Dr. Fella Lahmar is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) with over 20 years of experience in Islamic and comparative education, focusing on decolonisation, social justice, and the interplay between education, Islam, and cultural heritage.
As a Research Fellow at the Open University, UK, Dr. Lahmar recently led the Algerian research project as part of the broader Decolonisation of Education for Peace in Africa (DEPA) multi-country initiative, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project explored how Algeria’s artistic heritage fosters reconciliation across diverse linguistic communities. She also collaborated with the Qatar Foundation to contribute to the design of an MA in Comparative Education at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Previously, she led MA programmes in Islamic Studies and Education validated by Birmingham Newman University. She has also worked at various other higher education institutions, including the University of Bolton and the University of Nottingham, UK.
Her publications include numerous journal articles and book chapters on decolonising education, Islamic educational frameworks, and the role of indigenous arts in peacebuilding. She co-edited a special issue on Islamic education in a Western context and is currently writing a Routledge book on diversity and belonging in Islamic schools in Europe.