This year, Ramadan takes place from 17/18 February to 19 March (subject to the sighting of the moon).
Prayer spaces
Prayer spaces are available for Muslim staff, students, and tenants of the University. The main University prayer space is in the Chaplaincy located within the Edward Herbert Building, accessible via ID card. This space provides separate male and female prayer rooms, each equipped with ablution facilities.
An additional Muslim prayer space is available on the west side of campus in the John Pickford Building, Room 24 (swipe card access required).
Further multi-faith prayer rooms can be found in the following locations:
- Wolfson School – Room T.1.20
- STEM Building – Wellbeing Pod (second floor)
- Business School – Room BE0.27
- Matthew Arnold Building – Room 0.01
- Pilkington Library – Room 13 (third floor)
Please note that the prayer space in the Chaplaincy is the only space on the East Midlands campus that will support Taraweeh (additional night prayers).
At our London campus, there are two prayer rooms available on the fourth floor:
- LDN4.16, open Monday to Sunday, 24 hours (students can access any time)
- LDN401, open Monday to Friday, 5pm-7pm from 17 February to 19 March
Chaplaincy Iftar
The University’s Chaplaincy team will be holding an Iftar meal (a shared meal at the time when Muslim brothers and sisters break their daily fast). All are welcome, including members of the Muslim community and those beyond, on Wednesday 4 March, from 5.45pm-7.30pm in the Atrium of the Edward Herbert Building.
This is an opportunity for students and staff to show their support for friends and colleagues who are observing the month of Ramadan and to learn more about the significance of this time for members of the Muslim community. This year, we're pleased to welcome Professor Moataz Attallah, Dean of the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Material Engineering (AACME), who will be sharing a short reflection on Ramadan and the practice of fasting.
A portion of the ticket cost, £6.50, will be donated to charity (Maa Global). Book your place now.
Creating an inclusive environment during Ramadan
Supporting students during Ramadan includes demonstrating proactive efforts to support religious observance. Staff can reach out to students to offer reasonable adjustments where appropriate.
Examples of possible support include:
- offering flexibility around scheduling where possible
- enabling access to prayer space and allowing time for prayer breaks
- considering potential fatigue related to fasting when planning workload or deadlines (where feasible and reasonable)
- support around attendance, where late-night religious observance may have an impact
- providing alternative assessment mechanisms
On our website, we have useful guidance for all staff, particularly managers, on how you can support your Muslim colleagues during Ramadan.