Vicky Johnson

Professor Vicky Johnson is a Professor of Childhood, Youth and Sustainability and Director of the Centre for Living Sustainability at the University of the Highlands and Islands. With over 20 years of experience as a Principal Investigator, she leads international teams in participatory research, focusing on marginalized communities' agency in environmental, political, and cultural contexts. Her work emphasizes inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches, such as the 'change-scape' framework, which integrates intergenerational dynamics and community landscapes. She holds a PhD from the University of Central Lancashire, an MSc from Imperial College London, and a BSc in Geography from the University of Sussex.

• Education:
• Doctor of Philosophy (2011), University of Central Lancashire
• MSc Environmental Science (Distinction, 1988), Imperial College London
• BSc Geography (1985), University of Sussex

Her research interests span child and youth rights, participatory action research, and global development. Recent projects include Mapping Child Rights (Wellspring Philanthropic Foundation), YOUR World Research (ESRC-DFID), and Engaging Young Children in Research (Bernard van Leer Foundation). She advises initiatives such as the Consortium for Street Children and serves on boards for the European Sociological Association and Pesticide Action Network.

Her articles explore themes like marginalized youth resilience, environmental policy, and participatory methodologies. She supervises PhD students on topics including Nepal’s earthquake resilience and Ethiopia’s migration decision-making. Grants include IFAD-funded rural youth programs and DFID’s harmful children’s work studies.

• Affiliations: Institute of Development Studies (Honorary Associate), European Sociological Association Board
• Key Projects: Community-Determined Change-scapes of Recovery (COVID-19), Rejuvenate (Youth Education)

She leads the Centre for Living Sustainability, fostering interdisciplinary research on sustainability and youth development. Current work emphasizes participatory approaches to address global challenges like climate change and inequality.