are now working with her on a much more ambitious programme which will see all staff benefit from her expertise.”

Dr Javeria. K. Shah, Schoolwide Inclusion Specialist, Royal Central School for Speech and Drama

“I opted for MA Education Consultancy CIC for our mandatory inclusion training in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 because I wanted colleagues and students to receive the type of meaningful and challenging training that only Muna could provide. As a leading voice in UK race discourse and experienced Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) trainer, I was confident that the quality of training would surpass a box-ticking or superficial format that this type of training is often criticised for. I was not disappointed! Through Muna, MA Education Consultancy delivered bespoke training on racial literacy that all staff to date have positively evaluated.

I am delighted to be on this path towards raising consciousness amongst staff and students with MA Education Consultancy and look forward to continuing work with Muna to ensure that colleagues and students continue to receive meaningful and challenging inclusion training in the future.”

The Team- Paper

“We worked with MA Education Consultancy to get advice on how our organisation can think beyond our privileged understanding of personal and systemic racism and reflect on the biases we might have and display ourselves.

The big thing for us was that it gave us the confidence to act on our values. We needed the time and facilitation that Muna gave us to build up our confidence using the language of anti-racism. Muna also helped us realise that we needed to work through it as a team to realise the common values we have as an organisation, which in turn gave us confidence to speak up as allies, individuals, and brands.

The eye-opening insights, recommendations for further reading, and examples of microaggressions that Muna introduced to us are invaluable starting points for our anti-racism strategy. More than that, Muna also guided us through our first steps to rebrand the business, looking for ways to make Paper a more welcoming place for people with different ethnic backgrounds.

It is immeasurable how valuable it is to be able to work with someone who can lend their critical thinking and experience to all aspects of your business so we don't need to work on it in siloes with different consultants. Instead, we could rely solely on Muna to take these first steps.

Of course, it doesn't feel like the work is done; it barely feels like we've begun. However, Muna's ability to equip us with all of the insights and assets she brought means we have more certain and confident initial steps we can take without second-guessing ourselves and worrying about getting it wrong.

We'd recommend anyone and everyone spend time working with Muna. She is genuinely one of the most insightful consultants we've ever worked with. Thank you, Muna.”

Dr Martin Glynn – Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University

“Muna, as a scholar, activist, poet, and campaigner, epitomises the role of a contemporary academic with her tireless and unswerving commitment to social justice. Her grasp of relevant issues combined with the capacity to provide both substance and culturally relevant solutions to areas of concern ensures that the outcomes will be transformative. As society faces many uncertainties, there is a need to create new ways of seeing, changing and transforming, which Muna provides. Equally as important is the location of her work, which brings together her intellectual capacity and a strong commitment to community-centred ideas. I would highly recommend Muna and her work to anyone wanting change, transformation, and insight into the changing nature of community and society.”

Dr Will Mason- Lecturer at the University of Sheffield

“Muna is an accomplished and progressive thinker whose work connects everyday narratives with professional practices in ways that have profound implications for social justice and reform. She is a powerful speaker and highly respected within both local community and institutional settings. Working with Muna has changed my practice, allowing me to foreground the ethics of collaboration, reciprocity and care in teaching, community activism and research. Without Muna’s professional support, I would be a different educator and researcher, and I would be making more mistakes.”

Dr Benjamin Blaisdell, Assistant Professor, College of Education, East Carolina University

“Dr. Muna Abdi has had a powerful impact on the university, local, national, and global contexts she engages with. She has been particularly strong in helping communities uncover how dominant discourses on race and difference normalize oppression, i.e. how those discourses make the disparity that marginalized groups face seem like a normal part of daily life rather than the result of oppression by dominant groups. For me—an equity coach, professor of education, teacher educator, and researcher on racism in education—Dr. Abdi’s insights have helped me better understand how these discourses are used to marginalize students of colour in public schools. Her knowledge has not only made my analysis stronger but also, by engaging me in critical and honest conversations about specific instances of racism, she has given me renewed impetus and motivation to intervene in marginalizing discourses and work in solidarity with educators of colour.”

Claire Bell, Head of EDI and Wellbeing at Nottingham Trent University

“We wanted to commission an expert in the field, a professional with the right skills, to work with us, and especially our University Executive Team, to progress our race equality journey. Fortunately, we found Dr Muna Abdi, who, through expert challenge and equal support, gave us the confidence and courage to advance our aim to become an anti-racist institution. We value and continue to benefit greatly from Dr. Abdi’s open and honest approach. It enables us to engage meaningfully in dialogue about how to address racial inequalities.

Our work with Dr Abdi continues. We have commissioned Dr Abdi to work with us to develop and deliver our staff Allyship support programme.”

Steph Hannam-Swain, Lecturer in Education and PhD researcher – Sheffield Hallam University

“I have worked with Muna for the last three years. During that time, she helped me settle into a new academic role, being the main person I would turn to for help, especially if the problem were student-related. Muna is friendly and supportive and really wants the best for the people she works with. Students seem to gravitate to her, which is a testament to her open, easy-going manner, which makes students feel safe with her to be themselves and show their vulnerabilities. Most recently, I have sought help from Muna in my own research; she was more than happy to share resources and time to help me to get my head around tricky concepts and ideas. Her passion and dedication shine through in everything that she does, but especially when she speaks about the work she does in the community.”

Dr Manny Madriaga, Senior Lecturer in Education at Sheffield Hallam University

“I have worked alongside Muna as a fellow university lecturer and researcher for several years. Muna’s commitment and activism in the local community are infectious to fellow university staff and students. I lead a university course in which students find her inspirational. For me, Muna epitomises scholar-activism, as she not only offers expertise in the realm of education but also in what she offers to those outside the classroom in the local neighbourhoods with families and young people. As a fellow colleague, I am still learning from her.”

Kristina, Student at Sheffield Hallam University (2019)

Nabeela, MA student at Sheffield Hallam University

“Dr Muna Abdi has been instrumental in my journey of personal growth and a great source of inspiration. From the first meeting, I was entranced by her dynamic teaching, refreshing insight and kind manner. During my time as a student, she helped me find direction and purpose. At a time when I was unclear about my next steps, she pushed me to apply for an internship. I have benefited immensely from her guidance and support, and I have challenged myself, which has enabled me to grow into who I am today.

I am lucky to have such a great mentor who cares deeply about her students, taking time out of her busy schedule on multiple occasions. It is encouraging to know that there are individuals who are willing to listen whenever you need advice and are invested in your success. I am now more confident about my career plans. I thank Dr Muna Abdi for her support throughout the years as she is a trailblazer in the field of Education and has provided me with invaluable tools for the future.”

Amira, Student at Sheffield Hallam University (July 2019)

“Dr Muna Abdi is an incredible one-of-a-kind researcher, academic and mentor. In the three years I have known her, she has been one of the most creative and inspiring teachers I’ve had the pleasure of being taught by. Her professional advice has motivated and encouraged my growth in indescribable ways that have had a significant impact on the position I am in today. The unique insights she provides through her genuine care for others is palpable in every interaction and indeed infectious to those around her. Muna’s support has guided me through both my undergraduate and postgraduate studies, of which she has provided crucial support as my academic tutor and informal advisor. As one of a handful of black lecturers, she continues to pave the way and inspire BME students and other disenfranchised groups not simply to complete their education but to excel. Simply put, Muna is a rare gem in academia; she is authentic, maintains intellectual integrity, and has acted as the lifting anchor for those she works with.”

Sehrish, Intern at Sheffield Hallam University (2019)

“Muna is a true inspiration to me. The way she has constantly provided me with extremely valuable, constructive and tangible advice, as well as emotional and empathetic support, has changed the ways I approach and solve issues. Her brilliant ability to listen mindfully and attentively and to respond has been tremendously helpful for me to succeed in so many aspects of life, specifically education, self-reflection and development.”

Sabiyah, Intern at Sheffield Hallam University (2019)

“Muna has been nothing but an amazing role model and a person of inspiration, always keen to provide educational support and advice to everyone who seeks it. A strong example of this has been her role in supporting myself and other interns within HE in exploring our talents, skills and career plans. Three years ago I wouldn’t have thought that I was capable of a career in academia. With Muna’s advice, tips and consultation, I am now fully confident that I would like to lecture and have applied for a PHD. She is exceptional at working with individuals to overcome any barriers they may face and is very encouraging in building those around her. A truly inspiring individual.”