Shafaqna English- SICM Mahfil Ali welcomes Professor Francis Davis to discuss “New Leader ? – Time for a serious communities strategy at last” on Friday, 12 Jun 2026.
About the talk Most communities have their heads down building family, making work happen, paying bills, and planning with hope. But there’s a new social turbulence in so many neighbourhoods, old and fresh grievances breaking into the open from Southport to Southampton, and an absence of a clear and powerful strategy of response from government and business alike.
Drawing on new research and building on the moment that likely national leadership changes afford, Francis will map out some of the voices and a bolder framework for action for those of us from Mosques, localities and government alike.
Speaker:
Professor Francis Davis is a social and political scientist who works at the intersection of business, civil society, and central and local governments. Previously on the faculty at Birmingham he is now Honorary Professor and working with and beyond the university, including on various media outlets.
His recent projects focus on public service reform, complex community challenges and inclusive private sector investment; and have included collaborations with the local government ministries and business and civil society sectors of Rwanda, Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine, Bangladesh, South Africa and the UK. He has published on the ‘Radical Right’ and ‘the Religious Right’.
He has had spells as a UK ministerial advisor – including at cabinet level – under three governments, an NHS Trust non – executive director (chair of finance) and have recently given invited lectures at the Universities of Paris, Oxford, Antwerp, Leuven, and Dublin and leadership gatherings in Karachi, Islamabad, Dhakar, Kigali and Fordham University, New York City.
He also has experience in private, public and social enterprise leadership winning a The Observer UK Social Enterprise of the Year Award, Royal Society of Arts Catalyst award for social innovation and , in 2025, a UK Muslim Community Association national award for empowerment of British Muslims by a non Muslim.