Dr. Hasina Banu Ebrahim
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Hasina Banu Ebrahim serves as the Departmental Academic Lead for Research and the Chair for Mentorship in the College of Education. She served as Head of Discipline for Early Childhood Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Free State. She received merit awards for both her leadership in research and capacity building of emerging researchers in early childhood education. She served as the Deputy President and the President for the South African Research Association for Early Childhood Education (2011-2016). She is currently a rated researcher with the National Research Foundation in South Africa and serves as the sector editor the South African Journal of Childhood Education. She also serves on editorial boards of international journals such as the European Early Childhood Education Research Association Journal and Early Years.
Field Background:
Before coming to Higher Education Prof Ebrahim served as a Junior Primary Educator, a Head of Department and a District Facilitator for Curriculum in Early Schooling. She served in management positions at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and University of Free State.
Research Background:
In 2007 Prof Ebrahim completed her PhD on the Constructions of Early Childhood. Her research has largely been directed at addressing marginalised issues in early childhood policy, practice and teacher development. She was involved in research projects both internationally and nationally. The Knowledge Transfer Project was developed through a partnership with the University of East London and University of Warwick. She was involved in the Barriers to Learning Project funded by the National Research Association in South Africa. She also headed the Early Childhood Capacity Project funded by the South African Department of Higher Education and the European Union. She has been extensively involved in the development of curriculum and teacher education policy for birth to four in South Africa.
Current Work:
Prof Ebrahim’s interest in foregrounding marginalised perspectives in early childhood care and education has broadened her work both in South Africa and in Africa. She is currently the institutional leader in a Multi-Stakeholder Research Project for Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education (PIECCE) which won the European Union Tender for developing birth to four programme frameworks, qualifications and teacher education support materials in South Africa. She also serves as the institutional leader for the Transformative Pedagogy Project for birth to four. After serving as the Codirector for the first African institute directed at birth to three at the CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Economic and Social Research in Africa) in Dakar, Senegal, Prof Ebrahim together with Prof Okwany and Prof Barrie will be producing an edited book with emerging early childhood researchers from 10 countries in Africa. This work is leading to more cross-cultural collaborations in Africa and beyond.
Publications:
Prof Ebrahim is the author of refereed journal articles, book chapters and most recently the author of a monograph on Early Childhood Education of Muslim Children. She has also co-edited special issues on Early Childhood for the South African Journal for Childhood Education and Journal of Education. She has also co-authored technical and evaluation reports on early childhood care and education.
