Dr Chinyere Ajayi

Chinyere is research active and a member of the Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm, the Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation and the Global Race Centre for Equality (GRACE). She is involved in the supervision of Professional Doctorate students. Her key areas of research interest include gender-based violence, Refugees and asylum seekers, female genital mutilation (FGM) and young people affected by sexual violence. Her PhD and published work encompass these areas of research and she peer reviews papers in these fields. She welcomes collaborations in any of these subjects.

Before joining UCLan in September 2020, Chinyere taught in another higher institution for about four years. She worked at The Children’s Society for six years in a variety of roles including providing specialist training and support to schools and colleges across Lancashire on how to prevent, identify and respond to child sexual exploitation (CSE). She also worked directly with young people at risk of/or involved in CSE and those who go missing from home or care. In other roles, she worked as an advocate for children and young people looked after by the local authority and she ran a work experience placement scheme for young people leaving the care of the local authority.

Chinyere has a strong interest in community development and empowerment. She is currently a co-director of The Life Enrichment Programme (LEP), a charity organisation based in Preston committed to supporting vulnerable members of the community to develop capacity and skills that would enable them to achieve their potential and participate more fully in the society.