Hyacinth Udah

Hyacinth Udah is an Associate Professor in Social Work and Human Services in the College of Arts, Society and Education at James Cook University, based at the Bebegu Yumba Campus in Townsville, Queensland. 

Before entering academia, Dr Udah worked across education and human services as a teacher, counsellor, editor, social worker, and student success coach. He migrated to Australia for further education and holds a PhD in Sociology and Welfare from Griffith University, a Master of Social Work from Australian Catholic University, and first-class honours degrees in Theology and Philosophy from Imo State University, Nigeria.

Dr Udah’s teaching and research are grounded in a commitment to social justice, equity, and human dignity. His scholarship sits at the intersection of migration and belonging, African diaspora studies, identity and citizenship, coloniality and decoloniality, critical social work, and systems change, with a strong focus on youth wellbeing and capability building. He is particularly known for community-engaged and participatory research that centres lived experience and challenges deficit-based approaches to policy and practice.

Across his work, Dr Udah develops practice-based evidence and system-level insights to improve wellbeing, inclusion, and life opportunities for children, young people, and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including migrants and refugees.

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Researcher Interview