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Ahmed Khaleel

Lecturer in Arabic

Profile

Biography

Dr Ahmed Khaleel joined the Department of Language and Linguistic Science in October 2012 as a part-time tutor of Arabic (Languages for All programme), and became Associate Lecturer in Arabic in 2021.

Ahmed started teaching in 2004 in Iraq in many private universities. In addition, he worked as associate lecturer at the University of Baghdad and in Syrian Universities such as Al-Furat University. Ahmed has taught Arabic language, literature and prosody for native speakers (professional level) and English Literature modules such as introduction to English poetry, modern drama, introduction to comparative literature, literary criticism, Shakespearean drama and poetry. In 2006, with a group of University professors, he co-edited a course book in English language for Islamic schools in Iraq. The book is now used as a textbook in Iraq. In 2007, he established the first academic bulletin in English language in Syrian universities. This step was an innovative one. Ahmed completed his PhD in 2015 and his thesis is entitled 'The Poetics of Human Rights: Auden and al-Jawahiri in the 1930s'.

Ahmed is the Chair of York City of Sanctuary Board of Trustees (2020-ongoing) and has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2017.

Ahmed is also acting as a member of the York Hate Crime Partnership at York City Council and a member of the Senate.

Ahmed's teaching approach is mainly based on "teaching through delight", via teaching culture while equally focusing on the four skills of writing, reading, listening, and speaking. The goal is to make the task of learning Arabic an inspiring experience, in addition to arming the students with a language that can open up many chances and opportunities for a successful career.

Work experience

  • Winner of the Higher York Award, 2012
  • Staff member at Baghdad University 2004-2010 in the College of Islamic Studies (teaching religious translation module for PhD students and Arabic and English language for first year undergraduate students).
  • Lecturer at Al-Furat University/ Syria, 2006-2008
  • Winner of BBC Arabic very short story, April 2009

Education

  • PhD in English - Modern Comparative Literature (Thesis title:'The Poetics of Human Rights: Auden and al-Jawahiri in the 1930s' at the University of York)
  • MA in English Literature (Modern Poetic Drama-W. H. Auden) / Almustansiriyah University/ Baghdad-Iraq
  • BA in English (Almustansiriyah University / Baghdad-Iraq)

Interests

Ahmed’s academic background is in Arabic Language and Literature. He is also a writer and a poet in Arabic and English. He is interested in translating the untranslatable, i.e. translating poetry into poetry. Since 2003, he has been a Human Rights practitioner and a member of many Anti-Corruption, Development and Human Rights NGOs such as the Arab-European Centre for Human Rights and International Law-Norway. Since 2010, he has been a member of the family of human rights advocates in the Centre for Applied Human Rights - University of York.

After the war on Iraq in 2003, Ahmed worked with many NGOs, such as the Association of Iraqi Academics (known as AUL). Here in the UK, Ahmed worked with CARA in 2010, and Refugee Council and York City of Sanctuary in 2016 to help the Syrian refugees settle down. He is still working with YCoS since 2017.
Ahmed is a member of the York University of Sanctuary Monitoring and Evaluation Group.

Latest publications

 

Contact details

 

Dr Ahmed Khaleel

Lecturer in Arabic

Languages for All

Vanbrugh College C Block

University of York

Heslington

York

YO10 5DD

ahmed.khaleel@york.ac.uk