Dr Fadia Dakka

Senior Research Fellow, Deputy Director of CSPACE

School of Education and Social Work

Email:: fadia.dakka@bcu.ac.uk
Phone:: 0121 331 4658

Dr. Fadia Dakka studied International Relations (BA, MA) at Bologna University (Italy) and King’s College London (MA) before obtaining a Doctorate in Social Sciences from the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol. Her thesis examined the 2012 English Higher Education Policy reforms, theorising marketisation and competition as the key drivers of its ongoing institutional, cultural and systemic transformations and introducing ‘polarised convergence’ as a paradoxical outcome: a condition of differentiation without diversity in the English HE system.

After teaching and guest lecturing on Social Policy and Education in the School for Policy Studies, she took on a postdoctoral research position at CSPACE (Birmingham City University).

Broadly speaking, her research is concerned with the critique of the contemporary, Western university. Looking at institutional competition and competitiveness, it explores how universities adapt, respond and survive to intense competition and commodification. University crisis and alternative ecologies of knowledge production are examined along with ideas of alternative futures, adopting a rhythmanalytical perspective.

In particular, she is interested in exploring the interplay between, and the tensions surrounding time-space (rhythm), social acceleration and affect within the academy (psycho-social dimensions of academic labour). Her research addresses questions such as: how are cultures of speed and commodification affecting institutional diversity & innovation? What are the implications for individual creativity and wellbeing?

Currently she is working with Professor Mike Neary and colleagues to develop Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis into a theoretical, methodological and philosophical tool to advance the radical project of a post-capitalist university.

As Deputy Director, she is working to promote, internally and externally, research-related activities and events that showcase the diverse and experimental nature of the work done by the research collective in CSPACE.

Qualifications

Memberships

Teaching

Research

Postgraduate Supervision

Publications

Book chapters:

Dakka, F. (2020) ‘Rhythm and the Possible: Moments, Anticipation and Dwelling in the Contemporary University’, in Inquiring into Academic Timescapes (Filip Vostal ed.), Emerald publisher. (forthcoming)

Dakka, F., Smith, R. (2019) ‘An Exploration of Rhythms in the Contemporary Academy: Time, Space and Affect’, In edited volume Theory and Method in Higher Education Research, Vol. 5 2019 (Jeroen Huisman, Malcolm Tight eds.), Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 153-171. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S2056-375220190000005010)

Dakka, F. (2015) ‘Differentiation without Diversity. The political economy of higher education transformation’ (Chapter 18), in The Palgrave International Handbook of Higher Education Policy and Governance. Palgrave MacMillan (J.Huisman, H.de Boer, D. Dill eds.)

Journal Articles

Dakka, F. (2020) ‘Universities as Time-Space Shelters: discovering the Rhythms of Anticipation, Transformation, and Belonging’, Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education. (in preparation)

Dakka, F. (2019) 'Competition, innovation and diversity in higher education: dominant discourses, paradoxes, and resistance'. Journal of Sociology of Education. (DOI: https://doi.org/101080/01425692.2019.1668747)

Dakka, F. and Wade, A. (2019) ‘Writing Time: A Rhythmic Analysis of Contemporary Academic Writing’ Higher Education Research and Development, ‘Special Issue: Reading and Writing Across Disciplines’ Eds: Tully Barnett and Judith Seaboyer 38(1): 185-197 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1540555)

Project Reports

O’Leary, Smith, Cui, Dakka (2019) The role of leadership in prioritising and improving the quality of teaching and learning in further education available at https://fetl.org.uk/publications/the-role-of-leadership-in-prioritising-and-improving-the-quality-of-teaching-and-learning-in-further-education/

Selected Conference papers

2019 - SRHE Annual Conference, 11 - 13 December, Newport.
Invited to contribute to the Symposium ‘Making space in Higher Education research: Critical and creative educational Geographies’: Space, Time, Belonging, Becoming: Chasing Rhythm in the Contemporary University. Co-presenting: Space, Time and Everyday Life and the Mental Health And Well-Being of Postgraduate Researchers.

2019 - IPDA Conference (International Professional Development Association) 28 - 29 November, Aston, Birmingham UK.
‘Space, Time and Everyday Life and the Mental Health And Well-Being of Postgraduate Researchers.’

2019 - Anticipation 2019, 9 - 11 October. 3^rd International Conference On Anticipation, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
Exploring ‘University Rhythms’ as Anticipatory Practices

2019 - International Conference on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Postgraduate Researchers, Brighton, 16 - 17 May, Jury’s Inn
A Rhythmanalytical Approach to Postgraduate Students’ Mental Health And Wellbeing: Challenges and Opportunities (with Alex Wade)

2019 - International conference. Centre for the Study of Cultural Memory, Institute of Modern Languages Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London, 29 - 30 March
Anticipatory Rhythms & the Contemporary University: Critical Moments And Moments of Critique.

2019 - University of Manchester, Institute of Education, 20 February
Research Seminar series: A Rhythmic Analysis of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education: Belonging and Becoming in the Everyday

2018 - CHASE. The University and Micro-Dynamics of Institutional Life, 14 December, Essex
Everyday Life in the Accelerated Academy: a Rhythmanalytical Perspective.

2018 - SRHE Annual Conference 5-7 December, Newport
Everyday Life in the Competitive, Accelerated Academy: politicising Belonging and Becoming through the lens of Rhythm.

2018 - CSPACE Annual Conference. 3 July, Birmingham City University
Everyday Life in the Competitive, Accelerated Academy: A Rhythmanalysis.

2018 - Critical University Studies: An Early Career Researcher Network CRASSH, British Academy, Workshop 3 (20,21 June), University of Cambridge
Introducing Rhythmanalysis as a Call for Action: Philosophy, Method, Futures.

2018 - Fourth AA Conference. Academic Timescapes: Perspectives, Reflections, Responsibilities. 24-25 May, Villa Lanna, Prague, Czech Republic
Towards a Rhythmic Analysis of the Competitive, Accelerated Academy: Time, Space and Affect.

2017 - SRHE Newer and Early Career Research Conference, 5 December, Newport
Towards a rhythmic analysis of the competitive, accelerated academy: key concepts and methods.

2017 - SRHE Annual Research Conference 6-8 December, Newport
A Rhythmic Analysis of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Space, Time and Affect.

2017 - CSPACE Annual Conference (10^th July 2017) Workshop (leader)
Practising Rhythmanalysis: theory and methods.

2017 - BSA Annual Conference (4-6 April, Manchester University)
The “strange non-death” of the competitive, accelerated academy: national strategies, paradoxes, emotional logics.

2016 - UNIKE – Universities in the Knowledge Economy, International Conference (15-17 June, Copenhagen, Aarhus University)
Competition, Innovation and Diversity in the English Higher Education: hegemonic discourses, paradoxes and national strategies.

Events organised/convened

2019 Chasing Rhythm: Encounters at the Edge of Academic and Epistemological Traditions (29.05.19) International Symposium on Rhythm, hosted by CSPACE (School of Art, Margaret street) BCU, Birmingham UK.

2019 ‘Post-it Notes to my Lecturers: Decolonisation & Feminisms in Learning & Teaching’ (Dr. S.de Jong, York & Dr. R. Masahma, Hull) CSPACE Seminar within X-Change Festival, BCU, March 2019.

2018 ‘Fierce pedagogies: producing dissensual knowledge and Subjects’ (Dr. Cath Lambert, Warwick), CSPACE Christmas Seminar, December 2018.

Blog

O’Leary, Smith, Cui, Dakka (2019) BERA (Special Issue), guest editorial, ‘How Leadership Can Influence the Improvement of Teaching and Learning in Further Education’, p. 19

Henderson, Thomas, Dakka, Gamsu (May 2020) SRHE blog, ‘Making space in higher education research: Reporting back from our higher education geography conference symposium’