DrGabriela Martinez Sainz

I am an Assistant Professor in Education and an Ad Astra Fellow (2019- 2024) at University College Dublin researching and teaching on children's rights, global citizenship and education for sustainable development. My overarching research interest is understanding the role of education in creating more just, peaceful and sustainable societies while empowering children and young people as critical and active citizens.

I am currently working on projects addressing:

- Children’s civil and political rights in the digital age: from digital activism to emerging forms of political participation
- Children’s participation in climate-decision making through game-based education/learning
- Children’s experiences of school as rights-holders and agents of change
- Comparative approaches to Children’s Human Rights Education (CHRE) in Initial Teacher Education
- Ecopedagogy and teaching for Sustainable Wellbeing through pedagogy, curriculum and assessment
- Addressing educational disadvantage through innovative interventions

In my work, I integrate educational theory, in particular critical pedagogies, with socio-legal theories of rights, and the sociology of children and childhood.

I am the director of the VARiE (Voice, Agency and Rights in Education) Group at University College Dublin. VARiE is an interdisciplinary research group that generates evidence to inform and improve decision-making in public policy and professional practice in education. It focuses on creating knowledge and developing rigorous, interdisciplinary and participatory projects that place the voice, agency and rights of children and young people at the core. At UCD, I am also a member of the Earth Institute and the Children’s Research Network of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

I hold a PhD in Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge where I conducted research on human rights education, reflective practice and professional knowledge. As a researcher, I have been affiliated to the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education of Dublin City University, the Brazilian Centre for Analysis and Planning CEBRAP, the Center for Governance and Human Rights of the University of Cambridge, and also the Center for Socio-legal Studies of the University of Oxford.

I have worked as an educational consultant for international organizations including UNICEF and Child Rights Connect, on projects related to human rights and peace education, professional development, child participation and school conviviality. I am also the author of textbooks and educational materials on issues of citizenship, democracy and human rights for schools. I am the Founding Director of the Centre for Human Rights Studies in Mexico, an independent and not-for-profit think-tank based in Mexico working on combating all forms of violence and discrimination, advancing social justice and strengthening the respect for human rights, equity and diversity.

I am an intersectional feminist, an advocate of children and young people's rights and a strong supporter of radical approaches to education.