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Paul Darby

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Paul Darby

Dr

 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4654-476X

  • Shore Road, Jordanstown Campus

    BT37 0QB Newtownabbey

    United Kingdom

1997 …2026

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

Paul Darby joined Ulster University in 2002 having previously held a lectureship at Liverpool Hope University. He was awarded his PhD from Ulster in 1997, is currently reader in the sociology of sport, and leads the Centre for Sport in Society.

His research applies a sociological lens to the significance and role of sport in a range of national and international contexts, with a particular focus on Africa. Alongside over 100 articles in peer reviewed journals and edited collections, he is author of three research monographs: African football migration: Aspirations, experiences and trajectories; Gaelic games, nationalism and the Irish Diaspora in the United States and; Africa, football and FIFA: Politics, colonialism and resistance. He has also co-edited two books on sport and the Irish Diaspora and football related disasters.

Paul's research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the British Academy, the European Union, UNICEF and UK Sport. He was formerly editor of the international journal Soccer and Society and currently sits on the editorial board of Soccer and Society and Impumelelo: The interdisciplinary electronic journal of African Sport. He has also guest edited special issues of African Historical Review, Sport in Society and International Review for the Sociology of Sport.

Paul was a member of the ESRC Peer Review College (2010-2014) and has acted as a peer reviewer for numerous research funding agencies and international journals. He is a founding member of the International Sport Migration Network and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Paul is a recipient of the Dean of the Doctoral College Award for Excellence in PhD Research Supervision (LHS - 2026) and is institutional lead for the Sport in Society Pathway in the ESRC funded NINE Doctoral Training Partnership.

External positions

External Examiner, University of Edinburgh

2015 → 2019

External Examiner, Loughborough University

2010 → 2016

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 1 - No Poverty
    SDG 1 No Poverty
  2. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  3. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education
  4. SDG 5 - Gender Equality
    SDG 5 Gender Equality
  5. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  6. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  7. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  8. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  9. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  10. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
    SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

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