Chandrika Devarakonda

Chandrika Devarakonda is an Associate Professor at the University of Chester, UK, within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Her academic role includes teaching undergraduate and postgraduate modules on inclusion, international early childhood perspectives, leadership, and work-based learning. She co-chairs the Research Development Community (RDC) on Social Justice, Equity, and Diversity at the Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE). She has delivered keynote speeches globally and supervised doctoral students, including Commonwealth Scholar Dr. Krishna Duhan. Her research focuses on inclusion, diversity, and social justice in early childhood education, with a particular emphasis on cultural contexts and policy analysis.

Education:

• BSc, Sri Padmavathi College, Tirupati, India (1981–1984)
• MSc, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India (1984–1987)
• MPhil, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India (1987–1989)
• PhD, University of Manchester, UK (1998–2005)
• SFHEA (Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2018–2019)

Research Interests: Chandrika’s work examines inclusion, diversity, and equity in early childhood education through a global lens. She investigates cultural and structural barriers to inclusion, migrant children’s roles as linguistic/cultural brokers, and the impact of policies on marginalized groups. Her research also explores ethical practices in child-centered research and post-pandemic parent empowerment strategies.

Professional Contributions: She serves on the scientific committees of European organizations, reviews for journals like Power and Education and European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, and leads the Early Years, Children, and Families Research Interest Group at her university. Her funded projects include initiatives to support early years recovery post-Covid (Department for Education grants, 2022).

Teaching Collaboration: She collaborates with institutions like the University of North Florida and Susquehanna University (USA) to organize international placements for early childhood students.