Hopkins is professor of Social Geography at Newcastle University. At the university, he has held several positions including being the first University Dean of Social Justice from 20018-2021. He was also director of the ESRC doctoral training centre. Within the School of Geography, including Postgraduate Director (2008–2012), Director of Research (2017–2018), and Impact Director during the first semester of 2017–18. He also held the role of convenor for the Geographies of Social Change research cluster from 2014 to 2015. Hopkins has published widely on issues related to
Islamophobia, Muslim identities, and the everyday lives of minority communities in the United Kingdom. His research focuses on race, religion, migration, Anti-racism, and social justice, with particular attention to Islamophobia and intersectionality. He has also published about youth identities, men and masculinities, and the use of focus groups in research. Hopkins is a member of the Publications Committee of the
American Association of Geographers and the Nominations Committee of the
Academy of Social Sciences. He is an editor of
The Geographical Journal and was previously the managing editor of
Gender, Place & Culture. He serves on the 2029 REF panel for Geography and Environmental Studies. Hopkins led the first-ever public inquiry into Islamophobia through the Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia in the Scottish Parliament. The group, chaired by
Anas Sarwar MSP, produced several recommendations to address Islamophobia in Scotland, including the introduction of media guidelines for journalists. Hopkins was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2024 and to the Fellowship of the
Academy of Social Sciences in 2018. == Awards ==