Hasrizal Abdul Jamil — Inclusive Education, ADHD Advocacy & Author
Educator · Author · Advocate

Hasrizal
Abdul Jamil

M.Ed. Diversity & Inclusion
Trinity College Dublin

Inclusive Education ADHD Advocacy UDL Generative AI Islamic Education
Invite Me to Speak About Me
Hasrizal Abdul Jamil

Naas, County Kildare · Ireland

29
Books Published
25+
Years in Education
3
Countries of Practice
About Me

Equitable education
as a global commitment

I'm Hasrizal — an educator, author, and advocate for inclusive education, based in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland.

My journey into education began as the first Minister of Religion at the Belfast Islamic Centre in Northern Ireland, where I saw first-hand how community, faith, and learning intersect. That experience shaped everything that followed: postgraduate studies in Learning, Education and Technology in Oulu, Finland; serving as Director of Education at Khalifah Education Foundation in Malaysia since 2014; a role as Expert Member of Malaysia's National Education Policy Review Committee at the Ministry of Education; and, most recently, a Master's in Education (Diversity and Inclusion) at Trinity College Dublin.

My research focuses on the academic experiences of university students with ADHD in the era of generative AI — a topic that is both professionally urgent and personally meaningful. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022, and that diagnosis transformed how I understand learning, support, and what it means to belong in an educational space.

I am the author of 29 books, an advisor to the Malaysian Adult ADHD Society (MAAS), and one of eight LaunchPAD Ambassadors appointed by AHEAD Ireland to advocate for neurodivergent participation in postgraduate education and research.

Director of Education
Khalifah Education Foundation (Yayasan Pendidikan Khalifah), Malaysia · 2014 – Present
Expert Member, National Education Policy Review Committee
Ministry of Education, Malaysia · 2018–2019
LaunchPAD Ambassador · 1 of 8 in Ireland
AHEAD Ireland · 2024 – Present
Advisor
Malaysian Adult ADHD Society (MAAS)
M.Ed. Diversity & Inclusion
Trinity College Dublin
Postgraduate Studies, EdTech & Entrepreneurship
University of Oulu, Finland (2016–2020)
First Minister of Religion
Belfast Islamic Centre, Northern Ireland
Areas of Expertise

Where research meets
lived experience

Inclusion
01
Inclusive Education & UDL
Universal Design for Learning as a principled framework for identifying barriers embedded in environments and systems — and dismantling them by design, not as afterthought. Inclusion is not accommodation; it is architecture.
02
ADHD & Neurodiversity
Evidence-based advocacy spanning K–12 to tertiary education — where lived experience, research, and cultural responsiveness converge. Grounded in an Islamic worldview as both personal identity and professional lens for understanding the neurodivergent learner.
03
Trauma-Informed Practice
Learning design that takes seriously the impact of adverse experiences on cognition, self-regulation, and the capacity to engage. A whole-school approach — not a clinical intervention.
Education
04
Learning Sciences: Theory & Practice
Translating cognitive science and educational research into classroom reality — closing the gap between what the evidence shows and what teachers actually do. Applicable across subjects, levels, and cultural contexts.
05
Character Education
Theory and practice in designing school environments, curricula, and learning experiences around explicit values — bridging contemporary character education frameworks with the rich tradition of akhlak and syakhsiah formation in Islamic education.
06
Design Thinking in Education
Applying design thinking to educational innovation — from classroom practice to institutional change. A framework for educators who are also social entrepreneurs: building schools that solve real problems in their communities.
Islamic Studies
07
Living Islam in the Contemporary World
Islam as a living tradition — navigating modernity, minority experience in the West, and the recurring seasons of Muslim life: Hijrah, Ramadan, Isra' wa Mi'raj, and beyond. Grounded in scholarship, expressed in language that speaks to today's Muslim.
08
Parenting in the Modern World
Learning sciences and Quranic wisdom in dialogue — equipping parents with principled, practical strategies for raising children with purpose. Covering digital technology, schooling, child development, and supporting children with additional needs.
09
The Art & Craft of Muslim Authorship
Two decades of writing articles and 29 books — and what that journey reveals about shaping the thinking of the modern Muslim reader. On craft, conviction, and the responsibility of the Muslim intellectual voice in the public square.
Peer-Reviewed Research

Published Scholarship

01
Journal Article · 2014

The Idea of Birgivi Religion Renewal in Al-Tariqah Al-Muhammadiyyah

Jamil, H. A., & Kamaruzaman, A. F. (2014). Al-Hikmah, 6(1), 94–106. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

View Article ↗ · Al-Hikmah, UKM
Speaking & Workshops

Nine keynotes.
One mission.

All keynotes are available in English or Bahasa Melayu, and can be adapted for conference, workshop, or webinar format. Hasrizal brings academic rigour, lived experience, and a gift for making complex ideas accessible.

Inclusion
01
Designing Schools That Work for Everyone: A UDL Framework
Removing barriers by design — before learners arrive, not after they struggle
Inclusion is not about adding ramps after the building is built. This keynote presents Universal Design for Learning as a principled method for identifying barriers hidden in systems, environments, and assumptions — and removing them by design. Practical, evidence-based, and immediately actionable for school leaders and classroom teachers alike.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day · Full-day Keynote · Workshop · Forum Online · In-Person EN · BM
02
The Classroom Through a Neurodiverse Lens: ADHD, Learning & Identity
Where lived experience, research, and cultural responsiveness meet
What if the students we label as 'difficult' are not failing the system — but the system is failing them? Spanning K–12 to tertiary education, this keynote draws on evidence-based research and Hasrizal's own ADHD diagnosis to reframe how educators understand attention, behaviour, and ability. Delivered with particular sensitivity to the cultural and Islamic dimensions of neurodivergent identity. Also available as a focused session on Generative AI and the Neurodivergent Student, drawing on original M.Ed. research at Trinity College Dublin.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day Keynote · Workshop · Forum Online · In-Person EN · BM
03
Trauma-Informed Schools: Teaching the Whole Child
Understanding what lies beneath behaviour — and responding with wisdom, not punishment
Adverse experiences leave marks that classrooms cannot ignore. This keynote equips educators and school leaders with a trauma-informed lens — not as a clinical tool, but as a whole-school ethos that shapes how spaces are designed, how relationships are built, and how every child is seen. Directly relevant to the realities of Malaysian schools and Muslim communities navigating complex social change.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day Keynote · Workshop · Forum Online · In-Person EN · BM
Education
04
Teaching the Way Brains Learn: Learning Sciences for Educators
Closing the gap between what research knows and what classrooms do
Decades of cognitive science and educational research have transformed our understanding of how learning actually happens — yet classrooms often remain unchanged. This keynote brings the science to life: memory, retrieval, spacing, motivation, and meaning-making — and shows educators how to apply it on Monday morning, across subjects, levels, and cultural contexts.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day · Full-day Keynote · Workshop · Forum Online · In-Person EN · BM
05
Character Before Content: Building Schools Around Values
Where akhlak formation meets contemporary character education
A school's greatest product is not academic results — it is the character of the human beings who leave it. This keynote explores the theory and practice of character education: how to build environments, curricula, and teaching practices around explicit values. Grounded in contemporary research and in direct dialogue with the tradition of akhlak and syakhsiah formation in Islamic education — this is not a programme to add on, but a culture to build from within.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day Keynote · Workshop · Forum Online · In-Person EN · BM
06
Design Thinking for Educators: Innovation as a Way of Working
Building schools that solve real problems — with the mindset of a social entrepreneur
The challenges facing schools today — inequality, disengagement, rapid social change — are design problems as much as they are educational ones. This keynote introduces design thinking as a practical framework for educational innovation: from reframing classroom challenges to reimagining institutions. Especially relevant for school leaders who understand that building a good school is also an act of social entrepreneurship.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day Keynote · Workshop · Forum Online · In-Person EN · BM
Islamic Studies
07
Living Islam in the Contemporary World
Faith as a living tradition — navigating modernity, minority life, and the Muslim calendar
Islam is not a relic to be preserved — it is a living tradition to be inhabited. This keynote speaks to the experience of Muslims navigating contemporary reality: as minorities in the West, as communities caught between heritage and modernity, and as individuals who return each year to the sacred rhythms of Hijrah, Ramadan, and Isra' wa Mi'raj. Grounded in scholarship, delivered in language that speaks to today. Fully adaptable for specific occasions and community contexts.
45 min · 1 hr Talk · Forum · Podcast Online · In-Person EN · BM
08
Parenting in the Modern World: Raising Children with Purpose and Wisdom
Where learning sciences meet Quranic guidance for today's parents
Parenting has never been more complex — or more consequential. This talk and workshop draws on learning sciences research and the timeless teachings of the Quran and Sunnah to equip parents with practical, principled strategies. Topics span the challenges of digital technology and social media, understanding how children learn and develop, navigating the schooling system, and supporting children with additional needs. Open to tailoring the programme collaboratively with the organiser to best serve your audience.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day Talk · Workshop · Forum · Podcast Online · In-Person EN · BM
09
Write to Shape Minds: The Muslim Author's Craft and Responsibility
Two decades, 29 books, and what writing has taught about thinking
Writing is not a skill — it is a form of intellectual leadership. Drawing on over two decades of authoring articles and 29 published books, this talk explores what it means to write as a Muslim in the contemporary world: the craft of making ideas accessible, the discipline of sustained intellectual output, and the responsibility of the author who seeks to shape — not merely entertain — the thinking of the modern Muslim reader.
45 min · 1 hr · Half-day Talk · Workshop · Forum · Podcast Online · In-Person EN · BM
Published Works
29
Books Published

"Writing is how I think in public — about education, faith, learning, and what it means to belong."

Explore the Books
Get in Touch

Let's work
together

Whether you're planning a conference, designing a professional development programme, or looking for a contributor to your publication — I'd be glad to hear from you.

I'm based in Ireland and available for engagements in Ireland, the UK, Malaysia, and online globally.

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