Dr Amna Nazir
Associate Professor in International Human Rights Law; Associate Director Centre for Human Rights
- Email:
- Amna.Nazir@bcu.ac.uk
Dr Amna Nazir is an Associate Professor of International Human Rights Law and an internationally recognised scholar working at the intersection of international law and Islamic theology. A Senior Fellow of Advance HE, she operates at the intersection of scholarship, policy, and practice, integrating human rights theory with real-world UN engagement.
She convenes the postgraduate LLM module in International Human Rights Law and holds a portfolio of senior strategic roles, including Associate Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Academic Lead for Research with oversight of UoA18 (Law) for REF2029. She has previously served as Course Director for the LLM in International Human Rights.
Dr Nazir’s interdisciplinary research focuses on the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and Islamic legal traditions. Her work addresses pressing global human rights challenges, including the death penalty, freedom of religion or belief, and the rights of women and children.
At the international level, Dr Nazir plays an influential role in the UPR process through the submission of stakeholder reports, participation in UPR Pre-sessions, and direct engagement with state delegations. Her work for the highly influential UPR Project at BCU has received extensive citation by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and was shortlisted for the national Times Higher Education Award 2021 for International Collaboration of the Year. Amna is also co-founder of the ‘UPR Academic Network’, a global consortium advancing research and policy dialogue on the UPR.
Her research has demonstrable global impact across normative, policy, and judicial domains. She has submitted over 56 UPR stakeholder reports, 33 as lead author, across more than 50 countries, directly shaping UN human rights recommendations. Her work has been recognised at the UN Human Rights Council as an example of good practice and has also informed litigation before international courts.
Dr Nazir’s international standing is reflected in her selection by the United Nations as one of the top global candidates for appointment as Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, where she was ranked second worldwide. She has since been nominated for further Special Rapporteur mandates, reinforcing her position within global human rights governance.
Dr Nazir has advised various governments and international organisations, including the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and EU Member States, and has delivered commissioned training for National Human Rights Institutions. She has also served as Trustee of UNA-UK, contributing to national and global dialogue on the future of multilateral human rights protection.
Alongside her research, she co-leads innovative models of experiential human rights education, embedding live UN mechanisms into teaching and student research, and has developed sustained international partnerships, including a flagship externship programme with the Lahore University of Management Sciences.
Dr Nazir holds a UK Research Council-funded PhD awarded through the prestigious Midlands3Cities scholarship, with interdisciplinary research spanning Birmingham City University’s School of Law and the University of Birmingham’s School of Theology. Her work has been recognised through a Research Council impact case study and the M3C Cultural Engagement Award. She has received a number of institutional honours for academic leadership and student support.
Dr Nazir has also facilitated the world renowned ‘Birmingham Qur’an Manuscript’ project, a manuscript which was radiocarbon-dated as one of the earliest fragments of the Qur’an in the world. She received the select invitation to join the curator’s team and exhibit the work in the UAE, working with the British Council and the UAE Ministry of Culture & Knowledge as strategic partners.