Zeinab Badawi

Broadcaster and journalist

British Council trustee Zeinab Badawi

Zeinab was a broadcast journalist for Yorkshire TV (1982-1986) and then went on to work for BBC Manchester until 1987. From 1988 she was a news reporter and presenter at Channel 4 News for ten years. In 1999 she became a BBC presenter and reporter for Westminster live political programmes, BBC World Service Radio and TV.

She is also Chair of the Africa Medical Partnership Fund (AfriMed), Board Member of the Institute of contemporary British History at London University, Committee Member of the British Belgian bi-lateral conferences, Trustee of the BBC World Service Trust and Vice-President for the United Nations. In 2003 she became a member of the FCO’s Public Diplomacy Strategy Board.

In February 2004 she hosted a Radio 3 special on the politics and culture of the Arabian Peninsula.

Born in Sudan, Zeinab was educated at St Hilda’s College, Oxford University where she was an undergraduate in Philosophy Politics and Economics. She also studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University where she holds a Masters Degree in Politics and Anthropology of Middle East (thesis on Palestine) - awarded with a distinction. She speaks fluent Arabic and is married with two sons and two daughters and her interests include family, opera, reading and going to the cinema.

Our history

Woman posing with a policeman's helmet in 1976. © Terry Moore

Learn about the history of the British Council from how we began to the work that we currently do.