We are delighted to announce that the keynote speaker for the WISERD Annual Conference 2025 is Professor Irene Hardill from Northumbria University.
Professor Hardill’s keynote address will explore how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the crucial role of civil society and charities in addressing inequality and unmet needs. It will also explore research examining voluntary action across the UK and the historical evolution of civil society in England.
Professor Hardill will also highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological innovation in understanding and supporting civil society during times of crisis.
Professor Hardill joined Northumbria in 2010 as a Professor of Public Policy. Prior to that, she was Professor in the Graduate School at Nottingham Trent University. She has a particular expertise in volunteering, and the voluntary and community sector working collaboratively to co-produce knowledge.
Irene’s recent research has been supported by the ESRC and includes leading a project on mobilising voluntary action during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has recently completed an evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 on methodological innovation for the ESRC.
In addition to managing an extensive list of ESRC-funded projects, Professor Hardill has managed projects from other sponsors, including the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust, Age UK, the Canadian High Commission and the French Government.
Irene has a prolific publishing history, covering the changing world of work through the many meanings of work, paid and unpaid, in the home and in the community.
We hope you will join us in welcoming Professor Irene Hardill and book your place at this year’s WISERD Annual Conference, which takes place at Aberystwyth University, 30 June – 1 July.