Dr Hasan Shikoh

Degrees

• PhD in Creative Writing
• MA in English Language Teaching for Specific Purposes
• MA in English Literature
• MBA in Marketing
• Bachelor of Commerce
• BA in Journalism & Political Science

Certificates

• TEFLQ
• Certificate in Professional Studies in Education
• Teacher Training Certificate 
• AdvanceHE Professional Development Course for External Examiners

Since 1997, I have worked as both teacher and teacher trainer at Higher Education Institutions in a number of countries, including Pakistan (National College of Business Administration & Economics), Oman (Polyglot Institute LLC) and the UK (University of Warwick & University of Birmingham). Currently, at the UoB, in addition to my responsibilities in the BIA, I work as an Online Distance Learning Tutor of Applied Linguistics and TEFL in the English Language & Applied Linguistics (ELAL) department.

Prior to this, my professional career began as a journalist, soon after which I was appointed by The Frontier Post daily newspaper to work as sub-editor of their weekend magazine. Following this, I worked as copywriter with Genesis Productions; voiceover artist with a number of independent production houses, including Telesman; business report writer with Mischievous Marketing Ltd; corporate trainer at NetSol Omni Ltd (training arm of Nestol Technologies Ltd, a NASDAQ company); and senior news anchor at Business Plus, satellite TV channel. I was also the lead actor in a short-short film entitled 'The Work of Art' made for the Warwick Shootout Competition. More recently, I was engaged by Masaryk University in the Czech Republic for online teaching and publication projects.

Scholarships and awards

• Hornby Education Trust Scholarship to study on the MA in ELT for Specific Purposes programme at the University of Warwick
• PCBA Director's Scholarship for scoring distinctions in the MBA degree programme at the University of Central Punjab

I teach English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses for the following Birmingham Business School programmes: 

• MBA Suite
• MSc Marketing Suite
• MSc Investments
• GDBA
• MSc Economics  

Additionally, I teach lunchtime/Open Access EAP classes in a range of areas, including: 

• Academic Writing
• Vocabulary
• Speaking & Pronunciation
• Grammar
• Small Group Workshops (language/study skills) for MA/MSc & PhD students

I also offer one-to-one tutorials run by BIA.

Conference presentations

• ‘Novels and Peace’: 6th International Conference on Creative Writing, University of Western Macedonia, Kozani, Greece (September 2024)
• Recital: ‘Maqtal al-Husayn – “Is there no Muslim amongst you?!”’: Araba‘īn Lecture Series 2024, Al-Mahdi Institute, Birmingham, UK (August 2024)
• Staff Trainer: ‘Career Communication’ (4 workshops): Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia (October 2023)
• 'Let Your Students Bee’: 9^th Annual BIA TD Conference, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK (August 2023)
• Teacher Trainer: ‘English Mediated Instructions’ (6 workshops): Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia (July 2023)
• ‘Husayn (a) is Husayn – so what is the need to exaggerate?’: First 7-Day Imamate Conference, Kerbala, Iraq (July 2023)
• ‘Shinto & Islam’: Guest Lecturer, Soka University, Tokyo, Japan [online] (December 2022)
• 'Water & Spirituality for Climate Adaptation – An Islamic Perspective’: Water Adaptation Community Webinar, Global Center on Adaptation, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [online] (October 2021)
• 'Finding Joy & Productivity in Academic Writing’: Guest Lecturer, Aalto University School of Business, Aalto University, Mikkeli, Finland [online] (September 2021)
• 'Inherent Issues in English Language Teaching’: Al-Zahraa University for Women, Kerbala, Iraq  [online] (January 2021)
• 'Quality Control or Teacher Development? Reflective Teaching Observations': XVI Cercles International Conference, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia (2020)
• 'Observing the Observer: Reflective Teaching Observations': TESOL Greece 41st Annual International Convention, American College of Greece, Athens, Greece (2020)
• 'Who is Husayn (a.s.)': Science Beyond Boundaries 2 - International Academic Conference, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Pristina, Kosovoska Mitrovica, Kosovo-Serbia (September 2018)
• 'The Origins of "Islamic" Terrorism: The Role of Interpellation & the Media – Then & Now’: Third International Conference on Communication Styles (ICCS), Krosno State College, Krosno, Poland (October 2017)
• 'The Dance Between Light & Darkness': 3rd International Conference on Creative Writing, Ionian University, Corfu, Greece (October 2017)
• 'Cultural Insecurity: Where Lies the Threat?': Cultural Security Conference 2017, Al-Ameed International Centre for Research & Studies, Kerbala, Iraq (September 2017)
• 'Moral Management - Employee Relations: Recruitment & Retention': Higher Education - New Technologies & Innovation (HENTI) Conference, Akaki Tsereteli State University, Kutaisi, Georgia (May 2017)
• 'The Interdisciplinary Cognizance of Imam Husayn (a.s.)': Husayni Minbar Symposium, Al-Ameed International Centre for Research & Studies, Kerbala, Iraq (March 2017)
• Presenter & Convener: 'Semantics & Translation Issues in Novel Writing': Husayni Heritage Symposium, Al-Ameed International Centre for Research & Studies, Kerbala, Iraq (December 2016)
• 'Writing Papers for Scientific Journals': Guest Lecture Series, University of Kerbala, Kerbala, Iraq (October 2016)
• 'ISIS - the mindset and its origins': Global Lecture Series, Soka University, Tokyo, Japan (June 2016)
• 'Culture, Critical Thought & the Quest for Truth': Second International Conference on Communication Styles (ICCS), Krosno State College, Krosno, Poland (October 2015)
• 'Multimodality, Authentic Texts & the International Classroom': Norwegian Forum for English for Academic Purposes (NFEAP) Conference, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway (June 2015)
• Plenary speaker: 'The Multimodal, the Authentic, and the EAP': Higher Education - New Technologies & Innovation (HENTI) Conference, Akaki Tsereteli State University, Kutaisi, Georgia (May 2015)
• 'Multimodal Authenticity in EAP': ELT EAP Conference, University of St Andrews, Scotland (March 2014)
• 'Pedagogies for Autonomy - Booster Week' (co-presentation): BALEAP Biennial Conference, University of Nottingham, England (April 2013)
• 'Understanding Presessional Students’ Provenance & Managing their Expectations' (joint presentation): BALEAP Professional Issues Meeting (PIM), University of Kent, England (February 2012)
• 'e-Boardwork – Simple yet Smart': BALEAP PIM, University of Bristol, England (February 2011); and at the Teaching & Learning Conference, University of Birmingham, England (June 2010)
• Teacher Trainer on the theme of 'English for Young Learners in Latin America & the Caribbean': Two-week Hornby Regional Summer School, San Nicolas, Argentina (January 2008)
• 'ELT Issues in Developing Countries' (poster presentation) at: (1) 3rd Biennial International Research Festival, University of Warwick, England (June 2006); and (2) IATEFL 40th Annual International Conference (with Hornby Scholars), Harrogate, England (April 2006)
• 'Developing Short Story Writing Among Adult ESL Students' at: (1) TESL Ontario International Conference, Toronto, Canada (November 2006); (2) 3rd AZETA International Conference, Baku, Azerbaijan (September 2006); (3) IATEFL-HU Literature SIG Short Story Day, Budapest, Hungary (May 2006); and (4) SPELT International Conferences, Lahore, Pakistan (2002 & 2003)

Research

• Understanding UK Presessional Students’ Provenance & Managing their Expectations (with J. Rees & S. Butt).

Publications

• Shikoh, H. (2021) ‘English for Market Research Report Writing: Course Design’, Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 9 (4), JTESAP2104561S (pp.561-573). doi: https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP2104561S
• Shikoh, H. (2020) ‘Story-Telling Structures – You Don’t Have to be a Pro’ in Bakić-Mirić, N. (ed) The World of Languages and Literatures: A Contemporary Outlook. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
• Shikoh, H. (2019) 'Multimodal Authenticity in EAP', in Bakić-Mirić, N., Lončar-Vujnović, M. and Jakovljević, M. (eds) Current Topics in Language and Literature - An International Perspective. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 198-207

I have also published over 130 articles in a number of newspapers and magazines.