Dr. Amanullah De Sondy presents Keynote Address at Tyndall Institute’s ‘Language of Belonging’ Cultural Event

11 Dec 2025

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam, delivered the keynote address at the Tyndall Institute’s Cultural Event on 11 December 2025. 

Speaking on the theme “The Language of Belonging,” he reflected on his upbringing in Towhead (Glasgow), the city’s sectarian football divide, and the multilingual dynamics of his home life. He evoked memories of Punjabi cassette-tape letters from his aunt in Pakistan playing in his father’s corner shop, and described how travel taught him to read belonging not only in words but in gestures and feelings. His talk also explored experiences of race and ethnicity within the university.

The event also heard from Susan O'Callaghan, Cork Deaf Association and Katie Marah, UCC Staff Disability and Neurodivergence Network. Photograph also includes Ashley Flaherty, Chief People & Culture Officer UCC and William Scanlon, CEO, Tyndall. 

The Tyndall National Institute is Ireland's largest dedicated deep-tech research center, specializing in integrated Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hardware, materials, devices, circuits, and systems. It operates as a research flagship of University College Cork (UCC) and collaborates with over 200 industry partners globally to translate research excellence into commercial products and solutions for major societal challenges such as climate change, energy, and health.