DR. SABRI BIN SULAIMAN

Dr. Sabri Sulaiman is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya (UM), Malaysia. He holds a 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 contributed to the development of a Community-Based Social Care Model for Protecting Street-Connected Children. Dr. Sabri has collaborated with and consulted for ministries, government agencies, and international partners. Apart from research and teaching, he's also now a consultant for the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN). His applied research and advisory roles extend to civil society and international organisations, reflecting his commitment to linking research with advocacy and policy reform.

Dr. Sabri’s research spans both local and international contexts, is grounded in child and family well-being, protection, and rights, and is informed by sociology, social work, and evidence-based interventions and policy. His work focuses on designing and evaluating innovative interventions and policy frameworks that strengthen prevention, protection, and welfare services, develop community-based social care systems, and advance inclusive welfare and rights-based protections for children, families, and vulnerable populations, including inclusive education policies for persons with disabilities in Malaysia and the Global South. He examines child protection and rights, including the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and its impact on children’s lives in Malaysia and across ASEAN. A particular focus of his research is on subjective well-being, exploring how structural vulnerabilities, social inequalities, and access to social services shape children’s and families’ perceived quality of life. He has also contributed to creating national frameworks for measuring child and family well-being and developing child rights indicators, providing tools to monitor progress and inform evidence-based interventions and policy reforms. He remains actively engaged in research, postgraduate supervision, and consultancy, committed to advancing equitable, rights-based, and sustainable social care systems across the following areas:

• Child and family protection, rights, and social determinants of well-being in local and global contexts
• Designing and evaluating innovative interventions and policy frameworks that strengthen prevention, protection, and welfare services for children, families, and vulnerable groups
• Developing community-based and inclusive social care systems for children, families, and vulnerable populations.
• International child rights frameworks (e.g., UNCRC) and participation rights in ASEAN and the Global South
• Comparative social policy addressing health inequalities, behavioural outcomes, and access to social services faced by children, families, and vulnerable populations. 
• The sociology of the care economy and long-term care in Asia and the Global South
• Creating national frameworks and indicators for measuring child and family well-being to inform evidence-based policy.
• Inclusive education policy and social protection for children and persons with disabilities
• Children’s digital rights, inequalities, and protection in an era of technological change

He is currently leading several major research initiatives, including A Study on Risk Behaviours in At-Risk Adolescents in Malaysia and Creating Inclusive Digital Education for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia. He is also the author of two forthcoming books: Community-Based Social Care Model in Protecting Street-Connected Children in Malaysia and Sociology Perspective on Justice and Care of Children and Families: Issues, Policy, and Intervention. Dr. Sabri’s work is internationally recognised. He is a member of 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 opportunities with scholars, practitioners, and institutions committed to advancing justice, equity, and social care systems that leave no one behind.