Faculty Profile

Jacob Islary is a professional Social Work educator and practitioner with Master of Social Work degree from RCSS, Kochi and PhD in Social Work from TISS, Mumbai. He has taught Social Work since 2012 at the postgraduate level, prior to which was engaged with Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation, Ranikhet, Uttarakhand as the State Team Leader-Himachal Pradesh from 2008-2009 and with State ASHA Resource Center, NRHM Assam as District Community Mobiliser from 2009-2010 before joining TISS, Mumbai, to pursue his PhD studies with UGC NET/JRF grant.

Dr. Islary besides teaching, has carried out a number of research projects, consultancies and community engagement programmes funded by various national and international agencies, including ICSSR, Unicef, IGSSS (Assam), Tata Trusts, UCDVO (Dublin), HSTP (New Delhi), NKDA Kolkata and Access Health International (USA/India). He is a lifetime member of NAPSWI, IASSH and TICI. Currently Dr. Islary is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Work, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata.

• PhD in Social Work (TISS, Mumbai, 2018)
• MSW - Community Development (RCSS, Kochi, MG University, 2008)
• BA - English Honours in Linguistics (Cotton College, Gauhati University, 2005)

• Associate Professor, St. Xavier's University, Kolkata, (2022 - Present)
• Assistant Professor, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati (2012 - 2022)

• HoD, Social Work, St. Xavier's University, Kolkata (Jul. 2025 onwards)
• Coordinator, International Student Volunteer Exchange Programme, Social Work, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati (2014 - 2019)

• Islary, J. (2025) The Problematics of Urban Spaces and Urbanisation in Bodoland. Journal of Tribal Intellectual Collective India. Vol. 8(5).67 to 85
• Islary, J. (2021). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Antenatal Care among Tribes: An Evidence Based Study inAssam. Journal of Social Work and Social Development, Vol. 12 (2)
• Islary, J. (2021). Ensuring public health and care services and health rights in communities through participatory health governance. Indian Journal of Health and Well-being, 12(4).
• Islary, J. et al. (2015). Volunteering by Students in Higher Education: An Inter-Cultural and Participatory Development Experience from Northeast India. The Journal of Development Practice. Vol. 2. 11-19.
• Islary, J. (2014). Health and Health Seeking Behaviour among Tribal Communities in India: A Socio-Cultural Perspective. Journal of Tribal Intellectual Collective India. Vol. 2(1). 1- 16.

• UGC NET/JRF
• India-HPSR, Fellowship, 2022-24