Paul Connolly, PhD, is Executive Dean of Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences  at Ulster University University. He is also Director of the Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation that supports the development and rigorous evaluation of programmes in education, social care and public health; including a significant number of ECD programmes.

Paul is known internationally for his research on issues of diversity, inclusion and young children. For the last 16 years, Paul has been researching the impact of the conflict in Northern Ireland on young children's attitudes and awareness. His research has also directly supported the development of a preschool peacebuilding programme in Northern Ireland - the Media Initiative for Children - that is now being adapted for delivery in a number of other conflict-affected countries, including Serbia, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.