Dr Idil Osman

Delighted that my chapter on how black British academics& creatives are challenging the rise of populism is now out. Chuffed to be published alongside the luminaries of our field #TrevorPhillips #JelaniCobb #GaryGibbon #RichardTait #ITN. Order here: lnkd.in/ebyPmd2F

It’s been a real pleasure to speak at the Khartoum Process special event in Paris earlier today on communication ecologies that shape narratives and perceptions related to migration from the Horn of Africa. I want to thank the French government and @ICMPD for the kind invitation.

Such sad news to hear of Prof Ali Jimale’s passing. The field of comparative literature & academia at large will miss his pioneering contributions but above all, the world will miss a gentle and kind human being. Here’s my last conversation with him: youtu.be/XOajJtIp5w8?si…

As many of you have noticed, the Somali community has been on the receiving end lately of Trump’s venom. Fortunately this is a strong, resilient community. Here’s a thoughtful article that the Guardian’s Nesrine Malik wrote with my two cents theguardian.com/news/2026/jan/…

#Leadership Moment: When it mattered, Sadio Mane chose not mob rule but rationale nuanced thinking. Not emotional outburst, but considered response. Tonight, he defined what respect, class, and clarity look like. A true African icon. A TRUE LEADER. #AFCON2025 #LionOfTeranga

Have a wonderful new year folks! May 2026 bring much needed serenity to our turbulent world.

Gary Lineker, "I actually think that 80-90% of the country just want to get on with their lives, be friendly with their neighbours" "They don't look at people of different religions, skin colours, beliefs, traits, and think badly of them" "I think we're divided deliberately to distract" Concur on all accounts - most people just want to live and get on with life, if only our politicians created a stable and ambitious enough approach to life so we could do that, without having to call out their repeated and monumental short-failings

Last piece of work before we sign off; expert commentary for BBC News on how diaspora communities can sometimes be drawn to conflicts occurring in their homelands. Have a great festive period all! www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.co…

Data doesn’t lie!

It’s been a real pleasure to speak at this year’s International Dialogue on Migration, a global platform organised every year by IOM - UN Migration. I was particularly heartened by the focus of our panel on #diaspora partnerships in #Africa and harnessing their full potential.

The exhibition at the Public Archives of the State of São Paulo on the work of #Luiz #Gama and his detailed descriptions book about formerly enslaved people is breathtaking. It brings them to life and created identity cards for them using artificial intelligence.

Such a joy to be in São Paulo, Brazil for the first time and experiencing the rich cultural histories that exist here. And the icing on the cake is to be in the company of the most fabulous cultural historian and curator ever @Leno Veras!

“No peace without justice.” In this groundbreaking conversation, Fowsia A. Abdulkadir challenges us to confront a difficult truth: lasting peace in the Somali Region in Ethiopia and beyond, is impossible without justice. For the first time, Somalis are openly engaging with the language of transitional justice, asking what real repair looks like after decades of conflict and repression. Fowsia draws on her work as First Deputy Commissioner of the Somali Regional State Truth and Reconciliation Commission to unpack how communities can reckon with pain, memory, and accountability while striving for peace. With a response from Dr. Juweria Ali, this panel opens a rare and vital dialogue: what does justice truly mean for Somalis today? 🗓 Friday, 24 October 📍 Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS 🎟️ Tickets: ow.ly/6oLc50X7SQj

I've been a Labour supporter my entire life, my family also voted Labour their entire lives, (dad was a Tory though). The more and more I see of @ZackPolanski, the more I am pulled towards @TheGreenParty I like what he stands for and what they aim to achieve, hes the ONLY politician with the balls to speak out against injustices to folk less off in this country and seems prepared to fight for them. Its so incredibly hard to make that shift from Labour..but they have really let me down recently. Zack - "So many black and Asian communities in this country are terrified because the whole frame of the migration crisis is a racist fascist frame" "There is a sense the country is broken. And they're right" "But the answer is not to blame migrants or asylum seekers"

And it’s official! #MeCCSA2026 Will be hosted by our school at the University of Leicester. We’re excited! Special thanks to the key organiser @Julian Matthews

Day 2 at #MeCCSA2025 continues to be awesome. Some really inspiring research in media, communication and cultural studies is coming through which is heartening to see given the attacks on the sector we’ve been seeing. And Edinburgh is the perfect backdrop!

Super happy to have presented earlier today at the #MeCCSA2025 conference on African diaspora and cultural development. Thanks to all the colleagues who engaged so well

#MeCCSA2025 has kicked off! The brilliant Dr Gholam Khiabany is delivering his keynote

It’s graduation day! It’s that time to bring out the wizard costume! 😆 Congratulations to all our graduates today who have all come a long way to achieve this. We’re celebrating them! 🎉🎈🥰

It was a pleasure to host our expert colleagues for the workshop on #AI, emerging tech& remittances to Africa. Thanks in particular to my co-host George Ogola and also to Will Darler, Alan Desmond, Onyekachi Wambu, Hashim Duale& Abdikayf Farah for the spirited conversations.

It was a joy to participate in the conference on entrepreneurship, digital tech &creative collaborations between industry & the humanities and social sciences at #Università di #Napoli L’Orientale, showcasing some of the stellar work happening at our Institute of Digital Culture