Overview
Background
I am a recipient of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Early Career Industry Fellowship 2023 and currently a Research Fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI-UQ) and Life Course Centre (LCC-UQ). I previously held a post-doctoral research fellow position (2019-2022) at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR). I am a behavioural economist with a strong background in conducting economic, natural experiments (program and policy) and randomised control trial (RCT) evaluations. My research focuses on improving educational and well-being outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) students, and I work closely and collaborate with social organisations to achieve these goals.
My research is grounded in prior experience living and working in regional and remote Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland (Aurukun, Cairns and Hope Vale), where I worked as a program designer and coach addressing community-based financial literacy. This gave me first-hand experience of the community strengths but also systemic barriers to health, education and social inclusion faced by First Nations peoples as specified in the Closing the Gap reform targets. This experience shaped my subsequent research agenda. I am applying my training in behavioural economics to improve student learning and redress social inequity. My focus is education as a mechanism to disrupt disadvantage. I apply experimental design methodologies to identify intervention points across the education pathway where support programs can best enable positive education outcomes. I have an 8-year track record of engagements with industry organisations in designing and evaluating education programs to support First Nations students.
These industry engagements have contributed to my receiving the ARC Industry Fellowship that supports successful educational pathways for First Nation students. The fellowship aims to develop strategies to prevent the steep drop in educational outcomes and disengagement of First Nations students as they transition from primary to secondary school. In collaboration with Indigenous communities, Former Origin Greats (FOGS) Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education (ARTIE) Academy and the Queensland Department of Education (DoE), the fellowship seeks to generate effective culturally embedded support strategies to avert this steep drop.
Availability
- Dr Azhar Potia is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Economics, Mumbai University
- Masters (Coursework) of Business Economics (Advanced), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, Queensland University of Technology
Works
Search Professor Azhar Potia’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
The brain in context: a scoping review and concept definition of neuro-informed policy and practice
Staton, Sally, Coles, Laetitia, Normore, George, Casey, Charlotte, Searle, Bonnie, Houen, Sandy, Potia, Azhar, Crompton, Rebecca, Long, Deborah, Hogan, Michael and Thorpe, Karen (2024). The brain in context: a scoping review and concept definition of neuro-informed policy and practice. Brain Sciences, 14 (12) 1243, 1-15. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14121243
2024
Other Outputs
Linking quality and child development in early childhood education and care: technical report
Rankin, Peter, Staton, Sally, Jones, Alicia, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Houen, Sandy, Healey, Bridget and Thorpe, Karen (2024). Linking quality and child development in early childhood education and care: technical report. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Australian Education Research Organisation.
2023
Other Outputs
The first sleep health program for First Nations adolescents could change lives
Fatima,Yaqoot, Potia, Azhar, Ward, James and Kinghorn, Mina (2023, 06 19). The first sleep health program for First Nations adolescents could change lives The Conversation
2023
Other Outputs
Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study - final report (Feb 2023)
Povey, J., San Martin Porter, Macarena, Kennedy, E., Hussain Potia, A., Bellotti, M., Cook, S. and Austerberry, S. (2023). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study - final report (Feb 2023). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Brisbane, Australia: Institute of Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
2022
Conference Publication
Prevalence of poor sleep in First Nations peoples across the globe: A systematic review
Jabran, D., Potia, A., Smith, S., Solomon, S., Fernandez, D. and Fatima, Y. (2022). Prevalence of poor sleep in First Nations peoples across the globe: A systematic review. 33rd annual scientific meeting of Australasian Sleep Association (ASA) & Australian and New Zealand Sleep Science Association (ANZSSA) Sleep DownUnder 2022, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 8-11 November 2022. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpac029.130
2022
Other Outputs
Transitions to secondary school: Risky and resilient trajectories in educational outcomes
Potia, Azhar Hussain , Rankin, Peter and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Transitions to secondary school: Risky and resilient trajectories in educational outcomes. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research.
2022
Other Outputs
Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report - Number 3 (Sep 2022)
Povey, Jenny, Kennedy, E., Hussain Potia, Azhar, Tomaszeski, W., Staton, S., Bellotti, M., Cook, S., San Martin Porter, M. and Austerberry, S. (2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report - Number 3 (Sep 2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Featured
2022
Journal Article
Meal provision in early childhood education and care programs: Association with geographic disadvantage, social disadvantage, cost, and market competition in an Australian population
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Searle, Bonnie, Van Halen, Olivia, Lakeman, Nicole, Oakes, Candice, Harris, Holly and Staton, Sally (2022). Meal provision in early childhood education and care programs: Association with geographic disadvantage, social disadvantage, cost, and market competition in an Australian population. Social Science & Medicine, 312 115317, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115317
2022
Other Outputs
Successful transitions: Identifying predictors of resilient trajectories of transition into secondary school
Potia, Azhar Hussain , Rankin, Peter and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Successful transitions: Identifying predictors of resilient trajectories of transition into secondary school. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research.
2022
Other Outputs
Education Queensland's student-level administrative database (2007 - 2019)
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Wolf, Lohan, Rankin, Peter and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Education Queensland's student-level administrative database (2007 - 2019). Brisbane, QLD Australia: Life Course Centre.
2022
Other Outputs
'Greatest transformation of early education in a generation'? Well, that depends on qualified, supported and thriving staff
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar, Rankin, Peter, Staton, Sally and Houen, Sandy (2022, 06 21). 'Greatest transformation of early education in a generation'? Well, that depends on qualified, supported and thriving staff The Conversation
Featured
2022
Journal Article
Emotional quality of early education programs improves language learning: A within‐child across context design
Rankin, Peter Sheldon, Staton, Sally, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Houen, Sandy and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Emotional quality of early education programs improves language learning: A within‐child across context design. Child Development, 93 (6), 1680-1697. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13811
2022
Other Outputs
Closing the (policy) gap and attendance cliff of First Nations students
Potia, Azhar Hussain and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Closing the (policy) gap and attendance cliff of First Nations students. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Life Course Centre.
2022
Other Outputs
Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report - Number 2 (Feb 2022)
Povey, Jenny, Kennedy, Lizzie, Potia, Azhar, Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Staton, Sally, Cook, Steffi, Bellotti, Melindy, Austerberry, Sophie and San Martin Porter, Macarena (2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report - Number 2 (Feb 2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
2021
Journal Article
Nappies, books and wrinkles: how children, qualifications and age affect female underemployment in Australia
Kler, Parvinder, Potia, Azhar Hussain and Shankar, Sriram (2021). Nappies, books and wrinkles: how children, qualifications and age affect female underemployment in Australia. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 44 (1), 138-160. doi: 10.1177/0143831x211064335
2021
Other Outputs
Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report June 2021
Povey, J., Kennedy, E. , Potia, A. H., Bellotti, M., Cook, S., Tomaszewski, W. and Staton, S. (2021). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report June 2021. Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR): The University of Queensland.
2021
Other Outputs
Emerging Minds Value for Money (VfM) conceptual framework
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Brown, Richard and Smith, Simon (2021). Emerging Minds Value for Money (VfM) conceptual framework. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
2021
Other Outputs
BeYou Value for Money (VfM) conceptual framework
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Brown, Richard and Smith, Simon (2021). BeYou Value for Money (VfM) conceptual framework. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
2021
Other Outputs
Quantitative evaluation of the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy program
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Moran, Mark and Thorpe, Karen (2021). Quantitative evaluation of the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy program. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2021
Other Outputs
Meal Provision in Early Childhood Education and Care Programs: Association with Geographic Disadvantage, Social Disadvantage, Cost, and Market Competition in an Australian Population
Thorpe, Karen, Searle, Bonnie, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Van Halen, Olivia, Lakeman, Nicole, Oakes, Candice, Harris, Holly and Staton, Sally (2021). Meal Provision in Early Childhood Education and Care Programs: Association with Geographic Disadvantage, Social Disadvantage, Cost, and Market Competition in an Australian Population. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3940276
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Azhar Potia is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Transition to secondary school: Supporting successful educational pathways of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen Thorpe, Dr Kai Wheeler
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the Cultural Determinants of Physical Literacy in Diverse Communities
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor John Cairney, Dr Kai Wheeler
-
Doctor Philosophy
An Ecological Case Study of Early Childhood Education and Care in Normanton
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sally Staton, Professor Karen Thorpe
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the Cultural Determinants of Physical Literacy in Diverse Communities
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor John Cairney, Dr Kai Wheeler
Media
Enquiries
For media enquiries about Dr Azhar Potia's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: