Fatima-Zahra Blila has worked in student services and support at the University of Southern Queensland for the last 8 years.
Her work in cultural diplomacy, inclusion, communication and community engagement has long been recognised, and she was awarded the Middle East and North Africa Peace Scholarship as part of the inaugural Peace Scholarships Program sponsored by the United Agency for International Development (USAID). During this time, Fatima-Zahra engaged in studies and activities at the University of Connecticut, U.S.A., focusing on cultural diplomacy, cross-cultural communication, community service and leadership.
Prior to this, she completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies in linguistics, and cultural studies and worked in international cooperation, in the higher education sector in Morocco.
Fatima-Zahra’s passion and advocacy for culturally marginalised individuals is rooted in her experience of migration to Australia almost a decade ago. Her professional experience spans community development in the not-for-profit sector and most recently engagement in the enabling education space.
She served as an advisory member on the Toowoomba Regional Council’s (TRC) inaugural Multicultural Advisory Committee. Her ethics, research and practice are informed by principles of participatory community development.
Most recently, she completed a Needs analysis of Culturally Diverse Communities in the Toowoomba Region, a research project commissioned by TRC.
Fatima-Zahra most recent training includes postgraduate studies in development practice at the University of Queensland, with emphasis on gender and development, history, theories, and politics of development, applied anthropology and social impact assessment. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Evaluation at the University of Melbourne.