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Personal statement

Professor Jennifer Davidson is the Founding Executive Director ofÌýthe award-winning .

Inspiring Children's Futures works to reveal and resolve the structural barriers to children in adversity reaching their potential. The Institute works with a range of interdisciplinary partners to develop the evidence-base and strengthen political will, to support effective policy and practice responses with and for children. It has a collective vision of ensuring that children and young people have what they need to reach their full potential, particularly those facing adversity.Ìý

Jennifer’s interests lie in the relationship between children’s rights and their lived experiences, and in the impact and value of international rights and standards to national and regional practice in public services. The mechanisms to promote meaningful and sustainable impact, from policy into children’s day-to-day lives, are at the heart of her work.

More specificallly, Jennifer works to embed children’s human rights into the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, for example as Lead for the Ìýon behalf of the United Nations-related Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.Ìý

Jennifer’s leadership of international child rights projects has earlier also driven change for children over many years through the implementation of the ,Ìýfor example as Founding Director of the leading improvement and innovation centre, the at the ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, as Project Director for the , and in her partnership to establish theÌý.

During COVID, by swiftly collating a partnership made up of a wide range of multi-sector international partners, Jennifer initiated and led the award-winning international ' research project, to shape policy and practice through a better understanding of practitioners' and policy-makers' experiences and views of children’s rights and wellbeing under COVID across 22 countries and 5 continents. The project won the highly competitive national Knowledge Exchange 'Making a Social Difference' partnership award in 2022.

Jennifer's international experience is drawn from her work in multiple countries, where she has held leadership positions in child and youth care, social work, and professional education. Jennifer serves on national and international committees related to children’s rights and public services.

While at the University, Jennifer has secured and led the delivery of over £65M in grant funding.

Jennifer was awarded an OBE in the 2020 Queen’s Honours for services to the care and protection of children in Scotland and abroad.Ìý