S. Sayyid

Professor S. Sayyid serves as Professor of Social Theory & Decolonial Thought at the School of Sociology and Social Policy within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Leeds. He held the position of Head of School from 2017 to 2023 after joining Leeds via a University Research Fellowship, with prior academic appointments at institutions in London, Manchester, and as inaugural director of a research center in Adelaide, Australia.

His academic credentials include:

• B.A (Hons) in International Relations
• M.A (Hons) in Ideology and Discourse Analysis
• PhD in Government

Professor Sayyid's research interrogates historical world-making processes through two interconnected strands: theoretical investigations of discourse theory and decolonial thought (emphasizing rhetoric's constitutive role in social order), and critical analyses of racism/Islamophobia in modern society formation. His interdisciplinary work bridges sociology, political theory, and critical Muslim studies, challenging conventional frameworks through projects examining tolerance semantics and counter-narratives against Islamophobia.

He leads significant EU-funded research including "Countering Islamophobia Through Best Practice in Counter-Narratives" and "Semantics of Tolerance in Europe," mentoring postgraduate researchers Shirley Barrett, Ayse Rumeysa Kotan, Johanna Loock, Mona Makinejad, and Nikita Zychowicz while advising government officials on Islamophobia policy.

As intellectual architect of Critical Muslim Studies, he founded the journal ReOrient, co-established the International Islamophobia Studies and Research Association (ISSRA), and develops scholarly discourse through Radio ReOrient (NBN-hosted podcast) and ReOrientations blog, alongside international symposia advancing decolonial theoretical frameworks.