DR. SABRI BIN SULAIMAN

Dr Sabri Sulaiman is a Senior Lecturer of Applied Sociology and Evidence-Based Intervention at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya (UM), Malaysia. Trained entirely at the University of Malaya (UM), where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Social Administration and Justice (with a minor in Anthropology and Sociology), a Master’s in Social Intervention, and a PhD in Social Services, all from UM. His Master’s thesis examined Social Deprivation and the Social Well-being of Malaysian Children. His doctoral research on street-connected children contributed to the development of a Community-Based Social Care Model grounded in social rights, collective responsibility, and locally embedded systems of care. This work aligns with international debates on contextual safeguarding, prevention-oriented interventions, and socio-ecological approaches to child protection. His applied research and advisory roles extend to civil society and international organisations, reflecting his commitment to linking research with advocacy and policy reform. He has established an internationally recognised research profile, grounded in comparative, applied, and globally engaged sociology, spanning the Global South and the Global North. 

As a sociologist and evidence-based intervention scholar specialising in applied and comparative sociology, social justice, and rights-based interventions, his research investigates life-course inequalities, violence, well-being, and vulnerability among marginalised and socially excluded populations, bridging rigorous academic analysis with evidence-based intervention-policy relevant and practical interventions for children, youth, families, young adults, and persons with disabilities across the Global South and North. A central focus of his work is children, families, and life-course inequality, with particular attention to early-life adversity, family disruption, deprivation, labour, governance, violence, and social exclusion. His work explores how these conditions influence behavioural outcomes, educational pathways, health, and long-term life chances, situating antisocial and prosocial behaviour within broader social, economic, and community contexts rather than individual pathology. He also examines how political economy, governance, public policy, legal frameworks, welfare regimes, and social care systems structure these dynamics, with attention to the influence of children, family background and early-life adversity on child development, educational trajectories, adult health, and life expectancy. Using a mixed-methods approach, his research examines how governance systems, institutional arrangements, and policy frameworks influence social behaviour, human development, and well-being throughout the life course. His work spans child and family sociology, ageing, governance and human rights, population health, violence and protection, work and labour, digital sociology, and sustainable development, generating evidence to strengthen social security, promote equity, and advance social justice globally. Dr Sabri’s research interests span from child and family sociology, ageing and the life course, governance and human rights, population health, violence and protection, work and labour, digital sociology, and sustainable development. Dr Sabri is actively engaged in national and international research, consultancy, and postgraduate supervision across these domains:

• Sociology of Children, Families, Ageing, and the Life Course: Examines family change, early childhood well-being, care, ageing, and intergenerational inequality. Focuses on how early-life adversity, deprivation, violence, disability, and social exclusion shape behavioural outcomes, education, health, and long-term life chances.
• Sociology of Population Health, Human Development, and Well-Being: Investigates how inequality, family conditions, labour markets, housing, and policy environments influence physical and mental well-being, particularly among socially and legally marginalised populations. Integrates sociological theory with applied policy and intervention research.
• Global and Comparative Sociology of Sustainability and Development: Applies comparative and global approaches to understand how capitalism, migration, displacement, climate change, social policy, and social protection regimes influence inequality and life-course outcomes across the Global South and North. Examines intersections of social structures, poverty, and sustainable development.
• Sociology of Violence, Vulnerability, and Protection: Analyses interpersonal, structural, and institutional violence, including domestic and family violence, child maltreatment, gender-based violence, labour exploitation, and elder abuse. Focuses on rights-based and evidence-informed approaches to prevention and protection.
• Sociology of Governance, Law, and Human Rights: Explores how legal frameworks, governance arrangements, and social policies shape access to services, institutional engagement, and social behaviour across marginalised populations, including children, families, and persons with disabilities.
• Sociology of Labour and Work: Investigates how labour markets, institutional practices, and inequalities intersect with social vulnerability, violence, exploitation, and the criminalisation of marginalised populations. Emphasises policy and intervention solutions to promote equitable work and protection.
• Sociology of Applied Statistics, Quantitative, and Mixed-Methods Research: Develops and applies advanced quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse inequality, social behaviour, institutional processes, and intervention effectiveness. Supports evidence-based policy and programme evaluation.

In addition to his academic roles in research and teaching, he currently serves as a Consultant to the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), Malaysia. He is currently leading major research initiatives, including:

• A Study on Risk Behaviours among At-Risk Adolescents in Malaysia, examining life-course vulnerabilities, well-being, and social behaviour, violence exposure, and prevention-oriented interventions; and

• Creating Inclusive Digital Education for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia, focusing on accessibility, equity, and rights-based digital inclusion in tertiary education.

Dr Sabri is also the author of a forthcoming book, Community-Based Social Care Models for Protecting the Rights and Well-being of Street-Connected Children in Malaysia, which advances evidence-informed and rights-based approaches to child protection and social care practice. He has previously published "Deprivasi Sosial Kanak-kanak Malaysia," a pioneering work that examines social deprivation and child well-being from the children’s own perspectives, alongside policy and intervention strategies to reduce inequality and enhance social well-being. His work is internationally recognised, and he is an active member of the British Sociology Association, the Association of Southeast Asian Studies in the United Kingdom (ASEASUK), the Social Policy Association, the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN), the Malaysian Association of Social Workers (MASW), and the International Sociological Association (ISA). He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, contributed to edited volumes, and presented at numerous international conferences. Dr Sabri welcomes collaborative research, policy, and practice-based partnerships with scholars, practitioners, and institutions committed to advancing justice, equity, and inclusive social care systems that leave no one behind.