Leon Moosavi

Dr Leon Moosavi is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Liverpool, specializing in race, religion, and decolonial studies. He holds concurrent roles as Director of Education and co-chair of the Liverpool Sociological Research Cluster. His research focuses on racism, Islamophobia, and decolonization initiatives, with notable projects including a book on Muslim football fans and a mentorship program for scholars in Brazil and Indonesia funded by the British Academy.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology (Lancaster University, 2011)
• MA Sociological Research Methods (Lancaster University, 2007)
• BSc Sociology (First Class, Lancaster University, 2006)

Research Interests: Moosavi's work interrogates colonial legacies through three lenses:

1. Racism, Orientalism, and Whiteness Studies
2. British Muslim Converts and Islamophobia
3. Epistemic Decolonisation, Curriculum Reform, and Public Discourse on Coloniality

His 2020 work The Decolonial Bandwagon critiques intellectual decolonization trends, while recent publications address media representations of decolonial movements and East Asian student marginalization in Western universities.

Awards & Impact:

• 2023 Runner-up, National Centre for Research Methods Impact Prize
• 2021 Founder of The Decolonial Critique network (2,000+ members)
• 2016 Staff Award Nomination for Singapore leadership

His work has informed UK parliamentary inquiries on international students and shaped institutional policies through advisory roles at Liverpool's Race Equality Hub and Stockport Football Club's EDI committee.

Teaching & Mentorship:

• Coordinates modules on hate crime and religion-society relations
• Supervised 3 completed and 4 ongoing PhD students
• Develops decolonial research methods training for the National Centre for Research Methods
• Mentors displaced scholars via the Council for At-Risk Academics