My name is Cadhla O’Sullivan. I am a Research Fellow at the Children's Policy Centre based at the Crawford School of Public Policy, at The Australian National University.

I successfully defended my PhD in August 2023, graduating from Queen's University Belfast in December 2023. My research focused on a qualitative ethnographic style study with children and youth in Colombia, investigating a performing arts-based intervention for Peacebuilding and Peacekeeping. I have written two articles, a book chapter, and a case study style on my research and I have presented my findings at conferences throughout Ireland, the UK, and Australia. I hold a first-class honours degree in Social Science with University College Cork in Ireland. In 2019, I was awarded a master’s degree in Children’s Rights with Queen’s University Belfast, leading to a studentship to conduct my PhD research with the LINKS team based between Queen’s University Belfast and Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. Conducting research with the LINKS team allowed me to gain experience as a research assistant, contributing to the production of a systematic review and an evidence and gap map (EGM) on Social Emotional Learning of children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). My research interests lie in the areas of child justice, children’s human rights, childhood poverty and inequality, child and youth wellbeing, child and youth development, sustainable education, and social cohesion using qualitative methods that are often creative in design and participatory in their approach.

Qualifications and Expertise

PhD in Social Science, Education and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast
30 Sept 2019 → 31 Aug 2023
Award Date: 29 Aug 2024

Master of Children's Rights, Queen's University Belfast
31 Aug 2018 → 30 Sept 2019
Award Date: 30 Sept 2019

Bachelor of Social Science, University College Cork
15 Sept 2015 → 30 Aug 2018
Award Date: 30 Aug 2018