To all our Muslim students, we wish you Ramadan Mubarak!

What is Ramadan?

“The month of Ramadan is the month in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people, and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.” [Qur’an, 2:185]

Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam. It is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation during which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an and when Muslim students and staff may be abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours. They may also have an altered sleep pattern and may be taking more time to pray.

When is Ramadan?

This year, Ramadan takes place approximately between the 1 and 31 March 2025

Muslims follow the lunar calendar, so the exact start and end dates depend on the sighting of the moon, so these dates can vary slightly.

If you are a Muslim student, it is possible that observing Ramadan may impact some aspects of your studies. For example, we understand that during Ramadan:

• You may need to briefly leave part of a teaching session to pray
• You may find it harder to concentrate in the afternoons

Accessing Student Support and Guidance

We would like to support you so that you can continue studying during this time. If you are struggling with any academic sessions, particularly if these are lab based, physical or in the afternoon, please do discuss with the relevant academic staff in the first instance.

If, in extreme circumstances, you are unable to attend a teaching session due to Ramadan, you are able to record this as a reason for absence in the free text field, however please note that this will still affect your attendance record.

If you are observing Ramadan, and you have any concerns about how it may impact your studies or want to know what academic support may be available to you, then please get in touch with the Student Engagement Team. For emotional and wellbeing support, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing. For faith support or enquiries, please contact the Chaplaincy.

Ways to support your Muslim peers during Ramadan

Send well-wishes

Here are some common greetings you can use to share your well-wishes with your Muslim peers during Ramadan:

• ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ – ‘Blessed Ramadan’
• ‘Ramadan Kareem’ – ‘Noble Ramadan’
• ‘Kul ‘am wa enta bi-khair’ – ‘I wish you well on this occasion every year’

Consider hosting an Iftar

Consider inviting your Muslim peers to Iftar (break fast) or dinner at your place. Or, you could even bring them over a dish so that they don’t have to cook.

ResLife have also organised an Iftar dinner in Canterbury on Friday 7 March.

Don’t feel guilty about eating or drinking in front of them.

While you may think you’re being considerate by not eating in front of a peer observing Ramadan, this could actually create unnecessary awkwardness.

Fasting is not solely about abstaining from food and drink, but is more so about reflection, prayer, and connection with God. Observing Muslims know this and so make an intention each day to adhere to the fast despite urges to do otherwise.

If you notice a peer isn’t fasting, try not to publicly ask why.

Not all Muslims will fast for a number of reasons – sickness, needing to take medication, pregnancy, women being on their period etc. Care should be taken not to offend people who are not fasting, by publicly asking for reasons as to why.

Similarly, some Muslims who may not be observant during the rest of the year, may observe Ramadan. Try to reserve judgement and not make any assumptions.

Do not trivialise their fast

Be mindful not to link their fast to a fad diet or reduce it to simply being a great way to lose weight.

To your Muslim peer, this is a deep and highly important religious practice, and they sacrifice their time, appetite and energy because they are committed to their faith.

Join the Ramadan spirit of giving to charity

The essence of Ramadan involves recognising the blessings one has and showing gratitude by supporting those who are in need. While this is a prescription for Muslims, Ramadan could also be an excellent time for non-Muslims to offer their support.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

You might be embarrassed by the lack of knowledge, but most Muslims welcome questions from colleagues and friends.

Fasting is an individual experience. Asking a specific fasting person if they need or want anything from you is the best way in ensuring you are actually being supportive and inclusive.

Find out what’s on this week including WorldFest celebrations, Careers’ Inspiring Women Week and National Student Money Week.

Monday 3 March: Exam ILP drop in (Medway), basket challenge and empowering talks

If you want to check your Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) exam adjustments, or if you think you would be entitled to exam adjustments because of a disability, specific learning difference, mental health condition or long-term medical condition, come along to M1-03 for a drop-in with the Medway Disability Adviser.

Join us for an empowering session with Kent Alumna, Kinga Stabryla, the Managing Director of the award-winning agency Brandspire. Taking place in Cornwallis East, this session is all about navigating the workplace as women of worth and delves into the complexities of the mental load carried by women, both in and out of the workplace.

There’s also a talk from Women in Law Kent about personal branding for women in Law, taking place in Grimond. They will share their career journeys, insights, and experiences, followed by a Q&A.

As part of National Student Money Week, Kent Students’ Union will have a basket challenge in Nexus where you can guess the price of two baskets of shopping (branded items versus their value counterparts). Whoever has the closest guess will win the basket! (Two chances to win).

Tuesday 4 March: Medway Global Hangout, Pets as Therapy (Medway) and hear from inspiring women

Join in with the Medway Global Hangout for a fun afternoon of games and craft activities to celebrate Pancake Day in the Oasis Lounge, Medway. You can also drop into The Hub for Pets as Therapy over lunch time and connect with a cute dog!

As part of Careers’ Inspiring Women Week, there’s events with Kent alumna Fiona Kettle about putting the Creative in Creative Operations, and a talk about being the only women in the room by AI Machine Learning Engineer and Associate Director Rhian Taylor, who shares her journey through academia and industry as a woman in STEM.

Wednesday 5 March: Canterbury Global Hangout, KSU Advice pop-up, language taster sessions and WorldFest Games

Join us for the Canterbury Global Hangout for an afternoon of fun games, crafts and refreshments.

Want to give a new language a try? Join a WorldFest language taster session on Wednesday in Japanese, Arabic, Mandarin or Russian and Ukrainian.

Speak to the KSU Advice Team on the Plaza on Wednesday about tips and strategies to manage your money effectively. They will be there to discuss budgeting tips as well as giving out freebies.

Get a team together and join in with our friendly WorldFest Games and represent your culture, society or country. Compete in 4 different sports – badminton, basketball, pickleball and table tennis for your chance to win prizes including £100 for the team that comes first place!

Thursday 6 March: Crafternoon (Medway) and give archery tag a try

Decorate pocket mirrors and bookmarks at the ‘This Girl Can’ Crafternoon at The Hub on Thursday. Get creative and meet new people.

ResLife and Kent Sport are delighted to launch their new Archery Tag Sessions. Think Nerf and Dodgeball but with Bows and Arrows!

Friday 7 March: Iftar dinner and be in the audience for ‘The 3^rd Degree’ recording

On Friday evening you’re invited to our Iftar dinner in Rutherford Dining Hall. You can choose from a butter chicken curry or vegetable biryani. The event is open to all and there will be a fast -track lane for students who are breaking their fast. Come along for great food and a chat!

BBC Radio 4 is coming to Kent to record an episode of a general knowledge quiz show ‘The 3^rd Degree’, hosted by Steve Punt (Mock the Week, Horrible Histories). It’s a light-hearted show that pits three undergrads against three of their lecturers in a general knowledge/university subject quiz. Book now to be part of the audience.

Reminders and opportunities

• The deadline to apply for Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) adjustments is Friday 7 March. If you have a query about an ILP, get in touch with Student Support and Wellbeing by emailing KentSSW@kent.ac.uk (Canterbury students) or MedwaySSW@kent.ac.uk. (Medway students).
• Want to get rewarded over the summer and get a paid internship? The deadline to log your Employability Points is the 10 March. Make sure that you have over at least 50 points to be able to apply for the rewards taking place this summer.
• Do you want to represent your fellow students and have a say in shaping the future of the student experience at Kent? Apply to be part of the Kent 2030 Student Advisory Panel by 11 March.

ISARR is the University’s health, safety and environmental incident reporting system that students and staff can use.

Incident reporting refers to the reporting of incidents (e.g. slips, falls, manual handling injuries, burns, cuts), near misses (where no injury or damage has occurred but it had the potential to), fire related incidents (e.g. False fire alarms, fires) and environmental incidents (e.g. spills, fly tipping).  

It is important to report health, safety and environmental incidents that occur at Kent for several reasons;  

• Ensuring Care and Follow-up: Most importantly, reporting incidents where an injury has occurred allows us to check on the injured individual and ensure they receive the appropriate care. 

• Identifying Root Causes: Incident reporting enables the university to investigate the causes of incidents. By identifying hazards or areas requiring improvement in procedures and equipment, we can address these issues and ultimately reduce the risk of further incidents. 

• Legal Compliance: There are legal requirements for reporting certain incidents. Proper documentation ensures compliance with these regulations, and failure to report could lead to fines, penalties, or legal action. 

• Improving Safety: Incident reports provide valuable data that can be analysed to improve safety and environmental protocols, training programs, and workplace design.  

• Promoting a Safety Culture: Encouraging the reporting of incidents fosters a culture of safety within the university. It supports vigilance, open communication, and collaboration to continually improve health and safety practices. 

• Insurance and Compensation: Health and safety incidents, particularly those resulting in injury, may lead to insurance claims. Proper incident reporting ensures that all necessary information is available to process claims. 

We all play a part in reporting of incidents and the HSES Department actively support and encourage good reporting via the ISARR system. If you see something the poses a threat of injury or damage, report it here – Incident/Accident Reporting