Salford Business School’s Belonging in a Business School podcast has officially wrapped up its second season, continuing to explore the power of lived experience in understanding the complex nature of belonging at University.
Following the success of season one, host Sami Safadi, Senior Academic Tutor (PGT) & Academic Student Success Lead at Salford Business School, has expanded the story by highlighting existing initiatives and bringing alumni perspectives into the mix. Belonging in a Business School: Life at Salford features students, staff, and alumni who share honest and diverse insights into University life.
This season explored topics such as the experiences of neurodiverse students, the leadership journeys of female Muslim student leaders, thriving at Salford, and life as an international student. It also spotlighted key initiatives and roles that support belonging, including the Equity Ambassadors programme and the Peer-Assisted Learning (PALs) tutor scheme, which provide academic support and amplify student voices across the community.
Sami commented: “Recording this podcast is such a rewarding experience, as each episode brings its own unique lessons and highlights. One of my favourite things about Salford is how vibrant and dynamic our community is; we have students and staff from a wide range of countries, ethnicities, backgrounds, and life experiences. It’s truly insightful to hear perspectives that differ from your own, and I am humbled by the willingness of students and staff to share their stories. It has been a brilliant experience to centre students and staff at the heart of this approach to storying belonging in SBS. I am also incredibly grateful to Rhys for his expertise and work on the podcast behind the scenes.”
“Whether you are a staff member, a student, an alumnus, or even a prospective student, the topics explored offer valuable insights and lessons for everyone.”
Season two featured contributions from three alumni, three student officers, ten staff members across academic and professional services teams, and eight current students.
Some standout episodes included episode 1: Belonging – life as a neurodivergent undergraduate student, where host Sami is joined by Law graduates Zain Mazhar and Christopher Porter-Blake to discuss their experiences of navigating University as neurodiverse students. The conversation offers an honest and authentic look at studying in a neurotypical world – exploring how belonging can be shaped by individual interactions and how supportive academic relationships can transform a student’s experience from imposter syndrome to confidence and success.
Episode 5: Belonging – The role of placements in shaping belonging for undergraduate students also resonated with listeners, as Geoff Evans (Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader) and Accounting and Finance student Tatiana Mangwiro discussed how placements can strengthen connection and belonging by linking classroom learning to real-world experience.
Listenership has grown since season one, and the feedback from guests has been overwhelmingly positive, with many noting how powerful and enjoyable it was to share their stories.
Across its two seasons and 23 episodes, the podcast has featured over 50 guests, including 30+ students and 20+ colleagues – representing a rich cross-section of the Salford community. Students appeared in over 70% of episodes, and staff featured in around 60%, creating a truly representative space for dialogue. The series has centred stories from diverse voices, including ethnic minority guests (35), female guests (30), and international students (15+), with themes spanning student experience and support, equity and inclusion, and the academic journey. To date, the podcast has been played in 14 countries, reflecting its growing global reach.
Plans for season three are already underway with recording due to start shortly. Sami aims to challenge the conversation further and continue exploring diverse perspectives. You can follow the link below to hear episodes from season one and two on Spotify.