Idris Kabir Syed is Lecturer in the Department of Pan-African Studies, in which he teaches at both the Kent and Trumbull campuses.

A native of Kent, Ohio, Mr. Syed graduated from Kent State University with a B.A. in English and Pan-African Studies in 1994 and an M.Ed in Community Counseling in 2001. Today, he is also employed as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in private practice, and is presently enrolled in the Urban Education Doctoral program at Cleveland State University.

As an undergraduate at Kent State, Mr. Syed was actively involved in numerous extracurricular activities, including Editor of Black United Students' biannual publication, Uhuru, and Middle East Chair of Progressive Students Network. As a graduate student, Mr. Syed extended his involvement in local community-based activism to include a focus on international relations.

An accomplished ceramicist, Mr. Syed has shown his work nationally and internationally. His work and studies have caused him to travel widely across Asia and India and, in 1996-1997, Professor Syed taught English both at Chosun University and at a private language institute in Gwang-ju, South Korea. In 2004, he was invited to, and participated in, an international ceramics conference/workshop in Aomori, Japan.

Because of his multiple interests in Pan-African Studies, his counseling practice, and his art, Mr. Syed's research interests are, accordingly, widely varied. He has published articles on topics ranging from literature to Buddhism and Pan-African Studies. He has also presented papers (on topics ranging from politics to popular music) at conferences in the United States and internationally.