
Always positive, enthusiastic, and supportive. Best Professor ever had.
Fosters a love for lifelong learning.
Always approachable and easy to talk to.
Always fair, kind, and deeply insightful.
Inspires curiosity and a love for knowledge.
Hannah Soong is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences at Adelaide University. Born and raised in Singapore, she completed her primary, secondary, and teacher education locally before teaching in Singapore schools for ten years. She earned a Bachelor of Education with First Class Honours from the University of South Australia and completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Education from the same institution in 2012, focusing on the lived experiences of transnational pre-service teachers. Her academic career commenced at the University of South Australia, where she advanced to Senior Lecturer from 2019 to 2024, strengthening the teaching-research nexus to foster globally-minded and interculturally-sensitive students. In her current role at Adelaide University, she supervises Masters and PhD students and welcomes higher degree research enquiries in her areas of interest.
A sociologist in education, Soong investigates the lived experiences of children and young people in transnational contexts, encompassing international students, refugee and migrant-background students and families, and education professionals including international pre-service teachers and school teachers in local and international settings. Her scholarship emphasizes ethical engagement with global shifts and relations in education and wellbeing, with ongoing research into international students' housing issues, community engagement, and everyday wellbeing. She has attracted over $500,000 in research income and produced more than 50 articles and books. Notable works include the book Transnational Students and Mobility: Lived Experiences of Migration (Routledge, 2016); recent articles such as 'International student wellbeing and everyday community engagement experiences: an Australian study' (Studies in Higher Education, 2025), 'A 'community turn' to engaging international students: the 'bright' and 'dark' social capital' (International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2025), and 'Contesting the framing of digital risk: An analysis of Australian children's experiences' (Journal of Children and Media, 2025). Awards include the 2015 Endeavour Fellowship from the Australian Government and the Early Career Researcher Award from the Australian Association for Research in Education and New Zealand Association for Research in Education International Conference. Editorial contributions feature Managing Editor roles for Social Identities: Journal of Race, Nation and Identities and African Identities (2011-2014), and current positions on the boards of Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration and International Education: Journal of Global Education and Research.
