Fellowship honour for Dundee academic

The University of Dundee’s Professor Divya Jindal-Snape has been conferred as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in recognition of her work to improve understanding of educational and life transitions.

Professor Jindal-Snape is one of 37 leading social scientists who have been conferred in this year’s cohort of new Fellows. All were recognised for their outstanding contributions to research and application of social science to policy, education, society and the economy. 

Professor Jindal-Snape is Director of the University’s Transformative Change: Educational and Life Transitions (TCELT) Research Centre. Her research has raised awareness of the positive, dynamic and complex nature of transitions and inclusion and has helped shape policy and practice in these areas.

“I am delighted and honoured to be made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences,” said Professor Jindal-Snape. “I would like to thank the British Educational Research Association for nominating me for this prestigious fellowship. To be recognised for your research and its impact alongside others from the social science community is very rewarding.

“The University of Dundee’s core purpose is to transform lives, working locally and globally through the creation, sharing, and application of knowledge. This is what drives my research.

“I have been fortunate enough to have had several productive collaborations across a number of disciplines, universities, sectors and countries. The impact of the current pandemic has highlighted the importance of social sciences, especially in areas such as education, health and social care.

“As an interdisciplinary researcher, it is exciting to see the range of social science disciplines that form the Academy, and the potential to work collaboratively to undertake research that can help us support the life transitions and wellbeing of children, young people, families and professionals.”

Professor Jindal-Snape’s career has seen her work in India, Japan and the UK. A significant proportion of her research has been with children and young people with additional support needs, especially those with visual impairment, autism, learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural needs, and complex life-limiting conditions.

Professor Jindal-Snape has acted as research consultant for a variety of organisations and has collaborated with academics internationally, including in the USA, Nigeria, New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, India, China and Japan.

She is a passionate advocate of public engagement, and this has seen her co-write comics and even embark on stand-up comedy in order to communicate her research to a wider, non-academic audience.

The Academy of Social Sciences is the national academy of academics, learned societies and practitioners in the social sciences. Its charitable purpose is to promote social science in the UK for public benefit.