Kiaras Gharabaghi

Kiaras Gharabaghi serves as Dean of the Faculty of Community Services and Professor at the School of Child and Youth Care, Toronto Metropolitan University. With over 30 years of combined social sector practice and academic leadership, he focuses on preserving youth dignity and centering marginalized voices within institutional systems across residential care, child welfare, and youth justice contexts.

His educational background includes undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University. Born into a multi-ethnic, multi-faith heritage, he experienced escape from a violent revolution before immigrating to Canada, shaping his commitment to social justice.

Dr. Gharabaghi's research examines how young people reclaim dignity, rights, and voice within institutional interactions, emphasizing democratization of the social sector through social innovation frameworks. His work addresses residential care transformations, international child and youth care practices, and organizational change while confronting systemic barriers related to racism, ableism, and heteronormativity.

His publication portfolio demonstrates evolving focus from residential care foundations (2012-2014) toward critical social justice frameworks (2016-2018), with increasing emphasis on decolonizing practices, global North critiques, and strength-based approaches within child and youth care. Recent works integrate complexity theory with practical applications for marginalized communities.

As an educator, he has developed and taught specialized courses in social innovation, child and youth care theory, and international practice. He co-leads the Social Innovation 4 Social Justice project, providing global experiential learning that connects classroom theory with real-world community transformation initiatives across multiple disciplines.

He co-founded Toronto Metropolitan University's Social Innovation team, establishing Canada's first Ashoka Changemaker campus designation and developing interdisciplinary 'super-courses' that unite business and community services students. His Community Transformation Café series and FCS in Action conference during the Syrian refugee crisis demonstrate commitment to practical knowledge exchange.