City Faith Leader Honoured

One of the Black Country’s leading figures in promoting links and friendships between the area’s different faith groups has been given an honorary degree by the University of Wolverhampton.

Harun Rashid was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Social Sciences by the University’s School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications.

Mr Rashid is the current chair of the Wolverhampton Interfaith and Regeneration Network and serves on a number of school governing bodies, voluntary and community organisations.

The award is in recognition of his significant contribution throughout the region in promoting inter-faith networks.

Harun said: “I am delighted to receive this great honour from the distinguished University of Wolverhampton.

“I am particularly thrilled and feel not only very proud but also really humbled to have this unexpected recognition by an institution where I myself taught for five years.

“I should like to share this wonderful award with all those colleagues and associates who have, over decades, worked with me and supported me in every effort I have made for the advancement of education and the wellbeing of the whole community.”

Born and educated in Bangladesh, Mr Rashid obtained an MA in English at the University of Dhaka before commencing his educational career as a university lecturer.

He arrived in Britain in 1964 where he worked for a short time in a primary school in London before moving to Wolverhampton Teacher’s College as lecturer in English, and then Wolverhampton Polytechnic as a senior lecturer in English. He obtained an M Phil in Linguistics and Phonetics from the University of London in 1976.

Harun was appointed Wolverhampton LEA’s first Inspector for Humanities, with responsibilities for Religious and Multicultural Education, and went on to become Senior Policy Advisor-Equalities at Wolverhampton City Council.

Dedicating his life, both professionally and voluntarily, to the advancement of education and the wellbeing of the whole community, Harun has pioneered the development of mother tongue teaching in Wolverhampton schools, led the creation of the LEA’s first ever Religious Education Agreed Syllabus and set up Wolverhampton’s first Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) before the 1988 Education Act which made it a statutory requirement.

 Harun has pioneered the development of mother tongue teaching in Wolverhampton schools and led the creation of the LEA’s first ever Religious Education Agreed Syllabus.

Harun is the Founder Chairman of the Wolverhampton Interfaith Group, one of the earliest interfaith organisations in the UK, and is now Wolverhampton’s Faith representative on the Black Country Faith Cabinet. He was appointed as a Justice of the Peace on the Wolverhampton Bench in 1976.

He received the honorary award at a graduation ceremony at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Friday 7 September 2012.

ENDS

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