Matthew Johnson

Matthew Johnson is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Sussex within the School of Education and Social Work. He currently works as a Senior Researcher for the Runnymede Trust, a race equality think-tank, and has extensive professional experience collaborating with youth-focused NGOs, UN agencies, and governmental bodies in Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.

• Education: MA in Public Policy from the University of Nottingham (2012-2013)

Matthew’s research interests focus on youth participation, governance, citizenship, and international education, with a strong emphasis on public policy and comparative educational systems. His work integrates participatory research methodologies and evidence-based approaches to address educational equity and development challenges.

Matthew has contributed to policy-oriented publications, including the Black Country Annual Education Report 2020, co-authored with colleagues at the University of Wolverhampton. His scholarly activities span education systems, public policy analysis, and youth engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He has secured research funding and consultancy projects for academics, notably through the EPSRC-funded Human Data Interaction: Data and Disadvantage project and the British Council’s Digital Education Inclusion initiative across Southern Africa. His policy advisory work includes contributions to the Social Mobility Commission and the Black Country Annual Education Reports (2019-2021).

Matthew’s fieldwork and collaborations have been conducted in partnership with institutions like VSO, the National Youth Council of Namibia, and universities in the UK and Southern Africa.